GREEN COVE SPRINGS - St. Johns Country Day School's girl's soccer team traveled way south and west to take on two powerhouses in anticipation of a final week of 2024 or even more powerhouses as area programs move into the final week of games for the year.
"I told them we will keep playing the best teams we can and I will keep moving players around until I find the right combinations to be successful," said St. Johns coach Mike Pickett, after his team started December with a strong 1-0 win over defending state champion Lakeland Christian and Fletcher in the first week of December before heading out to flex up against 6A Lakewood Ranch, ranked 12th in 6A, on Friday and 7A-Venice, ranked 29th in 7A, on Saturday, both on the road. "We have new faces in spots on the field and I want to see who comes to play when we play the big teams."
Against Lakewood Ranch, Pickett got another hard-fought defensive battle with the Lady Spartans, ranked No. 1 in Class 1A at 8-2-1 with the second-highest strength of schedule marks in Florida, getting solo goal from senior CeCe Nowicki to win 1-0. Senior Kaitlyn Sunderhaus hit the assist for Nowicki's goal. St. Johns is also ranked 17th in the USA, 10th in all classes in Florida, but, ironically, fourth in Jacksonville behind Ponte Vedra, Bartram Trail and Creekside, all defending state champions.
"Our defense has got to be on their game because we are not scoring goals like we are used to," said Pickett.
Against Lakewood Ranch, goalie Alyvia Bishop, a junior, had nine saves.
"She is very athletic, a former competitive cheerleader," said Pickett. "Learning very fast under coach Sarah Voglewede, a former Spartan All-American goalie for Pickett.
At 10 a.m. the Saturday following, Pickett finished with a 1-1 tie against Venice with Venice scoring first and St. Johns answering in the second half with junior Reygan Ropero finding the net for the tie.
"Reygan can play anywhere on the field and I've been moving her around to find the right spot," said Pickett. "Soccer has a lot of moving pieces and with my lineup sometimes not the same each game, I have to be creative at times."
Pickett's final travel week has a greatly improved, but young Oakleaf team (4-5 but with great speed), a trip to 4A-Stanton Prep (9-4 with a recent 2-0 loss to Creekside and region finalist last year) and a final 2024 game at Bishop Moore in Orlando (6-4-2, the defending 4A champions, ranked No. 2 n 4A). Moore's losses include nationally ranked Ponte Vedra, Lake Highland Prep and Berkeley Prep.
Also around the county, Fleming Island is at 4-5 after a week with wins over Bishop Kenny and Daytona Beach Seabreeze after four losses in a row; Stanton, Creekside, St. Johns Country Day School and Nease.
Fleming Island coach Taylor Berry purposely upped her team's schedule ratings with the last week of 2024 seeing Ponte Vedra and Clay.
For Clay (5-3-1), after a rough start, coach Stephanie Waugh has become comfortable with her daughter Tatum teaming with speedster Kirra Dodson on the offensive front with flag football ace Cora Parker manning the goal spot that Tatum was in for a few games.
Waugh has put together her lineup as her team has warmed up and got good results in the past three games with wins over Trinity Christian (8-0, 4 goals Dodson), Orange Park (2-0, goals Waugh, Wilkening) and St. Augustine (2-0) with Ridgeview and Fleming Island to finish 2024 with St. Johns the 2025 opener on January 9.
Orange Park (6-2-1), ran a string of five wins and one tie before the Clay loss with a recent 4-1 win over Oakleaf. Junior forward Rylynn Robinson has punched in 14 goals to lead the Raiders with junior goalie Anna Wages registering five saves per game with 43 for the season and just eight goals against. Orange Park has one final 2024 game with Paxon in town on Tuesday, December 17.
Oakleaf opened with three wins but has a streak of four losses with St. Johns Country Day School visiting on Tuesday as the last game of 2024. Coach Matt Cermak's schedule in the four losses belonged to Fletcher, Creekside, Beachside and Orange Park.
Middleburg coach Joy Rosano has commented that she is seeing more team cohesion as her girls are learning the finer points of the game with the Broncos, 7-4, getting four wins in December including a 4-2 win over a strong Keystone Heights team.
Keystone Heights High coach Roger Laurent has quietly taken his very young team to an 8-4-2 record with a nifty attack of short, quick passes to the goal box with sophomore Kayden Huntley and junior Halea Lam bashing in 29 goals; 15 and 14, apiece, in Laurent's scheme. Keystone Heights had a tough 2-2 tie with then-unbeaten Newberry in November and has played to five wins, two losses and one tie with the renewed confidence of the Newberry tie. Keystone Heights will see Newberry again on January 8.
Ridgeview first-year coach Autumn Woodard got her first win, a 1-0 game over Paxon, and a 2-2 tie with Bishop Snyder with Clay finishing 2024.