Michael Mocco, a University of Iowa signee, captured the 1A state title with a 54-0 record in the 285-pound weight class. He won by fall in both round one and the quarterfinal. He won by technical fall in both the semifinal and championship match. He also had an undefeated record during his junior season.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to close out this chapter of high school wrestling with a win,” Michael Mocco said. “I’m super grateful and blessed to be able to do what I did.”

Peter Mocco had a 55-0 record in the 215-pound weight class during his sophomore season in 1A. He won three straight matches by fall and had a victory by technical fall in the championship match. He previously won an individual state title in eighth grade at Coral Springs Charter and finished as a state runner-up as a freshman at Cardinal Gibbons.

“The feeling is so surreal,” Peter Mocco said. “I couldn’t do it without God, my family, my teammates, and my friends. I’m glad I got it back since last year didn’t go my way. This season seemed to just fly by. I guess time flies while you’re having fun.”

Sainz had a 34-0 record in the 157-pound weight class during his senior season to win his second consecutive state championship in 2A. He won by technical fall in both round one and the quarterfinal. He won by major decision in the semifinal and captured the state title with a victory by technical fall.

Martinez had a 57-5 record in the 190-pound weight class during his senior year to win his second straight state title in 2A. He won by technical fall in round one, by decision in both the quarterfinal and semifinal, and won by major decision in the final
match.

Wellington’s Clervoyant, Park Vista’s Valdez, Romero runners-up in 3A

Wellington senior Shawnley Clervoyant finished as the state runner-up in the 113-pound weight class in 3A. Mac Andrews (175) placed fourth, Kai Benedetti (138) placed fifth, Jaden Williams (120) and Tyler Gray (157) both finished seventh and Nikolas Gray (150) placed eighth.

Park Vista junior Eli Valdez placed second in the 106-pound weight class and Raymundo Romero also earned second in the 285-pound weight class. South Plantation junior Donovan Jenkins (113) finished third and senior Lincoln Derby (120) placed fifth.
West Boca senior Daniel Damm (215) and John I. Leonard junior Jad Urribarri (175) both placed third.

Olympic Heights junior Chris Schnobrick (113) finished fourth and teammate Elias Enzner (165) placed sixth.

Monarch senior Diddier Carrillo Castillo (285) placed fourth and junior Tyler Metellus (113) finished seventh. Dwyer senior Bryce Johnson (190) finished seventh while Boca Raton sophomore Javin Taylor (144) and Nova senior Xander Ortiz (175) both placed eighth. Wellington finished sixth overall in the 3A championship. South Dade captured the title with 174 points.

Somerset Academy with state runner-up finish in 2A

Somerset Academy finished second overall in the 2A championship with 173 points. Lake Gibson earned the title with 179 points.
Somerset Academy had the two individual champions and several other top performers. Caio Sainz (106) and Carlos Sainz (132) each finished second. Darion Shannon (144) placed third, Dylan Fernandez (138) and Sidney Katz (165) both placed fourth, Eli Diaz (175) finished sixth, Cano Austin (113) placed seventh and Marlo Jimenez (150) finished eighth.

Archbishop McCarthy junior Joseph Scott (138) finished second, junior Christopher Smith (126) placed fifth, sophomore Deaven Montanez (132) placed sixth and sophomore Jacob Rhodes (120) finished eighth. Atlantic senior Nestor Colaire (150) placed fifth while teammate Roger Valeus (285) placed seventh and Miramar junior Jayden Rivas (144) finished eighth.

Cardinal Gibbons fourth in 1A

Cardinal Gibbons finished fourth overall in the 1A championship with two individual champions. Mater Lakes Academy placed first with 210.5 points.

Cardinal Gibbons also had other top performers. Andres Garcia (113), Skyler Barreto (138) and Isaac Fayer (165) each placed fifth while Logan Bajor (120) finished eighth.

Pine Crest junior Andrew Chen (165) finished second and senior Jacob Lobis (157) placed fifth. Jupiter Christian junior Duke Rimes (215) placed third while King’s Academy senior Tyce Porcher (190) placed eighth.

Taravella’s Bryan, Douglas’ Mourad state runners-up honors on girls side

Taravella junior Arheanna Bryan and Stoneman Douglas freshman Zeinab Mourad both placed second at the FHSAA girls wrestling state championship. Bryan finished with a 30-1 record in the 190-pound weight class. Mourad had a 25-1
record in the 235-pound weight class.

Forest Hill junior Christal Desir (155) finished with a 31-1 record and placed third. Archbishop McCarthy junior Makayla Ocean (190) also finished third. Western junior Tiffany Francisco (105) placed fifth, Archbishop McCarthy senior Kailea Villavicencio (120) finished sixth, Park Vista freshman Rose Karakolis (130) placed sixth while teammates Gabi Nathan (105) and Samantha Tobia (125) both
finished seventh, Douglas senior Ariana Blanc (170) placed seventh and Olympic Heights senior Allison Blanco-Cruz (145) finished eighth.

