FHSAA issues basketball, soccer rankings for Jacksonville playoff race

Is Jacksonville's first high school basketball final four for 50 years going to be a hometown celebration time for Providence?

Or maybe Impact Christian, Jackson, Bishop Kenny or Bolles?

The drive to 1 UNF Drive — it's the address for UNF Arena, host of the Florida High School Athletic Association's boys and girls basketball final four in the tournament's Jacksonville return — is fewer than two months from its destination. And the battle for points in the FHSAA's complex and officially undisclosed rating formula, and the ensuing home court advantage, is advancing day by day.

Three-time boys champion Providence is the latest to strengthen its position, holding firm atop Region 1-2A with a 72-57 victory on Jan. 6 against 2024-25 state qualifier University Christian behind 19 points apiece from guards Marvin Christie and Ryan Gornto.

But Providence's top seed isn't safe yet. UC, San Jose Prep and Orlando First Academy are all pursuing the Stallions, who are seeking the chance to play for a state championship only a 15-minute drive down Beach Boulevard from their home gym. More notes from the FHSAA's rankings:

• Impact Christian's boys team, for now, holds the top position of any Jacksonville team, with the No. 9 ranking among all squads statewide and the No. 1 ranking for FHSAA Class 1A. The Lions hold an edge of more than 20 points for the Region 1-1A top seed in the FHSAA's formula.
• Jackson boys hoops ranks No. 10 in Florida but is currently playing catch-up in its own Region 1-3. Newberry (10-1) is on top for now even after a loss to Stranahan, and the schools might be on a collision course in postseason.
• A 16-0 record means a top seed, right? Not necessarily for Tallahassee Lincoln (16-0), which is currently behind Fleming Island in Region 1-5A because of the Golden Eagles' far superior schedule.
• A surprise team climbing in the boys rankings is Sandalwood, which last finished above .500 in 2021-22. The Saints (8-4) now stand third in a tightly-bunched Region 1-7A.
• As for surprise teams in the girls rankings? Their strength of schedule ranks in the negative figures, but St. Joseph remains perfect. With Lola Scardelli (18.1) and Isabelle Williams (15.7) leading the scoring department, a senior-less Flashes team with an eight-player roster stands fourth in Region 1-2A behind San Jose Prep, Providence and Orlando First Academy.
• Bolles stands highest in the FHSAA formula among area girls teams at No. 11 overall, followed by Bishop Kenny (No. 17) and Tocoi Creek (No. 19). All three programs hold sizable edges in their respective regions. Since Bishop Kenny's boys have a 5.784-point advantage on Tallahassee Godby, the Crusaders are likely to snap up the home court edge for both boys and girls regionals.
• Boys teams currently in playoff position: Sandalwood, Atlantic Coast, Creekside (all 7A); Nease, Tocoi Creek (both 6A); Fleming Island, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine, Columbia (all 5A); Bishop Kenny, Baker County, Ribault (all 4A); Jackson, Episcopal, Bradford (all 3A); Providence, University Christian, San Jose Prep (all 2A); Impact Christian, Christ's Church, Eagle's View, First Coast Christian, NFEI, Temple Christian (all 1A); Hilliard, Union County (both Rural).
• Girls teams currently in playoff position: Creekside (7A); Nease, Tocoi Creek (both 6A); Ponte Vedra, Orange Park, Fleming Island (all 5A); Bishop Kenny, Ribault, Menendez (all 4A); Bolles, Episcopal, Jackson (all 3A); San Jose Prep, Providence, St. Joseph, Bishop Snyder (all 2A); NFEI, St. Johns Country Day, Eagle's View, Impact Christian, Harvest Community, Florida Deaf (all 1A); Fort White, Hilliard (both Rural).

Sharks top area soccer lists

Unbeaten Ponte Vedra continues to top the FHSAA's statewide girls soccer rankings. The Sharks preserved their streak on Jan. 6 with a 5-2 victory over Fleming Island.

As usual, the FHSAA list is packed with Jacksonville-area teams: Bartram Trail at No. 8, Creekside at No. 10, Bishop Kenny at No. 14 and Beachside at No. 16.

On the boys side, Ponte Vedra placed fifth overall and first among locals in the new FHSAA ranking. Mandarin, which must adjust following center forward Emir Trto's early enrollment at UNF, ranks seventh statewide but first for Class 7A.

Nease's Stephens selects Florida Atlantic

Count Nease's Vernon Stephens as Northeast Florida's latest college football commitment, nearly a month after the NCAA early signing period.

The senior wide receiver committed on Jan. 1 to Florida Atlantic. He had been committed to Army earlier in the recruiting process.

The 6-2, 205-pound Stephens caught 26 passes for 450 yards and three touchdowns as a Panthers senior, part of a strong receiving corps that also included Brayden Felder and Chase Phifer.

Hilliard girls erase giant gap

Fun fact: Elberton, Georgia, home of Elbert County High School, is billed as the granite capital of the world.

Drilling through that granite might have seemed like a more feasible task than the one that confronted Hilliard girls basketball, down 16 to Elbert County with three minutes left in the third quarter during the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational.

Yet come back they did, turning a 39-23 deficit into a 50-49 victory to ring out 2025 in style with a rally to remember. Eighth-graders Justice Alderman, Katherine Dillard and Reah Saunders came through with clutch shots down the stretch, including Alderman's go-ahead 3-pointer in the final moments, to secure an improbable victory for the 2024-25 Rural semifinalists.

