Northeast Florida June 2017 Edition

CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION

PLUS

2017

e v e i h ac

&

23

Athletic Awards Banquet pg.50

e r i p s in The magic of

l l e h c t i M Malcolm continues

The All-American Girl

Kensey McMahon — Mandarin High School

Northeast Florida's Fall, Winter, and Spring CHAMPIONS

46 Basketball Player Gives Back via Mentorship and Fellowship Marquel Perry — Trinity Baptist College

3rd Time is the Charm

Jason Davis — Fleming Island High School

GAME NORTHEAST FLORIDA

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IN THE

JUNE/JULY 2017

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STAY In The Game @InTheGameNation

LIVING IN THE GAME Luke Terry is a 14-yearold baseball catcher from Lewisburg, Tennessee, and he plays the position using only one arm. After he catches a ball, Luke flings his glove off of his left hand and throws it in the air to deliver a quick snap — just like any other catcher. Terry is living In the Game by not giving up on the game.

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Preseason Issue August 2017

The best time of the year is back: football season. We have all the stats and insights on North Florida football coming your way!

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In The Game | 5

July 15, 2017 • UNF Hodges Stadium Challenge yourself and compete against other children in Northeast Florida while having fun in the First Annual Track & Field Championship! This event is for boys and girls ages 5 – 17 years. Participants will receive a t-shirt and goody bag just for registering. Medals will be awarded to winners in each event, plus the overall Septathlon champion.

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Register online at FirstCoastYMCA.org or at your neighborhood YMCA.

IN THIS ISSUE

P I H S N O I n P o i t i M d e A

G T I 7 1 0 2

CH

IN THIS ISSUE 19

The Heart of a Champion

38

22

FUNCTIONAL STRENGTHENING

42

23

Franklin Griffis Baker County

Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute

The All-American Girl Kensey McMahon Mandarin High School

24

Achieve & Inspire

28

Champions

46

The Magic of Malcolm Mitchell Continues

Fall, Winter, and Spring Champions

30

Matt Harshany

31

Player Profiles

34

Run, Creekside, Run

Navarre High School

Baldwin High School Wins 1A State Championship in Cheerleading 4 Score: Trinity Christian Academy Won Its 4th Consecutive 3A Football Championship

Basketball Player Gives Back via Mentorship and Fellowship Marquel Perry Trinity Baptist College

66

From the Field to the Mat

67

Pulling the Same Rope to Win 6th Consecutive Championship

David Johnson Lee High School

St. Johns Country Day

69

Half a Point to History

72

Health, Nutrition, & Feeling Your Best!

Bartram Trail High School

48

The Bolles School: The Dynasty

74

Living In the Game

50

In the Game's Northeast Florida Athletic Awards Banquets

78

3rd Time is the Charm

FamiLEE

79

Making History

62

Enzo Lee Family

Fleming Island Soccer

Jason Davis Fleming Island High

Jesse Urbina Trinity Christian Academy

In The Game | 7

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FROM THE PUBLISHER Ah, it is finally summer time. There’s nothing like embracing the sun, sand, surf, and sports! While high school is out of session until the fall, we found it a perfect time to reflect on all the champions in Northeast Florida from the 2016-17 seasons.

Definition of a “champion [cham-pee-uh n]” - a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition, to hold first place - a person who fights for or defends any person or cause - a fighter or warrior; to defend There are many fighters, warriors, and champions throughout all of Northeast Florida. The back-to-back state champion cross country runners at Creekside built great momentum throughout the fall season. The Bolles School and Bartram Trail swim teams were a force to be reckoned with, bringing home state titles as well.

Football season can’t come soon enough. Trinity Christian and University Christian will be looking to bring home another state title just like they did this season. Speaking of another title, St. Johns Country Day girls soccer just received its sixth consecutive state championship and will be fighting for a seventh to continue their history-making streak. For boys soccer, Fleming Island brought home a state championship this year too.

Coach Shelia, Rennia Davis, and Ribault girls basketball made bringing home a state championship almost look easy with their 72-31 victory over Lakewood. Competitive cheer teams from Bartram Trail, Middleburg, and Baldwin all brought home some state championship rings as well.

While these are just some of the many champions in Northeast Florida, it is safe to say we have many talented and passionate student-athletes.

Our mission it to inform, inspire, and connect you with our content and your community. We relentlessly strive to discover, document, and display captivating sports-inspired stories in a way that accurately represents and honors those involved, while actively engaging those not involved.

We at In the Game Sports Network seek to embed ourselves into strong communities that recognize the value of sports tradition by providing extensive coverage and recognition for local student-athletes, coaches, and fans.

We look for people who understand what is means to passionately persevere, inspire, and strive for greatness in all areas of life. In short, we are looking for people who understand what it means to BE In the Game.

So, the question is: Are you in?

Contributors Publisher Mark Dykes Editors Courtney Wagner Cole Parker Graphics Mandy Douthit Brittany K. Wyche LaDarius Dennison Cover Photography Courtesy of Read with Malcolm Feature Photography Aaron Musgrove Courtney Wagner Travis Cunningham Raymond Bureau Ryan McMahon Dr. Steve Hartsock Dylan Hutchison Julio Chavez Feature Writers Brent Beaird Cole Parker Robert Bruns Ryan Hennessy Dylan Hutchinson Taf Bentley Tanner Kennedy Courtney Wagner Raymond Bureau Andrew Baker Copy Editor Anna Limoges Advertising/Marketing Mark Dykes mark@itgsportsnetwork.com

Website Manager Cole Parker

If you’re in search of great stories, we have the answer. inthegamesportsnetwork.com features stories from the magazine, trending topics, your high school teams, and much more all at your finger tips. There is even a spot to submit your ideas to us.

Tell us what you thought about the April/May issue of In the Game! info@itgsportsnetwork.com

In the Game is published bi-monthly (excluding July). The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in part or in full without written consent from the publisher. M&S makes no representation or warranty of any kind for accuracy of content.

All advertisements are assumed by the publisher to be correct. Copyright 2017 M&S. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1945-1458

@InTheGameNation In The Game | 9

At Farah & Farah, the name of the game is never stop fighting for our clients. We are proud to provide you and your family with the expertise and dedication that your case deserves. Based right here in Jacksonville, we are perfectly positioned to faithfully serve Northeast Florida with care and determination.

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Contributors

BE IN THE GAME

Mark Dykes

Cole Parker

Courtney Wagner

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Operations Officer

Jacksonville Area Director

Founder and CEO Mark Dykes is the entrepreneur and mastermind behind the In the Game vision. Back in 2007, Mark set out to create a company that captured the passion, intensity, and unrivalled commitment towards high school athletics in the South Georgia area. Today, that vision has become a reality, and he continues to be the leading influence in what lies ahead for In the Game Sports Network.

As a recent Cornell University graduate, Cole dove head first into the working world by taking on a leadership position with In the Game. As the Chief Operations Officer, he has come on board to manage all business operations, digital development, and company expansion.

Combining his experience in entrepreneurship and marketing with his extensive sports background, Cole is looking forward to further establishing and growing In the Game Sports Network.

Courtney is an established professional in the world of communications, sports, marketing, and digital media. She received her degree from Florida State University while studying communications and business. Courtney is the Director of ITG for the North Florida region and is in charge of all operations, focusing on producing the magazine and TV show. She is a strong reporter for the show and writer for the magazine. Her positive attitude, work ethic, and experience make her an ideal Director.

Mandy Douthit

Brittany k. Wyche

aNNA Limoges

Graphic Designer

Magazine director

Copy editor

Mandy recently made the move from Pine Mountain, Georgia, to Valdosta in order to join the ITG corporate team. The University of West Georgia alum graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art with a concentration in Graphic Design.

Her artistic nature has allowed her to use graphic design to win national and international design competitions, and now she will be bringing those skills to In the Game.

It takes a lot of talent and drive to handle the graphic design workload here at ITG, but we found the perfect fit in Brittany. Starting her collegiate career as a soccer player at ABAC, she decided to transfer to Wiregrass in order to study Design and Media Production.

Since then, she purchased her own design computer for freelance, but ITG has provided her the perfect opportunity to combine her love for sports and art.

Anna is a senior Interdisciplinary Studies major at Valdosta State University. She started working with In the Game Sports Network in early 2016 and lends her editorial eye to the words that grace ITG’s pages. She enjoys the meticulous process of copy editing and plays an important role in making each story and magazine the best it can be.

Marque Milla Reese

Aaron Musgrove Contributing Photographer

Alexis Myers

Contributing Photographer Marque “Milla” Reese was born a humble, ambitious child on the south side of Tifton, Georgia. He has always had a vision to see things differently than others as he drew out his imagination, and he went through numerous potential career choices before finding “the one”: the dream of becoming a photographer. With the helpful hand of his wife, Rebekka Reese, Milla is living out that dream as a key member of ITG.

Originally from Live Oak, FL, Aaron found his home as a multitalented photographer and graphic designer after moving to Valdosta in 2007. As the lead graphic designer at Colquitt Regional Medical Center since 2010, Aaron has found his passion in corporate graphic design and commercial photography, but he also loves capturing the unique dynamics of sports with ITG.

videographer As the demands of our video department have escalated, Alexis has continually risen to the occasion. As a graduate of Lowndes High School and the College of Southern Nevada, this award-winning filmmaker has set the bar high during her start here at ITG. Alexis copes with the constant disappointment of being an Atlanta Braves fan by traveling, singing and songwriting with her ukulele, and hanging out with her dog Abi.

Thank you to all of our 2016-2017 Banquet Sponsors

In The Game | 13

Female Athlete of the Year Presented by: Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute

Katie Berlin

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Male Athlete of the Year Presented by: Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute

Matt Serra

In The Game | 15

Our Mission (Why We Exist)

INSPIRING YOUR INNER ATHLETE TOWARD THE PASSIONATE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE, ON & OFF THE FIELD. Our Vision (Where We Are Going)

Total immersion into the life of athletes and athletics as we positively influence mentalities through our compelling content and competitive culture.

Our Model (How We Get There)

We strive to showcase active, inspired lifestyles and a championâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mentality as we awaken the former, current, and future athlete in every person.

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In The Game | 17

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What is a champion? Most people would say the winner of a league, tournament, or some type of competition. But to Franklin Griffis, the Baker County head softball coach, what it means to be a champion runs much deeper.

Griffis has coached high school softball since 2002, the last seven years as a head coach. During his time on top of the program, he won seven district titles, two regional titles, and one state title.

There is no doubt he is a champion on the field.

His philosophy on getting there is a little different from most though. Some coaches motivate from fear, but Griffis sees that as a temporary motivator.

“While a lot of coaches will motivate by fear, when I took over the program as the head coach, I wanted to experiment with coaching in a way that my assistant coaches and players knew that I loved them unconditionally,” Griffis said.

