JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Even by lofty area standards that include no shortage of state championships, Saturday is about as significant of a day as there’s been for area high schools.
Five schools will play for state championships in girls soccer, girls basketball and boys basketball. Also going on is the state wrestling championship, making Saturday potentially one of the biggest days in area history in terms of gold medal possibilities.
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In girls soccer, Creekside and Ponte Vedra will look to continue the strong St. Johns County tradition of championships. The Sharks are the top-ranked team in the nation. The Knights are fourth.
The Bishop Kenny girls will try and scale the mountain in Class 4A where the Crusaders meet dynasty Lake Highland Prep for the second consecutive season. Can Kenny and coach Will Mayer bring home the program’s first title since their threepeat from 1990-92?
In boys basketball, Jackson and head coach James Collins hone in on the Class 4A state title against St. Petersburg Gibbs. Collins won a championship as a player at his alma mater in 1993. Winning as a coach would complete the mission that Collins set to accomplish when he was hired 16 years ago. He remains one of the best players to ever come through Jacksonville, the area’s first Mr. Basketball winner who averaged 30 ppg in his final season.
No team from the News4JAX area (Baker, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee or Union counties) has won a basketball state championship since Bolles in 2016. Bradford’s boys team won the Class 1A title in 2022.
Hilliard will look to put a bow on a special Saturday when it faces Williston in the Class 1A basketball title game at 8 p.m. The Red Flashes have won a state title (1963) and played for one recently (2020).
Girls soccer Class 6A championship
Ponte Vedra (21-1-1) vs. East Lake (17-2-4)
When: Saturday, 10 a.m.
Where: Spec Martin Stadium, DeLand.
Watch it: Game can be streamed on the NFHS Network. Cost is $11.99 for a monthly pass.
Semifinal result: Ponte Vedra d. Aquinas, 5-1; East Lake d. Viera, 1-0.
Notable: The Sharks have one of the best offensive teams in coach Dave Silverberg’s career, probably since his days at Nease coach his daughter, Jenna, and Lydia Sturgis. Ponte Vedra has three excellent forwards in Natalie Brooks, Lily Morse and Jenny Dearie, all underclassmen. Making the Sharks, the country’s No. 1-ranked team by MaxPreps, so difficult to beat is that they still play superb defense.
Girls soccer Class 7A championship
Creekside (15-1-2) vs. Boca Raton (18-2-2)
When: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Where: Spec Martin Stadium, DeLand.
Watch it: Game can be streamed on the NFHS Network. Cost is $11.99 for a monthly pass.
Semifinal result: Creekside d. Stoneman Douglas, 2-1; Boca Raton d. Newsome, 4-1.
Glance: The Knights are back in the championship game for the second time in program history. They won in their only appearance in 2022, coach Joe Soto’s first season. He’s got Creekside back with a chance to keep St. Johns Country’s girls soccer dominance going. The Knights and Bartram Trail have combined for the last four 7A state championships. Creekside is ranked No. 4 in the country, according to MaxPreps. It is so balanced across the lineup that any player is capable of taking over. Alanna Maki, Chloe Iliff, Samantha Colvin and Lily Paisant are all superb in their own rights. Maki and Paisant had goals in the final 10 minutes of the semifinal win over Douglas. Sophomore keeper Hailey Smith is tough in goal, shining her brightest in a PK win over Bartram in the regional final.
Girls basketball Class 4A girls championship
Bishop Kenny (26-4) vs. Lake Highland Prep (24-5)
When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
Where: RP Funding Center, Lakeland.
Watch it: Game can be streamed on the NFHS Network. Cost is $11.99 for a monthly pass.
Semifinal result: Bishop Kenny d. SLAM, 46-43; Lake Highland Prep d. Lakewood, 66-34.
Notable: The latest installment in what has become a state tradition, Kenny and Lake Highland Prep squaring off in Lakeland. It’s a rematch of the last year’s championship game, won in a comeback by the Highlanders. The Crusaders brought back the core of their 2023 team, with Clare Coyle, Riley Talbert and Sydney Roundtree all seniors. Coyle was huge in the semifinals, scoring 16 to lead the win over SLAM. Do they have enough for four full quarters against a dynasty? Kenny was probably three minutes away from pulling the shocker last season. Coach Will Mayer is a veteran and makes excellent adjustments. Kenny lost to SLAM 53-36 in the regular season, but made amends in the state semifinals.
Boys basketball Class 4A boys championship
Jackson (26-3) vs. Gibbs (26-5)
When: Saturday, 3 p.m.
Where: RP Funding Center, Lakeland.
Watch it: Game can be streamed on the NFHS Network. Cost is $11.99 for a monthly pass.
Semifinal result: Jackson d. Villages Charter, 47-43; Gibbs d. North Broward Prep, 58-55, 3 OT.
Glance: Coach James Collins has built something special on Main Street, putting a system in place that can survive the ebbs and flows of graduation. He’s taken his alma mater to championship games in 2019, 2020 and ‘22. They also reached the state semifinals in 2021. The change this year is that the Tigers won’t have to slug it out against a stacked private school like it has in its most recent title trips. The Tigers lost to University School, St. Andrew’s and Calvary Christian Academy in their three previous trips. It beat Gibbs in the state semifinals in 2022 and also topped that school this season (52-48).
Boys basketball Class 1A championship
Hilliard (25-2) vs. Williston (28-2)
When: Saturday, 8 p.m.
Where: RP Funding Center, Lakeland.
Watch it: Game can be streamed on the NFHS Network. Cost is $11.99 for a monthly pass.
Semifinal result: Hilliard d. Crossroad Academy, 49-36; Williston d. Chipley, 63-30.
Glance: The Red Flashes last played for a championship in 2020 so they have recent experience in the big game. And they’ve been one of the area’s most consistent programs all season. The challenge for coach Myron Saunders is finding a way to slow down a Williston team that has played a wicked tough schedule.