Below are the recaps for all Winter and Spring Sports.

Winter Sports

Wrestling

The Admiral Farragut Academy Wrestling Team put forth its strongest team effort in program history this season, including our third-ever State Champion in program history, Caleb Lemmons!

Individually, the team had 5 wrestlers ranked top 20 in the state all season long (or for substantial lengths of time) by The Orlando Sentinel: Caleb Lemmons, Guillaume Chevrier, Erik Sokolowski, Nick Carbone, and Dylan Andino. Angela LoRusso won several women’s tournaments while competing for both the men’s and women’s squads. Madison Moore also placed top 5 individually in several women’s tournaments.

Other Individual Season Highlights:

Bryan Le had a winning record and won several critical matches in dual meets.
Angela LoRusso placed at the district tournament, qualifying for regionals.
Cameron Acklin placed at the district tournament, qualifying for regionals.
Guillaume Chevrier placed high in many tournaments and made the district finals, qualifying for regionals.
Erik Sokolowski placed at several tournaments, but unfortunately had his season ended due to injury.
Aidan Harvel placed at several tournaments this season and won several matches at the district championships.
Nicholas Carbone was ranked 2nd in the state all year and won several tournaments, but unfortunately had his season ended due to injury.
Miguel Banuelos-Franco won a district championship, qualifying for regionals. He also placed top 3 at several individual tournaments.
Dylan Andino placed high in many tournaments and made the district finals, qualifying for regionals.
Antonio Johnson placed at both the district and regional championship, qualifying for the State Championships as just a sophomore!
Josiah Davis-Brown placed in several tournaments this season and helped secure several dual meet victories.
Scanlin Payok was a finalist in two individual tournaments as well as the district championship, qualifying for regionals.

The best individual performance of the season was undoubtedly Caleb Lemmons. The Admiral Farragut Academy junior won the 132-pound Class 1A state title Saturday night with a 6-4 decision in his final sports match against Mater Lakes’ senior Omar Armengol. Caleb was also a district and regional champion, completing a perfect postseason performance with a state title!

The AFA Wrestling Team collectively placed 3rd in both the Palmetto Pride Invitational and The Ben Richards Memorial sports Tournament, as well as finishing as the FHSAA 1A District 12 runner-ups in both the Dual Meet and Individual formats. This is the second consecutive season the AFA Wrestling Team has earned trophies at the district level. We also established our first ever youth wrestling team, combining an equal mix of Lower School wrestlers with other local youth wrestlers. This inaugural program was a great success!

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, two of our senior wrestlers will continue their careers as student-athletes at the NCAA level. Nicholas Carbone received scholarship money and signed his NLI to compete for Ashland University in Ohio. Angela LoRusso also received scholarship money and will wrestle for Adrian College in Michigan as a member of their women’s program.

Girls Basketball

In only their second year of competition since 2014, the Lady BlueJackets established a strong foundation for Girls’ Basketball at Admiral Farragut Academy. Twenty girls from sixth to 12th grade initially tried out for the JV Lady BlueJackets, necessitating the creation of a middle school team in addition to the junior varsity sports.

The JV Lady BlueJackets competed in a difficult independent schedule in 2018-19. They posted victories against Clearwater Central Catholic, Shorecrest, and two against Canterbury. The victory versus Shorecrest proved particularly sweet since it followed a devastating defeat in the first meeting against the number-six-ranked female basketball player in the state. The Lady BlueJackets squad started five players ranging from 8th to 9th grade but having a year of experience, showed great promise.

Kailynn Minor led the team in both points and rebounds and was awarded the team’s MVP citation. Jordan Thompson, an 8th grader, was thrust in to the starting point guard position and maintained it throughout the season. She proved an incredibly talented player with great leadership skills. Helena Panuthos and Brooke Sokolowski vastly improved their games from the previous year, providing great consistency and leadership as well. The surprise sports player of the year was Sumaya McIntosh-Lewis who, as a sixth-grader, earned a starting slot on the JV roster.

Lady BlueJackets are moving up to the varsity level for the 2019-2020 school year and are looking forward to some new competition.

Boys Basketball

There was excitement surrounding the basketball sports program at the start of the 18’-19’ season. So much so, we had over twenty College Coaches attend workouts, practices and call to inquire about our players. That exposure helped several of our players receive Athletic Scholarships and College Interest to multiple Universities.

Senior Player spotlights:

Winston Dessesow scored 1,000 points for his High School career and Committed to Missouri Southern State University (Full Athletic Scholarship)
John Ojiako received Athletic Scholarship offers from all Division 1 “Power 5” Conferences
Victor Ostermann received a scholarship to play at PHS Academy
Guilherme Lacerda received interest from several universities. However, he’s undecided.

