By Johnny Inama

     The Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS) Sharks boys soccer team finished the regular season with a 4-6-3 overall record, 2-0-1 district record, and a three-game winning streak, heading into the 6A District 3 playoffs. They were given the four seed in the tournament, and were matched up with the Fletcher High School (FHS) Senators, a team they had just beat 5-0 to close out the regular season on Jan. 19. The game was played on Jan. 26, and the Sharks carried their momentum from the previous match as they scored within the opening minutes of the match, with a goal from senior attacking midfielder, Joey Stephens, to put the Sharks up early. Just a few minutes later, a corner was played into the box by the Sharks and junior striker, Thomas Arndt, snuck the ball past the goal keeper with a header in a crowded box. The attacking onslaught continued as five minutes later, a perfect ball was played into the box, and senior winger, Bobby Hitchcock, played it to the back post and made it 3-0 within the first fourteen minutes of the match. And four minutes later, the Senators defense broke loose yet again and Arndt sprinted by the defenders and scored his second goal to put the Sharks up 4-0 with over twenty minutes left in the first half. With eight minutes left in the first half, Stephens weaved in and out of the Senators defense, and scored a shot from right outside the box to make it 5-0. The Sharks confidence was at an all-time high, and now within the opening minutes of the second half, another great ball was played into the box, and sophomore midfielder, Jake Romano, scored yet another goal to make it 6-0. The Sharks defense finally gave up a chance to the Senators, and gave up a goal to eliminate the shutout, but the Sharks still closed out the match with a 6-1 win to keep them alive in the playoffs.

     The following game for the Sharks was the 6A District 3 semifinals against Fleming Island High School on Dec. 30, a team that the Sharks had previously defeated on Jan. 11 by a score of 1-0. The game started slower than their previous game, as the Sharks could not get much going on the attack until the fourteenth minute, as a corner kick was played into the box, and Arndt finished in a crowded box to put the Sharks up 1-0. The defense, however, continued their dominance from the prior game as they suffocated the Golden Eagle attack for the remainder of the first half, giving the Sharks a one goal lead at half. The same story of the first half continued into the second, as great defensive play out the back and from the midfield kept the Golden Eagles from having any scoring chances, and a scoreless second half meant the Sharks would be moving on to the district finals in their next match.

     The 6A District 3 finals were held on Feb. 1, with the Sharks hosting the Nease High School Panthers. Their matchup earlier this season ended in a 1-1 draw on Nov. 21, and the Sharks were looking to take home a district title against their in-town rivals. The game was very back and forth through the first half of play, and the game was very physical. Neither team could convert on their chances, and the game went into the half scoreless. The second half saw multiple yellow cards handed out to both teams, but with less than twenty minutes remaining, the Sharks defense broke loose, and the Panthers scored to make it 1-0 Nease High School. The Sharks had multiple late chances, but they could not convert and the Sharks suffered their first loss of the new year. Their regular season record was not quite good enough to advance them, meaning the season was now over for the Sharks. The team saw many losses to start the season, but their late season winning streak kept them afloat, and ultimately just a goal away from the regional playoffs. “We started off the season rough but after winter break we all started working as a team. Once we finally overcame that hump we started playing to our true potential,” said Hitchcock. The Sharks finished first place in the end of regular season district standings with a 2-0-1 district record and an overall record of 6-7-3 on the season, and will head into the 2024-2025 campaign looking to reclaim the district title.

Pictured: Jeffery Tillman walking and waiting for the ball