OAKLEAF - With Fleming Island High basketball winning the first game of 2025; a 67-48 tournament win on January 4 over Sandalwood at the Bernard Wilkes Classic at Ribault High as preparation for upcoming games with Oakleaf on Friday, January 10 visiting Fleming Island High School and then again at Oakleaf a week later.
"The Sandalwood game was a good opener out of the break for us," said Fleming Island High coach Traavis Chandler, who kept his squad busy with a series of games over the holiday. "We have a big week coming with Ocala Vanguard, Creekside, then Oakleaf."
Fleming Island, 10-3, stretched their scoring around with top scorer Carson Crawford and junior Nate Lowery leading the charge with 11 points; Lowery with three three-pointers, to jet start the Sandalwood game with an 18-11 opening stanza and a 29-18 halftime score.
"The three-point line is always prevalent for us," said Chandler. "When we shoot well from deep, it opens up the paint for more scoring opportunities in the lane."
Also at 10-3, Oakleaf, over the holiday, had a three-day tournament in Alachua against a national team from Jordan Christian Prep after a three-day gig in Deland and came away with two losses against a solid four wins for both tournaments.
"Fleming Island has good size and speed and presents a different challenge, but it is nice to be playing county games again," said Oakleaf coach Jason Price. "We want to keep them out of the paint because they drive well and their defense tries to turn you over and that's where they have hung their hat. Crawford is a young talent that every team has to have a plan for."
In Deland, against the 8-4/7A-Bulldogs, Oakleaf lost the half with a fast start by Deland; 44-34 with timely threes along the way, but clawed back in the third with a 22-9 stanza with Jelani Wright and Daniel Huffman punching in to a 51-49 Oakleaf lead. Huffman stayed hot to a 56-53 Oakleaf lead before Deland tied at 57-57.
Oakleaf battled back with Wright hitting a jumper to a 60-59 lead, then a Tyler Owens three got Oakleaf to a 66-65 gap before Deland answered with a three to win 70-67.
"Deland was a very guard-oriented team that was undersized and they made 12 three-pointers that night," said Oakleaf coach Jason Price. "We are proud about how we hung in and fought back and that game taught us a lot about ourselves."
Orange Park, on the other hand, has sporadically played good and bad; mainly free throws for the bad, with coach Derek Kurnitsky having little time to adjust his burners before getting Oakleaf in the Raiderdome in the first major clash of 2025 in the regular season play (Tuesday, January 7).
"I've been watching Oakleaf all day," said Kurnitsky, amidst a secret film session in the basement of the Raiderdome. "Their guards are quick and can shoot. We have to stay focused and make free throws."
Orange Park is 6-8 with games over the break against Fletcher, Leon, and Columbia; all losses after the tournament-opening win over Atlantic Coast, where the Raiders had spats of great paint play from center Quayshon Blot on both rebounds and scoring tough underneath after rebounds, but the Raiders free throw shooting was near horrendous and, for the losses, costly.
Orange Park has athletes to stay the pace with Oakleaf's jet speed and games like that come down to free throws and turnovers; Oakleaf is good at steals to layups, and Orange Park gets the steals, but misses the layups too many times.
The Raiders have the hoops skill sets to win but have to stay the course and stay calm in the fray.
All three of these Marquis games are worth the prices of the tickets to see. Orange Park does travel to Oakleaf a second time on January 28.
One other 2025 game came from Middleburg with a 49-33 loss to Atlantic Coast at the Orange Park Classic on Saturday, January 4. Middleburg, under first-year coach Burt Cannon, is 4-6.
St. Johns Country Day School scored a 66-30 win over Beaches Chapel on January 3 after an Arizona trip that yielded one win and two losses to Arizona programs; one an Arizona state runner-up.

Schedules

Keystone Heights (2-8): Jan. 7 at North Marion, Jan. 10 vs. Palatka, Jan. 13 at Ridgeview, Jan. 14 at Union County, Jan. 15 v. Duval Charter

Ridgeview (3-9): Jan. 7 at Menendez, Jan. 8 at SJCDS, Jan. 9 vs. Christ's Church, Jan. 11 at OP Classic 10 a.m., Jan. 13 vs Keystone Heights

St. Johns Country Day School (6-9): Jan. 8 vs. Ridgeview, Jan. 10 vs. St. Joseph Academy, Jan. 15 at First Coast Christian

Clay (2-9): Jan. 7 vs. Nease, Jan. 9 vs. Fletcher, Jan. 13 vs. Matanzas, Jan. 16 at Baker County

Middleburg (4-6): Jan. 7 vs. West Nassau, Jan. 9 at Bradford, Jan. 10 vs. Crescent City, Jan. 13 at Yulee, Jan. 14 at Baldwin

Fleming Island (10-3): Jan. 7 vs. Ocala Vanguard, Jan. 9 vs. Creekside, Jan. 10 vs. Oakleaf, Jan. 14 vs. University Christian, Jan. 16 at Ridgeview, Jan. 17 at Oakleaf

Oakleaf (10-3): Jan 7 at Orange Park, Jan. 10 at Fleming Island, Jan. 11 vs. Atlantic Coast, Jan. 14 at Bartram Trail, Jan. 17 vs. Fleming Island

Orange Park (6-8): Jan. 7 vs. Oakleaf, Jan. 10 vs. Sandalwood, Jan. 11 vs. Buchholz, Jan. 14 vs. Westside, Jan. 15 at Flagler Palm Coast, Jan. 18 vs. Trinity Catholic Noon at Westside (MLK Shootout)