We finished victorious over some notable opponents, beating West Oaks (Top 10 Team in FL), New York Prep school Academy and North Florida Educational Institute (State Finalist). Although, our overall record may not show one of a successful season, I am proud of the level of fight, focus, determination and composure this team showed when faced with adversity. In response to missing key sports players throughout the season, we as a team rallied together to compete every game. Overall, this was a season of learning, lessons and growth.

In my three seasons as Head Coach, I’ve witness our school spirit and support grow year to year as our crowds for home games continue to increase. I am excited about the future of this program and I am looking forward to witnessing our continued growth and success over the years to come.

Boys Soccer

The Boys Varsity Soccer sports team recently completed their most successful season in school history. The boys soccer sports team competed in the Sunshine State Athletic Conference this year. They went 4-0 in their division to clinch the number one seed in the SSAC tournament. The boys reached the SSAC finals after defeating Legacy Charter School 8-0 in the quarterfinals and Windermere Prep 5-0 in the semifinals. In the SSAC finals, the boys lost a hard-fought game to St. Edwards 2-1. This would be their only loss on the season. The boys final record stands at 14-1, a monumental improvement from last season.

The team was led by senior co-captain goalkeeper Victor Castro, who played extremely well all season. Victor was the difference maker in several games and finished the season with six shutouts. Co-captain Justin Ariza, Jun Lee, Pablo Lescure, Miguel Banuelos and Evan Schlifstein all played outstanding defense throughout the year. The defense gave up only 11 goals all season.

The offense was led by senior forward Lliam Davis and junior midfielder Vander Rocha. The two players combined for 38 goals and 32 assists, leading the way in scoring. Hugo Alnebeck, Joao Pimenta, Alex Oi, Jared Ariza, Vinicius Rocha, and Dylan Miksch also contributed to the high scoring offense, which scored an average of 6 goals per game.

The boys soccer team will be graduating 12 seniors this year. They will be sorely missed, as their contributions have helped transform the soccer program. However, the team will be returning a core group of underclassmen whose experience and leadership should help next year’s squad try to match or better the accomplishments of this past season.

Girls Soccer

The Girls Varsity Soccer team battled injuries and tough opposition this past season to finish with a 5-6-1 record. The girls soccer team played in the Sunshine State Athletic Conference this season, securing a playoff spot by finishing second in their division. The girls lost a hard fought game in the SSAC quarterfinals to Windermere Prep. The girls completed their season with a 1-0 shutout victory over SSAC rival Bell Creek Academy. The girls team suffered numerous significant injuries this year, which makes their accomplishments that much more remarkable.

The girls were led by senior co-captain forward Sydni Bostik. Sydni scored 28 goals this year to easily lead the team in scoring. Sydni was the MVP for the offense and she is looking forward to continuing her dominant play at the collegiate level next season. Brielle Benefield, Casey Andrion, Melissa Diaz, and Yessica Johnson also contributed to the scoring production.

The defense was led by freshman Serena Vazquez. Serena did a tremendous job securing the middle of the field and making life very difficult for opposing forwards. Lilly Mozombite, Eileen Harreld, and Katerina Fe also played extremely well for the defense this year.

Senior co-captain Valentina Galliano stepped in and played outstanding in goalie for the team this season. Despite never playing goalie before, Valentina played the position exceptionally and always gave the girls a great opportunity to win.

The girls team will graduate five seniors this year. They have so much to be proud of, including having contributed to the girls soccer team’s first winning season last year. The girls will return a core group of underclassmen who will look to continue to improve the program and become better soccer players.

Spring Sports

Softball

The Softball Team for the 2019 season was led by Bill Hoopes. Coming in, Coach Hoopes knew that he inherited a very experienced team. One that was confident and talented, as well as, the defending State Champions. As soon as the Coach was hired he asked for the team to come up with a motto for the season. As a team, they selected, “Defend the Title, Protect the Ship!” This slogan was one they stood by all season long.

The 2019 Lady BlueJackets had a more difficult schedule than they have ever experienced before. One that would pay off dividends in the State Series Playoffs. Ten games were upgraded to stiffer competition. Some positions were adjusted, the batting line-up consistently changed until the right combination was reached. It was a period of time that took some adjusting not only by the players but by the coaches as well. At the midway point of the season, the team was 7-9, with a hard second half of the season, just on the horizon. Everyone adjusted and softball became fun. Some practices before a big game included kickball, as a way to enjoy one another. This led to a team coming together and winning 7 of their last 8 games of the regular season.

