District Playoffs Showcases the Young Guards on the First Coast

The stage was set for the most competitive night of basketball on the First Coast in 2022 and possibly one of the greatest nights in recent history. The storylines alone had fans and players on pins and needles at 7 pm on Friday. Seven o’clock p.m. was the “finest hour” for basketball on the First Coast. This article highlights the performance of First Coast Underclassmen who performed well during the District playoffs. <img class="size-medium wp-image-385956 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/20210706_161512-scaled-crop-1362x895-1644361802-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Alanna Tatum 2026, 5’6″ G (University Christian) has had a very good season and all season long the 8th grader has been phenomenal. She brought stability to the point guard position and she is only an 8th grader. In the District championship game, the moment was not too big for Tatum and she finished with 10 points to help lead University Christian to another District Championship. Tatum was also a force on the defensive end in the District playoffs. [player_tooltip player_id="248555" first="Trista" last="Brown"] 2025, 5’6″ G (Oakleaf). Brown was really impressive in the District championship game. Brown was very poised and made some key shots during the game. Brown connected on a corner three-pointer and helped stop any rally that Mandarin tried to mount. Brown was also impressive on defense, recording 3 steals in the contest. <img class="size-medium wp-image-385957 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/20211119_205143-1-scaled-crop-1362x895-1644361970-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />[player_tooltip player_id="248553" first="Kendall" last="Kane"] 2025, 6’0″ G (Bartram) Kane played well in the District tournament. Her improved ball-handling skills were obvious and she did a nice job of shooting the long ball in both District playoff games. The Freshman also rebounded well and consistently made good basketball plays throughout the District playoffs. Kane scored 9 in the first playoff game and 12 points in the semi-finals. Kane finished the season with 43 threes and shot 34 percent from behind the arc. Savannah Bischoff 2025 , 5’6″ G (Bartram) Bischoff came off of the bench and really made some clutch plays in the District semifinals, including a clutch 3 pointer and several free throws down the stretch. <img class="size-medium wp-image-385959 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/20211119_204213-scaled-crop-1362x895-1644362245-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="349375" first="Morgan" last="Gavazzi"] 2024, 5’6″ G (Ponte Vedra) scored 25 in the District finals, including 5 threes pointers to lead her team over undefeated St Augustine. Gavazzi also connected on 17 points in the District Semifinals. In the District playoffs, the Sophomore guard connected on 8 three-pointers.   [player_tooltip player_id="248348" first="Riley" last="Talbert"] 2024, 5’6″ G (Bishop Kenny). Talbert scored 15 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists in the District Championship game against Andrew Jackson. Talbert is a versatile guard and all season long Talbert has been the utility player that does well in multiple categories. Her play was instrumental in Bishop Kenny winning the District championship.   <img class="size-medium wp-image-385958 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/20211130_192054-1-1-scaled-crop-1362x895-1644362050-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />   [player_tooltip player_id="331745" first="Eris" last="Lester"] 2024, 5′10 G ( Orange Park) Lester scored 25 points in the District semifinals and 17 points in the District Championship game against Ridgeview. Lester is presently averaging 20.5 points per game. What’s impressive is her scoring consistency and her end-of-game shot chart. Lester scores on all three levels of the court and various degrees of difficulty. Lester also handles the ball very well and also is very productive on the boards. <img class="size-medium wp-image-360713 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/20211119_204229-186x300.jpg" alt="" width="186" height="300" />[player_tooltip player_id="248291" first="Kennedy" last="Rosendahl"] 2024, 5’7″ G (Ponte Vedra). Scored 26 in the seminars and 12 in the finals and knocked down 10 threes over the district playoffs to lead the Sharks over Nease, and then help the Sharks take down the undefeated St Augustine Yellow Jackets. Rosendahl has been lethal from behind the arc as of late and has knocked down an impressive 73 threes for the season. Rosendahl also does a good job of handling the ball and plays with a high basketball IQ. Kelly Cramer 2024, 5’6" G (St Joseph Academy) Cramer and team were outmanned in their matchup against St Johns Country Day, but Cramer was a standout with a double-double (17 points and 10 rebounds). Cramer handled the ball well and also showed the ability to shoot the ball from all levels of the court. Through 25 games, Cramer averaged 19.6 points per game, 7.2 points rebounds per game, and 3.7 assists per game. Cramer was also impressive on the defensive end of the court, especially her on-ball defense. <img class="size-medium wp-image-385960 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/20211214_202753-scaled-crop-1362x895-1644362356-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />[player_tooltip player_id="349325" first="Kennedy" last="Waymer"] 2024, 56″ G (Paxon). Waymer scored 14 points, recorded 5 assists, and 3 steals to lead Paxon to the 4A- 2 District Championship. Waymer has been consistent all year, averaging 13.2 points per game and 3.9 steals. Waymer is well-rounded and plays on both sides of the court. She is also an elite softball player.     <img class="size-medium wp-image-385961 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/20211207_203347-scaled-crop-1362x895-1644362425-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="248287" first="Kiyana" last="Hunter"] 2024, 5’3″ G (Mandarin). In the District semifinals, Hunter spearheaded a comeback with nine 4th quarter points, including a three-pointer and 4 free throws. Two of the free throws came in the final 20 seconds to tie the game. Hunter was also impressive on the defensive end down the stretch. In class 7A, Hunter and teammate, [player_tooltip player_id="349326" first="Nykeria" last="Thomas"] are two of the top Sophomore guards who both rank in the top 13 in assists and top 18 in steals. <img class="size-medium wp-image-386002 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/20211214_202853-scaled-crop-1290x848-1644367354-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />[player_tooltip player_id="374464" first="Ansley" last="Hicks"] 2024, 5’5 G (Paxon) All season, Hicks has played well and she continued her stellar play during the District playoffs. Hicks scored 11 and 10 points in the District playoffs and help lead Paxon to a District Championship. Hicks was also impressive in the championship game with 4 steals and solid defense.