He saw 15 players go on to play college softball in his seven years leading the program. There were many others who were able, but had other career opportunities in mind. Those opportunities come from a coach who loves his players and gives them the chance to succeed, or fail, in their sport. The ultimate goal is always to learn as many lessons off the field as on it.

The Heart of a Champion Written by: Andrew Baker, FCA | Photography by: : Andrew Baker

College Players:

2017 – Hayleigh Mulkey (Florida State College at Jacksonville), Macy Jackson (University of North Florida), Madison Jennedy (Florida State University)

2016 – Payton Parker, Callie Paine, Brandie Callaway (Tallahassee Community College), Ashton Alford (University of South Carolina Sumter), Dee Washington (Florida – Basketball/Co-SEC Freshman of the Year)

2014 – Jennifer Hodges (St. Petersburg State College), Kylie Holton (Morehead State University)

2013 – Kasey Blue (Broward State College), Brooke Roberts (Pasco-Hernando State College)

2012 – Tina Hauge, Shelby Gatto (Broward State College), Taylor Crummey (South Georgia State College)

In the April 27 district championship game against Suwannee, Griffis went to his freshman pitcher, Liz McGovern, in the top of the sixth inning. She went 1-2-3, getting to the seventh inning with ease. Then came the adversity. The first batter of the seventh inning unloaded on a pitch to hit a home run. The tworun lead was cut to one.

Things got even tighter when the next two batters reached base on a walk and single, respectively.

Most coaches would think about putting the veteran starter back in. In a testament to his character and ability, Griffis stuck to the plan he was so confident in. Even though the game was not an elimination game, he would have stuck with the same decision no matter the circumstances. He wanted to see what a player would do in the heat of competition.

For Griffis, those teachable moments make high school athletics so much fun to coach.

Baker County and McGovern got the next three batters out without giving up a run to win in the seventh inning. It was the seventh district title in seven years, an unlikely feat from a logistics entrepreneur turned pastor turned full-time teacher who got into softball because his daughter played little league. It is a testament to the conviction of a philosophy that In The Game | 19

started as an experiment.

It seems safe to say that Griffis is onto something special with his experimental coaching.

Griffis uses his Christian foundation in his coaching.

“I view my coaching as a calling from God to be placed in the lives of these young women and to be able to teach them not only how to compete in softball, but to compete and succeed in life,” Griffis said. “I try to live life in a way that honors God,

and I hope that they see that in me.”

Griffis offers his players and coaches an opportunity during the season to study the Bible together. He leads an optional Bible study on Wednesdays after practice since his team is hard at work and may miss traditional church activities.

“I choose a word each season that will define our direction, and I always couple it with scripture,” Griffis said.

“A true champion is one that learns to love their teammates more than their self,” Griffis said. “They put their own interest behind those of the team. I want Baker County softball to play for the love of their teammates, coaches, community, and God. No matter what we do, we do it for His glory.”

What former players had to say about playing for Baker County Wildcat softball and Coach Griffis….

Brooke Roberts (2013)

“Wildcat softball will teach you many lessons that you won’t learn anywhere else, like teamwork, responsibility, determination, and a work ethic.

It’ll teach you that sometimes you have to make sacrifices for this game and you may be mad about it at the time but when it’s all over you’ll be glad you didn’t skip practice or game for whatever plans you had.”

Genie Taylor (2014)

Mackenzie Wingard (2014)

Brandie Callaway (2016) When I played as a Wildcat, I felt like I was playing with my family.

Dee Washington (2016)

“Playing like a wildcat and representing this community means putting yourself last and your team first, always looking out for your teammates, staying positive, being confident but humble about your skills, and ultimately giving it everything your body has.”

Payton Parker (2016)

“When I played as a Wildcat, I felt like I was playing with my family.”

2017 Championship Tour Top 5 Females by Points* *as of June 3, 2017

“Wildcats win together, lose together, laugh together, cry together (losing stinks), learn together, and improve together. Having the ability to take a break from reality, consuming yourself in the shared love of the game with your teammates, is such a great privilege, one that we often take for granted.”

“It’s not about the last name or the person who is wearing that jersey at that time. It’s about the people around you who you’re playing for and that logo across the front!”

2017 Championship Tour Top 5 Males by Points* *as of June 3, 2017

1. Tyler Wright

1. John John Florence

2. Sally Fitzgibbons

2. Jordy Smith

3. Stephanie Gilmore

2. Adriano de Souza

4. Courtney Conlogue

2. Owen Wright

5. Johanne Defay

5. Matt Wilkinson

20 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Information courtesy of http://www.worldsurfleague.com/athletes

In The Game | 21

FUNCTIONAL STRENGTHENING Written by Jon Stiffler, PTA, NASM-CPT, PES, FNS, WLS

Traditionally it is thought to be strong and perform sport specific activities optimally while reducing risk of injury, you must regularly go to the gym and lift a lot of heavy weight and continue to progress your strength through things such as bench pressing or bicep curls week after week. Some of the above statement is correct, such as the fact you must train on a regular basis, and lifting weight does strengthen you to an extent.

However, simply lifting heavy weights in a gym will not prepare an individual to perform optimally with sport specific activities or reduce risk of injury with a sport. This is because most gym exercises people perform that they think are helping in these areas are in a single plane of motion and also only typically require two kinds of contractions.

The first type of contraction is a concentric contraction, which is activation of the muscle while it is shortening under load. The second type of contraction is an eccentric contraction, which

is activation of the muscle while it is lengthening under load. This type of training is not beneficial for an individual to perform optimally or reduce injury with sport specific activities because most functional movement patterns with sport specific activities are multi-planar in nature and require several muscles or muscle groups working together to perform the movement pattern of the activity. These functional movement patterns also require not only concentric and eccentric contractions simultaneously, but isometric contractions as well. An isometric contraction is activation of the muscle without shortening or lengthening under/not under load. This type of contraction is usually used for stabilization.

Functional strengthening consists of exercises focused on all of these types of contractions occurring and working together simultaneously through multiple planes of motion with movement patterns. A good example of why functional strengthening is important is a pitcher

22 | itgsportsnetwork.com

with the sport of baseball.

Throwing a baseball requires stabilization of the pelvis and lower extremities through isometric contractions of the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus muscles during knee hike in the sagittal plane; concentric and eccentric contractions of the

hip flexors, quadriceps, hip abductors, and hip extensors with knee hike to stride in the sagittal, transverse, and frontal plane; and concentric and eccentric contractions of the biceps, triceps, and rotator cuff muscles from stride throughout the follow through in the sagittal, trans-

verse, and frontal planes.

These are only some of the examples of contractions occurring during this movement pattern or kinematic sequence of pitching. As one can see a lot of muscles work together at the same time, through different planes to perform one movement.

Again, this is where functional strengthening comes in and why it is important.

Since this sport specific activity requires all these different muscles to simultaneously work together through different planes and with different types of contractions, simply lifting weights with only two types of contractions in one plane will not result in optimal performance and injury risk reduction through these movement patterns. Therefore, it is important to train with functional strengthening exercises that require all these types of contractions through multiple planes in order to better prepare an athlete to perform optimally with their sport while reducing risk of injury.

The All-American Girl

Written by: Courtney Wagner | Photography by: Ryan McMahon and Dr. Steve Hartsock

Mandarin High School junior Kensey McMahon has been selected as the 2017 Semper Fidelis All-American by the United States Marine Corps. It is a scholarship program recognizing those who have dedicated themselves to succeeding in every aspect of life, and she is one of 96 student-athletes from across the country to earn this title.

Each applicant was required to demonstrate active community service, hold a leadership position, participate in a competitive team sport for his/her school, maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA, and submit a video or written essay describing his/her fighting spirit. McMahon wrote about her fight to rise in the ranks in swimming while staying strong in the classroom this year in the highly rigorous Cambridge AICE Diploma Program.

This extremely rewarding and exhausting year has involved her taking eight classes, training 22-28 hours per week before and after school, and traveling and competing locally, nationally, and internationally with the Mustangs, The Bolles School Sharks, and USA Swimming National Junior Team. McMahon has been swimming for Bolles for nine years and earned a spot on the National Junior Team this year when she stepped outside her specialty of distance pool racing and competed and placed in her first National Open Water 10K. With her dedication to excellence in school and athletics, she will travel to Washington, D.C., this summer for five days to attend the Battles Won Academy. It is an all-expenses paid leadership program including an immersive Marine Corp training experience, behind the scenes tour of the Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Capital, opportunity to network with an elite circle of speakers, and opportunity to compete for college scholarship money.

McMahon is actively involved in the college recruiting process with several top Division I swim programs. She has her sights set on a run for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo and is trying to position herself in the best possible situation to reach that goal.

Other national level recognitions earned this school year: USA Swimming Scholastic All American (4.5 GPA, 1,650-yard freestyle)

USA Swimming National Age Group Award (1,500-meter free, 1,650-yard free) NISCA/Speedo Swimming All American (500-yard free) Winter Junior Championships â&#x20AC;&#x201C; East Finalist (1,650-yard free) National Honor Society National Spanish Honor Society

McMahon is the All-American girl and a champion, and she embodies everything it means to be In the Game.

In The Game | 23

Achieve & Inspire:

Written by: Cole Parker Photography by: Aaron Musgrove

and Read with Malcolm

“In order to succeed, you have to read.”

These are strong words coming from an extremely gifted football player whose most recent accomplishment is earning a Super Bowl championship with the 2017 New England Patriots, yet Malcolm Mitchell believes these words to his very core.

The remarkable story of Malcolm Mitchell’s triumphs and inspiration has been well documented, yet he continues to achieve and inspire at every phase of his career.

The Valdosta, Georgia, native came from humble beginnings as he and his brothers were raised by their single mother, but he was also brought up under the tutelage and influence of Valdosta High School’s football tradition. Motivated by the work ethic of his mother and refined by the “never, never, never quit” mantra of the Wildcat tradition, Mitchell developed a champion’s mentality early on in his life.

“You can truly accomplish whatever you put your mind to,” Mitchell said. “You go after it with everything within you. You know, that’s a message that my mom has sent me since I was a little child, and it’s a message that I will send, because whatever you want to achieve, it’s out there. You will have to go through some obstacles – everything won’t go your way – but if you don’t quit, you keep going, you have a better chance of reaching your goal.”

It didn’t take long for his talents as a wide receiver and defensive back at Valdosta High School and as an Under Armour All-American to project to the next level, yet it wasn’t until his years at the University of Georgia that he was truly awakened to the reality of his academic shortcomings.

“When I first got to college, I was able to still accomplish things on the field, but as a person I felt like I was failing myself,” Mitchell said. “My mission is to be the best person I can be, and that doesn’t just amount to football; that’s every aspect of life. And everything off the field wasn’t the way that I wanted it to be, especially reading.”

Unwilling to accept this limitation on his potential,

24 | itgsportsnetwork.com

The Magic of Malcolm Mitchell Continues Mitchell went to work, on and off the field. After battling back from an ACL injury following his All-SEC Freshman campaign, he ended his career as a Bulldog as their leading receiver in his final season. More importantly, however, was a newfound emphasis on reading, which lead to the founding of the Read With Malcolm Literacy Initiative and the Share the Magic Foundation.

