P.K. Yonge, Newberry, Buchholz lead All-Area girls soccer team

Newberry's Mallory Smith (left) and P.K. Yonge's Faith Hardy were selected to the 2024-25 All Area girls soccer team.
Newberry's Mallory Smith (left) and P.K. Yonge's Faith Hardy were selected to the 2024-25 All Area girls soccer team.
Graphic by Seth Johnson/Photos by C.J. Gish

This is the first of three stories unveiling the 2024-25 Bosshardt Realty All Area Soccer Teams. Click here to read about the big and small school boys teams and the coaches of the year.

After advancing to their first state semifinal appearance in school history in 2024, the P.K. Yonge Blue Wave girls soccer team was looking for a repeat performance this season.

And while the Blue Wave came up just short of that goal, losing to eventual 2A state runner-up Episcopal (Jacksonville) in penalty kicks in the 1A-Region 2 Final, P.K. Yonge once again dominated the 2024-25 Bosshardt Realty All Area girls small school soccer team.

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The Blue Wave, who finished with a 16-3-3 record, placed five players on the small school (1A-2A) squad, led by senior forward Faith Hardy. Hardy once again led P.K. Yonge and was one of the top scorers in the area, with 32 goals while adding seven assists.

“Faith is a talented and dedicated player who is committed to improving her game every day, every season so that she can be the best she can be for our team,” P.K. Yonge coach Rebecca Schackow said. “She is a humble, unstoppable attacking force.  Her goals in the Regionals this year are some of my favorites to date. She is team-focused, selfless and strong. She has played a major role in the success of our team during her five years with the Blue Wave.”

(From left) P.K. Yonge's Mae Dodd, Sydnie Colaw and Faith Hardy were named to the 2024-25 Bosshardt Realty All Area small school team. Photo by C.J. Gish
Photo by C.J. Gish (From left) P.K. Yonge’s Mae Dodd, Sydnie Colaw and Faith Hardy were named to the 2024-25 Bosshardt Realty All Area small school team.

Hardy is joined by her teammate, senior forward Mae Dodd. Dodd led P.K. Yonge with 22 assists while adding eight goals for 38 points in the season.

“Mae is a player who impacted our team in great ways on and off the field all season long,” Schackow said. “She is an all-in player who keeps us pumped up and striving for greatness. She is proud of her teammates and our program every day.”

Senior midfielder Sydnie Colaw and senior defender/midfielder Emma Mansfield are also on the small school squad. Colaw had eight goals and four assists.

“Sydnie is a dependable and strong player, with great vision for the game,” Schackow said. “She fights through challenges and remains an unshakable force on our team.  She is a fierce competitor with unmatched passion for the game.”

Mansfield added five goals to her superb play in the back.

“Emma is a tough, confident player who steps up to any challenge thrown at her and finds a way to strengthen our team,” Shackow said. “She handles all aspects of the game with a calm confidence that reassures those around her.”

The fifth and final Blue Wave player on the small school team is junior goalkeeper Norah Pancoast. Pancoast, the only P.K. Yonge non-senior to be selected, paced the Blue Wave in goal, allowing only nine scores with 58 saves.

P.K. Younge goalkeeper Norah Pancoast with a second-half save against the Episcopal (Jacksonville). Photo by C.J. Gish
Photo by C.J. Gish P.K. Yonge goalkeeper Norah Pancoast.

“Norah is a brave and gifted player who leads our team with her desire, respect, and commitment to the game,” Schackow said. “She is a natural leader and one of the hardest workers on our team.”

Three Newberry players were selected to the small school team. Newberry finished 14-5-2, losing to P.K. Yonge in the District 3-2A championship game and then losing in the opening round of the playoffs 3-0 at Episcopal.

The Panthers have two defenders/midfielders chosen in Peyton Cremeans and Mallory Smith. Smith, a freshman, led Newberry with 19 goals and added six assists for 44 points.

“Mallory is an extremely versatile player,” Newberry coach Ashley Arnold said. “She has great tactical awareness, speed and strength. As a freshman she led our team in goals and is an exceptional player.”

Cremeans, a junior, added eight goals.

“Peyton is competitive, passionate, and hardworking. She has great skill, speed, and tactical awareness,” Arnold said.

The third representative from Newberry is senior forward Eileen Wickens. Wickens, a senior, added 14 goals and 36 total points.

