The 2025-2026 School Year has gotten off to a really good start for Seminole County schools.
Back in early November, the Oviedo High School girls volleyball team pulled off a surprising victory over 2-time defending champion St. Thomas Aquinas, rallying from two sets down to win the Class 6A State Championship.
Then just last week, the Lake Mary High School football team pulled off a miracle of its own, rallying from a 21-3 halftime deficit to beat undefeated and top-seeded Vero Beach, 28-27, on a last second Hail Mary pass in the Class 7A Championship Game, and win its first football state title.
In between those two state winners, and almost missed in the celebration of Thanksgiving, was the Circle Christian School girls golf team extending an amazing streak for Seminole County programs in prep golf, easing its way to the Class 1A State Championship at Mission Resort + Club in Howey-in-the-Hills the weekend of November 14-15.
It actually ended up being a great weekend for the Winter Springs-based school as the Centurians also claimed third place in the Boys Class 1A Championships.
The Lake Mary football team was under the direction of 20-year veteran Head Coach Scott Perry, who was assisted by Adam Donnelly, Curtis Smith, Tyson Hinshaw, Scottie Pierce, John Rega, Ryan Ruland, Rob Marler, Steve Laurence, Mark Cardegnio and Quan Boone.
The Rams’ roster was made up of:
SENIORS _ Mason Arnott, Myles Barnes, Braeden Buchalter, Jamarion Coleman, Richie Crouse, Curtis Crowder-Wood, Lavonn Crumpler, Chad Dannhaeuser, Terrance Dixon, O’Shea Faison, Oakley Foster, Noah Grubbs, Asher Hudock, Davin Isaacs, Riley Lewellen, Donovan Little, Malik Lumb, Keaton Lyons, Ellio Medugno, Brennan Mercado, Nazir McMillan, Evan Mollerup, Chandler Monconduit, Troy Pope, Rodriguez-Maldonaldo, Jolen Royal, Patrick Ryan, Barrett Schulz, Teddy Stanley, Ashton Sylvain, Tyler Taub, Adam Treanor, Chase Truesdell and Bradley Williams.
JUNIORS _ Braylon Bagley, Carter Bekemeyer, Eli Chivington, Cash Downs, Tanner Gierum, Malakii Haliburton, Tyler Horton, Grady Isaacs, Gavin Kaminski, Sam Nelson, Lucas Parker, Ronald Parkinson Jr., Jahvon Robinson, Damarion Simmons, Anthony Totin, Slade Wittstock and AaronYoung.
SOPHOMORES _ Justin Barnes, TJ Brundidge, Trevin Giddens, Gio Gonzalez, Zo John, Ben Layton, James Littles, Cam Scott and Troy Turner.
FRESHMEN _ Owen Fouse, Landon Haniff, Luke Hughes, Landon Lester, Xavier McKinney, Holan Rio and Caleb Thomas.
The Circle Christian girls winning the Class 1A State Championship marked the 32nd time since 1995 that a county program has claimed a state title, including winning at least one class championship in 13 of the last 14 years, and 21st out of 24 the past years of having a team finish either first or second.
Only in 2003, 2010 and 2011 has no Seminole County school not finish in the Top 2.
Circle Christian also had two individuals finish on the podium (top 3) as senior Isabella Dovhey survived a 5-person playoff to win the Class 1A Individual Girls State Championship and senior Luke Gossett finished in third place among Class 1A Individual Boys.
The Circle Christian Girls were coached by Allyson Kotes and Barb Mucha.
Scoring for the Centurians in the State Final were seniors Isabella Dovhey, Ana Boone and Ava M. Saavedra-Fundora and juniors Nicole Sardinha and Angelina Pacheco. Also on the roster were senior Carlie Stewart, junior Alexis Burbank and sophomore Christiana Ashley.
The boys were coached by Wade Gossett with seniors Luke Gossett and Dylan Kotes, junior Orlando Torres and sophomores Karl Stenson and Ryker Huther making up the state roster and senior Jackson Bryant, juniors Orlando Torres and Baer Selfors, sophomores Colby Colangelo and Collin Morris, freshman Ethan Nejman, 8th-grader Hogan Bennett, 7th-graders Palmer Cowden and Chase Perez and 6th-grader Jionni Urbina also on the roster.
