- Monday - Girls' Soccer v. Ridgeview (District), 6 pm.
- Tuesday - Boys' Basketball v. Bartram Trail, 6 pm.
- Thursday - Girls' Basketball v. Clay, 6 pm.
- Saturday - Boys' Basketball v. Pedro Menendez, 6 pm.
Boys' Lacrosse
Are you interested in trying out for boys' lacrosse? Please join us for conditioning:
January 13-14: Conditioning Week Days 1 & 2, 4:00-Dark @ PV High School Track
January 16-17: Conditioning Week Day 3 & 4, 4:00-Dark @ PV High School Track
January 18: Speed Training and Practice Landrum 10-2PM
January 21-24: Conditioning Week 4:00 to Dark @ PV High School Track
January 27 and 28: PV HIGH SCHOOL Tryouts 6:30-8:30 AM @ Davis Turf
Scorecard
Girls' Basketball:Following their winter break the Ponte Vedra Lady Sharks were back in action this past week with three games that included two lopsided victories. The action began at home on Tuesday, January 7, against the tough Palatka High School which is led by Jonell Williams, one of Florida's top junior recruits. The Lady Sharks jumped to an early 3-2 lead three minutes into the game, stretching it to 7-4 with just under four minutes left in the first quarter. Seconds later Palatka tied the game up before Ponte Vedra could capture it back jumping to a 12-9 advantage with 2:21 remaining in the quarter. Within a minute the game was tied at 14 before Palatka closed out the period with a seven unanswered points closing at 21-14. The Lady Sharks battled back to within two at 25-23 with 3:19 remaining in the first half before falling to a nine-point deficit at 33-24 at the buzzer. The Lady Sharks played Palatka even in the third stanza with each team hitting for 13 points. The game ended with Palatka gaining a 10-point winning advantage in the contest at 66-56.
Megan Piggot led Ponte Vedra scoring, and captured the game high scoring honors, with 28 points by hitting 50 percent from the field and three of 10 three-point attempts. Next in line on the Lady Sharks scoring was Christi Begeman who brought in nine points as she hit on three of five three-point attempts. Mandi Koski got into early foul trouble and collected five points before fouling out. Miriam Grant and Rachel Aspinwal where next in the scoring column with four points apiece. Brenna Storm, Julia Cressman, and Erin Landis each brought the team two points to round out the scoring. The Lady Sharks top three rebounders were Piggot with seven, Koski at six, and Storm with five. Palatka was lead by Williams with 22 points. She was backed by 16 points from La Carra Alexander.
Thursday evening the Lady Sharks ventured to Ridgeview High School in Orange Park for their second District game of the week. Ponte Vedra dominated from the start as the ran their way to an 81-38 victory. Piggott again dominated scoring when she ran up nearly half of the teams output by garnering 40 points in her finest performance of the season. Koski and Storm were next in line as Koski hit for nine points, collected eight rebounds, and added an assist while Storm also had nine points, drew in six rebounds, and aided with three assists. Begeman drained eight points and brought in five rebounds. Miriam Grant hit for six, as did Erin Landis who also brought down six rebounds. Creesman rounded out the Lady Sharks scoring with three points.
On Friday evening the Shark Tank was invaded by Bishop Snyder. Coach Piggott took a wave approach with his substituting assuring all ten players received solid playing time. The five starters consisting of Piggott, the Koski sisters Mandi and Tori, Begeman, and Storm ran the Ponte Vedra lead to 16-0 with 4:42 left on the first quarter clock before the second wave of talented players entered the game. Wave 2 included Landis, Michaela Hulihan, Aspinwall, Cressman, and Grant. This talented five took the balance of the opening quarter to a 27-3 finish. The Lady Sharks outscored their opponents 22-12 in the second stanza for a 34 point lhalf-time lead resting at 49-15. The dominance continued in the third period as Coach Piggott continued the dual five-member swap for a 17-4 scoring advantage. The game ended on a running clock 50-point advantage at 72-22. All ten Lady Sharks contributed to the scoring as Piggoot led with 21 points, Mandi Koski threw in 14, and Begeman completed the double-diget scoring performances with 10. Three Lady Sharks each hit for six points - Aspinwall, Landis, and Storm. Five points came from Grant, four from Tori Koski, and Hulihan and Cressman each contributed two points. Mandi Koski made it a double-double evening when she brought home 12 rebounds to go with her 14 points.
This coming week the Lady Sharks venture to Yulee on Tuesday evening, then return home on Thursday to welcome Clay County High School to the Shark Tank. Only five regular season games remain for the Lady Sharks who are sporting a season record of 12-8. If you haven't yet seen this talented group of ten outstanding young ladies please come out to support them.
Boys' Basketball: Sharks return home following two huge victoriesAfter a long stretch where the Ponte Vedra Sharks boy's basketball team played eight consecutive games on the road, the Sharks return to the friendly Shark Tank Tuesday night for a return engagement with talented Bartram Trail.
Despite an arduous journey against very stiff competition the Sharks have posted an impressive 11-5 record including a pair of impressive victories this past week.
On January 8 the Sharks treated their large following of rooters to an entertaining 41-30 over rival Nease and two days later pulled off a shocker with their first ever victory over state ranked Palatka 42-40.