Suncoast (23-5) advances to the 4A state semifinal on Mar. 10 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Suncoast avenged a 33-32 loss to Stranahan in the district championship contest on Feb. 7.

“It means everything,” Suncoast coach Jason Powell said. “We have done so much hard work leading up to this point. The community came out to support us and we love that. We are just trying to bring some tradition back to the school.”

Suncoast senior guard Aaron Horton recorded a game-high 17 points. Senior guard Jamarey Harris and senior guard Kyree McKelton each added 13 points in the victory.

Stranahan, winner of the 4A state championship last season, saw junior guard Damari Foster and senior guard Christian Yeargin each score 11 points for the Dragons.

Suncoast had a 13-5 advantage at the end of the first quarter and led 24-18 at halftime. Stranahan (14-14) rallied in the second half and had a 37-36 advantage at the end of the third quarter.

Suncoast trailed by three before Harris sparked the Chargers with a steal and layup to cut the deficit to 41-40 in the fourth quarter.

“It’s all about who wanted it more,” Harris said. “I am driven by all of our motivation to make it to states and make it to Jacksonville. That’s just what I am thinking about and that’s my mindset on the court.”

McKelton had a drive to the basket and layup to give the Chargers a 44-43 lead with 2:33 left.

Yeargin delivered a game-tying basket for the Dragons to make it 45-45 with 56 seconds remaining.

Harris missed a 3-point shot with 2.2 seconds left as the teams exited regulation time.

Horton stepped up as he converted a pair of go-ahead free throws to give the Chargers a 47-45 lead with 3:05 left in overtime.

McKelton scored on a drive toward the basket to make it 51-46 with 2:05 left in overtime.

“My teammates trusted me,” McKelton said. “It means a lot. We have never been as a team to states. It feels good.”

Suncoast led 53-50 before Horton sealed the game with two free throws with 6.1 seconds remaining in overtime.

“I knew that we had had everything we needed to do it,” Horton said. “We got the most heart.”

Suncoast students stormed the court after the regional final victory.

Powell credited his team’s defense and preparation to reach the state semifinal.

“Our strength is our defense,” Powell said. “We play through our defense. That’s one of the things that’s carried us all year. We just stayed composed. We have a great coaching staff. I can’t say enough of what they have brought to the program. Markee James is one of the guys who has put a lot of time and effort. It’s just having another great mind with me that can also get us over the hump.”

Pembroke Pines Charter (13-5-3) had won three straight games in penalty kicks and appeared headed for a fourth straight penalty kick shootout, but a controversial penalty kick call with a little more than a minute remaining in the first overtime sent St. Johns Beachside (18-3-1) to a 2-1 win.

There were eight yellow cards issued, including five to Jaguars’ players, and 27 fouls called in a chippy game. Senior Davi Martins converted the penalty kick in the 89th minute to give the Barracudas the win.

Pembroke Pines Charter had taken a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute by senior Julian Iodice. Beachside, though, answered as senior Austin Kerns tied it with a 22-yard free kick just moments before halftime.

Beachside junior goalkeeper Brian Garland saved the game with an instinctive save in the final minute of regulation to force OT.

“The referee was really not up to par for this game,” Pembroke Pines Charter coach Marc Lue Young lamented. “He allowed the game to get chippy with his poor calls.

“It was a difficult game to get into rhythm as the game was stopped numerous times for very soft fouls,” he continued. “The boys left it all on the line, but unfortunately, the referee determined the outcome instead of the players. The same call he made for the penalty, we had two of the same fouls in the second half.”

Pembroke Pines Charter senior goalkeeper Mateo Vasquez saved three penalty kick shots in the shootout as the Jaguars won the semifinal 2-1 (4-1 PKs) over Tampa Jesuit, avenging a defeat in the state semifinals last year. Vasquez also made a key save with 15 minutes remaining in the game to keep the score level.

“I love to be the hero,” Vasquez said. “I feel like penalty kicks are my time to shine. It was my time to do it for my team and my (second) family. At the beginning of the season, nobody expected us to be here. We just blocked out all of the noise and fought for each other.”

Junior midfielder Emerson Toledo scored off an assist by senior Gabriel Calderon in the 22nd minute for the lone Jaguars’ goal in regulation.

American Heritage falls to Bishop Moore in 4A final

American Heritage dropped a 2-0 decision in the boys 4A final to Bishop Moore in double overtime on Saturday afternoon.

After winning their semifinal in penalty kicks, the Patriots (17-4-1) couldn’t muster enough energy, allowing early goals in both overtime periods.

