St. Johns Spotlight: After holiday break sweep, Ponte Vedra girls soccer tops FHSAA list
Don't call it a break for Ponte Vedra girls soccer.
While other Northeast Florida teams spent Christmas and New Year's getting some time off, the Sharks were playing, and winning, against several Sunshine State giants at the Red Card for Cancer tournament in Vero Beach.
Within barely 48 hours from Wednesday through Friday, Ponte Vedra won 2-1 over Cape Coral Mariner, 2-0 over Vero Beach, 2-0 over Tallahassee Lincoln and 1-0 over Somerset Academy Canyons.
Senior goalkeeper Audrey Johnson and freshman Abby Kennedy combined to allow only one goal in 320 minutes.
The remaining schedule isn't as compressed but doesn't get easier for the Sharks, who play Jan. 12 against Creekside, Jan. 18 against Bartram Trail and Jan. 20 against national power Montverde Academy.
Ponte Vedra (13-1-1), whose only loss came Dec. 15 to Edgewood, is pursuing a shot at a fourth Florida High School Athletic Association championship under head coach Dave Silverberg. The FHSAA ranks the Sharks No. 1 in Class 6A.
St. Johns hoops trio storms into 2024
They're on fire: The two newest girls basketball programs in St. Johns County, along with the county's oldest, are officially red-hot rolling into 2024.
Meet St. Augustine, Beachside and Tocoi Creek. Since the start of December, they've risen rapidly to join Ponte Vedra atop the county's girls hoops scene near the halfway point.
Here's a closer look at all three.
St. Augustine (11-1) is far from a stranger to the win column after a 23-2 season in 2021-22 that included current seniors Aniyah Fisher and Alayla Terry as contributors. They've won their last seven since a 44-32 loss to Ridgeview on Dec. 6, holding opponents to 29.3 points per game in that span, and beat Palatka, Oakleaf and University Christian last week.
Third-year Tocoi Creek (12-3) relied on improving defensive cohesion to beat Keystone Heights, Bradford and Williston at the Bradford Christmas Tournament in Starke. They've got one of Northeast Florida's top young combinations: Sophomore Audrey Beyer averages 17.0 points per game and freshman Gabi Iturralde averages 13.1, including a career-high 33 against Williston.
Even newer is Beachside, up to 12-3 in its second season. They've won eight straight, paced by the outside shooting of junior Kendall Kane (14.7 points per game) and Morgan Cremen (12.6 points), and center Madi Ray tallied her first triple-double (12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks) in Friday's 60-36 win over 14-2 Camden County to win the Egmont Key bracket of the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational.
Around St. Johns
Creekside boys soccer's Jackson Hartford, Cooper Maurer and Christian Denegri made the All-Tournament team at the Mike Stone Invitational in Tavares, where the Knights placed second to Bishop Moore. … Former Menendez safety Kenny Logan, now at Kansas, was named defensive MVP of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. … Ponte Vedra guard Morgan Gavazzi was named MVP for the Sharks at the KSA Events Pre-Holiday Tournament. … Beginning Monday, arm care conditioning may begin under FHSAA regulations for baseball and softball.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Ponte Vedra girls soccer sweeps Red Card for Cancer tournament
