PALMER TRINITY PLAYS POSTSEASON VILLAIN FOR KEYS SOCCER SQUADS

Key West boys are lone remaining team in the postseason

After receiving a bye in the quarterfinals, the Key West Lady Conchs lost to MAST Academy on Jan. 26 in the FHSAA District 16 4A semifinals. Key West ended its season with a 10-7 record and looks strong for 2024, despite graduating five seniors this year.

Marathon’s Lady Fins enjoyed their first winning season in six years, going 8-7 with a quarterfinal win against Somerset Silver Palms. Palmer Trinity ended their season when the Lady Fins suffered an 8-0 loss to the Falcons on Jan. 30. The winning is unlikely to end for Marathon next year, as they will lose just two seniors and return their top six scorers, including FHSAA 3A District 16 scoring leader Rain Banks.

Coral Shores junior Robert Tempkin scored the lone goal in the Hurricanes’ semifinal win against Somerset Silver Palms on Jan. 27. TRACY MCDONALD/Keys Weekly

The Coral Shores Lady ’Canes won their district semifinal match against Somerset South Homestead on Jan. 30. Sophia Jans, Kai Redruello and Grace Goodwin each scored one goal in the 3-2 victory, earning Coral Shores a chance at the FHSAA District 16 Championship. In the big game on Feb. 1, Palmer Trinity came away with the win, defeating the Hurricanes 8-0 and ending a highly successful season for Coral Shoes. The district runner-up team managed an impressive 10-5 record. Even with eight seniors graduating this year, Coral Shores looks to have a solid base to build from in 2024.

On the boys side, Key West lost a heartbreaker to St. Brendan on Jan. 30 in their district semifinal match. The Conchs fell to the Sabres 1-0, but Key West’s power ranking was strong enough to qualify them for an at-large playoff berth. The 11-4-2 Conchs played MAST Academy on Feb. 8 in the regional quarterfinals, placing them within three games of the state championship match. Results from the game were not yet available at press time.

Marathon’s boys worked up a late-season run, including a win against Keys Gate in the quarterfinals, earning them a semifinal matchup on Jan. 27. A familiar foe took the Fins out of contention this year as Marathon lost to Palmer 8-0. The Dolphins will keep a good portion of their core, losing just four seniors from their roster. The Fins racked up a winning record, going 10-9 on the season.

Coral Shores did not post a winning record this season, but the ’Canes peaked at the right time, cruising to a win over Somerset South Homestead in the district quarterfinals and managing to come away with a W in a hard-fought battle against Silver Palms on Jan. 27. Robert Temkin scored the lone goal of the match, sending his team to the district championship game on Jan. 31. It would be none other than Palmer Trinity that took the win, defeating the ’Canes 6-0 in the championship game. The 6-7-1 Hurricanes will lose seven seniors from their roster next season, but with their deep bench, the district runner-up team looks to be strong again in 2024.