Recruiting watch: University Christian's Dahkari Gilley is area's latest Big Ten prospect
Dahkari Gilley is rolling toward Rutgers.
The rising senior for University Christian announced his commitment on Twitter to play for the Scarlet Knights, the latest move in what is shaping up as a Big Ten-heavy 2024 recruiting class for Northeast Florida.
At 6-2, 190 pounds, Gilley is an athletic and versatile prospect rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports. While he spent portions of last year as an edge rusher, he has been projected at other positions for college, even at safety.
As a junior, Gilley recorded 69 tackles (24.5 for loss), along with four sacks, a fumble recovery and an 80-yard pick-six as University Christian stormed into the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1M semifinals. He also added two more sacks in the May 25 spring football victory over Mayo Lafayette.
He also won the District 4-1A championship in the 100-meter dash, running 11.06 in April.
Gilley's commitment adds to a lengthy list of Jacksonville-area players committing to Big Ten programs entering their senior year. Penn State has already received commitments from Mandarin cornerbacks A.J. Belgrave-Shorter and Jon Mitchell as well as Jackson offensive lineman Deryc Plazz, while Bishop Kenny quarterback James Resar has selected Iowa and Ponte Vedra offensive lineman Jake Guarnera chose Michigan.
Fleming Island's Cunningham commits to FAU
At Fleming Island, Braden Cunningham is the latest Golden Eagle lineman to make the jump to the next level.
The rising senior committed Monday to Florida Atlantic football, announcing his decision on Twitter. He's the third member of the 2022 Fleming Island offensive front on course for a Football Bowl Subdivision program, following T.J. Lawrence (South Florida) and Ethan Williams (Georgia Southern) in the 2023 class.
Currently listed at 6-5 and 322 pounds, Cunningham has started the past two seasons for the Golden Eagles and has been variously projected as a guard, center or tackle in college.
Cunningham also placed seventh in FHSAA Class 2A boys weightlifting for the traditional unlimited class, lifting an aggregate 630-pound weight.
Red Alert: Ponte Vedra's Karcher saves debut
Ricky Karcher needed four words to describe Monday night to reporters: "That was just incredible."
The former Ponte Vedra pitcher not only played in his first-ever Major League Baseball game, but earned the save in extra innings as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-4.
Karcher attended Ponte Vedra before moving out of state for his senior year to Saline (Mich.) High School. Cincinnati selected him in the 13th round of the 2017 MLB Draft after college baseball at the University of Michigan and Walters State (Tenn.) Community College in Tennessee.
Called up for the first time on June 8, Karcher waited four days for his debut, and it came in an extra-inning pressure cooker. With three of its pitchers unavailable for the night, and four more already used, the Reds called on Karcher to nail down the final three outs with a man on second in the 10th at Kauffman Stadium.
Wildness (12 balls in 21 pitches) challenged Karcher at times Monday, as it has in the minors, where he carried a 9.27 ERA and 34 walks through the first two months. But he survived: Despite a leadoff walk and a double steal that moved the go-ahead run into scoring position, he forced a fly out, a pop-up and another fly to escape.
As reported by MLB.com's Mark Sheldon, Karcher is the first Reds pitcher to record a save in his major league debut since saves became official statistics in 1969.
He becomes the second St. Johns County player to make his MLB debut within the past month. Former Nease pitcher Blair Calvo pitched for the Colorado Rockies on May 30, although Calvo has since returned to the minors.
Kardatzke second in state softball vote
University Christian pitcher Sophia Kardatzke finished as runner-up in the statewide vote for the Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Softball award, after leading UC to its first-ever FHSAA championship.
As a junior, she batted .662 with 13 doubles, seven home runs, 50 RBI and a 2.029 OPS, to go with a 21-1 record and a 1.35 ERA in the circle.
Bartow junior ace Katelynn (Red) Oxley earned both the Miss Softball and the Gatorade Player of the Year awards after finishing 23-2 with an 0.50 ERA and 307 strikeouts for Class 6A champion Bartow.
UC's Keith Stroud also placed fourth for softball coach of the year in Florida, won by Erin Spivey of first-time champion Parrish Community.
Locals to race in Philadelphia
State sprint champions Jayden Dailey, Christian Miller and Skyy Dixon are among more than a dozen Jacksonville-area athletes scheduled to compete at the four-day New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet for track and field, scheduled for June 15-18 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
Creekside junior Miller, who completed the 100-200 double in Class 4A at last month's FHSAA championships at the University of North Florida, races the 100 and 200 again in Philadelphia. So will Dailey, a sophomore champion for Class 2A in the orange of Tocoi Creek.
Providence's Dixon will race the girls 100 and 200, after winning both events for Class 1A at last month's meet.
Ponte Vedra state champions Vincent Jackson and Nathan Lebowitz compete in the discus and javelin, respectively, after leading the Sharks to their first-ever FHSAA title in Class 3A.
Other local qualifiers in championship events include Fleming Island's Gabrielle Flores (girls high jump), Creekside's Kate Franklin (girls 100 hurdles), Sandalwood's Brittney Jennings (girls 100 hurdles) and Creekside's Janay Moorer (girls 200 and 400), as well as several relay teams.
Competitors in the Rising Stars classification include Thania Barton from St. Augustine and Josh Howell, Melissa Epting and Sofia Killin from Creekside.
James new leader at Episcopal baseball
Nick James, who previously led Kissimmee Osceola and Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy to the FHSAA regionals, was hired as Episcopal's new head baseball coach. James also previously worked as an assistant at Providence in the 2000s.
He takes over for former FHSAA champion Mike Jones, who stepped down after nearly two decades and 322 victories but will remain with the program as pitching coach.
Jones won the Class 3A championship in 2006, his second year in charge of the program, and qualified for the regional tournament 13 times. The No. 21 overall selection in the first round of the 1977 Major League Baseball draft, Jones pitched four seasons in the American League with the Kansas City Royals and played on the team that won the 1985 World Series, although he did not pitch in the World Series itself.
Episcopal finished 4-20 in 2023, following trips to the previous three playoffs.
Around the area
Wolfson third baseman and pitcher Harper Osburn committed to FSCJ baseball. … Bolles junior attackman Parker Kane committed to Florida Tech men's lacrosse. … Glynn Academy tight end David Prince committed to Georgia Tech football. ... St. Joseph promoted assistant Kenny Moore to head boys basketball coach. … Stoneman Douglas pitcher Christian Rodriguez won the Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Baseball award, and Todd Fitz-Gerald of Douglas won the baseball coach of the year for the third consecutive season. … Arjun Nimmala of Strawberry Crest was named Gatorade Player of the Year for baseball. ... The annual Baker's Sports High School Media Day is scheduled for July 26.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Dahkari Gilley: University Christian athlete chooses Rutgers football
