ORANGE PARK - After a $1 million facelift, the Orange Park High School gymnasium came alive last Thursday night with the energy of back-to-back region championship games as Oakleaf and Orange Park basketball teams battled tooth and nail under a roof of high energy and a loud Raider band to bring in the 2025-2026 season.

"You can't beat the atmosphere in the Raiderdome most times in the past 10 or so years that I've been here," said Orange Park boys coach Derek Kurnitsky, who orchestrated a 64-51 win over Oakleaf to end the three-game agenda that included a junior varsity, a girls game and a boys finale. "You feel the energy right from the opening whistle even at the junior high level. This is what county rivalries are all about."

In the girls contest, Oakleaf High coach Fred Cole, a former Orange Park High girls basketball coach, nearly pulled off what would have been considered a mild upset against the defending district champion Lady Raiders and their nearly complete roster return. Cole has vowed to rebuild his program back to the Final Four status of just three years ago.

"Our goal was to make them uncomfortable," said Cole, now 1-2 with a loss to undefeated 7A-Creekside. "They are bigger, taller and also very athletic and I think for the most part, we did."

For the Lady Knights, with a freshman guard, Brinkley Todd, and a sophomore defensive wizard, Nyla Parsons, keeping the pace at NASCAR levels through most of the game, it was Orange Park veterans; mainly sophomore and freshman players led by just one senior, guard Mariah Young, who took the best shots Oakleaf could get before winning 58-54 in the final seconds.

"We overlooked them," said Orange Park coach Michael Nesmith. "Coach Cole is a heck of a coach and he had a good game plan. This was a great test of our fitness right out the gate. Oakleaf's game is make you speed up your game."

In the first quarter for the girls' game, Oakleaf held a 7-6 lead at the end of the first quarter before a Raider forward landed a layup and free throw to close the stanza at 9-6 for the Raiders.

Oakleaf's fast attacking defense, Parsons and Keyana Graham, got the game tied 13-13 with steals to layups; one by Todd who pulled down five offensive rebounds in the series and turned a steal from Graham to the tying jumper. A three pointer by Janiyla Owens after a jumper by Ella Crowe kept the pace high as Oakleaf stayed up with another three; this one from Mikayla Trusel to go up 19-15 with three minutes left in the half.

A steal by Orange Park's Jayde Bryant with a pass to Kai Longmire got a 20-19 Raider lead with Gabby Mallory netting a three to 23-20 with a minute left as the pace never waned. A late steal by Parson left the score at 23-22.

The third quarter was equally volcanic as both teams refilled their fuel tanks and came out steaming as they got to the final minute of the third at 40-36 with the quarter ending at 41-40 with free throws.

In the fourth quarter, the action kept hot to the very end with both teams seemingly slowing to catch a final breath for a flurry at the end with the score tight still at 48-47 for Raiders with four minutes left in the game.

One of two free throws by Raider center Trinity Dinkins upped the lead to 49-47, Dinkins coming up big twice off a pass from Ella Crowe and a steal on an inbounds pass pushing the Raiders to a 51-47 lead.

Oakleaf, though, was not slowing down and, with 2:58, Orange Park coach Michael Nesmith took off his suit jacket as he and Cole were waging a battle of strategic wits on the newly designed Raiderdome sideline which featured bleachers a foot behind both teams' benches.

"The benches make everything very tight and, I think, a little louder," Kurnitsky said. "Plus, the fans are right there, and they can be loud."

With two minutes on the clock, Raider forward Kai Longmire grabbed a rebound but stepped on the back line to give Oakleaf possession under the Raider basket.
Oakleaf got a bucket from Destini Williams to 51-49 with Longmire pushing a layup up to 53-49.

Oakleaf had to give up intentional fouls to try and slow the game with Longmire missing two with Dinkins getting the rebound and Wilson getting two free throws; making one, to 54-49.

Parsons raced up the court after a Raider miss with Owens putting a layup in for a 54-51 score with 41 seconds. Dinkins sunk one to 55-51.
A three pointer by Owens at 22 seconds put the game at 55-54 and left the Raiderdome shaking.

A free throw put the score at 56-54 with Parsons getting fouled by Young on defense to give the ball to Oakleaf with 16.8 seconds.

With chants of "Oakleaf, Oakleaf and Oakleaf" and Oakleaf getting the ball, Crowe stole the inbounds pass with Young getting two free throws on the scrum; 58-54 with 15.2 seconds still on the clock. Cole had one final shot to catch the Raiders, but a steal on the inbounds ended the game.

In one other county battled in a season opener, Fleming Island had to hold off a pesky Middleburg High team to win 62-46 with the Golden Eagles outscoring the Broncos 20-14 in the third and 16-10 in the fourth for the win. Sophomore Gianna Crawford led all scorers with 26 points for Fleming Island. Fleming Island (3-0) opened their season with a 59-19 win over Westside and won 63-22 over Stanton on Thursday.

In the boys' game, Fleming Island controlled the tempo right from the opening whistle to get a 74-42 win over Middleburg with four players scoring double figures: Alex Brown with 14, Ayden Greenidge with 12 and both Carson Crawford and Bryce Robinson with 11.

Fleming Island has games to open week one of December with  Tocoi Creek (6A Final Four), Westside and The Villages Charter.