American Heritage coach Todd Goodman called it a “tale of two halves,” with his team dictating play in the first half before Bishop Moore (23-2-6) took over in the second half.

“They were a formidable opponent and deserved to be there as well,” Goodman said by phone. “I think we came out and put them under pressure and had a couple of really good opportunities that we didn’t capitalize on. We had three straight games of overtime, and our legs were a little heavy and a little fatigued.”

“There were several reasons why we didn’t have the normal success that we did last year,” added Goodman, whose team finished 3-7-7 last season. “We had great senior leadership, and they took ownership this year.”

The Patriots advanced to the final by winning a penalty-kick shootout against Fort Walton Beach 2-1 (4-3 PKs), with junior goalie Alex Vanhaeren saved two PKs.

American Heritage senior forward Clayton Boone scored the Patriots’ lone regulation goal when he headed in a corner kick from Ivan Powers with 18 minutes left. The Vikings, which hadn’t reached the final four since 1984, tied the game at 1-1 when Brian Velazquez knocked in a rebound off Vanhaeren.

“We went from losing seven games last year to winning 17 this year,” Boone said. “It’s a beautiful thing. Last season, I longed for something like this…something to be proud of. The team showed tremendous leadership and grit this season.”

STA boys fall in PKs in 6A semifinal

St. Thomas Aquinas was done in by penalty kicks in its 6A boys state soccer semifinal against eventual state champion Land O’Lakes Sunlake 3-2 (4-3 PKs).

The Raiders (21-7) jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 70 seconds into the game when Felipe Tabon blasted a shot from 25 yards out that the Seahawks goalkeeper mishandled. In the 30th minute, Matteo Forato found Raye Archuleta in front of the net, and he one-touched it into the net for a 2-0 lead.

St. Thomas Aquinas nearly went up 3-0 moments later, but Santiago Ramirez kicked it right at the goalie, Jack Hanzlik, for a save. The Raiders’ good fortunes went south as the referee called two controversial penalty kicks for tripping, and Ricky Kase converted — one in the 32nd minute and the other in the 64th — allowing the Seahawks to tie the game. St. Thomas also had a couple of key starters take yellow cards, which forced them to go deeper into its bench.

“I don’t think my goalkeeper touched him,” said St. Thomas Aquinas coach John Walsh of the second penalty kick awarded when goalkeeper Jakob Hillinger was ruled to have tripped Sunlake forward Elliott Hinz. “The kid took two more steps after the point where contact would have been and then fell.

“Despite the decisions,” Walsh continued, “we should have put that team away. If we made one out of every 10 chances, we created it would have been a different outcome. It’s always difficult to go out on PKs. I think after our first, fluky goal, the kids thought they could shoot from anywhere and score, so we stopped working the ball around and started taking shots from 30 yards out.”

Their best chance came at the end of the first overtime period when Archuleta’s header off a cross from Ethan See was hit just inches off the far post.

Frank Markovich, Luca Amarini and Forato all converted their kicks, while Sunlake made all four for the win.

St. Thomas Aquinas added its state-leading 16th title, but first in nine years, when it defeated Niceville 1-0 to win 6A, while American Heritage captured its 15th state championship with a 2-0 win over Bishop Kenny for its fourth straight title.

Cypress Bay came up short in its bid for its first state title, losing 1-0 in penalty kicks to Lake Mary, while Jupiter lost in the 7A semifinals.

Raiders celebrate ‘Sweet 16’ with first title since 2017

St. Thomas Aquinas junior goalkeeper Aimee Colson was a stalwart in front of the net as the Raiders, after a bit of a hiatus, added their 16th state championship, to keep that record by themselves.

Freshman forward Camilla Velez scored in the 21st minute to give the Raiders (23-2-1) all the offense they would need to take home the hardware as they topped Niceville 1-0 in the 6A state championship game on Wednesday morning. Both teams entered with Top-six national rankings, according to MaxPreps.

Velez took a short corner from senior Bianca Raskin and floated it over the outstretched arms of Niceville sophomore goalkeeper Eden Shaw from 30 yards out for the winning tally, her seventh goal of the season.

“Scoring in the state final, and it being the only goal, was insane,” Velez said by phone. “I took the corner from Bianca and sent the ball toward the goal, figuring the goalie would bobble it and someone would tap it in.

“When I realized I scored, I was running around like crazy,” she continued. “I got so hyped up, and it was amazing for me. I can’t stop thinking about it. It was my biggest goal ever and will always hold a special place in my heart.”

The Raiders, ranked sixth in the nation by MaxPreps, closed out the season with seven straight shutouts. Colson came up big in the 64th minute when she came out on a breakaway and saved a shot attempt by Taylor Kerle at the top of the penalty area. It was her 14th shutout of the season.