“Eileen is a great player,” Arnold said. “She is hardworking, determined, and has provided great leadership for our team.”

Another 2A playoff team, Williston, adds two players to the squad. Junior midfielder Julia Murphy and senior forward Yari Mujica helped lead the Red Devils to a 12-5-1 record.

Williston lost in penalty kicks to Newberry in the semifinals of the District 3-2A Tournament but were selected as an at-large for the state playoffs. There the Red Devils were eliminated by Maclay (Tallahassee), 8-1, in the opening round.

Mujica, a senior, led Williston and the area with 40 goals and 87 total points.

“Yari Mujica is a strong, fast player. She’s one of the fastest you will see and she knows she can beat the defenders and was determined to get the goal,” Williston coach Carrie Murphy. “She really grew as a player for her senior year. She saw the field better, made a lot of assists, and was very good at helping us train up our upcoming players.”

Williston's Yari Mujica. Photo by C.J. Gish (1)
Photo by C.J. Gish Williston’s Yari Mujica.

Julia Murphy, a junior, was second on the team with 15 goals and 22 assists for 52 points.

“Julia Murphy is very fast on the left side. She has a power shot that surprises the opposing defenders, and she reads the fields and sees her teammates’ ability to score, which makes her so good at getting those assists,” Carrie Murphy said. “She is also consistent on her corner kicks and the growth this season was her and Yari connecting on those shots for goals because those are goal-scoring opportunities we were missing.”

The final member of the small school team is Branford senior forward Delilah Poore. The Bucs finished 9-6-5 and missed the state playoffs after losing to Lafayette in the district semifinals. Poore led Branford with 15 goals and added 10 assists for 40 points.

The big school team is led by Keystone Heights with three selections. The Indians finished 13-7-3 but missed the state playoffs after losing in the District 4-3A semifinals to Eastside.

Junior midfielder Halea Lam, sophomore forward Kayden Huntley and sophomore forward Tayler Buchanan are the Indians’ selections.

“Kayden is a promising young attacker who is very focused on offensive play,” Keystone Heights coach Roger Laurent said. “She creates scoring opportunities and is a good finisher.”

Huntley, a sophomore, and Lam, a junior had a nice contest of goals going before Huntley pulled ahead with 27, while Lam added 21 goals and 52 points.

“Halea is a very creative midfielder who is known for her vision, technical skill, and her ability to dictate the tempo of the attack,” Laurent said.

Buchanan, a sophomore, scored six goals and added 17 assists.

“Tayler is also a promising young player, very creative and offensive-minded,” Laurent said.

Columbia added two players in senior forward Niki Sossie and junior goalkeeper Sadie Sparks. The Tigers finished 13-5-1 and were eliminated in the opening round of the 5A playoffs by eventual state champion Ponte Vedra. 

Sossie led Columbia with 18 goals and 51 points.  

“Nikolette has been a key contributor at Columbia since she transferred in three years ago,” Columbia coach Chip Garner said. “She is always displaying exceptional field vision and precise distributions.  Her presence on the team will be greatly missed next year.” 

Sparks allowed 26 goals and had 104 saves from her goalkeeper position. 

“Sadie stepped into the goalkeeper role for the first time this season and brought unmatched enthusiasm and drive to the position,” Garner said. “Her quick adaptation and relentless work ethic were instrumental in our defensive success. We look forward to seeing her continue to grow with even more experience next season.” 

Gainesville had two players on the big school All Area team in junior forward Piper Aarons and sophomore forward Raegynn Witt.  

Aarons led the Hurricanes with 13 goals and added two assists for 28 points as GHS finished 9-6-1 but missed the 5A playoffs 

“Piper was instrumental in us winning six of our last eight games, including district semifinals,” said Gainesville head coach Jeremy Witt. “She was our go-to attacker for the last quarter of the year. Piper and Raegynn were a fantastic duo that will be returning for the senior and junior year, respectively.” 

Keystone Heights forward Kayden Huntley led the Indians with 27 goals. Photo by C.J. Gish
Photo by C.J. Gish Keystone Heights’ Kayden Huntley.

Raegynn Witt was second on the Hurricanes with 10 goals and 27 points. 

“Raegynn started her sophomore season fast,” Raegynn’s uncle and coach Jeremy Witt said. “By midseason, she was the focus of our opponents for the rest of the year, and she continued to work hard and take some pressure off the rest of the team. We had to replace our top five leading goal scorers from last year and Raegynn and Piper Aarons stepped up and led us to district finals.” 

