Paige Knoth is a sophomore goalkeeper on the Barron Collier High School girls soccer team. She has been amazing in the net for the Cougars, giving up only four goals in four games on 32 shots. Paige has two shutouts so far this season in wins against North Fort Myers and Bishop Verot. Coaches say that she has played a crucial role in the team's success. 

Senior Riley Aldana is a four-year varsity mid-fielder on the Golden Gate High School boys soccer team. This team captain has had a solid start through the first nine games, scoring 17 goals with another 7 assists. Riley’s hard work doesn’t just pay off on the soccer field, it continues in the classroom as well where he carries an impressive 4.0 GPA. 

Everglades City School’s Jayde Freeman is co-captain and a returning starting forward on the Gators basketball team. She is averaging 7 points per game, including a game and season high of 15 points earlier in the season. According to Jayde’s coaches, the sophomore has become a team leader and a great role model for her young teammates. 

Phillip Hajjar is a senior forward on the Gulf Coast High School boys soccer team. This captain is off to a solid start with 8 goals and 3 assists in the first 6 games giving him a total of 20 goals in his career for the Sharks. According to coaches, Phillip is the heart and soul of the team, using his strong leadership and energy as a driving force. He is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club and carries a 4.28 GPA in the classroom. 

Immokalee High School’s Julian Saldana has been the starting goalkeeper for the boys soccer team for the past two seasons. The junior has allowed only 7 goals in 11 games – including 6 shutouts. This dynamo also has 20 saves on the books just this season. Versatility should be Julian’s middle name as he is also the starting kicker for the Indians’ football team. 

Mark Belizaire, a senior point guard on Lely High School's boys basketball team, brings a ton of experience to the court. He’s a four-year varsity player, including three years as a starter. Mark averages 14.5 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals per game – contributing to the Trojans’ 8 wins so far this season. 

Senior Matthieu Vickaryous is a versatile player on the Naples High School boys soccer team. This captain has helped the Eagles win 9 of the last 14 games. From his mid-fielder position, Matthieu has seven shots on goal in nine games. Coaches say Matthieu is capable of playing any position on the field. He takes care of business in the classroom as well, posting a weighted 4.5 GPA.

Palmetto Ridge High School senior Iago Stanback has helped lead the Bears to an impressive 11-1 start to the season. The shooting guard is averaging 18.8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks per game. Iago has earned the MaxPreps Player of the Game award 13 times in his career and is currently the 74th ranked player in the state. He is stellar in the classroom as well with a 4.1 GPA.

Brayden Touchette is a force to be reckoned with on the Barron Collier High School basketball team. During the Cougars' 4-0 start this season, Brayden is averaging 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists – including a huge recent game with 15 pts, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals. Coaches say Brayden "continues to grow on and off the court and is consistent in all aspects of the game!

Freshman Randall Billie from Everglades City School is already making a huge impact on the basketball team this season. He leads the team in scoring with an impressive 24 points per game average. Randall excels on the defensive end of the court as well, leading the team with eight steals. Coaches say he "plays with passion and sportsmanship and they look forward to seeing him continue to improve.

Golden Gate High school senior Angealina Aldana is a four-year varsity soccer player and is a team captain for this year’s team. Angealina has scored five goals and has three assists so far this season. Coaches credit Angealina for making everyone around her better and for being an awesome role model for her peers. She excels in the classroom as well carrying a strong 4.4 GPA.

Wiley Thornton is a multi-talented athlete at Gulf Coast High School. Now in his senior year, Wiley has made his mark as a swimmer and member of the Sharks basketball team. In the pool this past season, he made 1st team Collier County Athletic Conference (CCAC) in the 200yd free relay and the 100yd backstroke events. Wiley carries an impressive 5.32 GPA and is ranked fourth in his class.

Senior Alijah Pierre is co-captain of the Immokalee High School boys basketball team. The explosive guard and team floor general has led the Indians to an impressive 3-0 start this season. Alijah averaged 22 points, 2.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2 steals per game during the 3 games. He also shot an incredible 63% from the field and 46% from 3-point range. Great job, Alijah!

Lely High School’s Lashawnda Dareus is a junior shooting guard and team captain on the lady Trojans basketball team. She is having a solid year so far this season. In her first 6 games, she averaged 10 points, 3 rebounds, and an impressive 3 steals per game! Be on the lookout for more great performances from this student-athlete!

