ORANGE PARK - Ridgeview High girls basketball coach Gussie Solomon used the 1-2 punch of sisters Nacoya and Narissa Blocton to push her Panthers to a 20-6, region semifinal finish as the top performance for the girls athletics while senior cross country and track distance runner Braidyn Matz peaked at just about the right moment to be the bright spot for the boys sports teams at Ridgeview.
With the Blocton sisters handling a feed and shoot strategy challenging defenses to challenge the inside outside shooting of junior Narissa Blocton's 17.8 points per game and senior Nacoya Blocton's 15.2 points per game.
The third prong of Solomon's attack was senior three point ace Emma Rayes who added timely threes in key games to keep the Panthers rolling to an 11 game win streak in mid-season that, despite an upset loss in the district final to Orange Park, ended with Rayes pumping in 19 points in a region win over Choctawhatchee before the Panthers fell in double overtime in their region semifinal to region No. 1 seed Booker T. Washington.
The same three amigas combined talents in the spring with Rayes, in flag football, nearly turning a pretty good Panther season; four wins in last five games, into a barnburner finish with a switch from wide receiver to quarterback that almost upset state semifinalist Clay High Ridgeview girls weightlifting coach Trentin Davis muscled out a strong cadre of athletes that made strides at the state championships with twin powerhouses Jada (second Olympics) and Deja Hill (fifth in Olympics) blasting away with Ania Haber (third in Olympics) as contenders in the light weight categories pushing Ridgeview to a fifth place team finish in Olympics.
In track, senior long jumper Ann-gellica Taravine got a bronze at the state meet for a successful return to the state track that also got a best jump at almost 18 fee..
For the boys sports, senior track ace Braidyn Matz was a blue collar workhorse in both cross country and track; enough to get a third region ticket in cross country in one of the toughest tickets in Florida with the likes of perennial powers Ponte Vedra, Chiles, Niceville, Fleming Island and St. Augustine.
Matz became one of the toughest runners on the bubble of area cross country with a two minute plus improvement in his 5K times from his freshman region time of 19 plus to a senior finish in the 17 minutes range.
In track, Matz again finished in a flurry with a 2:00.44 800, 4:51 mile and 55 second 400 with a district title in the 800. Matz improved from a 2:18.08 as a freshman in the 800.
For other girls sports, in volleyball, with alum coach Jauhna Smith, the Lady Panthers were led by seniors Katie Cole at the net with Maddie Roach a tough defensive acrobat.
Football had Jauhna's dad, Merlin Smith, on that sideline trying to reformulate the Panthers into the once-power program of the area in his first season. Smith came in to build a new culture after a decade developing a powerhouse at Oakleaf Junior High and got a solid season of pretty good first halves of play and is working in 2025 to answer with just as strong second halves.
Top returner is grinder running back Christian Felder with quarterback Jordan Mesa now with a season under his belt.
Ridgeview boys golf was led by the senior trio of Joseph Derosa, Evan Rivera and Justin Studer with Derosa and Rivera getting a region ticket.
In girls golf, junior Nitaya Nhiev returns next year as the top hitter; 21st at districts.
Ridgeview wrestling got a handful of athletes to regions led by senior Jason Barrett, 32-16, and freshman Chris Polk 22-15, both leading a handful of Panthers to the region championships.
Junior swimmer Connor Murphy scored 28 points in districts with top five finishes in four events with sophomore Ben Kollasch a hair behind him in the 100 free.
On the diamonds in the springs, softball coach Angela Agurkins put the scare into a few teams with her young team and is looking forward to 2026 with a full crew coming back. Agurkis got tough games from her girls, led by senior Peyton Kirk and junior Nichole Deschamps with pitcher Saige Bialek on the mound to get an eighth inning win over Keystone Heights and a tough 5-3 loss to Oakleaf.
Ridgeview baseball lost in their district final with catcher Clayton Gulbrand a top batter.
Ridgeview's girls tennis made it to regions, but had to face off against eventual Class 3A champion Nease in the first round.
The boys tennis also got to regions with a first round loss to Ponte Vedra.
Boys soccer, 8-7-1, finished with five wins and a tie, but lost in district semis to Fleming Island led by seniors Justin Studer and Jacob Salazar.
Girls soccer, under alum first year coach Autumn Woodard, got just one win.