FLEMING ISLAND - The first quarter ended with just a slim 11-10 lead for the Orange Park High boys basketball team in their second attempt to match speed with a Fleming Island team that defeated them by nearly 20 points in January, but the Golden Eagles' tactical attack of speed and pressure proved lethal as Fleming Island stormed to a 58-40 win for the district 3-5A title.

Fleming Island improved to 19-8. Orange Park fell to 17-9. In district 3-1A, St. Johns Country Day School lost, 73-45, to First Coast Christian in that final. In district 2-6A, Oakleaf lost in that semifinal, 53-45, to Fletcher to finish at 12-12.

For Fleming Island coach Traavis Chandler, his team's ability to rev up quickly is an effective tactic, but he would like more consistency for the four quarters.

"There are not a lot of teams that can run with us for four quarters," said Chandler, who has the Golden Eagles currently ranked number two in Class 5A behind Pembroke Pines Charter. "We came out a little flat in the first quarter and they hit some buckets. I told them to settle down, wake up and play our game."

For Chandler, that bit of coaching between the first and second quarter initiated a 13-2 scoring run to the halftime break after Orange Park stayed up to a 16-16 tie score at 3:48 to the half. A 3-pointer from Ayden Greenidge with a minute to the half seemed to be the dagger for the Raiders.

"We have shooters across the lineup, and they can't cover all five of us," said senior guard Bryce Robinson. "We got the two best inside guys in the area (Carson Crawford and Jalil Hill, both 6 feet 8 inches) and with Jalil becoming a force in the paint on defense and rebounding, Carson and me are totally in sync to move the offense."

Robinson's mention of Hill, a Providence transfer and just a freshman, was evident of the young player's maturity into the Fleming Island system.

"I think it took a while for him to get his legs under him for our game," said Crawford, the team's top scorer the past two seasons. "Now, he is comfortable under their controlling the paint and that opens up our offense. I can step outside the lane and get into our offense knowing Jalil is under the boards."

Orange Park played nearly even in the third which has been Fleming Island's Achilles heel—slow third quarter starts—but could not get closer than a 10-point gap with junior forward Ty'Quavious Williams hitting a layup plus free throw at 33-23 before Crawford smashed two thunder dunks and a finger roll to gap the game to a 39-27 score into the fourth quarter.

Hill opened the fourth quarter with an offensive rebound to dunk before Orange Park played the intentional foul game as Chandler chose to slow the game down on the clock.

In the region 1-5A lineup, to which eight teams will be selected for the upcoming region playoffs, Ponte Vedra (15-6, SOS 13.71) is ranked number one, Fleming Island (15-8, SOS 15.25) is number two, Lincoln (20-1, SOS 3.05) is third, Booker T. Washington (17-5, SOS 7.38) is fourth, Columbia (13-10, SOS 13.26) is fifth, St. Augustine (13-6, SOS 8.83) is sixth, Leon (16-6, SOS 6.37) is seventh and Mosley (15-8, SOS 8.36) is eighth.

Gainesville, Beachside and Orange Park are on the bubble at ninth, 10th and 11th.
In 2025, Fleming Island won the district title and their region opener against Lincoln but lost to Leon in the region semifinals. Ponte Vedra lost in the Class 5A title game against Blanche Ely High.