“I thought she was going to shoot from out far, but then I saw her start to dribble, and I was already out and didn’t hesitate,” Colson said. “I only needed to make two saves, but as a goalkeeper, you always have to be ready. We had no doubt we were going to win.”

Niceville (19-2-1), which entered the game ranked fifth in the country and seeking its first title, saw its 15-game win streak come to an end.

St. Thomas Aquinas scored twice in the opening 32 minutes of the contest and held on for a 2-0 victory over Viera in the 6A semifinal on Monday. Bianca Raskin scored in the 14th minute, and Madison McKeon scored in the 32nd to lift the Raiders.

“This is what you dream about,” said St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Bryan Hantak. “Especially with the heartbreak of losing last year in the championship game. The girls were crying on the bus ride home, and (senior) Lauryn Smith, our center back, stood up and said, ‘We are not going to let this happen again.’ That was awesome to see. This senior class was very close. We pushed so hard, and it was a fun year.”

American Heritage blanks Bishop Kenny

American Heritage senior defender Victoria Burns has followed in her mother’s footsteps — literally and figuratively.

Burns won her fourth straight girls state soccer championship on Saturday morning as the nation’s No. 3-ranked Patriots blanked No. 18 Bishop Kenny 2-0 for the 4A title.

Burns and fellow senior defender Zaharia Freeman both helped American Heritage freshman goalkeeper Marlee Mills record her 15th shutout of the season. Freeman also figured in the scoring, and both players leave with four rings.

“This is really cool because my mom (Jennifer Fried) won five state championships at Heritage, and the last one was in 2006,” said Burns, who, like Freeman, were team captains.

American Heritage (18-0-1) applied pressure for most of the first half and was finally rewarded in the 36th minute.

Freeman floated a ball into the box, and it was mishandled by the Bishop Kenny goalkeeper and landed at the feet of sophomore forward Ariana Doles, who deposited it into the goal for her seventh tally of the year and a 1-0 lead.

American Heritage iced the game in the 77th minute when Mae Collins served a corner kick that fellow freshman Julianna Soto headed toward the goal. Bishop Kenny and Cano were unable to clear the ball out of danger, and senior Emma Torres scored for a 2-0 advantage.

“When the clock hit zero, I had a lot of emotions going through my head,” said Freeman, who is signed with Rollins. “It is the most surreal feeling. I got to play my freshman year and win a state championship with my sister, and I thought about this being my last game ever for the school. I cried. I’m not going to lie.”

American Heritage closed out the year riding a 31-game unbeaten string since a 2-1 loss to Cape Coral Mariner in Dec. 2024.

The only blemish on this year’s mark was a season-opening 2-2 tie against the defending 3A state champions Somerset Canyons.

“We manifested it,” said Patriots coach Cindy Marcial, who has won nine of those state championships as the team’s coach. “We graduated eight or nine seniors from last year’s team, and then lost a couple of players who were called up for their (age group) national teams, so we had to adjust. We had to grind more, and this year’s team was very technical, and they were very close.”

American Heritage advanced to the state title game as Torres scored the lone goal, and freshman Marlee Mills needed to make one key save in the second half to lift the Patriots to a 1-0 victory over Bishop Moore in a rematch of last year’s 4A state final.

“We got the free kick, and I saw the gap and kicked it in,” Torres said of her goal. “I am very proud that I was able to score in the state semifinal and how our team just stepped up.”

Cypress Bay falls in final in PKs

Cypress Bay coach Kate Dwyer said this year’s trip to the finals felt different, even though she left DeLand without an elusive state championship. The No. 9 nationally ranked Lightning (21-2) fell to No. 2-ranked Lake Mary, 1-0 (4-3 PKs) in the 7A title game.

Dwyer, who picked up her 350th career win earlier in the year, graduated 12 seniors from last year’s team that fell 2-0 in that title game against Lake Mary, including three D1 college players.

In the game, Cypress Bay junior goalkeeper Alejandra Duran had seven saves, including one on a penalty kick.

“Nobody thought we would get to this point,” said Dwyer, whose team owned a 4-0 win over state champion St. Thomas Aquinas earlier in the year. “After we beat St. Thomas, we knew we had something special. I told the girls to enjoy it. It was probably one of the closest teams we have ever had and one of the most technical. They really looked to play possession, and in the championship game, they just played their hearts out. I am beyond proud of how they did. They followed the game plan perfectly.”

Senior Mackenzie Rector saw to it that Cypress Bay would play for a fifth state title in seven years as she scored three first-half goals as the Lightning topped Newsome 3-2.

“I don’t think I ever scored three goals in a half,” said Rector, who was on the team all four years. “The harder it is, the more gratifying it is when you win. We’ve never been this close. We’ve never been this together. We had great chemistry.”

