First Coast Varsity Weekly: Caleb Williams, Ribault win Battle on the Island

They're kings of the island.

Ten months after knocking off top-seeded Orange Park in the opening round of the Florida High School Athletic Association boys basketball playoffs, Ribault again emerged triumphant in Clay County with victory in the Battle on the Island tournament at Fleming Island.

Led by tournament most valuable player Caleb Williams, the Trojans overcame Naples Golden Gate, Bolles and finally Orange Park to win the Green bracket of the 16-team competition.

Junior guard Williams averaged 14.3 points for the tournament and scored 18 in the final, enough to squeak out a 43-41 win over Orange Park. That kept the Trojans' winning streak rolling along at nine games entering the next tournament on the schedule, the annual Northwest Christmas event with Jackson, Raines and First Coast.

On the other portion of the bracket, Orlando Christian Prep downed Columbia in the championship game.

Ribault's success was just one of the stories from a busy week in tournament competition:

• Still perfect in 2022-23, Providence's boys team took the top prize from the Sunshine Series at the City of Palms tournament in Fort Myers. The Stallions routed The Villages 65-23 and beat IMG Academy Blue 59-53, adding to their momentum ahead of next week's Kingdom of the Sun event.

• The Providence girls also went 2-0 on their travels, beating Oviedo 40-21 and Master's Academy 42-41 at the Father Lopez Holiday Shootout. Seniors Abby Kanady and Ella Ortman earned selections to the all-tournament squad.

• Impact Christian went 2-1 at the Kreul Classic for boys basketball in Coral Springs, with a pair of high-scoringgames for junior Taylor Thompson.

• Episcopal's boys team finished second in the Windermere Prep Holiday Classic and the Episcopal girls placed third in the girls tournament. The Eagles' Kent Jackson and Beza Miller won places on the all-tournament boys team, as did guard Kendall Shorstein for the girls team.

• At the Mainland Pre-Holiday Shootout in Daytona Beach, St. Joseph overcame an injury to center Larry Mitchell to finish third, with a loss to Viera followed by wins over Pine Ridge and Melbourne. Mason Sword scored 23 points and Josh Xiang sank two last-minute free throws to help down Melbourne 55-54.

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Mandarin scores top Gateway seeds

The high school sports season may feel quiet now, but Gateway Conference tournament action is arriving fast — and going by the preliminary seeds, it could add up to a week to remember in orange and green.

Mandarin holds both top seeds for the Jan. 5 kickoff of the boys and girls soccer tournaments, which are spread over an eight-day span before ending on Jan. 13 with the championship games at Losco Regional Park.

A state semifinalist last year and winner of the last two Gateway titles, the Mandarin boys team enters as the No. 1 seed and would play its first game Jan. 10 against the winner of the Fletcher-Baldwin opening-round game. Atlantic Coast, Englewood and Stanton are the other three teams with first-round byes.

The Mandarin girls are also seeded No. 1 this year in Gateway action, carrying a five-game winning streak into 2023 behind the attacking punch of senior Adrienne Trerotola (five goals, seven assists) and sophomore Taliah Brooks (seven goals, four assists). They're seeking their first Gateway championship since 2007.

Also receiving opening-round byes in the girls event are Stanton, Atlantic Coast and defending FHSAA Class 6A champion Fletcher, which has won back-to-back Gateway titles.

Despite their top seed, a Gateway soccer sweep for Mandarin, or for anybody else, would be a rarity. During the last 20 years, the only teams to win both the boys and girls soccer tournaments in the same season are Mandarin in 2005 and 2006, Fletcher in 2010 and Stanton in 2015.

Warthen sets Warrior scoring mark

During his four years in Callahan, Deebo Coleman rewrote the West Nassau basketball record books on his way to the school's first-ever Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball award and a scholarship to Georgia Tech.

Safe to say that anybody who breaks one of his school records is doing something right.

That's what Malcolm Warthen achieved for the Warriors on Tuesday night, scorching the scoreboard for a team-record 52 points. West Nassau needed every one of his baskets to hold off Ridgeview, 80-77.

Warthen tallied his points on 18 of 32 shooting with one 3-pointer, plus 15 of 23 from the free throw line. The junior guard's scoring has taken off at a meteoric rate: He averaged 4.3 points in 2021-22, but he's already scored 35 and 33 points this year in addition to his 52-point eruption.

For West Nassau (4-5), two years removed from the state final four, Warthen isn't carrying the load alone. Also scoring at a steady clip is senior guard Leondrel Whitley, who's going for 18.2 points per game.

Smith, Cromwell win FACA MVPs

For his final high school game, Baker County's Cam Smith showed the whole state what he can do in the open field.

