Sports

Branford's Mallory Blue swings at a pitch against Columbia on Feb. 22. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

Branford's Mallory Blue swings at a pitch against Columbia on Feb. 22. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

PREP ROUNDUP: Scores and stats from 3/25/24

BASEBALL — Fort White 22, Ocala Christian 0: Kenton Haase went 4 for 4 with five RBIs while Hayden Adams, Ben Bullard and Garrett Depaola each drove in two runs to lead the Indians (5-6) to a run-rule victory over the Crusaders (2-10) in three innings on the road.
Columbia’s Grant Bowers makes contact with a pitch against St. Johns Country Day on March 1. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia’s Grant Bowers makes contact with a pitch against St. Johns Country Day on March 1. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

PREP BASEBALL: Bowers, Phillips lead Columbia past First Coast

Grant Bowers and Ayden Phillips combined to throw a 3-hitter while Bowers also went 3 for 3 at the plate with four RBIs to lead Columbia to a 6-1 win over First Coast at the Fernandina Beach Tournament on Saturday.
Fort White guard Tafari Moe is the LCR’s Boys Basketball Player of the Year. (BREGAY HARRIS/Special to the Reporter)

Fort White guard Tafari Moe is the LCR’s Boys Basketball Player of the Year. (BREGAY HARRIS/Special to the Reporter)

WINTER ALL-AREA: Fort White guard Tafari Moe named LCR Boys Basketball Player of the Year

FORT WHITE — Tafari Moe remembers the feeling in the locker room. Down 11 at the half against Hawthorne in the Region 3-1A semifinals, there wasn’t much to say. Sure, head coach Elven Sheppard went about his business, trying to fire guys up with talk of accountability and grit.
Columbia forward Jolena Gardner is the LCR’s Girls Basketball Player of the Year. (MANDI SLOAN/Special to the Reporter)

Columbia forward Jolena Gardner is the LCR’s Girls Basketball Player of the Year. (MANDI SLOAN/Special to the Reporter)

WINTER ALL-AREA: Columbia forward Jolena Gardner named LCR Girls Basketball Player of the Year

If you’ve spoken with Columbia coach Anthony Perry over the past three seasons, there’s one player in particular he’s always said has the potential to take his team to another level. That player is forward Jolena Gardner. And this season, she began to prove him right.
Suwannee

Suwannee

PREP ROUNDUP: Scores and stats from 3/22/24

BASEBALL — St. Joseph Academy 5, Suwannee 4: The Bulldogs (5-4-1) tied things up in the fourth inning but the Flashes (9-3) answered with a run in the fifth before holding on for a win at home.
Columbia pitcher Bynton Edge pitches against Creekside on March 12. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia pitcher Bynton Edge pitches against Creekside on March 12. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

PREP ROUNDUP: Scores and stats from 3/21/24

BASEBALL — Episcopal 10, Columbia 9: The Tigers (4-7) coughed up a seven-run lead in the final three innings, falling to the Eagles (7-3) at the Fernandina Beach Tournament.
Fort White goalkeeper Colt Patterson is the LCR’s Boys Soccer Player of the Year. (HOLLY MALCOLM/Special to the Reporter)

Fort White goalkeeper Colt Patterson is the LCR’s Boys Soccer Player of the Year. (HOLLY MALCOLM/Special to the Reporter)

WINTER ALL-AREA: Fort White goalkeeper Colt Patterson named LCR Boys Soccer Player of the Year

FORT WHITE — Fort White head coach Steven Lopez isn’t sure if he’s seen a performance like Colt Patterson’s game against Columbia. The Indians dropped the Dec. 21 contest to the Tigers 2-1, though it wasn’t for a lack of effort, least of all from Patterson.