Another honor comes in a historic season for the PK Yonge women's soccer team.
The Blue Wave reached the Final Four for the first time in school history in the 2023-24 season. PK Young lost 3-0 to nationally ranked Montverde Academy in the Class 3A state semifinals in Auburndale, but head coach Rebecca Shakow and her Blue Wave had a lot to be proud of. .
The Bosshardt Realty All Area girls soccer team is no exception, with five PK Yonge players representing small school teams.
Junior forward Faith Hardy leads the small team. Hardy was once again one of the region's leading scorers with 39 goals as captain of the 16-4-3 Blue Wave.
“She's been our team's offensive player of the year every year,” Shakou said. “Her faith grows each year. She always strives to be the best striker for our team. She scores for us when it matters most and is selfless and humble. Faith sacrifices for her teammates, dreams of greatness for our team and does everything she can to achieve it.”
Junior Mae Dodd is a midfielder representing the Blue Wave. Dodd was second to PK Young with 10 goals and second on the Blue Wave with 10 assists.
“May is a tough, confident player who doesn't back down from any challenge,” Shakou said. “She has great endurance and stamina and is ready to go.”
Both defender positions belong to PK Yongji. junior Emma Mansfield and senior Marley Shakou. Mansfield contributed eight goals and four assists for the Blue Wave in the 2023-24 season.
“Emma is a reliable and strong player who can face any challenge,” Shakou said. “She overcomes challenges and is an asset to the team, and she is dependable and versatile.”
Coach Shakou's daughter Marley was the only senior starter on this year's PK Young team. She finished third on the team with nine goals and added four assists.
“Marley is the captain, the leader and the glue of the team,” Rebecca Shakow said. “She brings out the best in everyone in the team, supports the team and helps us achieve great results. She is a smart player, very brave, the best aerial player in the team, creative and He’s also a smart player.”
The fifth and final PK Young member of the small team is sophomore goaltender Nora Pancoast. It takes a big-time goaltender to win in soccer, and Pancoast made 66 saves with a .670 GAA, allowing only 11 goals and 10 shutouts.
“Nora is a talented and dedicated player who is willing to learn how to improve every day,” said Rebecca Shakou. “She works hard in every session, defies challenges and always strives for her excellence.”
Newberry and Williston then joined small school teams with two representatives each.
Newberry finished with an 11-9-1 record, but lost and missed out on making the district playoffs. PK Young in the District 4-3A semifinals. The Panthers are represented by two midfielders, senior Vanessa Weaver and sophomore Peyton Cremeans.
Weaver was second on the team with 17 goals and led the Panthers with 14 assists.
“This is a natural spot on the All-Area small school team,” Newberry coach Ellie Chenoweth said. “Vanessa was a fourth-year captain and poured her heart and soul into this team. She was always ready to show up as a leader for the team on and off the field. I was so impressed with her season and will miss her so much next year!”
Cremean led Newberry with 18 goals and added six assists.
“Peyton is one of our underclassmen who consistently leads the team in points and possessions per game,” Chenoweth said. “I've already seen her grow and develop in the two years she's played at NHS. Peyton puts in a lot of effort outside of games and regular practices, which contributes to her success on the field. . She's a playmaker and will always find a way to bring something to our team.”
Williston also had a successful season with an 11-5 record, but lost 3-2 to Keystone Heights in the District 4-3A semifinals, missing out on the state playoffs. Sophomore midfielder/forward Julia Murphy and third-year forward Jari Mujica represent the Red Devils.
Mujica was one of the area leaders with 41 goals.
“Jari has grown a lot this season and consistently wanted to improve,” Williston coach Carey Murphy said. She said: “She played well as a team and she gained confidence knowing she was faster than most of the defenders she played against. She was relentless until the goal was scored.”
Murphy led the Red Devils with 29 assists and added five goals.
“Julia is fast on the wing and has great crosses,” Murphy said. “She likes to get through balls and connect with Jari and other teammates. She's a good passer, but she also has a great shot that surprises people from a distance.”
The rest of the small school team consists of junior midfielder/forward Savannah Creech of Branford and junior forward Kiersten Shaw of Keystone Heights. Creech had 20 goals and five assists for the 8-7-3 Bucs, while Shaw was one of the area leaders with 34 goals for the 12-7-1 Indians, who were in the 3A playoffs before being ejected. The company expanded to Defeated against PK Young in the opening match.
Big school teams in all-area soccer are a little more evenly distributed.
Despite missing out on the 6A playoffs with an 11-4-2 record, Gainesville is tied with Columbia for the most selections with three.
Midfielder Emma Ferrell, forward Ebby Malone and defender Olivia Witt are all seniors.
Malone had 19 and 11 goals and assists, respectively, for the Hurricanes.
“Evie was our leading scorer and a player that other teams looked to defensively,” Gainesville coach Jeremy Witt said. “She's been a starter for four years, and she's led the team in scoring three years in a row.”
Ferrell was second on the team with eight goals and also second with seven assists.