Seven consecutive free throws from Kailyn Ballance, Saunders and Alyssa Hallman sparked a 7-0 run, but Hilliard still trailed 45-34 at the 5-minute mark. Then came another 7-0 run with Alderman, Hallman and Dillard on target, and after an Elbert County free throw, Hallman scored five consecutive points to tie the score.

Hilliard's rally in the Redington Shores Beach bracket was one of several success stories for locals at the tournament in Tampa:

• Ponte Vedra went 2-1 in the Caladesi Island bracket, with sophomore guard Jocelyn Hoffmann extending her double-digit scoring streak to 11 games.
• Kennedy Jeffress continued her excellent freshman season with 44 points, 11 rebounds and 12 steals as Middleburg went 2-1 in the Belleair Beach bracket.
• Princess Watkins scored in double figures in every game for Menendez, which went 2-1 in the Longboat Key bracket. Juniors Watkins and Lucia Warner (7.9 points, 8.6 rebounds) are quickly emerging as offensive options for the Falcons to complement high-scoring senior Sophia Scibelli.

Gateway soccer finals set for Southside

There's a new site for Gateway Conference boys and girls soccer finals, part of a trio of Gateway events to ring in 2026 beginning on Monday, Jan. 12.

Duval County Public Schools announced that Fort Family Regional Park off Gate Parkway will be the site for the Gateway soccer title games. The park has previously held the Gateway baseball finals within the Bragan Baseball Complex.

Mandarin owns a five-year streak in the boys soccer tournament, while reigning champion Fletcher and Stanton have combined for the last 14 girls trophies in the annual competition for Duval County public high schools. However, both champions could face challenges this year from the likes of Atlantic Coast, Sandalwood and Wolfson, while Mandarin enters as a strong girls contender as well.

Ribault holds the top seed and potentially the championship home court advantage for Gateway girls hoops between Jan. 12-16, entering as defending champion after overcoming Jackson 72-60 in the 2024-25 competition. That was the Trojans' first championship in the event since 2016-17, when they also lifted the FHSAA trophy. Jackson enters with the second seed, followed by Paxon and Fletcher.

Still to come later in January are tournaments in girls weightlifting, boys basketball and wrestling.

Moves mount in football coaching

Jamie Rodgers' departure from Bradford after four successful seasons is just the latest of many moves in the First Coast's ever-spinning coaching carousel:

• Menendez hired Will Stansell as its next head coach, replacing Anthony Rivers after three seasons. Stansell worked as a Falcons assistant during a previous coaching tenure.

Stansell's last football head coaching job came at San Antonio Cornerstone in 2023, where he also served as head of football operations in a 5-6 season. In an unusual twist, his last game in charge of Cornerstone came against a Jacksonville opponent, Impact Christian.

• Camden County's coaching vacancy didn't stay filled for long. Jon Lindsey stepped down at the Southeast Georgia school after fewer than two months and no games played, citing what the school called "personal, unforeseen reasons."

Lindsey, a former defensive coordinator at the school, was taking over for Travis Roland, who was let go after two years. The Wildcats, Georgia High School Association champions in 2003, 2008 and 2009, will be seeking their fifth head coach since late 2020.

• On the college coaching front, new Florida coach Jon Sumrall named Byron (Bam) Hardmon as the Gators' outside linebackers coach. A 1990s standout at White, Hardmon played for the Gators under Steve Spurrier and earned All-SEC honors there in 2002.

Around the area

West Nassau pitcher Fisher Bennett committed to Erskine baseball. … West Nassau infielder Teagan Harter committed to UNC Wilmington softball. … Beachside defender Caroline Sureda committed to West Liberty women's soccer. … Sandalwood's Kirsten Gudmalin is among 32 nationwide flag football players selected for the NFL High School Girls Showcase at the Pro Bowl. … Providence guards Marvin Christie and Ryan Gornto made the second team with guard Luke Mayberry on the third team at the Florida Get Down Gainesville tournament. … Tocoi Creek's Audrey Beyer won all-tournament honors at the Cherokee Invitational. ... Orange Park forward Trinity Dinkins surpassed 500 career points for Raiders girls basketball. … College football's transfer portal produced numerous address changes for locals: former White safety Christian Ellis (Virginia Tech to Virginia), former St. Augustine quarterback Locklan Hewlett (USF to Auburn), former Jackson linebacker Grayson Howard (Florida to USF), former Riverside defensive back Kahmel Johnson (Wayne State to UCF), former White defensive back Joshua Patterson (Iowa State to Wake Forest) and former Bradford defensive back Jontez Williams (Iowa State to Southern Cal). … Also entering the transfer portal are former Oakleaf guard Quory Ambrose (Presbyterian), former Tocoi Creek tight end Zander Erasmus (Presbyterian) and Trinity Christian running back Treyaun Webb (Florida). ... Former Baldwin safety Larry Worth, now at Arkansas, accepted an invitation to the Hula Bowl. … Baker County finished first and Yulee second at the District 3-1A wrestling duals held Jan. 6 at Fernandina Beach. ... West Nassau's athletic department reported the theft of a trailer with baseball equipment from the Warriors' field at around 10:15 p.m. Jan. 2. The athletic department reported a small, dark-colored sport-utility vehicle left with the trailer, proceeding down Fifth Avenue in Callahan. The school urged anyone with information to contact the Nassau County Sheriff's Office. … Spring sports are knocking on the door: FHSAA practice begins Monday, Jan. 12 for baseball and tennis.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: FHSAA high school basketball rating updates for Northeast Florida