First Coast Senior Standouts Down the Stretch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gateway Conference Tournament </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Every year the Public schools in Duval county battle it out to see who is the top team in the city. This year, the prize went to the Mandarin Mustangs. In this article, we look at the Seniors who played well in the tournament and also we look at their overall play at this point in the season. We also look at other seniors on the First Coast who have stepped up their play during the final stretch run of the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='247154' first='Yakiya' last='Milton'] / 2023 / 6'4 PF / Mandarin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Milton made her presence felt during the Gateway Conference and it wasn't just about points on the scoreboard. The senior showcased a lot of skills on the court and her rebounding was at a different level during th three -game stretch. All rebounds belonged to Milton in the Gateway Tournament. In 3 games, the Senior pulled down 42 rebounds and showed multiple ways to affect the outcome outside of the scoreboard, Milton did show her scoring versatility, scoring from all areas on the court, midrange, attacking the basket, and even connecting a few times from the three-point line. Milton was dominant from on the defensive end, where she blocked a several shots and changed a lot more. Milton has shown a lot of versatility and she has really showcased her unique skillset down the stretch. She has been key for her team's recent 6-game winning streak. For the season, the Senior is averaging a double- double with over 11 points and 10 rebounds per game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='91643' first='Jada' last='Jones'] / 2023 / 6'4 / Sandalwood </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jones played well in the Gateway Tournament. She and Milton went toe to toe and Jones finished that game with 17 rebounds and controlled the middle of the paint for most of the game. Jones also had a 19-point game - 7 rebound game in the tournament. For the season, Jones is averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds per game, posting a double-double has just become routine for the center. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Charlee Evoniuk / 2023 / 5'8 SG / Stanton </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior guard was one of the Senior standouts in the Gateway tournament, knocking down 6 three-pointers in the first round of the tournament. Evoniuk can shoot from all levels of the court, but her primary focus is behind the three-point line. Evoniuk also does a good job of handling the ball and running the offense. She is one of the purest three-point shooters on the First Coast. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Regular Season Action </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='352602' first='Kayla' last='Kastor'] / 2023 / 6'0 C / Creekside</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kastor has flirted with a double throughout the season and recently posted a 24 point - seven rebound down the stretch against Bolles. Kastor also powered in the game winner against Mandarin in the waning seconds of the ballgame. Kastor has a nice touch in the paint and can finish inside with the left and righ hand. Down the stretch, Kastor has been one of the top bigs on the First Coast. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='247232' first='Emily' last='Andres'] / 2023 / 5'1 PG / Creekside</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Senior guard has been on a three-point tear in recent weeks and has catapulted to the top 4 in District 7A - 1. Andres posted 4 threes and 12 points against Menendez, and she was on fire in the latter part of this week from behind the arc. Andres also does a good job of handling the ball and distributing the ball to the post and other wing players. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='400790' first='Camryn' last='Robinson'] / 2023 / 5'5 PG - SG / Nease </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Robinson has played well down the stretch averaging over 20 points per game last week. For the season, the senior guard has been very good and has led her team in every way. Robinson plays the game between her ears and looks like a coach on the floor. She can shoot the ball from all levels and has been very good from behind the three point arc this season. Robinson has connected on 50 threes for the season, including a 5- three pointer game earlier in the week. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='247233' first='Ella' last='Ortman'] / 2023 / 5'7 SG / Providence </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Down the stretch, Ortman has been lights out, including a 35 point performance against Hawthorne last week. Ortman can score at all levels and defintely she is one of the top seniors on the First Coast in three point shooting. The senior has knocked down 56 three pointers and is shooting nearly 40 percent from behind he arc. She has scored at least 15 points in 15 games this season and her consistency has allowed her average nearly 18 points per game. Ortman can also handle the rock and does a good job of creating scoring opportunities for herself and teammates. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->