First Coast Varsity Weekly: Magic moments for Myjai Sanders, Jordan Jackson at NFL Draft

From the 904 to the NFL.

Cincinnati defensive end Myjai Sanders and Air Force defensive tackle Jordan Jackson became the latest Jacksonville-area players selected in the NFL Draft, after their selections during the three-day NFL Draft in Las Vegas.

Sanders, who finished his high school career at Camden County in Southeast Georgia after beginning at Raines, went to the Arizona Cardinals with the 100th overall pick in the third round.

Listed at 6-5, 228 pounds, Sanders earned American Athletic Conference honors in his junior year, when he recorded seven sacks and 10 1/2 tackles for loss. His role shifted with the Bearcats shifted in 2021, placing less emphasis on his pass-rushing skills.

He's the second Camden County defensive line draftee in a three-year span, after the Buffalo Bills selected Darryl Johnson from North Carolina A&T in the seventh round in 2019. Johnson played last year with the Carolina Panthers.

Then, in the sixth round, the New Orleans Saints used the 194th overall pick on Jackson, a sixth-year senior who played his high school career under the late Corky Rogers at Bolles.

Jackson, listed at 6-5, 285, recorded seven and a half sacks as a senior and ranks second in Air Force history in career sack yardage with 137 yards. He is eligible to play for the Saints immediately.

Former Trinity Christian cornerback Deontai Williams also made his move into the league, signing as an undrafted free agent with the Seattle Seahawks.

Making the grade:Early Jaguars' NFL draft report card shows some promise

First Coast All-FBS football:Northeast Florida's best in major college football in 2021

Mandarin's Kelly rockets up U.S. list

By now, nobody is surprised by Da'Moni Kelly's track and field feats — even when it means climbing into the national top five.

The Mandarin senior obliterated her personal best at last week's Florida High School Athletic Association District 2-4A track and field meet at Flagler Palm Coast, launching a winning shot put of 49 feet and 1 inch.

That throw not only won the meet by more than 12 feet over the runner-up, Mandarin teammate Aliyah Robertson, but rocketed her to fifth on the national list through the end of districts. Kelly currently stands sixth following a new nation-best 50 feet, 6 inches from Emma Callahan of Shenango (Pa.) on Saturday.

Kelly's throw is the longest in the MileSplit girls archives for a Florida athlete since Miami Northwestern's Lloydricia Cameron threw 49 feet, 6 1/2 inches at the USA Track & Field World Youth Trials in June 2013 in Edwardsville, Ill., and the longest recorded in a high school meet on Florida soil since Miami Southridge's Zakeya Stinson threw 49 feet, 7 1/2 inches at the Bob Hayes Invitational at Raines on March 15, 2008. 

As a bonus, Kelly also won the District 2-4A girls discus — she's ranked first in the state at that event as well — while helping the Mustangs to the district team title on points. Lindsay Gonzales (1,600-meter run), Annie Loehle (3,200), Terren Peterson (400) and Alyssa Wyatt (800) also won events for Mandarin.

More from the district track meets during the week:

• Now that it's playoff time, Rheinhardt Harrison is placing his emphasis on the 800. Nease's back-to-back-to-back state cross country champion raced only the 800 in District 2-4A, bypassing the 1,600 and 3,200 that he won in 2021. He's the fastest in Florida at the distance, running 1:53.82, and he's got a chance to run still faster at Saturday's regional.

• The girls sprint races in Region 1-4A? Buckle up. The showdown is between Peterson, Creekside's Sydney Campbell and First Coast's Armanie Coleman, and their district battles were thrillers. Campbell won the 100 in 11.96, five-hundredths of a second ahead of Coleman and eight-hundredths ahead of Peterson; Campbell again edged Peterson and Coleman in the 200, this time by 0.20 seconds; and Peterson squeezed past Campbell by 0.01 seconds in the 400.

• Less than a second separating the top five... in an 800? That was the story at District 4-2A at Bolles, among the fastest boys 800s anywhere. Bolles' Colin Duhnoski won at a blistering pace in 1:55.98, closely followed by teammate Daniel deMonte (1:56.10), Episcopal's Michael Officer (1:56.23), Jackson's Dashawn Bruist (1:56.92) and Bolles' Jack Camp (1:56.95). 

• Dylan Freet entered the record books as Tocoi Creek's first district track champion, and the junior did it not once but twice. Freet won the shot put with a throw of 53 feet, 3 1/2 inches, then took the discus in 156 feet, 10 inches. 