Recognizing the impact that this literary revolution was making on his life, Mitchell wanted to take that magic to elementary schools and homes across the nation to address the negative effect of low reading achievement in underserved schools and communities. In a few short years, he transformed from a college student who was reading at a junior high level to becoming a national inspiration and award-winning author for his children’s book, “The Magician’s Hat.” The goals of Mitchell’s foundation are to introduce book ownership to students in households where reading is not a priority and to improve literacy in schools with below grade-level reading skills. They accomplish this through partnerships with individuals, school systems, and entire communities, headlined by Mitchell’s visits to schools across the nation for his Reading Rallies.

“Everywhere I go, I continue to push the message that reading can truly change your life and reshape it in a way that you achieve the goals that you set out for yourself,” Mitchell said.

In its first year, Malcolm’s book, “The Magician’s Hat,” which challenges young readers to think about what they want to be when they grow up, was distributed to more than 13,500 students in over 57 elementary

SOUTH GEORGIA

SUPER BOWL

James Butler SS Banbridge

Bart Oates C Albany

College: Eastern Kentucky

Exp: 7 Seasons

College: Brigham Young

Exp: 11 Seasons

College: Georgia Tech

Exp: 7 Seasons

C H A M P I O N S

Myron Guyton

FS Thomasville Co. Central

In The Game | 25

“The Magician’s Hat,”

Mitchell’s award-winning children’s book, is available for sale on his website, www.ReadWithMalcolm.com.

Purchase yours today!

How to win the

1.

Super Bowl

schools, children’s hospitals, and community service organizations. Malcolm has personally visited over 19 elementary schools.

In everything that they do, Mitchell and the leadership behind his foundation and initiatives aspire to transform the lives of young students through literacy with the belief that “there’s a little bit of magic in every book,” as Mitchell likes to say.

Since the founding of Read With Malcolm in 2015, Mitchell has been recognized as the 2016 Georgia Writer’s Association Children’s Author of the Year, American’s Promise Alliance Hero Award Winner, the National Captain of the AllState Goodworks Team, National Haier Ultimate Achievement Award, Atlanta Sports Council Community Service Award Winner, The Jack Turner Award Winner presented by the Georgia Chapter of the National College Hall Of Fame, and the UGA Student Athlete of the Year.

Yet even with this incredible list of off-the-field achievements already under his belt, Mitchell still had his greatest athletic achievement ahead of him. After being drafted to the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Mitchell

worked his way into the lineup of the league’s most dominant franchise.

The result? Malcolm Mitchell was name to the NFL All-Rookie Team, playing in 14 games and amassing 32 receptions, 401 yards, and four TDs, and most importantly, a Super Bowl ring.

In this historic comeback and overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the 2017 Super Bowl, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady found Mitchell as a reliable target and key piece of their second-half surge. Mitchell finished the game with six receptions and 70 yards, trailing only behind Brady’s veteran targets of Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman.

As the Patriots punched in the touchdown that capped off the league’s largest Super Bowl comeback, the celebration began. Confetti flew, tears of joy streamed, and the Lombardi Trophy made its way into the welcome embrace of rookie Malcolm Mitchell, who was showcasing an unmistakable smile that told the whole story without a single word.

That celebration, however, exceeded the bounds of just that day. After the culmination of these achievements, Mitchell made the trip back south to say thanks to his biggest fans: his hometown crowd of family, friends, and fans. On “Malcolm Mitchell Day,” local supporters rushed to Valdosta High’s historic Bazemore-Hyder Stadium as Mitchell expressed his gratitude and received a “Key to City of Valdosta, GA” for his work on and off the professional football field.

MADDEN CURSE

STEP Decide to Win the Super Bowl

2.

STEP

3.

Decide how to make decisions

STEP

4.

find an identity

STEP

5.

find a quaterback

STEP get lucky

26 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Athlete

ROB GRONKOWSKI ODELL BECKHAM JR. RICHARD SHERMAN ADRIAN PETERSON CALVIN JOHNSON PEYTON HILLIS DREW BREES TROY POLAMALU BRETT FAVRE VINCE YOUNG SHAUN ALEXANDER DONOVAN MCNABB RAY LEWIS MICHAEL VICK MARSHALL FAULK DAUNTE CULPEPPER EDDIE GEORGE BARRY SANDERS GARRISON HEARST

Yr. ‘17 ‘16 ‘15 ‘14 ‘13 ‘12 ‘11 ‘10 ‘09 ‘08 ‘07 ‘06 ‘05 ‘04 ‘03 ‘02 ‘01 ‘00 ‘99

Curse

HERINATED DISK FOOT INJURY HAMSTRING INJURY WORST SEASON EVER TORN PCL RT. SHOULDER INJURY QUADRICEP INJURY BROKEN FOOT GROIN INJURY TORN HAMSTRING FRACT. RIGHT FIBULA FORCED RETIREMENT KNEE INJURY DECLINED CAREER RETIRED BROKEN ANKLE

“Just wiser. Back then I thought I understood what it took to be the best I could possibly be, but the road is a lot harder than I could have imagined.”

“I’ve had a tremendous amount of support from my hometown of Valdosta, to Atlanta, to Massachusetts,” Mitchell said. “Pushing that message that reading is important and it will help you grow and help you become the person you want to be is something that I will forever do, and I approach that with the same mentality that I approach football.”

His message on that day, and every day, was one of humility, gratefulness, and of course, inspiration. Current

SOUTH GEORGIA EDITION

• OCTOBER 2010 • $4.00

When asked about the biggest difference between the guy that graced the cover of one of our 2010 In the Game South Georgia Magazines, Malcolm said:

Player Spotlight

Malcolm Mitchell

Valdosta High School

Coach’s Corner Jay Walls

Tift County High School

Academic Athlete Kristeena Suarez

Fitzgerald High School

Rising Star Ian Bennett

Hahira Middle School

Also Inside: Fellowship of Christian Athletes • Stingers

www.InTheGameMagazine.com

or former student-athletes, young or old, Malcolm Mitchell serves as a role model to all in his approach and actions.

“Never give up,” Mitchell said without hesitation. “You will be faced with obstacles at some point. Even when you are successful, always keep striving for more.”

Despite his youth, despite his disadvantages, and despite his setbacks, Malcolm Mitchell has worked for and achieved success.

“No matter what hap-

pens in life, I will forever be a World Champion,” he said following the Super Bowl victory.

But if anything is clear from the still-young life of Malcolm Mitchell, he knows that there is much to life beyond football. From his play on the field to his work as an author and as the founder of Read With Malcolm, he continues to use his past to inspire future generations.

“My goal is to make sure that every kid, especially every first grader, has ‘The Magician’s Hat’ in their hands on their first day of school,” Mitchell said. “But just sharing that passion for reading, continuing to write to inspire… I don’t really see a cap to it, because you can never push that message enough.

So, until I can no longer talk, I will be pushing that message that reading can take you anywhere.”

“Everywhere I go, I continue to push the message that reading can truly change your life and reshape it in a way that you achieve the goals that you set out for yourself,” Mitchell said.

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CONGRATULATIONS 2016-201 Fall Sports STATE CHAMPIONS 3A Boys Cross Country Creekside High School 3A Boys Golf Brandon Manchero - Mandarin High School 3A Girls Swimming Bartram Trail High School 2A Girls Swimming The Bolles School 2A Boys Swimming The Bolles School 3A Football Trinity Christian 4A Football University Christian

Winter Sports STATE CHAMPIONS 1A Girls Soccer St. Johns Country Day 4A Boys Soccer Flemming Island 2A Cheer Bartram High School 1A Cheer Middleburg High School

28 | itgsportsnetwork.com

1A Cheer Baldwin High School

17 CHAMPIONS Spring Sports STATE CHAMPIONS 1A Baseball The Bolles School 7A Baseball Nease High School 8A Softball Oak Leaf High School 2A Triple Jump - Track & Field R'Lazon Brumfield - Bishop Kenny High School 2A 300m Hurdles - Track & Field Chase Bonham - Raines High School 2A 4x800 mRelay - Track & Field Brittany Wilkinson, Rachel Shapiro, Ally Hajda ,Caitlin Collier - The Bolles School 2A 800m Run - Track & Field Caitlin Collier - The Bolles School 2A 1600m Run - Track & Field Caitlin Collier - The Bolles School 2A 3200m Run - Track & Field The Bolles School 1A 169lb Boys Weightlifting Clayton Canaday - Baker County High School 1A 154lb Boys Weightlifting Dalton Simon - Baker County High School 2A 183lb Girls Weightlifting Jasmine Powell - Bartram Trail High School 1A 169lb Girls Weightlifting Erykah Murray - Clay High School 2A 129lb Girls Weightlifting Ashleigh Dean - Clay High School In The Game | 29

FAST BREAK

Matt Harshany Written by: Taf Bentley Photography by: Bay Design Photography

Matt Harshany took a leap of faith this past off season and transferred to a team with only six returners. His former team had beaten by his new school by more than 20 points in their only matchup of the season. But Harshany knew a fresh start was exactly what he needed, and he was looking for a situation that was not just going

to be easy. Confidence burns inside him, but a bigger reason Harshany wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afraid of the challenge was wanting to know if he could do it.

Harshany made the transfer to Navarre High School and helped them make back-to-back state playoff appearances, something that hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been done in the boys

basketball program since the school started in 1997. Harshany led the team in scoring (18.1 points per game), defensive rebounding (4.4), assists (4.0), free throw percentage (83 percent), steals (1.7), and charges taken.

Even more impressive than that is what Harshany is doing in the classroom. He currently holds a 4.83 GPA

and scored a 33 on his ACT. He is ranked second in a class of 519 students. Harshany was honored last month at the Sunshine State Scholar STEM

Awards as one of the top juniors in Santa Rosa County. Harshany encompass the true meaning of a student-athlete.

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What is your favorite memory from your high school career?

Winning the state championship.

What makes you different from everyone else?

I try my hardest in every aspect of life on and off the mat, and I never give up!

NATALIE STOKES

Baldwin Middle-Senior High School Cheerleading

After your sports career is over, what do you see yourself doing?

I see myself going to college to become a pediatric emergency room physician.

How long have you been active in cheer?

I have been cheering since I was 4 years old.

Favorite Food?

Tacos.

In The Game | 31

What is your favorite memory from your high school career?

My first time winning a state title.

What makes you different from everyone else?

I am always positive and encouraging.

After your sports career is over, what do you see yourself doing?

Going into the medical field at FSU. Any shout outs?

My coach for always pushing me to be my best.

Favorite movie? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Harry Potterâ&#x20AC;? series.

32 | itgsportsnetwork.com

LINDSEY JACKSON

Bartram Trail High School Cheerleading

Coach of the Year In The Game | 33

Written by: Courtney Wagner Photography: Aaron Musgrove and Ben Storey

Many athletes will go through most of their journey without bringing home one state title, much less two.

