JACKSONVILLE - Fueled by a banner day from forward Landen Brown, the Middleburg High Broncos boys basketball team took their best shots at a high-flying University Christian team only to finally fall 75-69 in the championship game at the eighth annual Fortegra Invitational held Friday and Saturday at the Bolles School in Jacksonville.

University Christian was a Class 2A Final Four finisher last year.

"The last two weeks have been hectic with our football player guys playing their playoff game and getting on the court late, a Thanksgiving break, then the tournament," said Middleburg coach Burt Cannon, in his second season. "We had a rough season start, then the football guys; Dominic Swilley, Jordan Avellino and Floyd Reed got their basketball legs under them, then we started gelling."

Cannon, who noted their 0-4 season start, has now gone 3-3 in the past two weeks with wins over Clay, Baldwin and Bolles after a loss to then-undefeated Baker County.

"We started finding the right guys to put out there and we could rely on guys to execute," Cannon said. "Everyone is buying in."

At the Bolles Fortegra final against University Christian, it was Landen Brown's 31 points, most under the backboard, and a 16 point, four three pointer effort from Parker James that allowed the Broncos to nearly answer a full court press, steal and layups by University Christian that kept the score tight.

"They got us in the double traps at half court and got steals and layups off them," Cannon said. "If Parker gets hot, he can hit the threes that can turn a game around."

Senior Floyd Reed has been leading the Bronco attack with a 15 points per game average with Brown's game his best as a Bronco.

Clay beats undefeated Baker County

At Clay High on Friday, the Blue Devils reversed an earlier 92-75 loss to Baker County by turning the tables with a 60-57 win in the Blue Devil gym. Baker County came to Clay High with a 7-0 record with Clay at just 2-5. Clay got the win with a 22-8 fourth quarter scoring spree.

Eagles rebound from Jackson with Ribault win

At Fleming Island High School, the Golden Eagles rebounded from a sloppy 61-47 loss to undefeated Andrew Jackson on Wed., Dec. 10 to get a tough 75-61 win over Ribault as the Golden Eagles improved to 5-3. Fleming Island had one more regular season game on Dec. 18 against Columbia and will host the Battle on the Island Christmas Tournament on Dec. 19-20.

Fleming Island will then take on Christian Academy of Louisville, Kentucky, a perennial top 20 finisher, in their opening game at the Kingdom of the Sun tournament in Ocala on Dec. 27-28, with 16 teams—12 from Florida and teams from New York, Louisiana and Kentucky—slated to compete.

Locally, Tocoi Creek, Newberry, Ocala Vanguard, North Marion and Port Orange will also compete in Ocala.

Ridgeview playing tough ball; hang with Raiders

In a Friday game at St. Johns Country Day School, an invigorated Ridgeview High boys basketball team took a strong game against Orange Park, a 60-49 loss, and regrouped to beat the Spartans 79-69 to improve to 5-6 under second year coach Isaiah Jackson.

The Panthers' win over St. Johns comes after a tough loss to Orange Park (7-1 now), where the Panthers were tied at 29-29 into the second half.

"They went to their size advantage in the second half and got ahead of us," said Jackson, who had a 29-29 score at halftime against Orange Park who is now 7-1. "Hopefully, by districts time, we'll be a lot better, but I love the way our kids fought. Our defense is playing at a high level and once our offense catches up, we'll be pretty good."

Orange Park, with the win putting the Raiders at 7-1 with a Dec. 2 loss to Ribault, 52-49, has rattled off five straight wins with near 70 points per game.

"When we get going, we get going," said Orange Park coach Derek Kurnitsky. "Our Josiah Bell (6 feet 5 inches, center) can dominate the floor from any spot."

Orange Park 7-1

Orange Park has three home games to finish December with Sandalwood (Dec. 15), West Orange (Dec. 19), Marianna (Dec. 29) and undefeated Port St. Joe (Dec. 30) before hosting the Jan. 3 Raiderdome Classic. Port St. Joe is Kurnitsky's former team before coming to Orange Park.

Spartans' frosh hitting hot threes

St. Johns fell to 2-3 with the Ridgeview loss but has been getting 15 points per game from 5 feet 5 inches freshman guard Kaden Rocco who has played alongside freshman skyscraper (6 feet 9 inches) David Williams and junior (6 feet 7 inches) Erik Williams to propel the Spartan offense. Rocco has 19 three pointers in 43 shots to lead the Spartans' double barrel offense with eighth grader Gabriels Blaubucks keeping pace with 17 threes for the season and 27 points against Ridgeview (7-3ptrs).

Knights fall twice

Oakleaf, at 4-4, got two losses last week with Fleming Island and St. Augustine able to slow down the Knights' game.

Oakleaf, with a Dec. 18 game against undefeated 5A-Cape Coral, will play in the Gus Gibbs Memorial Holiday Tournament in Deland on Dec. 18-20 with the Knights also playing Dec. 28-29 in The True Force Shootout in Alachua County.

Indians still with one win

Keystone Heights is at 1-7 with Florida Deaf and Chiefland to finish the 2025 schedule. Cooper Barry is the top scorer with a 12.4 points per game average.