Bridgette Graney is a senior at Naples High School. She is a mid-fielder on the girls soccer team and helped lead the Eagles to a State Runner-up finish last season. She is the recipient of the prestigious Naples High School Student-Athlete Award and currently carries an equally impressive 4.6 weighted GPA in the classroom. 

Senior Fernanda Soto from Palmetto Ridge High School is a center mid-fielder and team captain on the girls soccer team. She has helped lead the Bears to a 3-3 record this season, and has netted three goals so far. Fernanda has bounced back strong from an ACL injury she suffered last year and according to her coaches, has become a positive example for young players. 

Barron Collier High School senior Catie Laur is captain of the girls swimming team. She dominated at Districts this year, winning three out of the four events she competed in. Her outstanding performance was key to helping the Cougars capture a team District Championship. Coaches say that Catie consistently supports and encourages her teammates.

Freshman Dionisio Ramos Valle runs cross country at Everglades City School. He has made great strides this year, improving his personal 5K race time from 31:43.3 to 26:46.9. This improvement allowed him to qualify for the Class 1A District race. According to Dionisio’s coaches, he is a great source of encouragement to his teammates, urging everyone to push themselves and improve.

Trayvon Jean, a sophomore at Golden Gate High School, is one of the best football players in the state. He is the leading rusher in Southwest Florida, compiling an incredible 1,447 rushing yards (school record) on 198 carries and 9 touchdowns in just 9 games! Trayvon will look to add to that rushing total in the Titans’ upcoming final game.

Junior Will Montanye is a 1st team All-Region, All-District, and All-County cross country runner at Gulf Coast High School. He qualified for the Class 4A FHSAA State Championship (where he finished 44th) after setting a new 5K school record of 15:34 at the District meet! He is a member of the National Honor Society, the GCHS Student-Athlete Leadership Team, and carries a 4.12 GPA in the classroom.

Immokalee High School senior Kayla Ocanas is captain of the volleyball team. In her position as setter, she helped lead the Indians to a six-win season after going winless the previous two seasons. But Kayla’s contribution to the team’s success doesn’t stop there. She is also as a key server, leading the team with an impressive 95% service percentage and 56 aces!

Caelan Burt, a junior swimmer at Lely High School, is District Champion in both the 50m and 100m freestyle events. At the Regional Championship, she set two new school records for the same events – 24.15 in the 50m and 52.32 in the 100m. Caelan puts forth 110% in the classroom as well, currently ranked fourth in her class with a 4.64 GPA.

Senior Jack Tucker is an exceptional diver on the boys swimming/diving team at Naples High School. He brought home the 2022 District Championship in the 1m dive event with a score of 309, earning him a trip to the Class 3A FHSAA State Championship where he finished eighth. Jack carries a 5.3 weighted GPA in the classroom and won the prestigious NHS Student-Athlete Award in 2021.

Palmetto Ridge High School sophomore Isabel Rasmussen is a dynamic swimmer. In the Regional Championship meet, she competed in two individual events – the 100m backstroke and the 500m freestyle – where she finished 14th and 13th, respectively. For the second year in a row, Isabel qualified for the Class 4A FHSAA State Championship in the 500m freestyle event.

Barron Collier High School senior Nikki Okenka played tennis at the #1 position for both singles and doubles. The team captain was a two-time Singles District Champion and finished the season 7-1 in doubles. Nikki led the Cougars to the State Team Championships this season, helping propel the team into the Final Four. She will attend Hawaii Pacific University this fall.

Freshman Jayde Freeman played second base and pitcher on the Everglades City School softball team. She had a stellar .647 slugging percentage with 18 runs scored and 13 stolen bases. Equally impressive on defense, she had a .667 fielding percentage. According to her coaches, Jayde’s hard work and versatility made her an invaluable contributor to the Gators softball program.

Kiara Vazquez was a senior captain on the Golden Gate High School softball team and the only member of the team to play all four years. As the primary leadoff hitter, she finished her career with an impressive .300 batting average. Although Kiara was the Titans’ catcher, coaches say she was versatile enough to play multiple positions as needed; making sure the team was always ready to play on game day.

Gulf Coast High School junior Konner Barrett is a three-star quarterback recruit. Coaches say he has shown tremendous leadership and growth during offseason. He had an outstanding spring game performance, throwing 11/12 for 216 yards and 2 TD’s. He added another 89 yards on 5 carries with 2 rushing TDs. Konner has had multiple DI scholarship offers and is looking forward to playing next year and at the next level.