Jupiter falls in 7A semifinals

Jupiter fell to Lake Mary in the state semifinal as the Rams scored twice right after the halftime break to take a 2-0 lead and coasted to the 5-0 victory.

Jupiter (14-7) was making its second straight trip to the final four and fifth in school history. The Warriors lost in the state final in 1978, and in the semifinals in 1989, 1991 and the past two years. The Warriors graduated nine seniors from last year’s team.

“The loss of Makayla (Greenland) was felt dramatically,” said Jupiter coach Kody Drake, who lost his center defender with a knee injury moments before halftime. “The girls were crying in the locker room, and Lake Mary was very strong and talented. We struggled to regain momentum after halftime, especially with Makayla out. We had some fantastic chances in the first half; we just didn’t put them away.”

The Eagles (22-1), who defeated the Scots 80-66 on February 7, led 15-12 at the end of the first quarter, and jumped out to a 39-25 halftime cushion thanks to Daughtry’s heroics.

“The amount of work that we put in, I couldn’t let this team down,” Daughtry said. “We just stuck with it. I knew I had to separate the score, and I did. Our team is playing with all of the drive in the world. Right now, we are 22-1, and we’ve come too far to lose.”

The nation’s second-ranked team, according to MaxPreps, is headed back to state for a fifth time. The Eagles have won the previous four times (2017, 2021, 2022, 2025). Calvary will face University School in the final four on March 9 in Jacksonville.

Qualifying for the state championship wasn’t the first thing on Eagles coach Cilk McSweeney’s mind. In the past two seasons, the Eagles haven’t lost to a South Florida team since a 50-48 setback against North Broward Prep in the regional semifinals on Feb. 24,  2024. They’ve won 23 straight against local teams during that span.

“In two years, we haven’t lost to a local team, so to me, that is big-time,” McSweeney said. “We have beaten some nationally ranked teams along the way, but the biggest thing is let’s dominate at home. We dominate at home among our peers and our community. We are about greatness. That’s been our culture.

“Our job is not finished,” he added. “For us, the biggest thing is we have to finish the job. Let’s dominate and get this done. It takes a lot of practice to develop the chemistry, and this is a special group.”

Calvary Christian senior forward Aiden Bolden had six points in the first quarter, including two impressive dunks, and senior guard Jacob Zhu scored six straight points as the Eagles seized a 9-2 advantage and were never threatened. Bolden finished with 17 points, off five dunks. The team finished with 13 dunks in the game.

“Getting those early dunks gets my team going,” Bolden said. “We just wanted to sign the game off early. We tried to come out here and make them not want to play no more.”

Senior wing K.J. Francis and Zhu each finished with 11 points for the Eagles. It also marked the eighth win in a row over the Scots, who finished the season 24-5.

St. Andrew’s senior guard Xander Gerard finished with a game-high 25 points, all in the second half when the game was already decided. He was the lone player to hit double figures for his team.

“The things we tried to do were eliminate turnovers, get back on defense, and make sure their guys didn’t leak out and score easy baskets,” said St. Andrew’s coach John O’Connell. “(Calvary) is an exceptional team, and you have to play perfectly to beat them. We didn’t do that today.”

Regional finals

Saturday

7A

1. Miami Columbus def. 3. Coral Glades 76-58

6A

1. St. Thomas Aquinas def. 3. Miramar 74-43

5A

1. Pembroke Pines Charter def. 2. Belen Jesuit 75-51

4A

1. Suncoast def. 2. Stranahan 55-50 OT

3A

1. Calvary Christian def. 3. St. Andrew’s 88-65

2. University School def. 1. Cardinal Gibbons 74-63

2A

1. Santa Fe Catholic def. 3. Benjamin 50-36

1A

1. Sagemont Prep def. 2. Dade Christian 76-34

State semifinals

In Jacksonville

6A

St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Tampa Sickles, Thursday, March 12, 1 p.m.

5A

Pembroke Pines Charter vs. Lecanto, Wednesday, March 11, 9 a.m.

4A

Suncoast vs. Gulfport Boca Ciega, Tuesday, March 10, 1 p.m.

3A

Calvary Christian vs. University School, Monday, March 9, 3 p.m.

1A

Sagemont Prep vs. Ocoee Central Florida Christian, Thursday, 3 p.m.

St. Thomas Aquinas senior guard Ronneisha Thomas drained a dramatic 3-point basket with 13.1 seconds remaining to snap a 56-56 tie, and the Raiders held on for a 60-56 6A regional victory over visiting Nova.

Teammate London Thomas, a sophomore guard, led all scorers in the game with 27 points, including 18 points in the second half as the Raiders (20-8) rallied from two double-digit deficits to punch their ticket to the state tournament after failing to make it last season, ending a bid for a fifth straight state championship.

