Standouts From Week 6 in North Florida

With most of the high schools taken off for the holiday, I got a chance to watch two of the most talented teams play one another (Nease vs Columbia). Nease was so efficient that this game was decided in the first quarter. These two teams had some serious talent on the floor. Below is a list of players who stood out. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="243958" first="Sydney" last="Gomes"] 2022, 5’7″ G/SF (Nease)</strong>. Usually when you cover a game featuring Sydney “The Matrix” Gomes, you can count on her going to the free throw line at least 10-15 times and finishing with 20 to 25 points by the end of the night.  Against Columbia,  the talented Senior covered the points, but she got to the line only 2 times. Gomes connected on 3 three pointers  and made some impressive shots on drives to the basket. These shots are part of her repertoire that took her to a very rare club last week – the 2000 point club.  Against Columbia,  Gomes was impressive in every statistical category with 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. <strong><img class=" wp-image-368463 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/20211118_192249-224x300.jpg" alt="" width="175" height="234" /></strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="243999" first="Camryn" last="Robinson"] 2023, 5’6″ G 2023 (Nease)</strong> had a monster game that was about as efficient as it gets. Robinson connected on 4 of 5 three point attempts,  was 11 of 14 from the field,  and finished with 26 points.  Robinson also dished out 5 assists.  Her scoring came in multiple ways as she had some really nice shots in the paint, some nice drives, and jump shots all over the court.   It was impressive to see how methodical Robinson is on the court.   The talented junior was not the fastest on the court, but she has a high basketball IQ and was usually “one step ahead” of her opponent.  Robinson did a good job of setting up defenders and making good passes when she was double-teamed or when the defense was out of position.  Defensively,  Robinson was very impressive creating steals for her teammates and getting a few herself. <strong>Allison Fifield 2022, 5’11” F (Nease)</strong> is one of those players that does everything on the court.   She passes the ball well, runs the floor well, and does a good job on the boards.  Fifield also plays solid defense and is a super smart player on the court. The senior forward averages over 11 points per game and 6 rebounds per game.   Fifield scores on all three levels of the floor. Against Columbia county, she scored consistently in the paint, connected on a three, and scored in transition.    While she doesn't get the headlines,  Fifield does fill the stat line.   She is a very good all-around player. <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/20211220_203650-scaled-crop-1362x895-1640367222.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-368449 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/20211220_203650-scaled-crop-1362x895-1640367222-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="255" height="167" /></a></strong> <strong>Joleana Gardner 2025, 6’0″ F/C (Columbia).</strong> Gardner was on one side of the paint in man-to-man defense and a player from Nease had a direct path to the basket on the opposite side of the paint.  The player released the layup and out of nowhere Gardner blocks the shot out of the air and against the backboard.   A few plays later, Gardner catches a pass with her back to the basket, and with great footwork, the talented Freshman faces the basket and then shoots a silky smooth jumper over the outstretched hands of a defender.    She ran the floor well in transition and also got back on defense.   Gardner defended in the paint and also had the versatility to defend in space as well.   She pulled down 6 rebounds in a running clock game.  With her ability to score and rebound, Gardner flirts with a double-double every game.     She already has the size, the determination, and a basketball pedigree.    These attributes combined with enormous ability equates to a special player -  a special player who is only a Freshman and is getting better every game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91584" first="Na’Haviya" last="Paxton"] 2022, 5’9″ G (Columbia)</strong>.  There were times that  Paxton was a "blur" as she ran up and down the court .    Paxton was faster with the ball in her hands than players without the ball.  These players also had the angle on her and Paxton still beat them to the basket.  Paxton’s team was outmatched against Nease and the game was shortened due to a running clock, but the senior guard’s skillset and toughness were undeniable.   Paxton can also shoot the ball from all levels on the court and she uses her speed and quick bursts to get steals and disrupt the opposing team’s offense. &nbsp;