The Creekside boys cross country team said, “Challenge accepted,” and did just that, bringing home back-to-back state championships. Now five of their seniors will be running collegiate cross country and track after graduation.

Matthew Clark University of Florida Nick Deal University of Florida Jackson Storey Columbia University Reece Duff Stetson University Alex Bolt West Virginia University Institute of Technology Bringing home consecutive 3A state championships took a combination of work-ethic, passion, talent, and faith.

“The state meet really started over the summer,” head coach Eric Frank said. “Our program has a pretty intense summer training schedule that has been a big part of our success. However, going into the state meet the boys knew it was going to be a challenging race with a lot of excellent competition.”

34 | itgsportsnetwork.com

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When training started all the way back last summer, the veterans led the newbies knowing they had a chance to win a repeat state title. A lot of their training was building up to the week of the Brevard Distance Running Camp that literally challenged them with a new mountain to climb every day. Before the final and most difficult run at the camp in North Carolina, the whole team met up to establish their goals for the upcoming season. The collaborative goal-setting is a tradition Creekside boys cross country does every year, and this year was no different. After over two hours of in-depth discussion, the team set goals that were challenging, just like the final mountain they were about to climb.

In The Game | 35

After preseason training and summer camp, the season approached quickly. Two of the team’s top runners and seniors, Reece Duff and Jackson Storey, battled difficult injuries during the season, but about a month before districts both boys fought through their injuries to come back. Creekside won the district tourna-

ment by a large margin and the boys set personal records. They came back stronger than ever and ready to win.

Another bump in the road came at the regional meet, though, when Creekside lost to their biggest rival, Chiles, by just nine points.

The loss gave the boys more motivation and fuel

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36 | itgsportsnetwork.com

than ever to bring home the biggest title at the state championship right around the corner.

“Before each race, I just remind them to trust their abilities and to never give up,” Frank said.

“Our team has a mantra created by my assistant coach, Chris Navarro. It is ‘Body, Mind, Heart.’ We say this before each race.

You must have all three to be successful. ‘Body’ we can work on every day with our training. ‘Mind’ is preparing before a meet and bringing a positive attitude to the starting line. Lastly there is ‘Heart’ that is all about race day.

‘Heart’ is the wanting it more than anyone else.”

With just a mile to go at the state meet,

Creekside was losing, that is until Jackson Storey changed the pace and finished his race in nearly under 16 minutes. Then, to top it off Alex Bolt solidified bringing home the state title again when he finished twelve places in front of Chile’s No. 5 runner. Creekside cross country became state champs – again.

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Baldwin High School Wins 1A State Championship in Cheerleading Written by: Ryan Hennessy | Photography by: Aaron Musgrove

For the first time ever, Baldwin High School took home a FHSAA 1A Extra-large non-tumbling state championship. On Jan. 28 and 29, Baldwin won the state title at the University of Florida campus. The road to state, however, was not easy for the firsttime champions.

With Baldwin being a sixth grade through 12th grade school, the team consisted of a team of 24 girls. They had five seniors and two juniors, and the rest were eighth-, ninth-, and 10th-graders.

The Baldwin state champion coaches were the mother and daughter team of Sue and Amanda Mollas. Head coach Amanda Mollas, who was in her fifth season of coaching Baldwin, previously attended Baldwin and was part of the team herself. After her graduation, Amanda cheered competitively in college before returning home.

Winning at her old school was a dream come true for her.

Before going to state in Gainesville, Baldwin had to get past regionals first. To get past regionals, teams must score a 60 or higher. Baldwin got a score of over 70 and easily walked into state.

38 | itgsportsnetwork.com

At state the team went in confident that they would take home their first cheer title. The three finalists were Baldwin in first place with 78.5 points, Pedro Menendez in second place with 72.2, and Monsignor Edward Pace in third place with 68.7.

“Our team made me so proud,” Amanda Mollas said.

Looking into the future for Baldwin, they have a lot of returning talent. Only five people from their team moved on to college. The goal for Amanda Mollas is to give her kids a chance to

join college cheer teams when they graduate from Baldwin, just like she did.

Next year Amanda Mollas plans to add two boys to their team. Cheer teams can have two boys on the team and still not be considered co-ed. This addition will give the defending state champions more strength, and they are excited to see what the team can do next season.

With Amanda Mollas coming into her sixth season and a state championship already under her belt, the spotlight is now on Baldwin.

“OUR TEAM MADE ME SO PROUD.”

-Amanda Mollas

Top Colleges to Cheer for in 2017 Information courtesy of www.cheerdaily.com

1. University of Louisville 2. University of Kentucky 3. University of Alabama 4. Oklahoma State University 5. University of Central Florida

In The Game | 39

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Jack Hanania’s Collision Center In The Game | 41

4 Score: Trinity Christian Academy Won Its 4th Consecutive 3A Football Championship Written by: Raymond Bureau | Photography by: Raymond Bureau

Winning a championship at any level of any sport requires the utmost dedication and brings the players and coaches unforgettable moments and possibly lifelong recognition.

Repeating as champions makes for even more memo-

rability, but winning multiple consecutive championships approaches -- and may even surpass -legendary status. In the fall of 2016, one Florida high school football team joined four others from the past in approaching and possibly reach-

TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 2016 FOOTBALL TEAM STATS Recieving Yards Per Game

160.4

Rushing Yards Per Game

208.6

Total Touchdowns

71

Tackles Per Game

59.6

Total Sacks

49

Total Interceptions

18

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42 | itgsportsnetwork.com

ing that legendary status.

On December 10, 2016, Jacksonville’s Trinity Christian Academy Varsity Conquerors football team tied a Florida state record by winning its fourth consecutive Florida Class 3A state championship.

Conquerors head coach Verlon Dorminey and his team defeated the Lions of Hollywood’s Chaminade-Madonna 24-13 to capture their record-tying fourth title in a row. It was also championship No. 7 overall for both Dorminey and the Conquerors.

In 2013, the Conquerors won the title game easily over Clearwater Central Catholic School 34-7 behind quarterback

Jaquez Riles. Trinity defeated American Heritage Academy 27-7 in 2014’s championship game and then won the rematch with American Heritage 30-3 a year later. Billy Cobb was behind center for both wins. Championship No. 4 came in 2016 with Legend Brumbaugh and D.J. Matthews taking snaps most of the way to lead Trinity Christian once again.

In 2013 versus Clearwater, the Conquerors found themselves in a scoreless tie at the half.

Shortly into the third quarter, NFL prospect Isaiah Ford broke loose for a 45-yard touchdown to give Trinity a 7-0 lead, and the Conquerors put the game away with a

27-7 run from that point on.

In their first win over American Heritage in 2014, the Conquerors again found themselves in a scoreless tie as the half began to wind down.

Trinity punted with 1:43 left on the clock and recovered the American Heritage fumble on the 14-yard line. Kevin Toliver rushed for a touchdown on first down to put Trinity ahead 7-0 as the half ended. Trinity scored 20 points in the second half to seal the win.

Trinity earned the three-peat with its second consecutive win over American Heritage.

Midway through the second quarter, Cobb hit then-receiver Matthews

for 90 yards to complete the longest touchdown pass in state championship history. Linebacker Chamari Conner’s 51yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter allowed the Conquerors to pull away for their third straight title.

In 2016, Chaminade-Madonna scored on an 80-yard touchdown run on the game’s first play from scrimmage. Later in the first quarter, quarterback Mat-

thews found Isaiah Washington from 14 yards out to tie the score. Trinity pulled ahead 14-7, and kicker Frankie Onate connected on a third-quarter 52-yard field goal to help put the game out of reach.

The Conquerors became the fifth Florida team to win four consecutive championships.

Live Oak’s Suwannee High School was the first team to accomplish the

feat, doing so from 19871990. Tallahassee’s North Florida Christian won four straight titles between 1998 and 2001. Miami’s Central High School and Booker T. Washington both ran off four in a row from 2012 to 2015.

Including Trinity, however, only three of the five teams won all four titles under the same head coach. Dorminey joins Suwannee’s Mike Pittman and North Florida Christian’s Tim Cokely in leading his team to victory each year of the streak.

In addition to those

players mentioned earlier who made big plays, Coach Dorminey cites star cornerback Shaun Wade as one of the 2016 championship game and full season’s biggest impact players. Wade, who began his college career at Ohio State University in January of 2017, was the No. 1 high school cornerback in the country during his senior season.

Matthews also moved on to college in January, beginning his tenure at Florida State University. Ford will enter his junior year at Virginia Tech this coming

fall – if not drafted into the NFL in April. Impact player Kevin Toliver will move into his sophomore year at Louisiana State University and Cobb will begin his second season at Albany State this fall.

The Conquerors will move two levels higher this coming season, joining Class 5A, District 4, which will include powerful opponents such as Bishop Kenney, Bolles, Terry Parker, Ponte Vera, and Westide High Schools. Dorminey said this new district will be the toughest one he will

In The Game | 43

44 | itgsportsnetwork.com

have played in yet, and with a younger team in 2017, just making the playoffs is a difficult task. He has prepared his young men in part by getting them repetitions in both regular-season and playoff games with a good number of those reps coming in crucial situations.

Reaching the playoffs, though, becomes easier as Dorminey sees the 2017 players to watch become the new leaders. The Conquerors lost many players to graduation this spring, but the team has a plethora of talent ready to take the helm either now or very soon.

Rising senior Tyreke Johnson is among the top-rated cornerbacks in this coming year’s class, and rising seniors Conner (safety) and Eriq Gillyard (middle linebacker) will become defensive leaders as well.

Offensively, rising junior Austin Thomas is the front runner for the No. 1 quarterback job, and Marcus Crowley, a rising junior, and KyJuan Herndon, a rising sophomore, will garner the bulk of the rushing duties. Rising junior Washington and rising senior Calen Hazleton will likely become Dorminey’s main receivers.

The new season will prove tough, but Drominey is ready. He has 26 years of experience with Trinity and amassed a record of 255-74. He captured 16 district titles, 13 regional championships, two runner-up placements, and seven state championships.

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH VERLON DORMINEY AND THE TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY CONQUERORS ON THEIR RECORDTYING RUN OF STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. NO. 5 WILL PROVE DIFFICULT, BUT IT CAN HAPPEN AS THE CONQUERORS HAVE ALREADY SECURED FOUR.

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In The Game | 45

Basketball Player Gives Back via Mentorship and Fellowship Written by: Raymond Bureau | Photography courtesy of Marquel Perry

Trinity Baptist College student Marquel Perry is well known on campus as a gentleman with some serious basketball skills. Most TBC students see Perry as a talented player on the court, and many know him in the classroom as a fine student. Some know him personally as a man with a heart for God. To 11-yearold Gavin Gallazzi, however, Perry is so much more.

Gallazzi is a fifth-grade student at Trinity Christian Academy, which shares its campus and all facilities with the college.

