Sports

Suwannee goalkeeper AJ Hitt dives to try and save a shot against Columbia on Dec. 11. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

Suwannee goalkeeper AJ Hitt dives to try and save a shot against Columbia on Dec. 11. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

PREP ROUNDUP: Suwannee boys suffer 11th straight loss

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
BOYS SOCCER — Gainesville 2, Suwannee 1: The Hurricanes (3-4-3) handed the Bulldogs (2-14-1) their 11th straight loss Tuesday night, putting two goals past goalkeeper AJ Hitt in Live Oak. Hitt finished with five saves, while Ethan Valencia scored Suwannee’s lone goal on an assist from Denzel Yaxon.
Columbia guard Eriel Baker is double teamed by Gainesville's Mayah Gordon (22) and Lady Taylor during Tuesday night's 53-27 loss. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia guard Eriel Baker is double teamed by Gainesville's Mayah Gordon (22) and Lady Taylor during Tuesday night's 53-27 loss. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Columbia's playoff hopes take a hit in blowout loss to Gainesville

JORDAN KROEGER
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
GAINESVILLE — It was Columbia’s biggest game of the season to date. The Tigers had a chance to pick up a resume-building win and improve their playoff chances against one of the best teams in the region. Instead, they never “showed up” against their District 2-5A rival.
Columbia guard Zamarion Jones dribbles past Forest guard Elijah Leon during the Hitchcock’s Challenge championship on Dec. 29 at Legacy Park in Alachua. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia guard Zamarion Jones dribbles past Forest guard Elijah Leon during the Hitchcock’s Challenge championship on Dec. 29 at Legacy Park in Alachua. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

PREP SPORTS: Columbia boys rise in latest FHSAA basketball rankings

JORDAN KROEGER
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Columbia’s boys basketball team is rising. A 59-56 win over Orange Park on Saturday boosted the Tigers (10-6) from sixth to fourth in Region 1-5A, with their rating rising to 13.299 to jump ahead of Lincoln (10-5, 12.818) and St. Augustine (9-2, 12.377).
Lafayette's Carra Clark tries to get past Columba's Jenavieve Farer on Dec. 2. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

Lafayette's Carra Clark tries to get past Columba's Jenavieve Farer on Dec. 2. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

PREP ROUNDUP: Fort White & Lafayette girls pick up soccer wins

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
BOYS SOCCER — Eastside 3, Fort White 0: Jonas Traktuev scored two goals and Lorenzo Lattarulo scored another for the Rams (5-4-5) to hand the Indians (0-14) another loss at home on Monday night.
Columbia forward Zavian Douglas gathers the ball to shoot against Forest in the Hitchcock's Challenge championship on Dec. 29. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia forward Zavian Douglas gathers the ball to shoot against Forest in the Hitchcock's Challenge championship on Dec. 29. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

PREP ROUNDUP: Columbia boys edge Orange Park in hoops for fifth straight win

NEWS STAFF
Saturday, January 4, 2025
BOYS BASKETBALL — Columbia 59, Orange Park 56: Zavian Douglas scored 17 points and Shaheed White finished with 14 points to lead the Tigers (10-6) past the Raiders (6-8) in the Raider Dome Classic for their fifth straight win.
Suwannee freshman Logan Haley is the LCR’s Boys Runner of the Year. (PAUL BUCHANAN/Lake City Reporter)

Suwannee freshman Logan Haley is the LCR’s Boys Runner of the Year. (PAUL BUCHANAN/Lake City Reporter)

FALL ALL-AREA: Suwannee's Logan Haley named LCR's Boys Runner of the Year

JAMIE WACHTER
Saturday, January 4, 2025
LIVE OAK — It definitely wasn’t love at first race. In fact, when Logan Haley began running cross country for the club team at Suwannee Middle School two years ago, he wasn’t good, he didn’t like it and he wanted to quit.
Suwannee junior Ryleigh Hermanson is the LCR’s Girls Runner of the Year. (COURTESY)

Suwannee junior Ryleigh Hermanson is the LCR’s Girls Runner of the Year. (COURTESY)

FALL ALL-AREA: Suwannee's Ryleigh Hermanson named LCR's Girls Runner of the Year

JAMIE WACHTER
Saturday, January 4, 2025
LIVE OAK — It wasn’t good and Ryleigh Hermanson wasn’t happy. In early October, the Suwannee junior placed 16th at the Alligator Lake Invitational, crossing the finish line in 23:17.20. It wasn’t the kind of race that Hermanson — or the Suwannee team — had come to expect from their top runner.
Fort White guard Tafari Moe tries to get off a shot while defended by Lafayette guard Jordan Murphy on Dec. 5. (JACK HOWDESHELL/Lake City Reporter)

Fort White guard Tafari Moe tries to get off a shot while defended by Lafayette guard Jordan Murphy on Dec. 5. (JACK HOWDESHELL/Lake City Reporter)

PREP ROUNDUP: Fort White's basketball teams split with Santa Fe

NEWS STAFF
Friday, January 3, 2025
FORT WHITE — The Fort White basketball teams split their home matchups with Santa Fe on Friday night, with the girls winning 64-18 while the boys lost 54-50.
Columbia forward Zavian Douglas shoots over Forest forward Isaac Timmons during the Hitchcock’s Challenge championship on Sunday. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia forward Zavian Douglas shoots over Forest forward Isaac Timmons during the Hitchcock’s Challenge championship on Sunday. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

PREP SPORTS: FHSAA releases first basketball rankings, updates soccer

JORDAN KROEGER
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Fresh off winning the Hitchcock’s Challenge, Columbia’s boys basketball team sits in playoff position in the first FHSAA rankings. The Tigers (9-6) were sixth in Region 1-5A and third in District 2 in the first basketball release Tuesday, holding a 12.