• It's triple-double time at St. Johns Country Day, and this time, the topic isn't one of Taliah Scott's basketball feats. The Spartans' Matthew Stratton and Graham Myers ran 1-2 in the District 4-1A boys 800, 1,600 and 3,200 at Bishop Snyder, a punishing sweep of the distance events. St. Johns won the boys 4x800 relay as well.

• Providence won both the boys and girls team titles in District 4-1A, and the feat was a Dixon delight: five combined individual titles. Skyy Dixon swept the girls sprints with decisive wins in the 100, 200 and 400, while Omarr Dixon won the boys high jump and 200 while placing second to St. Johns Country Day's Walker Cowherd in the 400.

Perfect Panther: Arrocha stars for Ridgeview

Senior night is always a highlight.

Austin Arrocha made sure his senior night was a moment to remember for a lifetime.

The Ridgeview senior pitched a perfect game Tuesday, his final regular-season home contest, against Christ's Church.

Arrocha retired all 21 batters in the 1-0 Panther victory, striking out 10. The Eagles only hit four balls out of the infield, all of them fly-outs to center fielder Jacob Rowe.

As it turned out, the Panthers needed a near-perfect performance. They only scored once on the night, on an RBI groundout by Marquee Williams in the bottom of the third. 

PLAYOFF BALL:Full district tournament schedules, Northeast Florida high school baseball

Breaking down the bracket:Inside Jacksonville high school baseball district tournaments

National spotlight on Bolles, Episcopal

Last month's six-way showdown between Bolles and Episcopal is now grabbing some national attention.

The National Federation of State High School Associations featured the April 1 contests, which previously appeared in First Coast Varsity Weekly, as part of its new NFHS Overtime video series.

The series highlights top performances and special events in high school sports across the nation. The episode including the Bolles-Episcopal series is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Its3ZJ80NPY.

The Jacksonville private school rivals faced off in six sports (baseball, softball, boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, boys tennis and girls tennis) in the same afternoon, ending with a 3-3 split.

PLAYOFF TIME:Full district tournament schedules, Northeast Florida high school softball

Breaking down the bracket:Inside Jacksonville high school softball district tournaments

Marsee lifts national weightlifting award

Add one more award to the superb Suwannee career of Matti Marsee.

The senior was selected Sunday as the female High School All-American

Athlete of the Year from the National High School Strength Coaches Association.

Marsee captured her third consecutive FHSAA girls weightlifting championship

in February, winning at the 119-pound category. Her 2020 and 2021 titles were both at the 109-pound classification.

In all, Marsee was selected from among 25 girls weightlifters across the nation who received the All-American designation.

Slugger to speak:Andruw Jones to speak at Greater Jacksonville High School Sports Awards

Golden Eagles, Knights lead Clay track

Clay County rolled out its annual All-County track and field team, with a heavy selection of Fleming Island and Oakleaf athletes in the annual list.

Fleming Island senior Alex Bendig achieved first-team boys honors in both the 800-meter run and the 1,600. He also anchored the 4x800 relay for the Golden Eagles, the fastest in the county.

Fleming Island also had three other first-team honorees in Brenden Cook (110 hurdles), John Keester IV (3,200) and Antoine Sandy (high jump).

The additional first-team boys selections were Middleburg's Chris Gray (pole vault), Mike Mitchell (100) and Wyatt Underwood (discus); Oakleaf's Jordan Mitchell (shot put) and Josber Stimphil (400); Orange Park's Timothy Barfield (300 hurdles), Josiah Sabino (triple jump), Larry Thomas (200) and 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams; and Ridgeview's Pablo Gonzalez (javelin) and Eddie Whipple (long jump).

Oakleaf's Arianna Eason made the first team in the girls 100 and triple jump and second team in the 200 and long jump, while also leading off the Knights' first-team 4x100 relay.

Oakleaf girls first-team honorees also included Kaymin Sales (200), Taylor Silkert (400), Sierra Barrera (800 and 1,600), Keira Smalls (100 hurdles), Sydney Brown (high jump), Nya Russell (long jump) and the 4x400 relay.

Other first-teamers were Clay's Annalee Harbinson (discus and shot put), Clay's Ashanti Jones (javelin), Fleming Island's Aydan Larson (300 hurdles), Fleming Island's Ava Hendrix (3,200), Middleburg's Piper Fugate (pole vault) and the Fleming Island 4x800 relay.