Both Ronneisha and London were coming off injuries. Ronneisha was sidelined during the BCAA Big 8 when Nova pulled out a 56-52 win, and the Raiders have won five straight since.

“I’m happy that we’re going to state,” said Ronneisha, who scored 12 points in her first game back after sitting out six weeks with a broken left hand (her non-shooting hand). “I work on that shot before the game and every day in practice. I know I believe in my team, and my team believed in me.”

London Thomas missed the past two games with an ankle injury, and after making just two free throws in the first quarter, she came alive in the second with seven points and then the huge second half. She also helped fuel a defensive effort that held Nova without a field goal in the final 6:01 of the game.

“We both came back from injury, and it was a real surreal moment,” London said. “We came into this game with the mindset to keep the team’s heads high. I’ve been working in the gym to get my legs back under me and get this victory, and we got the dub. I was a little bit flat in the first half, and I knew I had to turn it up.”

St. Thomas Aquinas coach Emily Williams said her team stayed together through trust and resilience. She applauded both Thomases for their performances.

“We kept cutting the lead and chipped away at their lead and said we had to win every two minutes,” Williams said. “That’s what they did. They stuck together and trusted each other. We said it is never over until it is over, and the clock hits zero.

“Ronneisha is a big part of our team, and we missed her when she was out,” Williams added. “She gets us going with her energy, and she was frustrated during the game because she wasn’t getting good looks. She made the big shot when she had to.”

Williams said London Thomas just took over the game in the second half.

“She said, ‘Coach, I got this,’” Williams said. “She proved she is a big-game player and came up big when we needed her.”

Nova (23-5) grabbed a 4-0 first-quarter lead before St. Thomas Aquinas went on a 13-2 run midway through the first half to take a 13-6 lead, its biggest of the first half.

Nova chipped away, and junior guard Kimora Exum hit a 3-pointer with 4 seconds remaining in the second quarter as the Titans seized a 30-26 halftime lead. London Thomas scored seven in the second quarter to keep the Raiders within striking distance.

Nova extended the lead to 45-34 with 3:20 left in the third when Nova junior guard YaNiyah Young hit a 3-pointer before the Raiders closed the period on an 8-0 run fueled by London Thomas.

“We just didn’t execute down the stretch,” said Nova coach Jason Hively. “We were playing well all night; we just didn’t execute and take care of the ball. We probably didn’t get the shots we wanted, and it didn’t end up the way we wanted it to.”

Nova senior guard Jaelynn Housey, an FAU signee, opened the fourth quarter with six points, and sophomore guard Ke’mora Evans added three points to stake the Titans back up to a 54-44 lead. Housey, who finished with 14 points, was held to just two free throws with 34.3 seconds left, which tied the game at 56 until Thomas hit her game-winner.

Sophomore small forward Laila Barnett hit a free throw to seal the game with 3.6 seconds left.

St. Thomas Aquinas also got 10 points from Catalina LaFreniere, while Nova was led in scoring by Evans with 15 points, Young with 13, and Exum (10).

Other regional final results

5A

1. Blanche Ely def. 2. Sebastian River 63-31

4A

1. American Heritage def. 3. Northwestern 53-47

3A

1. Somerset Academy Canyons def. 2. Lincoln Park 47-46

1A

1. Grandview Prep def.2. Schoolhouse Prep 51-40

State semifinals

In Jacksonville

6A

St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Lutz Steinbrenner, Thursday, March 12, 11 a.m.

5A

Blanche Ely vs. St. Petersburg, Wednesday, March 11, 11 a.m.

4A

American Heritage vs. Jacksonville Bishop Kenny, Tuesday, March 10, 5 p.m.

3A

Somerset Academy Canyons vs. Miami Carrollton, Monday, March 9, 1 p.m.

1A

Grandview Prep vs. Jacksonville North Florida Educational, Thursday, 5 p.m.

King’s Academy sophomore Sabrina Callejas made three acrobatic saves and converted her own for good measure in the sudden-death penalty kick shootout as the Lions topped Miami Palmer Trinity 1-0 (5-4 PKs) on Wednesday to claim the 2A state title.

It marked the second straight day they had to go to PKs after the game wasn’t decided after 100 minutes of regulation and two overtimes.

As Lions coach Bri Mackrey hung the championship medal around her goalkeeper’s neck in the postgame awards ceremony, chants of “MVP, MVP” broke out from the crowd. Later in the celebration, it became official as Mackrey tossed the game ball to her. Of course, she caught it.

“I don’t really get nervous for PKs,” Callejas said. “I was just doing my part for the team. I read the shooter’s body language, so I know they are mostly going to kick to my right.

“Sabrina is insane,” said Mackrey, whose team finished a program-best 23-1.