Gallazzi grew up with his mother, Renee Gallazzi, but lacked a male role model for most of his young life.

Enter Perry.

Perry, a junior, is a member of the TBC Eagles men’s basketball team. He spent his freshman year at Brewton-Parker College and transferred to Trinity as a sophomore in 2015 to play for coach John Jones and the Eagles. He is a role player on the court who usually scores crucial points late in games in addition to getting the ball to the main scorers.

Perry has also led his team in scoring on numerous occasions.

Off the court, though, Perry scores points in ways that sports reporters cannot record.

While sitting in counseling class with professor Carol Buckner in December of 2016, Perry heard Buckner discuss then-unnamed Gallazzi and the need for a male figure in Gallazzi’s life. Perry was already praying for an opportunity to share the Gospel with youngsters and to help lead them to live a life for God. After careful consideration and conviction, Perry spoke with Buckner and asked for the chance to meet Gallazzi and his mother.

“I felt led,” Perry said.

“I grew up with only my mother. I had a rough childhood until I had a

lady pour her life into me.

She radically changed my life.”

Perry saw the similarities in his own life and Gallazzi’s and felt as if he already knew the boy before the two even met.

Perry explained that — thanks in large part to his mentor — he accepted Jesus as his savior while young and in school, and it changed his heart, which led to a change in his outward appearance and demeanor. He started making better grades and caring for himself and his mother as he grew spiritually, and that transformed into a desire to share the Gospel with others. Per-

1.

Independence Day was supposed to be on July 2, but the Declaration of Independence wasn't adopted until July 4.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Even though Independence Day is celebrated on July 4 and the Declaration of Independence is dated July 4, 1776, the document was not signed until Aug. 2, 1776.

The first anniversary was celebrated on July 4, 1777, in Philadelphia with an official dinner for the Continental Congress.

George Washington celebrated July 4, 1778, with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute in Princeton, New Jersey.

The first public, "official" White House Fourth of July event didn't happen until 1804.

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46 | itgsportsnetwork.com

10 Facts About the 4th of July Information courtesy of www.rogersfamilyco.com

ry eventually became a youth leader at his home church — New Testament Missionary Outreach — in Savannah, Georgia, where he still serves when he can get home.

Little did Perry know that both Renee Gallazzi and Buckner were also praying for a male role model to help mentor young Gallazzi. The saying goes that God works in mysterious ways, but Christians believe that God has a plan for everyone. Perry believes he was divinely placed into Buckner’s class at the exact time needed.

“God chose me to do it,” Perry said.

Perry and Gallazzi met before Christmas break. The two started talking about their days at school, and Gallazzi soon went with his mother to the Eagles’ basketball games to see Perry play.

Gallazzi and Perry also shoot baskets together, play ping-pong and phone app games, and draw pictures together.

For Perry, the toughest part was “getting through the breaking point, getting Gavin’s attention and breaking through the wall and barrier of shyness, getting him to open up.”

Once they got to know each other, that barrier came down quickly.

Perry enjoys seeing the spiritual growth in young people that leads to personal growth, particularly in Gallazzi.

“He is my little brother now,” Perry said.

Perry also gives credit to Gallazzi’s mother.

“She’s great,” Perry said. “She was open and accepting of having me work with him. She saw the need and prayed for it, and God gave me the opportunity.”

Gallazzi’s mother had several reasons for getting Perry paired with her son.

“Gavin had been going through some things at school,” Renee Gallazzi said. “He told me no one liked him and he felt a little bullied. His father has also recently said to me — in front of him — ‘I don’t want to be a husband nor a father!’ I remember Gavin looking up at me so shocked when his dad said that. I took him to Mrs. Buckner. She spoke with [Gavin] and encouraged him.”

Buckner spoke about Gallazzi during her counseling class without saying his name. After that session, a few of the college students, including Perry, asked Buckner if they could mentor Gallazzi.

“She prayed about it and selected Marquel,” Renee Gallazzi said. “I had prayed for five years for a mentor for Gavin.”

Renee Gallazzi spoke on how Perry influenced her son.

FOR PERRY, THE TOUGHEST PART WAS “GETTING THROUGH THE BREAKING POINT, GETTING GAVIN’S ATTENTION AND BREAKING THROUGH THE WALL AND BARRIER OF SHYNESS, GETTING HIM TO OPEN UP.” “Marquel has been such a blessing to Gavin,” she said. “He is very sweet to him and makes Gavin feel special. He has spoken to Gavin about his own broken family and how he felt lost and like he had no one….

He taught Gavin a ‘cool’ handshake and calls Gavin his brother.”

“I am blessed to have Marquel show Gavin that men can be caring,” she said. “Marquel also focuses on Gavin’s spiritual condition. Gavin has Marquel in his

life encouraging him and telling him he is special.

So, someone else thinks he is special besides just his mom.”

Renee Gallazzi sees only blessings from this experience, and she expressed her wishes for other children in similar situations.

“The part that breaks my heart is I hear many other single parents, fathers and mothers, all wish they had mentors for their children also,” she said.

Renee Gallazzi understands that many other single parents and their children find themselves in similar situations. She started to lose hope that she would ever find someone to mentor her son, but she held on faithfully until Perry came along. She offered the following advice to other parents: “Pray to God for a mentor. It took five years. I wondered if that prayer would ever be answered, but I know it was all in God’s timing.”

“Talk about it with counselors, like the Buckners, etc. … people who may have contact with people who could be interested in mentoring,” she said.

Both Perry and Gallazzi play trumpet, and the two have birthdays only one day apart. Perry, 21, has a birthday on February 12, and Gallazzi’s is on February 13.

Parry gave advice for others who wish to mentor youngsters.

“Don’t do it for personal glory,” Perry said.

“Do it for others. Give back and spread the Gospel. Do it for the children.”

Perry also does it for the glory of God.

9 Tips

To Improve Your Dribbling And Ball Handling Dribble the ball hard.

Head up at all times.

Use your finger tips to control the ball, not your palm.

Picture when and how you would use each of the dribbles.

If you don't have an opportunity, don't put it on the floor.

Work on lengthening the dribble.

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Practice outside your comfort zone.

In The Game | 47

The Bolles School:

THE DYNASTY

Written by: Dylan Hutchinson | Photography by: Aaron Musgrove

Every sports fan loves a dynasty. There is something about seeing a group of individuals rise above and show just how good of a team they can be.

Think of the 199198 Chicago Bulls. The team lead by Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen and coached by the legendary Phil Jackson. The team that won six championships including two three-peats. The 2002-08 USC Trojans, led by Pete Carrol, went 82-9 winning two national titles and producing three Heisman Trophy winners.

Could the Bolles School’s swimming and diving team be consid-

ered among these elite?

While they may still be in grade school, what they have accomplished is nothing short of extraordinary.

The boys team has won an astounding 29 consecutive championships, second only to the Carmel, Ind., girls swimming team who holds the longest ever active winning streak at 30 years.

The girls team is at their heels with 27.

A team like this must

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have a formidable leader at the helm. They seem to have that in head coach, Jon Sakovich. He brings with him a tradition of excellence the value of respect and accountability.

With 35 boys and 30 girls on each team respectively, those values are all the more important.

Sakovich began his coaching career at Gainesville with the Florida Aquatic Swim Team.

However, his career, family and the opportunity to be a part of something special brought him to The Bolles School.

Although the comparison can be made between The Bolles School and some of the elite programs around the country, what makes them stay consistent? How do they continue to bring in the level of talent they have come to expect to a high school level program?

“We swim well and continue with our success, they want to be a part of the team. If we don’t do well they will go elsewhere. We also develop most of the talent that comes through Bolles.

Many of our swimmers are from Jacksonville,” Sakovich said.

With multiple productive Olympic alumni, including Ryan Murphy and Caleb Dressel, The Bolles School certainly has the

level of notoriety needed to attract some of the best talent the city has to offer.

The only question that remains is, how long can Bolles continue this juggernaut pace? “We don’t focus on the winning. We focus on the details that it takes to be a winner,” Sakovich said.

The Bolles School has been a powerhouse in swimming for decades.

Only time will tell how far this program can go. We may be looking back in just a few short years on the longest active high school championship streak in history.

CONGRATS

NEASE STATE

CHAMPS

CONGRATS BOLLES

STATE CHAMPS

In The Game | 49

3 an Northeast fall, winter, Athletic awa Banquets rd

nnual Florida & Spring ards

Congratulations

Kayley Delay & Justin Mitchell In the Game Scholar Athletes of the Year

Presented by In the Game Sports Network April 2, 2017

Congratulations

Robert Bruns & Mike Pickett Baker's Sports Fall and Winter Coaches of the Year

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Presented by In the Game Sports Network April 2, 2017

Congratulations

Sara McKevitt

YMCA of Florida's First Coast Excellence in Character

Presented by In the Game Sports Network April 2, 2017

Congratulations

Kami Eppley & Daniel Plummer III Wolfson Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital Youth Male & Female Athlete of the Year

Presented by In the Game Sports Network April 2, 2017

In The Game | 53

Congratulations to all of our overall award winners! Congratulations to all of our o

Each year, In The Game Sports Network takes time to recognize the top athletes in Northeast Florida at the Fall, Winter, and Spring Athletic Awards Banquets. We see the value in our local student-athletes and like to give every single sport the recognition it deserves. This wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be possible without our amazing sponsors, who have so much respect for this community and the youth within it.

Elite Football Players of the Year Presented by: Wells Fargo

54 | itgsportsnetwork.com

overall award winners! Congratulations to all of our overall award winners!

Elite Male Swimmers of the Year Presented by: South Georgia State College

Elite Female Swimmers of the Year Presented by: South Georgia State College

In The Game | 55

Congratulations to all of our overall award winners! Congratulations to all of our o

Elite Male Basketball Players

Elite Female Basketball Players

Elite Female Bowlers

Elite Female Golfer

Elite Female Soccer Players

Elite Male Soccer Players

56 | itgsportsnetwork.com

overall award winners! Congratulations to all of our overall award winners!

Elite Cross Country Runners

Elite Cheerleaders

Elite Male Wrestlers

Elite Female Weightlifters

In The Game | 57

Congratulations

Matt Clark and Sandy Allen Wells Fargo Scholar Athletes of the Year

Presented by In the Game Sports Network May 21, 2017

Congratulations Mike Boswell

Baker's Sports Spring Coach of the Year

Presented by In the Game Sports Network

May 21, 2017 58 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Congratulations

Malik Fordham

The YMCA of Florida's First Coast Excellence in Character

Presented by In the Game Sports Network May 21, 2017

Congratulations

Nick Wrubluski

Wolfson Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital Youth Athlete of the Year

Presented by In the Game Sports Network May 21, 2017

In The Game | 59

Congratulations to all of our overall award winners! Congratulations to all of our o

Elite Flag Football Players

Elite Male Lacrosse Players

Elite Female Lacrosse Players

Elite Male Weightlifters

Elite Male Tennis Players

Elite Female Tennis Players

60 | itgsportsnetwork.com

overall award winners! Congratulations to all of our overall award winners!

