St. Johns Spotlight: Jaguars' spotlight shines on football's Jake Guarnera, Riley Trujillo

The Super 11 got to see their names in lights.

Jaguars Prep recognized the Times-Union's annual Super 11 honorees, including two St. Johns County stars, from Jacksonville-area high school football during the NFL team's preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins at EverBank Stadium.

Recognized during halftime at the game were Atlantic Coast linebacker Camden Hardy; Bartram Trail quarterback Riley Trujillo; Bishop Kenny quarterback James Resar; Bolles defensive tackle Garrison Butler and linebacker Trent Carter; Fletcher quarterback Marcelis Tate; Mandarin defensive backs A.J. Belgrave-Shorter and Jon Mitchell and offensive tackle Deryc Plazz; Ponte Vedra center Jake Guarnera; and Trinity Christian quarterback Colin Hurley.

Several Super 11 selections over the years have gone on to represent the Jaguars, including former Lee linebacker Dequan Jackson on the current practice squad.

303 yards: Inside Maddox Spencer's huge game

With one gigantic receiving night, albeit in a losing cause, Nease receiver Maddox Spencer soared into Florida's receiving leaderboard.

The numbers from Friday night's 51-23 loss to Creekside were off the charts: 14 catches, 303 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers might have climbed even higher if not for a running clock during portions of the fourth quarter.

"Maddox is a phenomenal player and he played a great game," Nease coach Collin Drafts said.

It's not Spencer's first notable game, but it's by far his biggest. The previous career high for the junior, who also competes for the Panthers' baseball squad, was a 136-yard night against Ponte Vedra on Oct. 28, 2022.

How did he do it? Here's a catch-by-catch look inside each of his completions from quarterback Nate Harry.

Pure perfection for Nease boys

It doesn't get any better than a 15-point day in cross country.

That's what Nease's boys team achieved Saturday morning at the Ridgeview Bob Hans Invitational, breaking from the distinctive painted starting line to sweep the top five positions. Senior state champion Matt Ryan led the Panther pack with a 16:03, followed by teammates Sai Jayaraman, Finn Thomas, Wyatt Pittman and Nate Corkran.

Ponte Vedra nailed down the top three spots in the girls race, with Daisy Ross winning in 19:18 as Lindy White and Hilaree Vega followed close behind. That was enough to earn the team title with 32 points for the Sharks, four ahead of Bishop Kenny.

Meanwhile, Alyson Johnson continued her rise in the distance running charts, routing the field by 50 seconds to win the Florida Horse Park Invitational in Ocala with a personal-best 18:18.6. The Creekside sophomore now stands inside the top five in Florida's 2023 standings.

Highlighting this weekend's running scene in Northeast Florida is the inaugural Clay County Invitational in Green Cove Springs.

Peach State pyrotechnics

The football spotlight shifts across the Florida-Georgia line for the three-day, seven-game Border Classic, set for Thursday through Saturday at Glynn County Stadium.

Among Saturday's games are Creekside-Richmond Hill at 4 p.m. and St. Augustine-Brunswick at 7:30 p.m.

Watch the air game when St. Augustine meets Brunswick. The teams are loaded with future college receivers, with St. Augustine's Trenton Jones and Carl Jenkins Jr. among several Jacket pass-catchers drawing widespread attention and Brunswick's T.J. Mitchell on the radar of schools like Brunswick.

Beacon of Hope wins volleyball marathon

An early candidate for longest volleyball match of the year: Beacon of Hope vs. Joshua Christian, who faced off Friday night inside the Ketterlinus Gym in St. Augustine in a match that kept on going and going.

The final score: Beacon of Hope held on, 25-22, 26-28, 33-35, 25-20, 15-13. The 35-33 third set is the longest on record for Northeast Florida since the third set of Creekside-Oakleaf on Sept. 14, 2018.

Senior Xy'Kera Bell led Beacon of Hope with 14 aces.

Around St. Johns

Former St. Augustine quarterback Sammy Edwards won player of the week honors in the Gulf South Conference at Valdosta State, completing 21 of 31 passes for 347 yards and four touchdowns, along with 73 yards rushing and another score as the Blazers piled up 63 points against Point. ... Zeta Washington is definitely ready for college volleyball. The middle blocker from Ponte Vedra, a two-time All-First Coast player of the year, opened her NCAA career Friday at Cincinnati with 25 kills and three blocks in the Bearcats' victory against Kennesaw State. ... Beachside midfielder Ayla Kiziltas committed to West Florida women's soccer.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jake Guarnera, Riley Trujillo honored by Jacksonville Jaguars