“Emma scored the most winners for GHS from wing/midfield positions this season,” Witt said. “She can play and she was a starter all three years at GHS. Emma was either first or second in goals the last two years.”
Witt added five goals and two assists as a defender.
“Olivia has been a starting center back since her freshman year,” Witt added. “She sat out her sophomore year recovering from a torn ACL. Olivia was always guarding the opposing team's top defender and serving as the captain of the defense. She was always the smallest player on the field, but she played against is the toughest.”
Columbia will play Gainesville in the third selection. The Tigers went 9-4, but lost to Clay (Green Cove Springs) in the District 2-5A final, missing out on the state playoffs.
Junior midfielder Mia Brasell led Colombia with 14 goals and added five assists. Sophomore forward Zoe Brock was second to Brazell in goals with 12 and also had five assists.
The third Colombian representative is junior goalie Penelope Wheeldon. Wheeldon had 55 saves, a .522 GAA, only six runs allowed, and seven shutouts.
Santa Fe won District 2-4A and advanced to the state playoffs. Two Raiders players represent big school teams.
Junior forward Haidyn Smith led Santa Fe with 13 goals and 10 assists.
“Haydyn Smith typically plays forward and led the team in goals and assists this season,” Santa Fe coach Matt Kramer said. “She's very tenacious and a very hard worker.”
Boone, a senior defender and midfielder, was right behind Smith with 11 goals and nine assists.
“Maggie Boone is not only a great player, but also a great student,” Kramer said. “She has one of the highest GPAs on the team. She plays center midfield and is a very well-rounded player.”
Buchholz also has two players on the big school team, senior forward Zoe Torres and junior midfielder Abby Bowen.
Torres led the Bobcats and was one of the area leaders with 27 goals and added six assists. Bowen had four goals and a team-high 12 assists for the Buchholz team, which finished with a record of 7 wins, 11 losses, and 2 draws.
The final member of the Big School All-Area girls soccer team is sophomore defender Alayla Handy of Suwanee. Handy scored a team-high 14 goals as a defender for the Bulldogs, who finished with a 7-11-2 record.
Girls – Small School (2A-3A)
Goalkeeper – Nora Pancoast, PK Yonge (sophomore)
Defender – Emma Mansfield, PK Young (Junior)
Defensive/Midfielder – Marley Shakou, PK Young (Senior)
Midfielder – Peyton Cremeans, Newberry (sophomore)
Midfielder – Vanessa Weaver, Newberry (Sr.)
Midfielder – May Dodd, PK Young (Junior)
Midfield/Forward – Julia Murphy, Williston (sophomore)
Midfielder/Forward – Savannah Creech, Branford (Junior)
FW – Faith Hardy, PK Young (Junior)
Forward – Kiersten Shaw, Keystone Heights (Junior)
Forward – Jari Mujica, Williston (Junior)
Honorable mention
bell – McInellie Downing (senior), Addison Lunn (junior), Mae Collette (senior), Taylor Futch (8)th)
branford – Samantha Ray (So.), Kaylee Wardle (So.), Emma Solide (So.), Len Wilkerson (So.)
fort white – Anderson Fuller (So.), Marley Hunt (Fr.)
Keystone Heights – Halea Lamb (So.), Aspen Krohn (Junior), Ella Hutchins (Senior)
newberry – Eileen Wickens (Junior), Kennedy Price (Sr.), Jordyn Witt (Junior)
oak hall – Aubrey Loftus (7th), Laura Murphy (Buddhist)
PK Youngji – Elliot Pancoast (Junior), Paulina Cervantes (S), Ellie Cervantes (S), Lily Tomlinson (8)th)
trenton – Navae Pogue (Junior), Billy Largent (Sr.), Haley Blankenship (Sr.), Jessica Alvarado (Sr.)
Williston – Haley Yuen (Sr.), Angeline Reyes (Fr.), Esperanza Duran (Jr.)
Girls – Big School (4A-6A)
Goalkeeper – Penelope Wheeldon, Columbia (Junior)
Defender – Olivia Witt, Gainesville (Sr.)
Defender – Alayla Handy, Swanee (sophomore)
D/MF – Maggie Boone, Santa Fe (Sr.)
Midfielder – Mia Brasell, Columbia (Junior)
Midfielder – Abby Bowen, Buchholz (junior)
Midfielder – Emma Ferrell, Gainesville (Sr.)
Forward – Ebby Malone, Gainesville (Sr.)
Forward – Zoe Block, Columbia (sophomore)
FW – Haidyn Smith, Santa Fe (Junior)
FW – Zoe Torres, Buchholz (Sr.)
Honorable mention
buchholz – Skyler Ferentz (Sr.), Katherine Boyd (Sr.), Claire Tanner (Jr.), Mimi Fisher (Sr.)
Columbia – Niki Socy (Jr.)
east side – Mandela Marsh (Junior)
gainesville – Alaina Block (Sr.), Ali Mays (Sr.)
santa fe – Vana Zaldivar (junior), Riley Baker (senior)
swanee – Layla Merola (Junior), Kayla Federick Woods (Junior)
