Sports

Columbia forward Jalen Gaskins (middle) fights for a rebound with Suwannee guards Jamarcus Cherry (11) and Jhy Smith (2) during Tuesday’s game. (PAUL BUCHANAN/Special to the Reporter)

Columbia forward Jalen Gaskins (middle) fights for a rebound with Suwannee guards Jamarcus Cherry (11) and Jhy Smith (2) during Tuesday’s game. (PAUL BUCHANAN/Special to the Reporter)

BOYS & GIRLS BASKETBALL: Playoff seeding, berths at stake in next week's district tournaments

JORDAN KROEGER
Saturday, February 3, 2024
District tournaments begin next week for boys and girls basketball. Here’s where, and who, the area teams will play and where they sit in their respective playoff races. BOYS DISTRICT 2-5A Quarterfinals at higher seed; semifinals and championship at Rickards Schedule: Feb. 6, quarterfinals: No.
Columbia forward Jolena Gardner drives past Fort White guard Jermauni Byrd (3) and forward Isreal Hart (14) on Friday night. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia forward Jolena Gardner drives past Fort White guard Jermauni Byrd (3) and forward Isreal Hart (14) on Friday night. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Williams gets honored, Columbia blows out Fort White on Senior Night

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Friday, February 2, 2024
A Senior Night light on seniors didn’t stop Columbia from celebrating accordingly. Forward Hannah Williams, the lone senior on the Tigers’ roster, scored early in the first quarter and added another pair of buckets along the way in Columbia’s 56-20 blowout win over Fort White Friday.
Columbia guard Zamarion Jones dribbles up the court against Suwannee on Tuesday night. (PAUL BUCHANAN/Special to the Reporter)

Columbia guard Zamarion Jones dribbles up the court against Suwannee on Tuesday night. (PAUL BUCHANAN/Special to the Reporter)

PREP ROUNDUP: Santa Fe Catholic pulls away from Columbia in boys hoops

NEWS STAFF
Friday, February 2, 2024
BOYS BASKETBALL — Santa Fe Catholic 72, Columbia 39: The Tigers couldn’t keep up with the Class 3A No. 5 Hawks (ranked 26th overall in the state) in a blowout loss on the road Friday night.
Columbia's Ashlie Caballero battles with Clay's Sarah Cochrane during the District 2-5A semifinals on Jan. 26. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia's Ashlie Caballero battles with Clay's Sarah Cochrane during the District 2-5A semifinals on Jan. 26. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

GIRLS SOCCER: Columbia misses playoffs, Lafayette draws University Christian

JORDAN KROEGER
Friday, February 2, 2024
A mercy-rule loss to Clay in the District 2-5A semifinals ultimately cost Columbia a second straight playoff berth. The Tigers were left out of the 8-team Region 1-5A bracket on Friday, getting jumped by Choctawhatchee in the final rankings.

PREP FOOTBALL: Longtime Suwannee coach Richard Allen dies at 70

JAMIE WACHTER
Friday, February 2, 2024
LIVE OAK — A constant for years on the sideline at Langford Stadium will now leave a hole in many in and around Suwannee High. Richard Allen, who taught in the Suwannee County School District for 37 1/2 years and spent that long as a football coach for the Bulldogs as well, passed away Monday.
CHS, FWHS, SHS, BHS, LHS

CHS, FWHS, SHS, BHS, LHS

PREP ROUNDUP: Fort White boys cruise past Bradford in hoops finale

NEWS STAFF
Thursday, February 1, 2024
BOYS BASKETBALL — Fort White 65, Bradford 34: Jayden Jackson scored 20 points while Tafari Moe scored 20 points and dished seven assists to lead the Indians (16-5) to a blowout win over the Tornadoes (7-14) on the road Thursday night in their regular-season finale.
FGC forward Ty'jahn Wright rises to the basket for a dunk against Thomas University JV on Thursday night. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

FGC forward Ty'jahn Wright rises to the basket for a dunk against Thomas University JV on Thursday night. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: FGC blows out Thomas JV in tuneup for FSCJ

JORDAN KROEGER
Thursday, February 1, 2024
With a critical conference matchup against Florida State College at Jacksonville on the horizon, Thomas University’s JV team was supposed to be a tuneup for Florida Gateway College. And while the Timberwolves got off a sluggish start, the Night Hawks ended up providing just that.
Suwannee goalie Layla Merola stops a shot just as Santa Fe’s Amelia Whitehurst crashes into the box in the second half of Wednesday’s District 2-4A championship. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Suwannee goalie Layla Merola stops a shot just as Santa Fe’s Amelia Whitehurst crashes into the box in the second half of Wednesday’s District 2-4A championship. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

GIRLS SOCCER: Suwannee falls to Santa Fe in PKs in District 2-4A championship

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
GAINESVILLE — The offense just wasn’t there for Suwannee all night. Yet despite not recording a shot on goal in regulation, the Bulldogs still had good chances at pulling off the upset.
FGC guard Jazan Johnson makes a layup against Pasco-Hernando State College on Wednesday night. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

FGC guard Jazan Johnson makes a layup against Pasco-Hernando State College on Wednesday night. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Johnson provides boost in starting lineup as FGC blows out Pasco-Hernando State

JORDAN KROEGER
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Jazan Johnson didn’t find out he was starting until right before tip-off. There was little time to mentally prepare, but that didn’t matter much. Johnson was ready to step in, and step up, to deliver Florida Gateway College a much-needed conference win.