Ramiro Martinez was a junior captain on the Immokalee High School lacrosse team. He was a strong defender for the Indians this year, leading the team with causing 43 turnovers, 24 ground balls, and scoring a goal. Ramiro was named to the All-CCAC (Collier County Athletic Conference) 2nd Team and was a Naples Daily News All-Area Honorable Mention. Coaches say he will be a key member next year.

Lely High School junior Jakeem Tanelus was a valuable, multi-position football player for the Trojans. During the spring game against Lehigh, he lined up as a wide receiver on offense, took a few snaps as quarterback, and played defensive back on defense. He caught 4 passes for 42 yards, as quarterback threw 3/6 for 24 yards, and had three tackles and a pass breakup. That’s quite the range!

Michael Graziano was a junior baseball player at Naples High School. He helped guide the Eagles to a Regional Championship and state qualifying berth. Michael was awarded the 2022 Best Offensive Player Award after batting .385 with 16 RBI's, 30 runs scored, and a .454 on-base percentage. He has already verbally committed to Georgia Tech University to continue his baseball career.

Jordan Velasquez was a senior at Palmetto Ridge High School on both the track and cross country teams. He finished his career strong as anchor for this year’s state qualifying boys 4x800m relay team, placing 8th (8:00.32) at the Class 4A State Finals meet. He was also instrumental in helping the cross country team qualify for the State meet two years in a row. Jordan will enter the US Marine Corps. Good luck!

Hudson Casto is a freshman distance runner at Barron Collier High School that is already making a huge impact on the Cougars’ track & field team. Most recently, he broke a nine-year freshman record in the 5K race at the Babe Zaharias Invitational meet in Tampa and was the top freshman finisher. In fact, Hudson currently has the fourth fastest 5K time of any freshman in the state. Look for more great things coming from this athlete!

Everglades City School junior Shelby Ryder is a middle volleyball player for the Gators. Already this season, her second year on Varsity, she has quickly become a team leader. Shelby’s coaches say she is instrumental in providing solid leadership at practices and is helping the team develop great work habits. Shelby is always encouraging her teammates which makes her an invaluable asset to the team.

Sophomore Rebekah Foster is a swimmer at Golden Gate High School poised to have another solid season after being an essential part of the Titans' swim team last year. She recorded a time of 27.31 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle at last year’s District meet and an impressive time of 1:00.38 seconds in the 100-meter freestyle. Coaches say Rebekah inspires her teammates, keeps a positive attitude, and they look forward to her progressing even more this year!

Gulf Coast High School junior Ryan Miller is off to a great start on the golf course. Over the summer, this golfer finished with a two-day, six-under-par performance to win the Brendan Cunningham Junior Open! In the Sharks’ first team tournament event this season, he posted a one-over-par score of 73 to help his team win the John Ryan Invitational by 11 strokes. Ryan is also top-notch in the classroom with a strong 3.9 GPA.

Darian Robinson is an Immokalee High School junior football player. As one of the team’s starting running backs, he has been very impressive so far this season. Darian ran for a spectacular 195 yards with 4 touchdowns in the Kickoff Classic game and followed up in game two with another 95 yards on 13 carries. Coaches say that Darian is a smart player and they are expecting even more big things from him this season!

Guerschom Guerrier is a senior at Lely High School. He is a key part of the Trojans football team, utilizing his talents on both sides of the ball. Guerschom is a starting running back on offense AND starting linebacker on defense. In just two games this season, he has rushed for 305 yards with 3 touchdowns on 38 carries, including an incredible game against Riverdale where he ran for 199 yards and scored 2 touchdowns!

Senior Kendrick Raphael from Naples High School is a dynamic running back for the Eagles. He has racked up a total of 238 yards on 17 carries and has scored 4 touchdowns in just 2 games! Kendrick has earned two varsity letters for both football and track & field. This hardworking student-athlete shines in the classroom as well carrying a 3.8 GPA and has committed to play football next fall at the University of Iowa.

Palmetto Ridge High School junior Demetri Zertopoulis is the starting quarterback for the Bears and has established himself as a true leader of the team. In an early-season victory over Key West High School, Demetri had a great performance, completing 6 of 13 passes for 223 yards and 3 touchdowns. He is also an accomplished wrestler, finishing as the State Individual Runner Up last year to help the Bears win their first-ever team State Championship.