'Season of redemption': After streak's end, St. Johns Country Day returns to soccer hunt

Sydney Schmidt wasn't used to the way last season ended for St. Johns Country Day girls soccer.

At the Clay County school, nobody was.

For the first time since most of today's players were in preschool, St. Johns Country Day enters Tuesday's Florida High School Athletic Association Class 2A girls soccer semifinal against Shorecrest Prep of St. Petersburg as something other than a defending champion.

"It's definitely been a season of redemption for us," Schmidt said.

How they got here: St. Johns Country Day punches FHSAA final-four ticket

The Spartans, winners of 11 consecutive FHSAA titles from 2012 to 2022 until Lakeland Christian dethroned them last February, take the field at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale with a mission.

For head coach Mike Pickett, on the sidelines for all 11 titles in the streak as well as earlier championships in 2005, 2007 and 2009, it's not about revenge. The mission: finishing off a season that's shown once more what St. Johns soccer can achieve, and doing it against Florida's best, week after week.

"I put them through the [scheduling] wringer this year, and they have been complete champions. Couldn't be more proud," Pickett said. "This has been one of the most fun years, definitely the most challenging."

TAKING ON THE TOUGHEST

After the abrupt ending to 2022-23, St. Johns Country Day's beginning to 2023-24 brought a winless start — three games, three draws.

Panic time? Not for the Spartans.

The schedule was designed tough and played like it: The Spartans faced current state No. 1 Ponte Vedra and defending state champions Bartram Trail (7A), Gulf Breeze (6A), American Heritage (5A) and Bishop Moore (4A). The FHSAA's formula rated the schedule as Florida's hardest for the regular season.

"These kids are troopers," Pickett said. "They have not batted an eye or complained. It's truly been next-man-up, and we've gritted out some big-time results."

They've worked to revamp their lineup following graduations, transfers and injuries. They even received a momentary psychological shock when an FHSAA error, subsequently corrected, briefly omitted St. Johns from the regional bracket (the association had confused the Spartans with Tallahassee St. John Paul II Catholic). Through it all, they've devised a winning formula mixing newcomers with some familiar faces in less-than-familiar places.

That's a list that includes junior Cece Nowicki, who mostly remained in central defense previously but has ventured upfield with relish this year. Her 10 goals rank second on the team.

"Our team's been getting to know each other, finding our team's way of playing, since we have a bunch of new girls," she said.

Since January, they've been a machine, outscoring opponents 41-1.

"I feel like our different from our first practice to where we are now has been insane," Schmidt said. "We all work together so well, and we really become a family on the field where we all know each other's strengths."

SYDNEY SCHMIDT RISES AS SCORING STAR

It's helped to have a scorer on fire.

Schmidt has found the net in the last seven St. Johns games: one against Tallahassee Lincoln, one against Stanton, two against Lakewood Ranch, three against St. Joseph, two against Christ's Church, two more against St. Joseph in regionals, three against University Christian and two against Christ's Church in the regional final.

Her skill is making waves beyond Clay County: The United States Soccer Federation called her up to the Under-16 Women's National Team for a training camp beginning late this week in Chula Vista, Calif., the third time she's received a national call.

Her key to success: teamwork.

"My teammates do a great job taking touches away from pressure and making passes to where I can have the chance to get open," Schmidt said.

Even as a freshman, Schmidt already had emerged as the Spartans' top attacker, scoring 24 goals and 22 assists last winter. This year, she's played everywhere, whether lining up as a primary striker or roaming free through the midfield to pick up possession.

Opponents know she's coming, and she's had to adjust to not only tight marking but also several crunching physical challenges in the playoffs' earlier rounds.

"It's definitely been a big adjustment," Schmidt said. "I feel like my movement has definitely had to be better than it ever has been before. I've had to find a lot of open spaces."

DEFENSE STANDS TALL

Maybe, St. Johns is ready to win it all in a new way.

Just finishing regionals in double figures (63) for goals is unusual enough for the Spartans, who most often roll up sky-high totals: 110 last year, 97 in 2021-22, 115 in 2020-21, 105 in 2019-20, 132 in 2018-19 and 156 in 2017-18.

But the defense has risen to the occasion, a unit that Pickett rates among the school's best in a quarter-century, with experience ranging from senior Savannah Berrang to rapidly-rising eighth-grader Annabelle Ernst.

In the Spartans' last nine games, they've allowed a total of one goal, to Lakewood Ranch on Jan. 19. Other than that, it's been pure shutout mode for battle-tested senior goalkeeper Roxy Mathews, committed to Columbus State.

"We went through so much adversity this year," she said, "I feel like we could be ready for anything."

Ready for anything in Auburndale. This year, that means life not as the hunted, but as the hunter.

"We haven't been in that position in a long time," Pickett said. "Our mindset going down is to play free, have fun and to hunt."

Class 2A girls soccer state semifinal

St. Johns Country Day (15-2-5) vs. Shorecrest Prep (9-3-3)

When: 1 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, Auburndale.

Webcast: NFHS Network (monthly pass, $11.99)

The skinny: They meet again. St. Johns beat Shorecrest 4-0 in the 2020 title game, then needed late goals from Lauryn Mateo and Ava Johnson to win by a narrower 2-0 margin in the 2022 final. That game further showcased the skills of Shorecrest keeper Sonoma Kasica, who's now a senior and a starter for the U.S. U-19 women's team at the recent Pan American Games. Kasica isn't the only keeper in the spotlight: St. Johns starter Roxy Mathews might have to come up big again to stop Shorecrest Prep's midfield combination of Adelaide Oman and Lili Scoby and the explosiveness of 18-goal finisher Kaja Dionne, committed to Colorado State. The winner plays for the state championship at 4 p.m. Friday in Auburndale against either reigning champion Lakeland Christian or Miami True North.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: St. Johns Country Day girls soccer: 2024 final four FHSAA preview