Kevin Reyes
FLEMING ISLAND - Fleming Island High boys weightlifting coach Damenyum Springs had his notes figured out on paper for the state championships in Lakeland and only figured his team as a possible tie finish at best based on his squad’s numbers versus the regional postings around Florida.
“There is a lot of nervousness for some guys when they hit the big lights at the state meet,” said Springs. “Some guys rise up to the moment, others don’t. One guy who we had no idea would do what he did was Kevin Reyes. On paper, I had Kevin in the top 10.”
Reyes, a sophmore and primarily a burly offensive lineman for Springs on the football team that was using weightlifting as preparation for football, ventured into the highly-competitive world of weightlifting with a bit of persuasion to add team points to the Fleming Island team.
“Coach Springs was very good at just kind of encouraging me each day and boosting my confidence that I was strong enough because I was a little apprehensive about throwing that much weight over my head,” said Reyes, after his state title in the Unlimited Olympic Snatch lift for the Golden Eagles.
Springs was pleasantly surprised by Reyes’ explosive win. Reyes bested his region total of 295 to 315 to secure his title and push the Fleming Island team to the team title.
“I had us on paper at least tying Choctowhatchee and in the top three with Leesburg in the Traditional,” said Springs. “Kevin went big and won the state title. It was amazing. As a coach, you never know when a kid will hit the switch.”
For his amazing finish and his contribution to a second state title for Springs, Reyes is the Clay Today male performer of the year.
Among the top 10 selections by the Clay Today sports staff are:

Graham Myers

 Fleming Island High junior cross country and track runner Graham Myers who bettered his third place cross country finish in Class 3A that was behind the defending state champion to repeat as a track state runnerup in the 3200 again against the best guy in the state. Myers, who unfortunately, had Leon High’s Patrick Koon, the Gatorade Florida Boys Cross Country Player of the Year as his main nemesis in region and state meet competitions, kept chase on Koon throughout the 2023 track season and, at the Class 3A 3200 final, Koon, also a junior, by the way, had to fight off a final lap surge to keep Myers at bay with the two finishing 1-2; Koon in 8:58.83 with Myers at 9:12.40, also his best. Myers was second in the 3200 in Class 1A as a sophomore at St. Johns Country Day School in 2022.

Lantz Lowery

Keystone Heights High boys weightlifting coach Lantz Lowery, with back-to-back state titles on his resume prior to the 2023 season, was contemplative on starting the 2023 with 11 graduates off the 2022 state champion team. Lowery, a master of matching his athletes to specific weight classes for maximum scoring potential, answered questions of a three-peat with a third state title. Lowery consistently says that his key is that his lifters have to just achieve all three of their lifts for the team to succeed.
With that mindset, Lowery knew his main target was defending Class 2A champion Suwannee High School, now in Class 1A, at the Class 1A championships. Lowery’s premonition got a split in his titles with a win over Suwannee in Traditional and a tie at second place with South Sumter in Olympics.

Jayce Paridon

 Fleming Island High junior wrestler Jayce Paridon inspired his 2023 season to overcome his state runnerup in 2022 that ended a previously unbeaten season. Paridon, unbeaten to the final match of 2022, moved up in weight class and, though with two losses, stormed the state championship meet and won his first state title. Paridon has been a consistent top three ranked state player finishing third (8th grade with University Christian), second (freshman with Fleming Island) and first (sophomore at FIHS) in his young wrestling career with a possible two more titles on his radar.

T.J. Lane

 Middleburg High senior running back T.J. Lane came to Middleburg with the mindset of adding to a newly formed coaching staff on a program that had seen better days. Lane played tough and quiet as the second back in the backfield until situations abruptly changed and thrust Lane into the marquis offensive weapon for coach Ryan Wolfe.
Lane, also a weightlifter for the Broncos, answered the call with nearly 2,000 yards rushing, 18 scores and a playoff berth for the Broncos. Lane waited for his turn then exploded with a series of games that included games of 226, 239, 351 and 321 yards for the Broncos after limited duty in his first four games.

Chase Carroll

Middleburg High senior golfer Chase Carroll had been chasing the elusive state title that big brother Cody had achieved in his tenure at Middleburg. In his senior season, Carroll stayed laser focused on the prize at hand and just about upended the golf world with an overtime second place finish in Class 2A in a golf-off with Ponte Vedra champion Brock Blais. Carroll’s history with the Bronco golf team includes four visits to the state championship tournament; one more than brother Cody as a consolation.

Cameron Coachman

Oakleaf High senior basketball center Cameron Coachman was the focal point of an Oakleaf team that torched the 2023 season, 24-2, behind an aggressively fast attacking defense led by Coachman’s shot-blocking prowess in the paint. Coachman, with an astounding 5.3 blocked shots per game average, was the shadow under the basket that forced enemy offensive schemes to alter their attacks.

Drew Ammon

Oakleaf High senior football quarteback Drew Ammon was the Magic Man for Knights’ football not for his amazing statistics (1680 yards passing, 18 TDs) but more for his inventiveness to get the ball downfield and into the end zone. For Ammon, he put the points on the board and had to endure the other team also putting points on the board, as Oakleaf finished with a 5-5 record against one of the strongest schedules in Florida.
Ammon was also a key player for the Oakleaf boys soccer team (12 goals, 10 assists, district title) and a district tennis player.

Evan Brown

Oakleaf High senior track sprinter Evan Brown battled against some of the fastest guys in Florida with a best of 10.55 for 100 meters and 21.65 at 200 meters. Brown, like Myers in distance running at Fleming Island, also had his own top target in Creekside junior state champion Christian Miller who was 100 and 200 4A champion. Brown chased Miller to finish second in districts; 10.36 to 10.55, fifth at regions 10.64 and then seventh in Class 4A at 10.68 with Miller winning at 10.31.

Jacob Bucci

Clay High sophomore wrestler Jacob Bucci pinned his way all the way around the Class 2A championship bracket until he faced off and lost a tough 2-1 decision to eventual champion at 106 Roberto Rodriguez of Brandon. Bucci, 48-2, would eventually finish third with a pin into the third place match and a 4-0 win, ironically, over Fleming Island’s Matthew Newman. Newman beat Bucci 2-0 in the district championship match with Bucci winning the region title over Newman 2-1 in overtime.

Also considered were Cibastian Broughton (FIHS QB), Roman Mollicone (FIHS 800), Logan Spence (KHHS soccer), Austin Cruce (MHS LB), Payton Dykas (CHS WR), Matthew Braddock (SJCDS wrestling), Dylan Ducut (FIHS swimming), Dylan Lewis (OHS basketball), Archieve Triggs III (OPHS basketball), Randy Emmannuel (RHS weightlifting), Wyatt Underwood (MHS track),