NORTH FLORIDA MATMEN
Northeast Rankings (Regular Season Final)
(Editor’s Note: We are not including dual records at the present time, as I do not have them for all teams; actually almost no teams other than a very small handful. If coaches choose to send them to me, I will include them, and update them as needed when my own record-keeping process comes around to completion). Individual rankings MAY update this page over the next day or two. We hope.
1. Fleming Island
Why: Golden Eagles are the strongest team in Florida that resides north of Orlando. Beaten just once in duals, at the 3A state finals, Fleming has consistently shone all season.
Next: Fleming Island will be the heavy 3A-District 1 favorite on Friday afternoon at Oakleaf, where it will be looking to win their third consecutive district title. Even unlikely slips from a couple of kids should not derail that.
2. Clay
Why: In the north, only Fleming Island has proven itself stronger, as the Blue Devils have taken down both Northwest #1 Wakulla and third-ranked Flagler in duals this year.
Next: Hard to believe, but a possible 19th consecutive district title is on the line for Clay on Saturday at Westside. No other northern team before or upcoming has ever had a string of titles running that long.
3. Flagler Palm Coast
Why: Despite heartbreaking injury at a weight or two, Bulldogs have endured and powered through issues that would have been season-ending for other programs.
Next: Bulldogs will be chasing Fleming Island for the top spot in 3A-District 1; Flagler was the last prior champion prior to Fleming, with a 66-point win in 2015. FPC has enough firepower for a state top-15 finish in two weeks.
4. Bishop Kenny
Why: There’s a gap between the top three and the rest of the field, but Crusader dual wins and tournament efforts have pushed BKHS into “best of the rest” status this year.
Next: Crusaders are on track to enter Saturday’s 1A-District 4 tournament at Bolles as the favorites to win their fifth consecutive district title. Clear #2, after Clay, among 1A teams in the coverage area.
5. Creekside
Why: Knights have maintained — and maybe widened — their leadership of St Johns County; December duals loss at Bishop Kenny the only real stumble where they used full lineup.
Next: Creekside should be favored to win Thursday’s 2A-District 4 meet at Matanzas, but with four solid teams (T6 Matanzas, #10 Nease and HM Bartram Trail), nothing is going to be guaranteed for the Knights.
6. (tie) Columbia
Why: We’re grouping the next 3 because they’re all of a piece; Tigers, for their part, are strong in IBTs, but also field a fierce dual-meet team.
Next: Columbia is going to be stalking Lincoln hard for the 2A-District 2 title on Friday at Chiles; the Tigers were only one win away from knocking off the Trojans in the district dual tournament. Could be a great fight.
6. (tie) Oakleaf
Why: The Clay County Knights have had some great finishes themselves in the course of the season, strong enough to position themselves as the third-best 3A team.
Next: Fighting past Flagler, let alone Fleming, for a top-two spot in 3A-1 is probably too tall an order for the Knights, but the growth of the program in the past three seasons should pay off handsomely.
6. (tie) Matanzas
Why: The Pirates came out of the woodwork to nearly come all the way back from their stellar season in 2015-16, taking Creekside to the absolute limit in the 2A=Region 1 semis.
Next: Matanzas will host 2A-4 on Thursday, and it would not be impossible for the Pirates, which had the second highest Northeast-area finish after Clay, to pull an upset and win the tournament, with an exceptional across-the-board effort.
9. Buchholz
Why: Bobcats continue to dominate Alachua County. Last year, districts was only major stumble, and this year they’ve clocked in with steady performances and fresh faces.
Next: Like Oakleaf, Buchholz isn’t expecting to win districts Friday, but should move a battle-hardened cadre out to regions next week, where a top-10 finish would not be surprising at all.
10. Nease
Why: St Johns Panthers have been battered by injuries at every turn this season, losing perhaps their best kid along the way, but kept on coming despite the odds.
Next: Nease had hoped for better than a 10 spot from this season, but there are a lot of Panthers that will be figures to watch, not only at districts on Thursday, but at regions the following week and states after that.
Honorable mention: Bartram Trail; Ridgeview; Orange Park; Middleburg; Fletcher.
Northeast INDIVIDUAL rankings (regular season final*)
106: 1. Louis Gagliardo (Fleming Island). 2. Matthew Rodriquez (Ridgeview). 3. Xander Kirkland (Suwannee). 4. Justin Byler (Clay). 5. Shaun Culbreth (Matanzas). 6. Trent Burke (Flagler Palm Coast). 7. Tristan Martinez (Yulee). 8. Trevion Demus (Nease). 9. Kai Pelleriti (Creekside). 10. Bruce Harting (Ed White).
113: 1. Briar Jackson (Fleming Island). 2. John Johnson (Flagler Palm Coast). 3. Daniel Porter (Clay). 4. Kyle Hopkins (Episcopal). 5. Luke Davis (Creekside). 6. Tazz Hampton (Middleburg). 7. Gavin Riccobono (Ponte Vedra). 8. Gunner Stier (Mandarin). 9. Abdiert Escobar (Oakleaf). 10. Brenden Teaman (Nease).
120: 1. Stevie Chopek (Clay). 2. Ryan Rosano (Oakleaf). 3. Albie Snedaker (Fleming Island). 4. Nicholas Vugman (Bartram Trail). 5. Jack Delaney (Bishop Kenny). 6. Christian Sheppard (Flagler Palm Coast). 7. Cameron Broughton (Orange Park). 8. Josh Bower (Matanzas). 9. Ian McGuigan (Columbia). 10. (tie) James Benton (Middleburg), James Knox (Fletcher), & Bryce Bees (Yulee). SPECIAL MENTION: Sean Arnold (Nease).
