Northeast Florida's Baseball Previews
Lifting Beyond Limits Addison Frisbee, St. Johns Country Day
Local Gymnasts Seek National Title
A Champion On and Off the Field
IN THE
GAME NORTHEAST FLORIDA
DEC/JAN 2018-19
Kamy Loustau St. Johns Country Day
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TAYLOR HOLWELL Fernandina Beach High School
Golf
What is the most memorable moment of your sports career to date? Being able to win districts and go onto regionals every year. Who is your biggest sports inspiration? Michelle Wie because she is a great golfer who stands out from all other golfers by being herself on and off the course.
In The Game | 15
A CHAMPION On and Off the Field Written by: Susannah Parmenter | Photography by: Allen Allnoch
This past season, the St. John’s County Day School girls soccer team won the 2017 1A FHSAA Championship — its seventh consecutive state title win and 10th overall. For some, that level of success and recognition could be daunting to deal with, but for team captain Kamy Loustau and her teammates, it’s all just part of competing in a sport they love. “We don't really talk about it as much as some people might expect,”
she said. “We don't really wear our rings that often, and it's not because we're ashamed of it or because we're not proud, but I think it's just being a part of the team. We know every single year we want to go after another state championship, and that is our big goal. Most of the time we just focus on each individual game that we play.” One of four children, Loustau comes from a soccer family. Her father,
Carlos Loustau, who was born in Mexico, played in a semi-pro league called Club America. He inspired her to take up the sport, and she joined a club in first grade near her home in Kansas. Her mom's job in the Navy brought the family to Jacksonville, and Loustau hopped from club to club before finding a home at SJCDS. “I was with a club called Florida Elite, and my coach, Brad Schmidt, was the boys coach at St. John’s,” she said. “He knew Coach Pickett, and I knew it was a great school. That’s how I made the connection.” Girls soccer coach Mike Pickett has been the head of the program for the past 20 years. He offered the role of captain to Loustau this past year, and she accepted. Mainly, her job is to keep all the athletes accountable.
“On the field, I am just being a supporter of everybody on the team,” Loustau said. “You have to lead by example.” Loustau believes, however, that pushing her teammates to work hard begins with a positive approach. “When one of your teammates isn’t working the way they should, you don't have to yell at them, but just say ‘Hey, that's 42 | itgnext.com
We know every single year we want to go after another state championship, and that is our big goal. Most of the time we just focus on each individual game that we play.
— Kamy Loustau
okay, but make sure next time Laurel said she never you do this specific correction doubted that her daughter, an to fix that,’” she said. exceptional athlete, would reWhen it comes to motivation, alize her dream. She especially Loustau said Pickett is a good admires her resilience and terole model. nacity. “He just makes you feel like “I would be crying and wavyou're like ing for the his daugh- “The team is like a big fam- stretcher if ter,” she said. ily support system. I think someone “He wants slammed we're really lucky just in our into me the you to be the very best program to be able to have way oppothat you can a pool of girls for JV, varsity, nents often be.” do during and middle school.” Pi c ke t t games, and regularly Kamy just — Kamy Loustau hops up drafts girls from the and keeps middle school to play on his going,” she said. varsity team, and this season Her mom, Laurel, said it’s there are quite a few newcomher daughter’s behavior off ers since many of the team’s the field, however, that sets starters have graduated. Howher apart. ever, Loustau is excited at the “Kamy's kindness and prospect of new teammates. work ethic make me the most “The team is like a big famproud,” she said. “She has a big ily support system,” she said. heart, and she wants everyone she meets to feel better about “I think we're really lucky just life. She cares about her parin our program to be able to have a pool of girls for JV, varents and her siblings too. She sity, and middle school.” has this belief in God that imWith so many changes to presses me, and she stays centhe roster, the girls have been tered of her own accord.” working to bond as a group. Loustau's dad, her first “This year we started doing coach, agreed. these little lunch time meet“She is like many othings,” she said. “Every Friday er girls in the world today the soccer team will get toworking hard and staying gether and eat together, and focused on the things that we play a lot of trivia games — a lot of Disney movie trivia. matter regardless of the Sometimes that gets compeer pressure of today’s petitive, and I definitely think young culture,” he said. we'll be competitive when we “Kamy is a kind, gentle practice together. Everybody knows each other and has soul that reaches for the known each other for a really stars only to give them long time. I think we're really to somebody that needs lucky in that aspect to have more light in their lives a group of girls who are all and lives every day to the fighting for the same goal and wanting to get better every fullest while spreading time they step on the field.“ joy and love to the peoThis will be Loustau’s final ple around her.” season at SJCDS. Next year, Loustau is excited for she will be playing for Princewhat lies ahead. She isn’t sure ton in the fall. whether she wants to play pro“When Princeton is like, fessional soccer, join the Peace ‘Hey, we saw you play, and Corps, or start her own church, we're really interested in you. but there is one thing she is Please come to our camp, so certain of. She is ready to make we can watch more,’ I thought, the most of her last season at ‘This is a dream come true. Oh SJCDS. my goodness.’ It was just this miracle that happened,” she said.
JOI: Proud team physicians keeping the Jaguars and you on your game.
Kevin M. Kaplan, MD - Head Team Physician
Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute and Baptist Health are pleased to offer area athletes and weekend warriors unmatched sports medicine expertise and complete orthopaedic care. As team physicians for the Jaguars, area high schools, colleges, and universities, you’ll find us on the field and at convenient office locations across Northeast Florida. That’s good for the team — and good for you.
To learn more or to set an appointment, call JOI-2000 or visit joi.net
2018 Northeast Florida High School Athletic Awards Fall Banquet 1.19.19 6 p.m.
Orange Park Raiders
At Orange Park High School, the past few baseball seasons have simply not been any fun. The team has endured a revolving door of head coaches who have come through the program only to leave after a season or two. From 2015 through 2017, the team had won exactly seven games and lost 72. The last time the Raiders had a season of double-digit wins was 2014, when they finished 14-15. Enter Steve Adams. When he took over before the start of last season as the program's newest head coach, he knew something had to change. Actually, a lot had to change. He decided to start over, and that meant starting from scratch — even the very ground that the team called home had to change. With the help of the school’s administration, Adams had the old field bulldozed, literally burying the ghosts of seasons past. A new baseball field was built, and that meant never returning to the old habits that brought the once-proud baseball program down. With the new stadium came new goals. It had been 13 years since the school had won a playoff game. Adams set the goal of playing in a postseason game, which they did and won. Now, the goals will grow, as will expectations. And they should; in 2019, Adams will have everyone back except for three seniors. Two of them, Hunter Hackney and Christian Inyang, signed with Florida State College at Jacksonville. With some basic goals reached by the team and its fans seeing the light, Adams will try to capitalize on the experience this season and hopes that the team can once again get back to double-digit wins and go even further in the playoffs. Coming back to lead the team this season will be second baseman Devon Pounds, who started as a freshman last season. His middle infield partner will be junior Alex Oakes at shortstop. He will also be used at pitcher. The team will lean heavily on junior Stucci Regal, a 6’4” pitcher whose fastball has been measured at 86-88 mph. Regal will get the ball in practically every district contest this season. Adams said pitching will be the key to his team's growing confidence. Orange Park opens the season at Ponte Vedra High School.
2018 RECORD
4-18
REGION 1-6A Coach Steve Adams
Players To Watch
2B Pounds
P
Regal
SS Oakes
Returning Starters 1 home runs .336 On Base % .220 Batting Avg.