Buchholz is represented by senior forward Abby Bowen and senior defender Claire Tanner. 

The Bobcats finished 11-5-2 and missed the state playoffs after losing to Bartram Trail (St. Johns) in the District 3-6A Tournament

Bowen led Buchholz with 15 goals and 38 points. Tanner helped steer things in the midfield and back end for the Bobcats’ defense. 

Suwannee’s Alaira Handy is a selection at defender/midfielder and another is defender/midfielder junior Haidyn Smith of Santa Fe.  

Santa Fe, despite a 5-12 record, won their district before being eliminated by Pensacola Catholic, 3-0, in the opening round of the playoffs. 

“Haidyn mostly plays defense or midfield and her big moment this year was scoring an olympico goal in districts. She is extremely hard working and a pleasure to coach,” Santa Fe coach Matt Kramer said. 

2024-25 Bosshardt Realty All Area Girls Small School Soccer (1A-2A)

Goalkeeper – Norah Pancoast, P.K. Yonge (JR)

DEF/MF – Mallory Smith, Newberry (FR)

DEF/MF – Emma Mansfield, P.K. Yonge (SR)

DEF/MF – Peyton Cremeans, Newberry (JR)

MF – Sydnie Colaw, P.K. Yonge (SR)

MF – Julia Murphy, Williston (JR)

F – Eileen Wickens, Newberry (SR)

F – Delilah Poore, Branford (SO)

F – Faith Hardy, P.K. Yonge (SR)

F – Mae Dodd, P.K. Yonge (SR)

F – Yari Mujica, Williston (SR)

Honorable mention

Bell – Addie Lunn (SR), Aubrie Blair (SO), Sofia Trejo (8th)

Branford – Savannah Creech (SR), Zoe Nahabetian (SR), Erin Contreras (JR), Kayley Johnson (JR), Wren Wilkerson (JR), Samantha Ray (JR)

Fort White – Anndersn Fuller (JR), Emily Bell (SO), Gabriella Serrano (SO), Cammill Douglas (FR)

Newberry – Ilyana Graciani (JR), Avery Kinsey (SO), Crystal Cabantac (SO), Baylee Akers (FR)

Oak Hall – Sydney DeBlock (SR), Ella West (SR), Shyla Akri (SR), Rose Bosshardt (JR), Olivia Alvarez (SO)

P.K. Yonge – Elliot Pancoast (SR), Ellie Cervantes (JR), Paulina Cervantes (JR), Taylor Hass (JR), Bella Young (SO), Lily Tomlinson (FR)

Trenton – Angelina Ramirez (SR), Shailen Wright (FR), Tinley Turner (8th)

Williston – Lili Laboy (SR), Espi Duran (SR), Alondra Bautista (SO), Angie Reyes (SO), Sarah Hughes (SO), Nerimar Miranda (FR)

2024-25 Bosshardt Realty All Area Girls Big School Soccer (3A-6A)

GK – Sadie Sparks, Columbia (JR)

DEF – Claire Tanner, Buchholz (SR)

DEF/MF – Haidyn Smith, Santa Fe (SR)

DEF/MF – Alaira Handy, Suwannee (JR)

MF – Halea Lam, Keystone Heights (JR)

F – Piper Aarons, Gainesville (JR)

F – Kayden Huntley, Keystone Heights (SO)

F – Niki Sossie, Columbia (SR)

F – Abby Bowen, Buchholz (SR)

F – Raegynn Witt, Gainesville (SO)

F – Tayler Buchanan, Keystone Heights (SO)

Honorable mention

Buchholz – Rebekah Goodson (SO), Sophia Tholen (FR), Maddie Fudge (FR)

Columbia (Lake City) – Mia Brasel (SR), Laella Thompson (JR), Marlee Hunt (SO), Paola Ortiz (FR)

Gainesville – Emma Engel (SR), Sophie Vaugn (SR), Piper Aarons (JR), Emily Brown (JR), Olivia Raeber (SO), Mackenzie Woodend (FR)

Keystone Heights – Aspen Krohn (SR), Alyssa Townsend (JR), Kaylee Park (SO)

Santa Fe (Alachua) – Vana Zaldivar (SR), Brooke Hendrickson (SR), Kennan McGowan (SO)

Suwannee (Live Oak) – Maddyson Royero (FR)

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