126: 1. Chace Curtis (Columbia). 2. Jacob Sandoval (Fleming Island). 3. Luke Hopkins (Mandarin). 4. Cale Hoskinson (Clay). 5. Chase Clark (Suwannee). 6. Stone White (Matanzas). 7. Andrew Dance (Flagler Palm Coast). 8. Brandean Bacolor (Oakleaf). 9. Austin Benton (Middleburg). 10. Justin Keck (Creekside). SPECIAL MENTION: Michael DeAugustino (Flagler Palm Coast).
132: 1. Jaquan English (Fleming Island). 2. Lawrence Russo (Matanzas). 3. Gannon Janssen (Nease). 4. Daniel Mann (Columbia). 5. David Parkes (Oakleaf). 6. Christopher Burch (Middleburg). 7. Jordan Johnson (Baker County). 8. Gabe Peddichord (Clay). 9. DeAngelo Fletcher (Buchholz). 10. Jake Summers (Creekside).
138: 1. Avery Holder (Flagler Palm Coast). 2. Peyton Hughes (Clay). 3. Dalton Williams (Fleming Island). 4. Ethan Gustilo (Oakleaf). 5. Jacob Satterfield (Nease). 6. Saeid Ejmali (Ridgeview). 7. Matt Ross (Columbia). 8. Storm Mercado (Middleburg). 9. Connor Spossey (Pedro Menendez). 10. (tie) Ian Eckert (Matanzas) & Douglas Tappin (Fletcher).
145: 1. Tyrone Jones (Matanzas). 2. Michael Martins (Flagler Palm Coast). 3. Andrew Slade (Bishop Kenny). 4. Vince Hauser (Fleming Island). 5. William Tharpe (West Nassau). 6. Grant Stanish (Clay). 7. Luis Parrales (Bartram Trail). 8. Julian Borrell (Suwannee). 9. Trenton Carroll (Oakleaf). 10. Jake Kamins (Mandarin).
152: 1. Dylan Taylor (Clay). 2. Tanner Hill (Nease). 3. Bryce Williams (Middleburg). 4. Terrell Williams (Suwannee). 5. KJ Fagan (Bolles). 6. Requan Works (West Nassau). 7. Luke Chop (Fleming Island). 8. Joey Cusick (Bishop Kenny). 9. Angelo Philpot (Westside). 10. Tracen Ransdell (Buchholz).
160: 1. Connor Green (Clay). 2. Trace Insalaco (Fleming Island). 3. Alonzo Davis (Raines). 4. Billy Shaw (Creekside). 5. Curtis Brock (Flagler Palm Coast). 6. Jordan Mobley (Buchholz). 7. Logan Montemurro (Bradford). 8. John Jones (Westside). 9. Mitchell Mika (Stanton). 10. Jacob Campbell (Orange Park).
170: 1. Paul Detwiler (Fleming Island). 2. Armando Acosta (Buchholz). 3. Tracey Beshara (St Augustine). 4. Landon Dains (Terry Parker). 5. Dillon Morency (Sandalwood). 6. Carson Yost (Clay). 7. Jacob Bennett (Bartram Trail). 8. Devante Wyatt (First Coast). 9. Jesse Burch (Bradford). 10. Isaiah Graham (Oakleaf).
182: 1. Brandon Dickman (Creekside). 2. Zion James (Columbia). 3. Wilbur Thomas (Flagler Palm Coast). 4. Abbott Taylor (Clay). 5. Anthony Breeden (Fleming Island). 6. Lawrence Smith-Jackson (Buchholz). 7. Calvin Altman (Westside). 8. Nick Beenen (Bishop Kenny). 9. Valois Ochoa (First Coast). 10. (tie) Leonardo Alonzo (Sandalwood) & James Barnett (Baker County).
195: 1. Kurt Jackson (Clay). 2. Reed Danielson (Orange Park). 3. Jalyn Robinson (Fleming Island). 4. Corey Ryan (Gainesville). 5. Bryan Smith (Palatka). 6. Dexter Moore (Oakleaf). 7. Trey Chesser (Creekside). 8. Brooks Harp (Bartram Trail). 9. Jevonte Hagan (Raines). 10. Jamari Broussard (Atlantic Coast).
220: 1. Ryan Smenda (Fleming Island). 2. Tyler Irigoyen (Flagler Palm Coast). 3. Kolton McDaniel (Bartram Trail). 4. Mason Yost (Bolles). 5. Od’juan Whitfield (Oakleaf). 6. Nick Thoresen (Nease). 7. Blake Dicks (Baker County). 8. John Alexander (Bishop Kenny). 9. Joe Grelli (Clay). 10. (tie) Alex Anzivino (Gainesville) & Leo White (Robert E. Lee).
285: 1. Josiah McCallum (Bishop Kenny). 2. Jose Concepcion (Fleming Island). 3. McKenzie Lewis (Yulee). 4. Demonte Richmond (Oakleaf). 5. Stanley Hollenbach (Fletcher). 6. Saul Storey (Creekside). 7. Ryan Rivers (Clay). 8. Aaron Menden (Buchholz). 9. Ira Dixon (Palatka). 10. Justin Thompson (Bartram Trail).
- — We MAY, as needed, update these rankings based SOLELY upon regular-season results that have been reported and as we continue our record-keeping effort.
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