GREEN COVE SPRINGS - For Clay High athletics, the ladies stole the show in the 2024-25 season with weightlifter Emma Heck and flag football quarterback Teaghan Moses offering up astounding sports stories of dedication and perserverance.

For Heck, a three time weightlifting state champion in one weight class, then a fourth title coming in a heavier weight class, the dominance of her career was beyond spectacular. Heck was in a class all by herself through most of the school year with state records aplumb, district and region titles, then dominance at the state meet to finish her efforts as the queen of the arena in Lakeland.

For Moses, who suffered a season-ending injury in her knee that took her out of flag football and basketball, the arduous rehab year that she perservered through was rewarded with a methodical comeback during the spring flag football season amidst parental concern (dad Jared was Clay flag football coach) was a piece by piece installation of game plans that started in the fifth game of the season after some practice sessions to test the rehab knee.
When Moses returned, with contemplative strategies in her quarterback position to lessen the chances of a reinjury to her leg got more and more leash as Moses became more and more comfortable in testing her joint in football pivots and cuts.
In the end, Moses retained her impressive football acumen during the physical return to the game to take the 5-0 season orchestrated that quarterback Cora Parker put forth by her teammates to a region final finish season that included a 14-1 season record with nine shutouts by her defense and just the region final loss, a 18-6 game, the lone contest with more than six points by the opposing team.

On the Clay defense, rushers Lily Kalil and Khloe Burke were instrumental in keeping opposing quarterbacks on the run with the secondary patroled by ball hawks Parker and Kirra Dodson.
In the boys sports, Clay High's return to wrestling prowess was a strong return to the Blue Devil lore of past seasons with an eighth place team finish in Class 2A and five of six state placers led by a third by Jacob Bucci and a fourth by Landon Martin with Vonte Burke seventh, Brady Glavin sixth and Drew Holmquist fifth.

In football, long time coach Kyle Kennard stepped down with Clay bringing in coach Jeff Gierkes from Gulf Breeze to try and revitalize the Blue Devil traditions.
Landon Martin is a key returner at quarterback with wide out Daylen Brown one of the top pass catchers in the area and Blake Warren the pile driver leading the vaunted Blue Devil offensive line.

Volleyball highlights centered around two regular season wins over rival Keystone Heights led by center hitter Gia Thornton's 135 kills.
Cross country got a scholarship to Jeremy Jewell with a strong finish with freshman Annaliese Hovda getting a region berth.


Girls soccer minus United States U-17 national team member Brooke Bunton not returning after last year's region final finish saw Kirra Dodson (21 Goals) and Tatum Waugh (six goals) take the reigns while junior defender Kate Wilkening, moved to forward near mid season, adding four goals in her new spot; one a playoff goal against Middleburg.
Clay's boys soccer nearly repeated their Cinderella season of 2023 with a 10 game win streak in mid season, but a district runnerup finish to a Fleming Island squad that lost to eventual 5A champion Arnold in the region semifinals.
Basketball season looked to maybe having a boys playoff run with three wins to end the season, but playoff losses to Fleming Island and Orange Park leaving the Blue Devils at 5-15.

Girls basketball coach Doug Deters is hoping his young team took their lumps and will return to turn their game around with the Lady Blue Devils showing impressive play in summer tournaments.

Swimming saw Kylie Elrod and Noah Stotler take state swim tickets to a sixth place breaststroke finish for Elrod and a 13th in 200 and 15th in 100 fly for freshman Stotler who has a famous sister, Sara, a top swimmer for University of Tennessee and also an Olympic Trials swimmer.
In the spring, boys weightlifting showed some prowess with little man Zerek Migliore fifth in 139 Traditional and big man Eli Iscoa fifth in Unlimited Traditional.

In softball and baseball, the diamonds were favorable to Blue Devils bats and gloves with coach Matt Lewis blasting through what was to be a rebuild year with a young starting group, but snagging big wins and a district title along with an exciting walk off double for three runs from Grace Miller and strong pitching from freshman Sadie Russo. Lewis will be able to build off a strong 15-11 season his young troops next season.
In baseball, Clay got bumped and bruised with a tortuous schedule that included a handful of state champions and contenders to emerge with a region final finish that also featured walkoff finishes; JC Rosette and LJ Martin in playoff wins. Clay's pitching prowess was led by Rylan McMahan and Levi Chmura with homer counts from Merrick Rapoza (6), Easton McMahan and Cole Carnell; four apiece.

On the track, in shotput, senior Omar Goosby finished with a ninth at regions after a three foot jump from his district runnerup spot; 43'5.25" to 46'-8.25".
Clay's boys golf returns two junior golfers; Jack Newell and Ian Garcia to next year's team after an 11th place team finish in regions; Garcia 19th, Newell 33rd.
Girls golf had three multisport standouts; Dodson, Parker and Charlotte Glavin all sharing their athleticism on the links for a third at districts.