Smith's kickoff return touchdown turned around the Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Classic in the fourth quarter, sparking the North team to a 24-23 victory over the South on Wednesday afternoon at The Villages and earning offensive player of the game honors.

The South team had just taken a 23-14 lead with 3:46 to go when Smith took the kickoff back all the way to restore hope for the North. A field goal by Pace's Reice Griffith with five seconds left decided the 67th annual contest.

Breakaway plays are nothing new for Smith, who has exceeded 2,000 all-purpose yards in each of his last two years and gained more than 500 return yards in his career in Macclenny.

In addition to Smith's feats, the First Coast made it a sweep of the top player honors when Bartram Trail linebacker Zeke Cromwell earned the defensive MVP award. Cromwell recorded 75 tackles and an interception this season as a captain of the 13-1 Bears.

Baldwin's Shields captures Jaguars honor

Robert Shields helped Baldwin football make history.

In a month in a half, he's winning a chance to watch football's biggest event from a stadium large enough to hold Baldwin's population — 1,396 as of the 2020 census — more than 50 times over.

The Baldwin football coach received the Jaguars Prep coach of the year award, and with it, a trip to February's Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Shields led Baldwin to the District 5-2S championship with a 9-3 record, including the school's first victory over rival Baker County since 1968 and the second FHSAA playoff win in program history.

Shields' award came as Jaguars Prep released its All-Prep Top 25 team Wednesday afternoon at the Upper East Club of TIAA Bank Field, recognizing a selection of football players from around the First Coast. Leading the pack was Jaguars player of the year Orel Gray, who racked up 3,156 all-purpose yards in University Christian's run to the Class 1M semifinals.

Also on the Jaguars' list were Baker County DL Orlando Holland and RB Cam Smith, Baldwin DB Cortez Martinez, Bartram Trail RB Laython Biddle and DB Sharif Denson, Bishop Kenny QB James Resar, Bolles OL Brendan Black, Columbia LB Jaden Robinson, Creekside RB Nicky Williams, Episcopal WR Corey Scott, Fleming Island LB Abram Wright, Fletcher DL Matteo Davis, Jackson LB Grayson Howard, Mandarin WR Jaime Ffrench, Middleburg RB T.J. Lane, Oakleaf ATH Drew Ammon, Orange Park OL Roderick Kearney, Palatka DB Chavaris Dumas, Raines DB Kenton Kirkland, St. Augustine QB Locklan Hewlett, Trinity Christian RB Treyaun Webb, Westside DL Jordan Hall, White DB Davaughn Patterson and Yulee LB Rylan Hale.

Stanton's Lewis chooses Orange

One week after the NCAA early signing period, football's recruiting eyes are glued to the class of 2023.

But Malakhi Lewis is already making moves in the class of 2025.

The Stanton sophomore running back made the area's first football commitment of the class two years away, announcing his commitment on Christmas Day to Syracuse.

Lewis stood out on a 1-8 Stanton roster, rushing 140 times for 750 yards and four touchdowns. He also recorded a pair of sacks on defense.

For the Blue Devils' football program, an NCAA Division I football signee would be a moment to remember.While records aren't complete, it appears that the most recent Stanton player on record to play for a D-I program was running back Lance Byrd at Presbyterian from 2009-12. Among colleges in major conferences, lineman Isaac Ballou signed with Wisconsin and safety Darren Sapp joined Tulane in Stanton's 2001 recruiting class.

Around the area

West Nassau pitcher Peyton Bass signed with Santa Fe college softball. … Bolles senior midfielder John Allen Ginder committed to Wooster men's lacrosse and junior attacker Daylin John-Hill committed to Jacksonville University men's lacrosse. … St. Joseph's Kelly Cramer scored her 1,000th career point for Flashes girls basketball in Wednesday's 52-35 loss to Oviedo. … Former Bartram Trail defensive back Tre'Vez Johnson announced his plans to transfer from Florida football. … Former Fleming Island running back DeWayne McBride, an all-conference selection at UAB football, announced plans to enter the NFL Draft. … Former Mandarin wide receiver DeMario Douglas also announced he is entering the NFL Draft. … Former Columbia wide receiver Mike Williams is joining the staff of new Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule as a graduate assistant. ... Last week's Holiday Cup soccer tournament gathered donations including 100 blankets, 75 books, 150 pillows, sheets and towels and more than $1,000 in gift cards and cash to benefit Soaring High and the Betty Griffin Center.

Clayton Freeman covers high school sports and more for the Florida Times-Union. Follow him on Twitter at @CFreemanJAX.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: First Coast Varsity Weekly: Caleb Williams, Ribault win Battle on the Island