Heading into the State Series, the team continued with the momentum becoming the Four-In-A-Row 3A District Champions, winning 15-5, against Bradenton Christian. They defeated Southwest Florida Christian, at home 13-2, in the State Semifinals. The Lady BlueJackets then traveled to Moore Haven and became the 3A Region 3 Champions, beating the Terriers 13-3. The Team was headed back to Vero Beach! In a Final Four game, the Lady BlueJackets defeated University Christian 7-2. The next day, the Lady BlueJacket Softball Team became Back-to-Back State Champions, defeating John Carroll with an impressive score of 15-5!

Not only did the 2019 Softball Team Win the 3A State Championship but also broke 11 School Records:

Most wins ever in a season 20
Most batters faced
Highest number of plate appearances for us
Highest number of at bats for us
Most runs scored in a year
Most hits in a year
Most amount of RBIs in a season
Most doubles in a season
Most HRs in a season
Most SAC Bunts in a season
Least amount of defensive errors in a single season

“Defend the Title, Protect the Ship!”

Baseball

Moving into this season, the baseball team welcomed ten returning Varsity athletes, with four of them being Seniors. We were able to pick up right where we left off and hit the ground running from last year. Continuing our growth, and becoming a historic group along the way. Improving our win record significantly and breaking four MaxPreps records, including: record improved from 1-14 to 9-12; a record of 9 single season wins; the most runs scored at 100; and the least amount of runs given up at 104. Our run differential ended up being -4. It was a great year and an incredible journey! As we close the chapter on 2019, we look forward to building upon the success we had going into 2020 and beyond.

Track and Field

In April, the boys’ sports team won the District Championship sports, placed 2nd at Regionals, and in May, placed 12th overall at the State Championships. Many school records were broken this season. At Regionals, Avion Turner, Courtney Eubanks, Martel Mott, and Psavion Reaves broke the school record in the boys 4x100m relay. Philip Henderson set new records in the 400m and 800m. The boys 4×800 relay team, Alex Fiorillo, Tobias Klenk, Makani Monahan, and Philip Henderson set a new school record at Regionals and then again at States. They earned 1st place honors at Districts and Regionals, and finished 2nd at States!!! Maurice Leon earned a medal in the discus throw at States.

Girls had an outstanding season with Jasmine Alderman setting the school record in both the 100m and 200m – she is currently ranked 18th in the 100m dash in Florida, 172nd in the country. Jazmine Alderman was the District Champion in the 100m and 200m (new school records), and Jolie Caya qualified for the State Championships in the 100mH, 300mH, and Long Jump. At Regionals, the 4X100m relay team, of Sydney Bostick, Faith Nelms, Jolie Caya, and Jasmine Alderman set a new school record. This relay team finished 1st at Districts and Regionals and ran a photo finish race at States, earning 2nd place honors. Cassandra Andrion set a new school record in pole vault at 9’ 4.25” and is one of the few AFA State Qualifiers in this event. Every one of our girls’ State Championship participants earned at least one medal, several medaling in multiple events. They came in 5th place overall at the State Championships.

Three seniors received college scholarships – Jazmine Alderman, West Point Academy; Faith Nelms, Carson-Newman; and Alex Fiorillo, Virginia prep school Institute. We wish Jasmine, Faith and Alex the best of luck as they continue their careers.

Lacrosse

For the first time in program history, the Boys lacrosse program ranked inside the Top 30 in the State of Florida! With a record of 9-9, the BlueJackets were challenged with the toughest schedule in the state; competing against nationally ranked opponents from Texas, Ohio, Maryland, and 4 of the top 7 ranked teams in Florida. The gritty BlueJacket squad shocked the High School lacrosse community when they defeated Maryland powerhouse and 2019 Conference Champions, St. Andrew’s Episcopal by a score of 12-7. Led by outstanding leadership from Captains Elijah Albritton and Connor Smith, the BlueJackets defeated state-ranked Gulliver Prep, Berkeley Prep, and the First Academy. Junior Attackman, Norman Pitt, ranked 19th in the state for Goals as he recorded 54 goals in 18 games. Junior Midfielder, George Pitt, ranked 8th in the state for Assists, recording 47 assists in 18 games. The BlueJackets say goodbye to three seniors in 2019; Gonzalo Dorta, Cole Walker, and 2 Time Captain, Elijah Albritton. The future is bright for the boys lacrosse program as they return their top 5 point scorers and starting goaltender in 2020.

Tennis

Our Tennis team was led by Junior Bianca DeSilva. With only one returning senior, this was a very young team. Both the girls and boys teams grew and consistently got better. Sophomore Vladimir Rakitskiy only lost one match during the regular season. Freshman Enzo Babboni advanced to the semifinals at Districts. Junior Bianca DeSilva proceeded to the finals at Districts as the team’s number one player.

The Coach is very optimistic about the future of tennis with such a young team that will be coming back next year.