Team Previews from First Coast Media Day

<strong>Baldwin (District 2 – 4A)</strong>  stopped by to talk to the PGH on Media Day.  Baldwin is a very young team and this year Coach Maurice Gillette is at the helm.  He is the 4th coach in 5 years at  Baldwin.   Gillette’s first goal is to get some stability in the program.  Over the summer, Baldwin participated in the summer basketball program to give his team some additional basketball practice and exposure to other teams on the First Coast.   Baldwin returns Junior Aleah Williams <strong>Fleming Island  (District 3 – 6A)</strong>  returns 4 seniors and is expecting a big year from this talented roster.  Senior guards [player_tooltip player_id="248572" first="Kennedy" last="Williams"] and Avery Canon. Williams handles the ball and is a good shooter. Canon is the sharpshooting guard, who averaged 13.7 points per game last year. She is full of passion and is the captain of this talented Eagle squad. Eagles guard Serina Alderson is the lockdown defender. Freshman shooting guard Victoria Noble will likely make the Varsity roster and will make an immediate impact on a team that already shoots the ball well. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="248567" first="Alyssa" last="Pearson"] is a forward on the roster who can score in a variety of ways. Pearson brings physicality and great energy to the team. The Eagles may have a few surprises on their roster, including Sara Alvarez, a senior transfer who brings an inside presence to the team. She rebounds and controls the inside very well. Alvarez has some guard-like abilities as well that will allow the Eagles to stretch the floor on offense. <strong>Andrew Jackson (District 3 - 4A)</strong> was present at High School Media Day.    Jackson was represented by senior guards [player_tooltip player_id="248563" first="Jazmine" last="Jackson"], [player_tooltip player_id="331732" first="Indreauna" last="Bargeron"], and junior Alexis Taliferro.    The three showed up wearing the slogan, "Make Them Believe." and they talked with a "Lakeland or Bust" mentality.  The Final 4 is where the State Playoffs are held. Jackson is 6 deep in guards. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="248563" first="Jazmine" last="Jackson"] is the team’s leader and is one of the top players on the First Coast, offensively and defensively. She has already committed to Charleston Southern. Bargeron plays both point guard and off guard. She is most effective in taking the ball to the rack and is one of the fiercest competitors on Jackson’s team. Taliferro is a smart player who can play the one through four positions. She is a good shooter who also rebounds and handles the ball well. The team will also add 2024 track star [player_tooltip player_id="248283" first="Kennedy" last="Hill"] to the roster. She will add size, speed, and a knack for scoring to one of the top rosters on the First Coast. <strong>Bolles (District 3 -4A)</strong> A lot of hard work is how Coach Kelly Stevenson describes this  Bolles team this year. The Bulldogs are led by  2022 Senior [player_tooltip player_id="248564" first="Cortney" last="Smith"] who will do whatever it takes to help her team.  Smith can play multiple positions.  She is a natural three or four but is called on to play the high post on offense and often defends the  “bigs”  on defense.   Smith can shoot the ball at all levels. Smith was joined by 2024 Guard Ella Stakem at Media Day. Stakem is one of the best defenders on the team who sets the tone with her efforts and energy. Offensively, she is a very good three-point shooter who does a great job of moving without the ball and getting to open spots on the floor. Her jump shot is fluid and when she gets on a roll she can knock them down in flurries. This past summer in AAU she was “deadly” from behind the arc. On several occasions, she had five threes before halftime. The Bulldogs have one of the best Freshman on the First Coast in 2025 guard Abby Knauff. She is very athletic, she can shoot the “rock” and can also take the ball to the goal. Stevenson looks for the Freshman to make major contributions this upcoming basketball season. <strong>Terry Parker (District 2 – 5A)</strong>  had a major overhaul of their roster from last season to the current season and Coach Jennings had to start from square one. Parker was represented by Sophomore Jaide Williams and Senior Raven Cherry,   They are two of the returning players from last year’s team. Williams made great contributions as a Freshman and has taken the leadership role on the team. Rarely is a Sophomore the team’s leader,  but according to coach Jennings,  Williams is not your normal Sophomore and she brings a different dynamic to the table.   She has a high basketball IQ and is mature beyond her years. Raven Cherry (2022, 6’0″ Center) will also be a big player for the Braves this year. She is very athletic and can shoot from all three levels on the court. The Braves will have a very athletic team and according to Jennings, they will play to those strengths in a manner he calls “organized – chaos.” <strong>Saint Johns Country Day ( District 4 – 2A)</strong> was at the center of attention during High School Media Day after it was confirmed that [player_tooltip player_id="91651" first="Taliah" last="Scott"] had transferred there. The level of interest was a testament to the level of the player that [player_tooltip player_id="91651" first="Taliah" last="Scott"] is - a generational talent that could one day be considered as one greatest to ever do it on the First Coast. At Media Day, Scott was just a regular 16 or 17-year old who handled herself in an impressive and mature manner. She will look to lead SJCD to new heights as a basketball program. Scott won't have to do it alone. She will be joined by 6 returning players, including talented Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="221691" first="Mary" last="Kate Kent"], who averaged 17 points per game last season. Kent, who has been in the program since she was in 6th grade, helped lead SJCD to a District title last year. It was SJCD’s first District title in 29 years. This year SJCD will be in the same district as University Christian who has won the district championship for 16 consecutive years. According to Coach Yolanda Bronston, the response to Scott’s arrival has been exceptional.   The team has embraced the attention and expectations that come along with having a teammate who garners national attention when she steps on the basketball court. <strong>Raines (District 2 – 5A)</strong>  were represented by Freshmen guards Lamiya Hogans and Joi Wright. Hogans is a versatile and fluid Freshman who can score at all levels. Wright is equally athletic and has more power in her game. These two freshmen led Ribault Middle to the Duval County Middle School Championship last season. On Media Day, these two talented players were the face of the Raines Girls Basketball team and they will likely be the cornerstone of this program for the next four years.