This is her eighth season in charge and said the team overcame obstacles along the way, including a red card to Callejas after she used her hands outside the box in the regional semifinals. The Lions appealed, and Callejas was reinstated for the regional final. “She saved 5 PKs in the two days at states, and made some insane saves during the game to get us to PKs. She was on fire.”

Mackrey also cited her team’s win over Benjamin for the district title as the other key goal. The Lions only allowed seven goals all season, with Callejas earning her 18th clean sheet on Wednesday.

“This team hasn’t ever shown this much grit and perseverance in their life,” Mackrey said. “When I came in eight years ago, they were a little weak, and it’s great to see your hard work finally pay off. You really have to trust the process of building a team. Five of these players were starting as middle school players.”

Sophia Cueto converted the winning penalty kick. Callejas, Deionce Storey, Juliette Turner, and Lola Hathorne also scored.

“I felt the responsibility to finish the job after all of Sabrina’s saves,” Cueto said. “

Hathorne, an FAU commit, said the team had a ritual in their locker room with the No. 13 written on a paper towel signifying how many overall state championships the school would have if the girls prevailed.

“It was a long time coming,” Hathorne said. “This feels absolutely amazing. We wanted to be the 13th state championship the school had won. We had a motto that if you were able to walk, you could give it your all. We knew they won 8-0 the day before, and we had to go overtime. I kept telling my team to put their bodies on the line.”

Junior defender Mia Mackrey, also a key contributor in the win, said it was special to win for the school and to do it with her mom.

“We have both wanted it for so long and worked so hard for it,” Mia Mackrey said. “To win it with her is doubly rewarding. “It was pretty stressful to go to PKs on both days, but we knew Sabrina had our back. When the ref blew the whistle, it was ultimate bliss.”

The Lions, who started the year 15-0 before falling 1-0 to 7A regional finalist Wellington, closed the year winning its last eight games. It included the back-to-back penalty-kicks wins over perennial state champion Lakeland Christian and Palmer.

King’s Academy was on its heels early as Palmer (18-3-1) dominated the first 10 minutes, showing how they were able to mercy-rule Providence 8-0 in the state semifinal 8-0, but then King’s settled in.

Gibbons’ bid for undefeated season thwarted

Cardinal Gibbons saw its hopes for both an undefeated season and a 3A state championship come to an end on Saturday morning with a crushing 2-0 loss to Montverde Academy in a battle of nationally ranked teams.

Montverde Academy (21-1-1) got two goals in the final 12 minutes — from junior midfielder Lola Rey (68th minute) and junior forward Marta Arbenina (75th minute) — to win their 10th consecutive game since its only loss of the season, at St. Thomas Aquinas on Dec. 13.

Rey had a hat trick in the state semifinal and eight tallies in her last four games for the Eagles, ranked No. 2 in the nation by MaxPreps.

“I can’t be upset at all with what our girls did out there,” said Cardinal Gibbons coach Margo Flack, who won the school’s lone girls soccer title in 2021. It was their fourth runner-up finish. “There’s been times where we’ve gone down, and they could have quit, and they have not.”

“We’ve had different heroes throughout the postseason,” Flack added. “We knew our legs were going to be tired after the semifinal, and we knew we’d get a couple of chances, and we would need to finish them, and we didn’t. We continued to fight, and that’s all we asked of them.”

In the state semi, Cardinal Gibbons sophomore Reagan Hood scored early, and the Chiefs’ defense did the rest as they held off crosstown rival North Broward Prep 1-0 in the 3A state semifinal.

Senior Caroline Findley dribbled into the area and took a shot that rebounded to Hood, who chipped it over senior goalkeeper Zoie Brown’s head in the 15th minute, and senior Kennedy McCausland recorded her 13thshutout of the season for the Chiefs.

“I think that helped settle us down,” said Flack of Hood’s goal in the semifinal. “I don’t think the pressure ever gets to them. I think they thrive on pressure. Throughout this season, when adversity has hit us, we have responded well.”

Sophomore Abigail Gillette, and junior Shiloh Simmons also helped anchor the backline for the Chiefs, ranked No. 7 nationally.

“It hasn’t been just me,” said McCausland, a three-year starter who reclassified this year and is headed to Belmont University. “When we got the early goal, we settled down, and towards the end it got a little chaotic. I don’t think it is pressure. I think it is more excitement than anything else.”

Hood, who fired off eight shots in the first half alone, was running free in the midfield for most of the match.

“That was definitely one of my top 5 goals,” Hood said. “As a team, we have literally taken it day by day. We are a very technical team that works hard. I think that has been the aura of this team.”

North Broward Prep coach Tricia Amrhein said the team always believed they could come back from the deficit, having done so twice before, knocking off defending state champion Somerset Canyons in both the district and regional finals.

“The focus was on surviving the first half, regrouping, and motivating the players for a strong second half,” she said. “I think we created more opportunities in the second half, but for the first time this season, we just ran out of gas and hit a wall. We just couldn’t find the back of the net early on.”