Elite Male Track & Field

Elite Female Track & Field

Elite Softball Players

Elite Baseball Players

In The Game | 61

FEATURED FAMILY:

FamiLEE Written by: Dylan Hutchinson Photography by: Ryan Hennessy

What makes an athlete great? Is it the natural skill that they are born with? Is it a strong parental influence? Could it be the tenacity for all things they strive for both on and off the court? Sevenyear-old Enzo Lee has all three.

Lee is a young man from Florida with skills far beyond his years.

With over 4 million views on YouTube, Lee’s ceiling will clearly just keep rising. Lee obviously has plenty of natural talent. However, talent is useless without a good head on your shoulders and proper guidance.

Lee’s parents were both spectacular athletes in their own rights.

His father, Michael, played both football and basketball in high school at Arlington Country Day. His basketball team was a USA Today Top

62 | itgsportsnetwork.com

25 team. He then went on to play basketball at the University of North Florida. His mother, Shayla, was an All-American triple jumper at The Ohio State University, where she won the Big 10 title as a senior and set a school jump record.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to their son. He first picked up basketball when his grandmother helped him put the ball in the hoop before he could even walk. As soon as he could walk, Lee started dribbling around the curt after his cousin’s basketball games.

Lee’s parents are relentless in his training. His father, being a collegiate athlete himself, puts Lee through high school and college level drills. He gets matched up against fourth- and fifth-graders when he plays in local tournaments. He plays travel ball with the Carolina Star Elite to play against some of the best kids in the country.

“Traveling has been an eye-opening experience for him and makes him want to get to the next level,” Michael Lee said.

All this training has paid off. Once Lee’s father saw the potential his son had, he began placing Lee in leagues with kids who were three to four years older than Lee. Then his father began posting videos of his son dribbling and of the training sessions they had together. That was when it all came together. Soon, NBS stars and major training sites reposted the videos. and the young man’s fame took off.

Even with the physical abilities and natural talent Lee’s parents gave him, that isn’t the most important thing that they want him to have. To this family, education comes first.

“Excelling in school is the only major goal we have for him right now,” Michael Lee said. “He knows that basketball will quickly be taken off the table if school becomes an issue academically or behaviorally.”

Lee brings that message with him to the classroom, where he competes against not only the other kids in the class but his twin sister as well.

Their parents set the goal for the twins to achieve both academic and athletic scholarships, just as they did.

All of Lee’s talent and dedication put him in a position to travel the world playing a sport he loves. He traveled the country and met many NBA stars that he looks up to. Starting in June, he will play in a national tournament to win championship rings.

Rarely do we see someone with this much talent who has such a wonderful family support system behind him. Lee’s parents will do everything in their power to support his dreams and develop him both on the court and in the classroom.

JOI: Proud team physicians keeping the Sharks and you on your game.

Michael Adams, MD - 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 Armada, 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

In The Game | 63

HERE TO

Wellington Hawkins 2801 Saint Johns Bluff Rd S. Suite 3 Jacksonville, FL 32246 904-646-0107

64 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Jim Love 2730 College Street Jacksonville, FL 32205 904-384-5000

Michael Tauzel 13170 Atlantic Blvd Suite 58 Jacksonville, FL 32225 904-425-4100

Chris Nickas 9542 Argyle Forest Blvd Suite 12 Jacksonville, FL 32222 904-854-4700

LIFE GO

O HELP Randy Taylor Gene Coleman 3041-1 Monument Road 10900 Lem Turner Road Jacksonville, FL 32225 Jacksonville, FL 32218 904-642-2400 904-764-4139

Craig Dewhurst 315 W Town Pl Suite 4 St Augustine, FL 32092 904-940-9740

Margie Harner 4540 Southside Blvd Suite 1102 Jacksonville, FL 32216 904-296-2500

O RIGHT

Ray Moore 109 New Berlin Road Jacksonville, FL 32218 904-751-6643

Jim Register 12058 San Jose Blvd Suite 302 Jacksonville,FL 32223 904-268-5522

Diane Banks 1627 Idlewild Ave SR-16 W Green Cove Springs, FL 32043 904-272-1136

In The Game | 65

From the Field to the Mat Written by: Tanner Kennedy | Photography by: Julio Chavez

Rarely can people look back and pinpoint the one decision they made that ultimately changed their lives forever. Lee High School senior David Johnson is one of those lucky few. Johnson changed his future his freshman year of high school when he decided to trust his coach and pursue wrestling. Johnson’s decision, along with his hard work, character, and dedication to education, has led him to receive a scholarship from Florida A&M University in the fall.

Clearly, Johnson’s decision had a dramatic impact on his life.

Johnson grew up in Jacksonville, where he played football from seventh grade until his senior year of high school. The athlete was fully committed to football when his coach, Ricky Hicks, recommended that he join the wrestling team as well. Although interested in wrestling, Johnson had never considered joining the team. Knowing Hicks had Johnson’s best interest in mind, Johnson joined the team that year. Johnson figured this would be a great way to stay in shape during the off-season, but never imagined the implications it would have on his life.

The athlete confessed that wrestling was difficult when he first began.

“Like anything in life, I had to work at it to become better,” Johnson said.

All his hard work paid off his senior year when Johnson qualified for the state tournament. He admitted that after qualifying for state he finally felt like he had a future in wrestling. Johnson described competing at state as, “an amazing learning opportunity.” FAMU noticed Johnson’s performance and offered him a wrestling scholarship. Although Johnson had pictured himself playing football in college, he was honored by this opportunity.

Johnson is not only a committed athlete, but also a dedicated student. When he isn’t training or in school, he likes to have his face in a book. The studious 18-year-

old will be graduating from high school in May with a 4.5 weighted GPA. He plans to study chemical engineering at FAMU. Obviously, this young man understands the principles of discipline and time management.

Despite all the student-athlete’s success, he remains humble. He attributed his achievements to his family’s support and his coach’s guidance. Johnson described wrestling as “not only a physical, but also a mental and emotional sport.”

He could not imagine getting through it without the support system his family provides. The wrestler’s admiration for Hicks is evident.

“Coach Hicks taught me everything I know about football and wrestling,” Johnson said. “He has been like a second father to me.”

“Like anything in life, I had to work at it to become better.”

— David Johnson

66 | itgsportsnetwork.com

David Johnson has a bright future ahead of him. Although wrestling may not have been what he saw himself doing, he took a leap of faith, he worked hard at it, and now wrestling has become the key to his future. With his athletic ability, intelligence, and charisma, Johnson will surely accomplish whatever he sets out to do in the future.

PULLING THE SAME ROPE TO WIN 6TH CONSECUTIVE

CHAMPIONSHIP Written by: Courtney Wagner | Photography courtesy of Jacksonville.com

Losing is a part of life.

At times it happens in the real world, and inevitably it happens in sports. Well, at least for most teams that is. The St. Johns Country Day girls soccer team is a whole other story. They finished this season undefeated at 250, but their success does not stop there.

This season they scored their 44th consecutive win and 57th game without a loss dating back to January 2015 – tying the school record. With a total of nine state championships, the past six of which were consecutive state titles over Lakeland Christian, it is no wonder these girls are leaving their mark and making history. The Spartans are ranked No. 1 in the USA Today Sports/National Soccer Coaches Association of America Super 25 for winter girls soccer.

oping the most effective system to consistently win and building a dynasty.

“It is really a difficult and amazing accomplishment for our program,” Pickett said. “God has blessed us beyond belief and with kids that understand their role and play it to the best of their ability.”

Pickett was honored – again – as the state’s best coach of the national, topranked Spartans. He was also selected as the In the Game Sports Network Coach of the Year.

Since SJCD is a private school, the team has the advantage of training their girls as soon as they enter middle school and

giving that raw talent a chance to step onto the field and expand their roles beyond just four years once they enter h i g h school. “ We have the advantage of having a middle school program, and 15 of the 22 on my current roster have been playing for me since sixth grade,” Pickett said. “All but one of the remaining seven kids have been playing here since ninth grade.”

Pickett has not had a single player transfer over in the last five years.

His athletes come from surrounding areas such as

ery year and has been for 19 years, even before we won any. I think every team has the goal of winning state, so we are no

“It is really a difficult and amazing accomplishment for our program. God has blessed us beyond belief and with kids that understand their role and play it to the best of their ability.”

— Mike Pickett

Fleming Island, Orange Park, and Middleburg.

“We don't think about winning championships or any streaks we may be on,” Pickett said. “It is our goal to win state ev-

different in that regard. I think the pressure comes more from their peers around school to be honest. We try to focus on doing the little things well and playing for each

Behind all champions are coaches who helped get them there, and let’s just say this isn’t coach Mike Pickett’s first rodeo. He spent the past 19 years as the Spartans head coach while devel-

In The Game | 67

“We don't think about winning championships or any streaks we may be on. It is our goal to win state every year and has been for 19 years, even before we won any."

— Mike Pickett other, so no one wants to let anyone down in our program.”

Pickett always reminds his players to take it all in because many athletes will never get a chance to play for a championship in their entire career. He encourages his girls to focus on their roles to help the team and to have fun.

Pickett is consistently amazed by their work ethic – no matter how hard he pushes them, they always show up.

“We are always really young, but I think our older kids who have

CHECK US OUT ON THESE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

68 | itgsportsnetwork.com

been in the program four or five years do a fantastic job teaching the younger kids the ropes,” Pickett said. “They embrace them rather than ignore them.

We don't have ‘seniority’ in our program. Everyone pulls the same rope. So, no one is bigger than our team and program. That includes me.”

Between this mentality, their work ethic, and their passion, it is no wonder coach Mike Pickett and SJCD soccer are making history.

Half a Point to History Written by: Courtney Wagner & Robert Bruns Photography: Aaron Musgrove

Many girls on the Bartram Trail swim team are members of USA Swim programs like Bolles, Loggerhead, and STORM that prepared them for the swim of a lifetime.

The state swim meet was a roller coaster day and unique because swimmers competed in two meets in one day. The prelim meet narrowed the field down to the top 16 for the evening championship swims. The points were made in the evening, so teams had to get as many swimmers into the evening swims as possible.

Once the state “psych” sheet was released, coach Robert Bruns, like all the other coaches, began breaking down each swim and run into a tally of points as if the psych sheet were the final results. This is when he first had the feeling that the girls could possibly win the whole meet. However, having done this for so long, he also knew anything could happen.

The goal was to get his athletes prepared to swim so they could make the evening events.

As the prelims started off, Bartram Trail did a good job of making it back for the evening. By the end of prelims, it was a tough battle. The relays were placed in the middle, a couple of swimmers were not coming back,

and Bartram Trail had a sick swimmer. The girls knew this and were worried too. They recalculated the scores, cried a lot, and prayed. At this point it was between Bartram, Gainesville, and Chiles. It was anyone’s game.