The victory over Palatka gives the Sharks a perfect 4-0 record in district 5A competition and moves them into the top seed position in the upcoming district tournament, hosted for the first time by Ponte Vedra.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early for Tuesday's game with Bartram Trail to check out the young, but extremely talented Shark Junior Varsity team, whose game with the Bear's JVs begins at 6:00 PM, with the varsity game to follow at 7:30 PM.
Wednesday's game with Nease displayed high school spirit at its best. A large contingent of the Ponte Vedra student body wore special T Shirts with a photo of their revered coach Bud Beech on the front and the inscription "Fear the Beech" on the back.
With support from their energized Shark backers, the Sharks utilized a stifling defense against Nease that switched from time to time from a matching zone to a hard man-to-man defense that baffled the host Panthers the entire evening.
The Sharks jumped out of the gates early by limiting the Panthers to but 3 first quarter points while scoring 12.
Nease never closed within seven points the rest of the game in the low scoring affair where made baskets were at a premium.
The Sharks welcomed back 6'4 jr. Ross McCarthy after missing the last six games and McCarthy helped out in a big way with 6 rebounds, a pair of blocked shots and two key baskets in the hard fought contest played in front of a near sell out crowd at Nease.
6'5 junior center Donovan Garrard led the Sharks on the boards with 9 rebounds to go along with 8 hard earned points for the victors.
6'3 junior Quinn Carey tallied 13 points for the Sharks with point guard Jackson Johnson contributing 12 points, five rebounds, and 4 assists.
The Sharks had little time to celebrate their win over Nease, as an even more important game would take place Friday night in Palatka.
Just as they did two days earlier at Nease, the Sharks bolted out to an early 11-5 lead over the host Panthers.
However, this lead was short lived as Palatka scored the next 17 points as the Sharks were colder than a Polar Vortex and failed to tally a single point for more than ten minutes of action.
Palatka, oddly enough, went to the free throw line 10 times in the first half while the Panthers strangely enough were not guilty of a single first half foul, a fact that Shark veteran head coach Bud Beech calmly pointed out to the game officials.
It was a different Ponte Vedra team that charged out of the locker room following the halftime break on the short end of a 17-11 score with both teams employing stifling defenses.
The Sharks found the second half basket much more to their liking as they went on a 15-2 run. A Jackson Johnson lay up gave the Sharks a 20-19 lead halfway through the third quarter, and Palatka would never again regain the lead.
The Sharks took a 28-24 lead into the final hectic quarter, a lead they would extend to 34-27 on 2 rebound baskets by Donovan Garrard and another by Quinn Carey.
Palatka made one final desperate run with their relentless full court pressing defense and knotted up the game at 38-38 with less than a minute remaining.
Jackson Johnson then dribbled the length of the court with a Palatka Panther nearly attached like Velcro to his 5'9 body, and coolly banked in a lay up to give the Sharks a two point lead with but 0:46 remaining.
Palatka 6'5 center Desmond Chandler, who netted a game high 17 points for Palatka, tied up the game with about 12 seconds left to play at 40-40.
Ponte Vedra was able to get the ball in the hands of Johnson who was fouled near midcourt with :06 showing on the clock. The area's leading free throw shooter the last two season's then calmly swished both free throws and the Sharks had a hard earned 42-40 victory over a team that reached the state final four last season.
If one could point a finger at why the Sharks were able to pull off the upset victory one can look at the rebounding department.
Donovan Garrard had 10-second half points, all off of offensive rebounds. His 15 total rebounds was the second highest total in the brief six-year history of Shark basketball.
Garrard got plenty of assistance on the boards from his fellow junior front line mates of Quinn Carey and Ross McCarthy who pulled down 11 and 6 boards respectively.
James Crowther again played his relentless defense where he parlayed three steal into lay-up baskets for his six points.
Although Johnson scored the final four points of the game, it was his ability to break the pressing defense that played a huge role in the Shark victory as he committed but two turnovers over the entire game.
The Sharks will play three games this week, with the Tuesday game with Bartram Trail and Saturday's game with Menendez at home. Sandwiched between those home dates will be a road trip to Ridgeview for a district game where the Sharks hope to improve to a perfect 5-0.
Ponte Vedra Coaches Bud Beech and Marcus Perez are hopeful that the Sharks have improved their game enough to turn the tables Tuesday night against Bartram Trail, 66-57 winners over the Sharks on Dec. 19th.
Boys' Soccer:Boys Varsity Soccer continues their successful season with a 15-3-2 record. Beating Bartram 6-2 on Dec 17; goals by Corey Johnson (2) Munir Adamo, Wes Nicolson,Nick Kostrubski, and Zach Devlin. Dec 19th Varsity Boys soccer beat Pedro Menendez 6- 2 with Michael Tkachik scoring a hat trick 3 goals, Ben Costantino, Briggs Hurley and Jake Jackson scoring as well. Defensively halves were spilt by Senior Keeper Chase Herzog and Alex Shields.
Last weekend the varsity team traveled to Orlando to play the Nationally ranked Montverde Academy. Goal keeper Chase Herzog excelled defensively with constant pressure on PV net from opposing team, but unfortunately PV was outplayed offensively losing 4-1.
Congrats to the Boys Soccer senior players who celebrated at Senior night on Dec 19 ; Ben Costantino, Colby Clifton, Nate Frecks, Chase Herzog, Briggs Hurley, Corey Johnson, Wes Nicholson, Jack Scully, and Austin Sigle.