Junior two-sport star Jayda Palumbo had a few early chances for the Eagles, but couldn’t get on the scoring sheet.

Amrhein said losing to a local rival in the semifinals was especially painful, made harder by the close bonds with the senior class.

“I told them that this is going to be something that they’re always going to remember, and I know that it hurt, but that I was just super proud of them,” she continued. “When we lost to Benjamin in the state semifinals, it was just a 40-minute ride (to West Palm). This was an actual trip. This group of seniors is just truly, truly special. I have been coaching many years, and a group like this only comes ever so often.”

Berean falls to Canterbury in semi

Canterbury (Fort Myers) got two goals each from freshman forward Mia Accola and senior Mackenzie Molina as the Cougars defeated Berean Christian 4-0 in the 1A state semifinals on Friday morning at the Lake Myrtle Sport Complex in Auburndale.

Berean’s girls (16-5) were the first team in any sport in school history to advance to the state final four in any sport. Bulldogs coach Jon Iverson, who has been at the school since 2009, was an assistant coach the following year and has been the head girls coach since 2011, noted that the program has come on as of late, winning three straight district titles.

“This was awesome. If I had known it would be this great, I would have done it before,” Iverson joked by phone. “I didn’t know until we won regionals that we were the first team to go to state. The whole experience, getting a police escort to the Turnpike and having a guy holding a cardboard sign at the entrance stand up from his wheelchair and salute us, is something we will never forget.

“(The school) kept that a secret from us,” he added. “The girls were crying on the bus, and they were Facetiming their moms at work, and their moms were crying. It was such a great experience.”

Despite being outshot 6-2 in the first half and 15-3 in the game, Berean Christian was still in the contest at halftime, trailing 1-0. Molina, however, doubled the margin with a tally in the 66th minute.

Villalobos scored in the eighth minute, and Mata doubled the lead in the 30th minute for the state’s top-ranked 3A boys team. The Dolphins (19-1-3), also ranked second in the country, according to MaxPreps, rolled to the title at Lake Myrtle Sport Complex in Auburndale on Saturday afternoon.

Villalobos made it 3-0 in the 50th minute with his second goal, and senior midfielder Santiago Ramos tallied in the 64th minute — both long-range goals from 25 yards out. Junior defender Rodrigo Perez added another for good measure just two minutes later.

“They were as good as I thought they were going to be and even better in person,” said Somerset Canyons coach Eric De Sousa, whose team finished with a school-best mark of 16-3-2 and was playing in its first state final. “Obviously, it is bittersweet. I’m so proud of what we accomplished, and there is history for the badge and the school.”

De Sousa said they had to switch tactics pretty early after the first goal.

“We gave up an early goal off a tactical mistake, and then I thought we did pretty well before they scored goals we could do nothing about,” he added. “I know we can stick with them, but the ball just didn’t bounce our way. They are number two in the nation for a reason.”

The Cougars made the most of their state tournament debut as they picked up a 3-0 win over Alachua Santa Fe in the state semifinals. Junior midfielder Juan Casallas played a huge role in the semifinals with a goal and an assist in sending the state’s second-ranked 3A squad to the finals.

Gabriel Abadia scored in the 47th minute off a header from Giovanni Sanchez to give the Cougars the only goal it needed. In the 65th minute, Denali Swift got on the end of a pass from Casallas and scored in the lower left-hand corner. Casallas closed out the scoring with a penalty kick with 15 minutes remaining.

Casallas said the team has been his family after moving to the United States and living with a host family.

“I am so happy to enjoy that moment with them,” Casallas continued. “America is really different than in Colombia, but it has been unique, and this is my first time playing in something like this.”

Cougars sophomore goalkeeper Jayden Rios needed to make one save, but it was a key one, coming just 15 minutes in with the match scoreless. He also knocked away a cross that was headed to a player on the far post.

“We planned to play assertively, controlling possession and attacking wide flanks, to take the game to them,” De Sousa said. “We wanted to control possession, hit them wide, and activate our press. We had chances, but we didn’t put them away early. At halftime, we adjusted our formation to add midfielders, and that seemed to work.”

“The first goal off the set piece was key because we spend a lot of time in training working on them,” De Sousa added. “They (set pieces) have been a weapon for us all year. After the first goal, we settled into our own skin and played our game.”

Somerset Canyons was the second-ranked team in 3A. They had won four straight since dropping the district title to last year’s state champion, American Heritage-Delray, 2-1. They avenged that setback in the regional final, winning 3-2 (6-5 PKs).

The Somerset Canyons boys joined the Somerset girls soccer team, who won last year’s state title, along with the girls basketball and girls flag football teams, as the only teams in school history to reach the state.