If a team takes all the relays, they are awarded 60 points, so to win the

state swim meet, a team must win the relays. However, there wasn’t a clear winner for the relays. Bartram and Gainesville battled it out for the 200-meter medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay. The real battle was in the body of the swim meet: the individual events. By the time it came to hit the

100 butterfly, Bartram’s lead had slowly eroded, and there was a growing sense of urgency. Coming out of the 200 freestyle relay, they dropped from first to third.

The backstroke and breast stroke were the last two events. After the backstroke, Summer Stanfield’s performance

moved Bartram into second. All they needed to win was the 100 breast stroke to move into first place, but Chiles had a strong breast stroke swimmer. Lilly McCabe swam for her life and in the last 25 yards pulled up alongside her competitor. The result of that “heart attack” race was a

“THERE IS A SENSE OF HONOR IN BEING THE TEAM THAT BROUGHT HOME A TROPHY AFTER A 75-YEAR DROUGHT.” — ROBERT BRUNS

In The Game | 69

70 | itgsportsnetwork.com

tie, so the sum of the first and second place points was split evenly between the two teams. As they went into an awards break, the Gainesville coach informed Bruns that they had to either beat them or take second to win the meet, but didn’t know by how much.

Bruns approached each girl and told them what they needed to do, and each girl knew her responsibility. There were tears and anxiety – it was the race of a lifetime. Stroke for stroke those girls battled it out, and in the end Gainesville edged Bartram Trail, but Bartram Trail still won by 0.5 points, the equivalent of making a half-court shot in basketball at the last second of the game to win it.

“There is a sense of honor in being the team that brought home a trophy after a 75-year drought,” Brunds said.

“We never knew it, but there is a sense of pride. I just hope that it won’t be another 75 years before another ladies’ state championship is won. The margin of points to win will forever be the discussion in Bartram swimming history.”

When asked what makes a champion, Bruns said a combination of elements makes one. Patience is paramount; becoming a champion takes time, and nothing is instantaneous.

Taking the craft (sport) seriously determines who wins and who loses, so be the first in the water and the last out.

When doing a drill, do the drill correctly because it will isolate the bigger picture of an action. Push yourself; every set

should be challenging and uncomfortable. Good is the enemy of great. Believe in your coach, and love the sport you are doing.

“I think what makes us consistent is our team philosophy that I learned from the Flagler College AD,” Bruns said.

A. Give 100 percent, 100 percent of the time.

B. Don’t be a selective swimmer (picking when to work hard and when not to).

C. Don’t put yourself above the team.

D. You must love swimming/ diving.

The one thing Bruns always asks of his swimmers is to “Give me your best.”

This is what he asks of them when they finish a swim (good or bad) too. He teaches them that if they put the work into their sport, then they will always perform well. However, it they don’t, then they should not expect to have a good swim.

“My swimmers have taught me that it is okay to be silly, to be light hearted and caring,” Bruns said. “We look forward to the 2017-2018 season. We know that Gainesville is coming after us, and we have a great friendship with GHS, and their coaching staff is great, but we must defend our championship.”

FAVORITE MEMORY FROM YOUR HIGH SCHOOL CAREER? All the girls coming together and having one big prayer circle in the hotel room before states.

BIGGEST INSPIRATION? My parents, who work really hard so I am able to do what I love.

In The Game | 71

HEALTH, NUTRI

FEELING YOU Written by: Courtney Wagner

MAKE SURE THAT YOU EAT BREAKFAST

It’s been scientifically proven that eating a fiber-rich and protein-based breakfast leads to weight-loss and can keep you from binge eating later in the day.

INCREASE YOUR OVERALL PROTEIN INTAKE

Did you know that foods rich in protein require more energy to digest? They also keep you full longer and keep your muscles intact.

WATER, WATER, WATER

You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of water every day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces of water a day. Florida summers are brutally hot, so staying hydrated is important.

COOK AT HOME WHEN YOU CAN

A lot of restaurant meals contain excess calories, preservatives, oils, and fats. Measure food out yourself to make sure you’re eating the correct portion sizes.

SCRATCH SODA

Healthy Lifestyle Tips

1. Avoid empty calories and processed foods.

2. Exercise and read daily.

3. Drink water.

4. Drink green tea and green juices.

5. Take mental breaks and stretch breaks throughout the day.

6. Make daily affirmations and acknowledge what you’re grateful for.

7. Laugh!

8. Meditate to start your morning off right.

9. Aim for eight hours of sleep a night.

10. Take 10,000 steps a day.

72 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Hate to break it to you, but there is nothing good about soda. There is no reason to be drinking your calories and adding loads of sugar into your body, which makes you crash later on.

ITION, &

UR BEST! GET CREATIVE AND GET MOVING

We get it. There isn’t always motivation to work out, and routines can become monotonous. So, have fun with it! Join a dance class, take a hike, go for a swim, or walk the beach with a friend.

EAT SLOWLY

Your food takes a while to digest. It takes time for your brain to realize you’re full, so before reaching for another snack, try drinking a glass of water!

EAT FOCUSED

By this we mean try not to eat in front of the TV or while on the computer. It becomes too easy to mindlessly overeat instead of enjoying the food in front of you.

AVOID TRANS FAT

Just trust us on this one.

LOAD UP ON VEGGIES

When we were little, the doctor told us to eat our vegetables, and nothing has changed!

They provide fiber, vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes.

In The Game | 73

LIVING In the Game Written by by: Brent Beaird | Photography by: Frank Pontore

Fleming Island High soccer coach Frank Pontore and his Golden Eagles team that finished with a record of 24-1-2 are still celebrating the second state title the school has won since 2012. The Golden Eagles won the Class 4A state title 4-0 over Doral on Feb. 18 in Deland.

Senior midfielder Mark Suhrer said the team’s attitude made the difference this season.

“Our team wanted it more,” Suhrer said. “We played with more heart.

Last year’s team was more talented, but this year’s team had more of a will to win.”

Pontore said this year’s team rebounded from losing late in last year’s postseason run.

“Last year in playoffs, we thought we had the team,” Pontore said. “We were solid everywhere.

As the season went on, the chemistry was not right. When we started this year, we talked about chemistry, working hard, and playing for the guy next to you. They took it to heart. When you see that, you know you have something special.”

goals in the playoffs. He wears down the defense eventually. He and Marcus Murphy playing together was a sight to be seen.

Marcus had 23 assists and 20 goals himself. Marcus is a center mid on the outside, so his hard work opens up plays for Reed more.”

Davis also won the Mr. Florida award given to the best soccer player in the state. Pontore said he has had 4A players of the year award winners and even All- Americans, but has never coached a Mr.

Pontore was quick to give Reed Davis credit, but he also pointed out that Davis had help to make his season unique.

“I’ve never had a guy score 50 goals,” Pontore said. “He outworks everyone. He scored a ton of

74 | itgsportsnetwork.com

"When we started this year, we talked about chemistry, working hard and playing for guy next to you. They took it to heart. When you see that, you know you have something special.”

— Frank Pontore Florida.

Pontore said Suhrer was another reason Davis was a prolific scorer.

“He (Reed Davis) does not have the year he had without Marcus and Mark Suhrer,” Pontore said. “Mark’s a special kid. He’s a ‘yes sir and no sir’ kid. He just goes out and works. He has been on the varsity for

three straight years. We put him on outside mid, which is very demanding because he has to attack.

He scored goals and makes assists then comes back to play defense. He’s a strong young man and very quick. At our team banquet, we give out one award called the Golden Eagle award which is given to a kid who sacrifices

all for team and does not miss practice. It went to Mark.”

There were different pivotal points in the season, such as senior midfielder Alex Cruz breaking his collarbone in November.

“When he (Cruz) went down, it was a tremendous blow,” Pontore said. “He was going to be

Ever wondered if there’s a “sweet spot” in a soccer goal: Here are your chances in the goal.

8% 8%

4%

6%

7%

22%

5%

21%

19%

Information courtsey of www.active.com/soccer

our workhorse. He’s the whole package. After he went down, people were saying, ‘We’re in trouble.’

Then Connor Davis, a sophomore who is Reed’s brother, was thrown in the varsity team starting lineup and is expected to win. He (Connor) did a very good job. When we finally got Alex back, the swagger that he carries elevated everyone’s game.”

Goalie Omar Zermeno also contributed to the season, overcoming earlier inconsistency to finish strong.

“He had one of those crazy seasons,” Pontore said. “We only carry one goalie. Up till Christmas, he was lights out then he went through a funk due to difficult academic work and little sleep. In the playoffs the light went on, and he went back to being a brick wall in goal. He went from being an outstanding goalie to being hesitant to being a wall in one season. In the state title game, he was unbelievable. I have not seen a game better than the one he played in the state title game.”

Pontore also wanted to give his defense credit for their performance on the season and in the title game because the unit had four new defenders from the previous season.

“Ryan Perry and Noah Hamlett, our marking backs, did a great job,” Pontore said. “Zach Hazen never gets any credit, but he was one of our defense specialists.”

The turning point of the season was when the Golden Eagles played three tough games in one week against The Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, and Tallahassee Leon. The Leon home game on Jan. 13 resulted in Fleming Island’s only loss.

“Losing the game against Leon put more fire in their belly,” Pontore said. “Leon was very excited about winning that game. The best thing that happened to us was that loss. I’m a firm believer that in the middle of season a loss can be good.

They are still young men, and sometimes if things come too easy, then they

get cocky. It (the loss) was a wake-up call. We challenged them after that loss. and we were able to turn it around.”

Few playoff teams were as prepared for the postseason as Fleming Island. Pontore said his team won three overtime games (Fletcher, Creekside, and Melbourne) and won one game (Leon) with three minutes left in regulation.

“My doctor was glad for my heart that the season was over,” Pontore said, laughing. “My wife wanted me to bring a defibrillator to the games.”

Pontore said winning the state title has allowed the community, students, and faculty to realize how difficult it is to go deep into the playoffs every year.

“We had so much success over the past 14 years that people assume that this is what we do,” Pontore said. “Now people say, ‘I can’t believe you have been doing this over the years.’”

Suhrer said people are still congratulating him on being part of a state championship team.

“Some people have handed me newspapers ‘cause my picture was on it,” Suhrer said. “Some people I haven’t seen in forever have come up to me and congratulated me. It still feels unbelievable. Winning a state title my senior year is a dream.”

The Golden Eagles excel in the classroom as well as on the field.

“We also pride ourselves in being disciplined in academics,” Pontore said. “They’re smart athletes. We don’t carry a team GPA under anything less than a 3.8.

With good students, they pick up the concepts much quicker. They play so many games in club and school that they have to adjust to different posi-

10

Ways to Prevent Summer Brain Drain

1. Play vocabulary or math skills games with friends.

2. Visit museums.

3. Challenge siblings or friends to solve a math problem you come up with, and have them challenge you too.

4. Watch Jeopardy.

5. Write book reviews.

6. Go on factory tours.

7. Go to a restaurant with menus in a foreign language you’re learning.

If the staff speaks the language, order in that language too.

