Next stop Big 12 for Bears’ star RB Biddle
Maybe the December early signing period has dulled some of the former buzz of football’s traditional National Signing Day.
But not this year at Bartram Trail. The St. Johns school added not one but two power-conference commitments ahead of Wednesday’s signing day, a milestone with life-changing decisions for thousands of athletes around the country.
Florida rushing champion
committed to Utah on Monday night and kicker joined the First Coast’s list of SEC football commits after selecting Texas A&M on Friday.
Biddle, the Times-Union’s All-First Coast offensive player of the year, rushed for 2,298 yards and 26 touchdowns to earn Northeast Florida’s first state rushing championship since Yulee’s in 2012. He closed his Bartram Trail career with 4,122 yards in three seasons.
Despite his feats against a schedule ranked as the second-toughest in Florida, Biddle largely escaped the notice of national recruiters until adding the Utah offer after the season’s end. He becomes the Utes’ second running back from Northeast Florida in as many years, after Middleburg’s in the 2023 class.
Padron, the Bears’ starting kicker and punter for the past three seasons, converted 37 career field goals with the Bears and averaged 39.6 yards per punt as a senior.
He becomes the most recent Bartram Trail kicker in Football Bowl Subdivision history, including specialists like
(Memphis) and (California).
The Bartram Trail duo added to a long list of area football commitments in the week leading up to National Signing Day.
Also on that list: Beachside DB (Methodist), Bradford QB
(Hutchinson Community Brunswick DL (Kennesaw State), Fletcher
(Davenport) and RB (Minot State), Mandarin LB (Oklahoma Baptist), (Edward Waters)
(St.
Biddle
TE
Derrick Henry David Kemp Lawton Shanks
College),
Rosier
Neal
Simmons
Amarion Rojas
Mason Turpen Colin Maxwell
Creek WR Wolfson DB
Laython
Liam Padron
Mike Mitchell
Cole Leininger Tyler Dae’Jon
Donyea Broughton
Kellen Brady
Dre Harold
Jackson Copeland
Joshua Edwards
Aquaryus Glover Jaydan Jenkins
Jarren
NT and athlete Thomas), Middleburg QB (Butte College), athlete and LB (both William Penn) and DB (Mount Union), Oakleaf OL (FIU), St. Augustine WR (West Florida), Suwannee DT (St. Thomas), Tocoi (Thiel) and (Presbyterian).
Austin Cruce
Trenton Robinson Akeem Myles
Busy night for Episcopal’s Bolt
Ava Witt.
Jay Bolt
Usain Bolt.
For one night, wished he had the speed of
Two district championship soccer games. Two different stadiums. One evening.
Thursday took double duty to a new level for the Episcopal soccer coach, on a night when the Eagles’ girls and boys teams played at two separate locations in District 3-3A championships.
First, he coached the Episcopal girls on home turf at Jangro Stadium against Wolfson, a come-from-behind 2-1 overtime victory on goals by and
Then, once the final whistle blew, it was time for the next assignment eight miles to the south at Skinner-Barco Stadium for the boys district final against Bolles. Episcopal ended up on the losing end of that game, 2-0 against Bolles on goals by and
Coaching both teams in one night isn’t a first for Bolt this year, but for most of the season, the Eagles have been able to schedule the boys and girls for the same location.
The former University of North Florida fullback, who helped the Ospreys to the ASUN title and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015, previously played professionally with the United Soccer League’s Charleston Battery.
Ayden Ashchi Fernandina’s Wright leaves for college job
must have
Charlotte Ritter
Alex Diaz.
Add Fernandina Beach to the list of Northeast Florida football coaching changes for 2024.
Pirates head coach stepped down to return to college
Apollo Wright
coaching as offensive coordinator at Morgan State University in the MidEastern Athletic Conference, the school announced.
Wright had coached Fernandina Beach for two years, finishing with a 7-13 record. The Pirates ended 2023 at 3-7, missing out on the Class 2S regional playoffs in the FHSAA’s now-discarded Metro-Suburban system.
Before arriving in Nassau County, he had previously coached in the Football Bowl Subdivision for more than a dozen years, spending six years on the staff at Florida International and seven years with New Mexico.
Wright’s departure adds to the changes in store for Fernandina Beach. Last week, the Sunshine State Athletic Association announced the Pirates’ move to the SSAA for football along with West Nassau for the 2024 school year. The Nassau County schools are the first non-magnet public schools in Northeast Florida to withdraw from FHSAA district play.
1,000-point club adds trio
Add three more members to Northeast Florida’s 1,000-point club.
Bishop Kenny forward reached the milestone in Tuesday’s 79-9 girls basketball victory against Parker, the second Crusader to hit 1,000 points in less than a month after guard Riley Talbert achieved the feat in January.
Coyle, committed to Furman, is closing in on 1,000 career rebounds as well, entering the district tournament with 917.
Bishop Snyder’s also topped 1,000 points on Monday night in the Cardinals’ victory against Baldwin.
Clare Coyle
Asya Jones
The senior guard averages 17 points per game for the Class 3A school.
In boys basketball, Impact Christian senior also achieved 1,000 points for his career. The FHSAA ranks the Lions seventh in Class 2A.
Lee
Taylor Thompson
Century mark for Temple Christian
Who says basketball teams can’t score 100 points anymore? Temple Christian is making it a habit.
The Soldiers hit the century mark not once but twice last week in boys hoops, beginning with Tuesday’s 105-53 win against Berean Christian in a careerbest 52-point night for 6-6 senior guard
Troy Jenkins.
Three days later, it was more of the same against Meadowbrook Academy in Ocala. This time, senior forward
broke out for 36 points, Jenkins added 26 and
tallied 17 in a 104-81 win. In between was an 87-57 win against Ocala Redeemer Christian, with 38 points for Jenkins and 26 for Carpenter. The two finished with 116 and 79 points for the week, respectively.
The Class 2A school entered this week’s District 2-2A tournament with an average of 74.7 points per game.
Cameron Carpenter Wrestling districts open Wednesday
Around the area
Sophia Pontieri
Lily Paisant
JaNease Bender
Addy Paul
Anakin Brown
Demitrius
The FHSAA starts postseason for individual wrestling on Wednesday, with girls district competitions in District 2 at Westside and District 3 at Matanzas.
District 2 girls wrestling includes schools in Duval, Baker, Columbia, Nassau and portions of Clay County (Oakleaf and Orange Park). Among other Clay County schools, Clay, Fleming Island, Keystone Heights, Middleburg and Ridgeview wrestle in District 3, against schools from Alachua, Flagler and St. Johns counties.
Boys wrestling districts begin one week later. Kissimmee’s Silver Spurs Arena is this year’s wrestling venue for both boys and girls state finals.
Seth Chestnut
Baker County linebacker
committed to Florida Atlantic football for the 2025 class. … Fleming Island forward committed to North Florida women’s soccer. … Creekside fullback committed to Florida Atlantic women’s soccer. … Oakleaf guard committed to Oglethorpe women’s basketball. … Ponte Vedra’s committed to Lynn women’s lacrosse. … Old Plank Christian’s set a school girls basketball record, scoring 40 points Tuesday in a 71-14 win against Starke Hope Christian. … Beachside’s
scored 40 points for Barracudas boys basketball in Wednesday’s 99-63 win against Trinity Christian.