8. Write critiques of any movies

you watch and read critiques of movies you plan to see in theatres.

9. Whenever you come to a red

light, come up with as many words as you can that rhyme with the street name.

10. Do a search on Wikipedia to find any historical figures or cities that share your first or last name. tions and different terminology quickly.”

FIHS had a good balance between juniors (nine) and seniors (seven) on the roster. Talk of a repeat state title is already on the minds of the players.

on the way home. We have never done that (consecutive titles).”

Suhrer agreed with his coach.

“They have a good chance to win state next year,” Suhrer said.

“Back-to-back is what they want,” Pontore said. “We talked about it on the bus

In The Game | 75

3 Time is the CHARM rd

Written by: Brent Beaird | Photography by: Travis Cunningham

Jason Davis, a 184-pound wrestler for Fleming Island High, changed his mental approach and won a state title on his third attempt.

The Golden Eagles finished as the Class 3A state runner up for the first time.

Davis, who posted a 48-2 record along with a district and regional title, said his life has not really changed since winning a state title.

“I’m still getting after it everyday in practice,” Davis said. “(The state title) was expected from hard work the team and I put it. I’m still doing same thing that I’ve been doing everyday.”

Davis is involved in the year round club called the North Florida wrestling academy. He was practicing with the club the Monday after winning the state title. He said the NFWA regularly attends tournaments and also trains with teams from other state.

8

Fleming Island High wrestling coach Travis Cunningham said from day one Davis has been a pleasure to be around and coach.

“He has such a laid back demeanor and gets along well with anyone and is the kind of person you want to be around,” Cunning-

ham said. “He’s a great kid that comes from a great family. Jason made it a goal after last season to get on top of the podium this year after two, third- place finishes. The experience at the state tournament his sophomore and junior year paid off big. It was almost as if it was a third time was the charm sort of thing.

He knew exactly what to expect and was able to calibrate each thing he needed to this season to make it all work.”

Davis is excited about wrestling at Southeastern University in Lakeland in a few weeks after graduation.

“I need more offense. I need to be attacking more. I’m in the wrestling room. Staying in shape is what I want

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76 | itgsportsnetwork.com

1.

Bring a mesh bag to help get the sand off your bag when you leave the beach.

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Apply bug spray and sunscreen.

Add a flotation device or cork to your keys so that if you accidentally drop them in the water, they won’t sink.

“Southeastern is the only scholarship program in state of Florida for wrestling,” Davis said. “They are a young team, but a team full of studs now. They have a lot of kids on the same mission.”

After wrestling in the state tournament at 184pounds, David is currently up to 200 pounds while on an offseason weightlifting program. He said he will wrestle at 184 pounds in college.

working on it now to focus on, too.”

— Jason Davis

4.

5.

6.

Wrestling is a sport that standard in the county, but requires a tough mental Fleming Island has had the approach. Davis said his upper hand over Clay the change in thinking was the past two seasons. difference in his capturing Davis said the team’s the state title. mentality against Clay High “I always had the drive, has also changed. but I used to think ‘I’m go“This year we didn’t ing against a good kid’,” Da- have anyone out and we vis said. “The difference was were mentally ready for it,” thinking ‘this year they’re Davis said. “We realized we going against me’. It a differ- are (Class) 3A and they are ence in mentality. It’s think- (Class) 1A and we’re suping ‘I’m the best in state and posed to beat them.” no one’s going to stop me’ An improvement in techas opposed to ‘I’m going nique has also benefited to wrestle a the Golden tough kid.”

Eagles.

D a v i s "It a difference “ Te c h s t a r t e d nique- wise w r e s t l i n g in mentality. It’s this is best at Oakleaf thinking ‘I’M THE team I’ve Junior high been on,” in the sev- BEST IN STATE AND Davis said. enth grade. NO ONE’S GOING TO “I’ve been A neighbor wrestling advised him STOP ME’ as opposed since sevto wrestle enth grade to ‘I’m going to at Fleming so I’ve seen Island. He wrestle a tough kid.” the older eventually — Jason Davis guys. This made the team was change and connected with not like older teams I was Fleming Island High assis- on. This team is coached a tant wrestling coach PJ Cob- different way because it’s bert, who won four straight more about technique. It state titles at Clay High. Da- turned out great cause we vis went to Fleming Island are state runner- up. PJ is his freshman year then he not as hard- nosed as he went to Oakleaf High (his used to be because of difzoned school) because of ferent technique.” transportation issues his Davis expects next year’s sophomore years before team to also challenge for a going back to Fleming Is- state title. land High his last two years.

“Our team’s not going to As a team, Fleming Is- fall off,” Davis said. “We’ve a land has made strides over lot of kids who really train the past few seasons. Clay in offseason. We just don’t County has arguably the show up in October. That’s best high school wrestling why we have so many state in the Jacksonville area. qualifiers.”

Clay High, coached by Jim Davis is appreciative of Reape, has long been the the FIHS coaching staff. He

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Keep a dust broom in the car to brush sand off of legs, arms, and clothes.

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October, he was close to starting his military career until his brother influenced him to go to college first.

“It’s not if I go in the military, it’s when I go in,” Davis said. “I’ve decided now to do it after college.

I’m looking to majoring in sports medicine. I hurt my shoulder and during rehab it was cool to see what they do in rehab. I’m going into the marines.

We have had past wrestlers from Fleming Island who are in the mil“I wanted to quit many times itary such as Nathan during my freshman year, Bradley but there was no way I was who was going to quit. WE DO IT WITH aandmarine Evan EXCELLENCE. We don’t do it McCall, who is the lazy way.”

— Jason Davis also in the marines Even with this year’s and our first state finalaccolades, Davis knows ists.” he has to improve to comDavis said he learned pete in college. hard work and persever“I have a lot to work ance from growing up in on,” Davis said. “I need a military family. more offense. I need to “I wanted to quit many be attacking more. I’m times during my freshman working on it now in the year, but there was no wrestling room. Staying way I was going to quit,” in shape is what I want to Davis said. “We do it with focus on, too.” excellence. We don’t do it Davis said thinking the lazy way.” about his future has been His toughness helped weighing heavy on him him weather being sick lately. He grew up in a for during the postseamilitary family. His dad son. just retired from Air Force.

“From two, third place His uncle and brother finishes to state title, are marines. Up until last wrestling is 90% mental,” 78 | itgsportsnetwork.com

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praised his former coaches Jeff Jordan and Douglas Cuthbert and current coaches Colby Pisani, Cobbert and Cunningham.

“They love kids and dedicate their lives to program,” Davis said. “PJ is there everyday. Coach Cunningham does a lot for kids. He’s does the paperwork and gets us in toughest tournaments in state. PJ puts on his shoes and rolls with us. I wrestle PJ nearly every day.”

Davis said. “I wrestled in the state tournament with nearly a 102 degree fever.

In districts, I had food poisoning and strep throat in regionals. Mentally, I have to say that ‘I’m going to do this’. Wrestling taught me more life lessons. I’ll be in the work force one day and I’m not going to tell boss that I’m going to stay home if I don’t feel good.”

Making weight has been a challenge for Davis. He said he allowed himself to get up to 235 pounds in the offseason which means he was able to cut 50 pounds in order to make his weight.

“I did lose a lot of strength,” Davis said. “I did it (cutting weight) the wrong way. My procrastination got to me. I waited til the last minute. I cut 10 pounds per week.

My body got used to my weight of 235.”

Cunningham is impressed with the qualities of a champion that Davis has displayed this season.

“Jason combines tremendous strength for a 182- pounder with a rare form of athleticism at the weight,” Cunningham said. “He was tough to beat because he wrestled like someone in the 145/152 weight class. He has very few weaknesses.

He’s extremely tough on his feet and on the mat he didn't get turned and he developed a top game that scored him a bunch of near falls and pins this year.”

Cunningham believes Davis will succeed in college wrestling.

“Once Jason truly believes in all his tools, then the sky is the limit,” Cunningham said. “He’s still relatively young in the sport and will only get better. I think he has a new found drive since winning his state title and it will be extremely exciting to see how he performs at the next level at Southeastern University in Lakeland.”

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MAKING HISTORY Written by: Raymond Bureau

FAST BREAK

| Photography by: Raymond Bureau

JESSE URBINA

SCHOOL: Trinity Christian Academy SPORT: Football GRADE: 12 in 2017-18 AGE: 17 PARENTS: Jesse Urbina, Maria Delgado WHAT IS YOUR MAIN POSITION, AND WHAT OTHER POSITIONS DO YOU PLAY? MAIN: Left tackle OTHERS: Defensive line

DESCRIBE THE 2014-16 TRINITY SEASONS (3A STATE CHAMPIONS EACH YEAR).

All three seasons were like roller coasters: many ups and downs. My favorite season was in 2015 because the team fired from all cylinders from the beginning of the season because of all our hard work through the summer and preseason practices. We went undefeated and won the state championship. It was my second and the team’s third in a row.

The 2016 season was my next favorite season because we overcame adversity throughout the season and still won the state championship. In the first play of the 2016 championship game, we faced adversity again when Chaminade-Madonna scored an 80-yard touchdown to start the game. We had to overcome it once again, and by the end of the game, we came out on top. It was my third and Trinity’s fourth championship in a row.

WHEN DID YOU START PLAYING FOOTBALL?

DESCRIBE YOUR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND PERSONAL FULFILLMENT AT TRINITY.

I have made myself into a good student throughout my years at Trinity, and I desire to become closer to God.

WHERE DO YOU PLAN TO PLAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL? I have not made the final decision yet about playing college football.

WHAT COLLEGE TEAMS HAVE SHOWN INTEREST IN YOU?

I have not spoken with anyone from a college program yet, but that could change in my senior year.

I began playing Pop Warner football when I was 5 years old.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SIBLINGS WHO PLAY SPORTS?

WHY DO YOU ATTEND TRINITY, AND IN WHAT GRADE DID YOU BEGIN?

HOW MUCH HAVE YOUR PARENTS HELPED YOU IN YOUR FOOTBALL PURSUIT?

WHERE ELSE HAVE YOU PLAYED FOOTBALL?

WHOM ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO THANK FOR YOUR SUCCESS?

I attend Trinity because it's a great atmosphere for me to get my education and they have great academics. I came in as a freshman.

I played football for Matthew W. Gilbert Middle School, and we won the 2013 middle school championship.

I have a sister, but she does not play a sport.

I strongly believe that if it wasn't for my parents, I would not be where I am today. They have both sacrificed a lot to put me at Trinity so I can me make academic, athletic, and spiritual progress.

I would like to thank God because without Him, none of this would have been possible. I would also like to thank my sister because she has also played a huge part in getting me where I am today.

WHAT OTHER SPORTS DO YOU PLAY?

I PLAY ONLY FOOTBALL.

In The Game | 79