The following is a look at the high school varsity teams and individuals that won championships at the district, regional or state levels, earned medals in state competition or that qualified to participate in regional and state competitions in 2021. Any omissions are unintentional.
BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Keystone Heights High School won 30 individual/team championships in 2021 at the district, regional and state levels, with the boys weightlifting team accounting for 19 of those.
It was certainly a good year for the weightlifting team, which won the District 8 and Region 2 championships before capturing the Class 1A state title for the second time in eight years.
The Indians had nine lifters earn medals at state, including Zach Glover and Kade Sanders, who were the champions in their respective weight classes. The effort resulted in Keystone compiling 37 points, which put the Indians ahead of runner-up Mount Dora, which had 30 points.
Following an undefeated regular season, Keystone won the District 8 championship, winning eight of the 10 weight classes. The individual district champs were Reid Begue with a 325 total in the 119 class, Glover with a 480 total in the 139 class, Nathan Tisdale with a 525 total in the 154 class, Logan Williams with a 555 total in the 169 class, Tyler Jenkins with a 565 total in the 183 class, Tyler Anthony-Rozier with a 520 total in the 199 class, Caleb Moncrief with a school-record 605 total in the 219 class and Mason Dicks with a 665 total in the heavyweight class.
Keystone had 18 in all qualify for the right to compete at the regional level as the top six in each class advanced. Besides the eight champs, the Indians had five who finished as runners-up to their own teammates: Wyatt Van Zant in the 119 class (300 total), Colton Tibbetts in the 154 class (475), Sanders in the 169 class (550), Kaleb Vojnovski in the 183 class (560) and Brayden Hall in the 199 class (465).
Earning third-place finishes were Sam Ulsch in the 139 class (390), Bryson Wester in the 219 class (490) and Luke Snider in the heavyweight class (575).
John DeWees and Declan Shine placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 129 class. DeWees had a 280 total, while Shine had a 260 total.
At the Region 2 finals, the Indians had six champions and qualified 13 in all for state. All but four of their participating 18 lifters placed in the top six, earning points to help give Keystone the team championship trophy.
Individual champs were Begue (330), Glover (480), Tisdale (520), Sanders (555), Moncrief (580) and Dicks (635).
Seven lifters earned at-large state berths based on their Region 2 performances. Two of those were placed second in their classes: Tibbetts (510), who finished behind Tisdale, and Anthony-Rozier (515).
Three at-large berths were earned by fourth-place finishers Van Zant (315), Jenkins (545) and Snider (575), while Ulsch and Vojnovski earned the right to advance off their fifth- and sixth-place finishes, respectively. Ulsch had a 395 total, while Vojnovski had a 520
total.
Though the Indians won the team state championship in 2014, 2021 marked the first time since 1998 that the school had produced an individual champion (Bear Snay, 154 class).
With Glover and Sanders both winning their classes, it was the first time the program has ever had multiple state champs.
Glover won his title with a 460 total, while Sanders won his with a 565 total.
Van Zant was 10 pounds away from being the state champ in the 119 class. He had a second-place total of 350.
Tibbetts (520) and Dicks (670) placed third in their classes, while the following placed fourth: Tisdale (505), Vojnovski (565) and Moncrief (600).
Jenkins earned the final medal for Keystone with a sixth-place total of 560.
Begue (325) and Ulsch (400) placed seventh and eighth, respectively, while Anthony-Rozier (520) and Snider (580) each placed 14th.
Williams and Wright compete at state
Aside from boys weightlifting, Keystone had two individuals qualify for state competition in track and field’s Camryn Williams and girls weightlifting’s Kaylee Wright.
Williams accounted for two of four District 5-2A championships won by Keystone in track and field. She won the 1600m with a time of 5:32 and the 3200m with a time of 13:01. Girls teammate Kendall Gagnon won the javelin with a throw of 79 feet, 10 inches, while boys team member Caleb Moncrief won the discus with a throw of 133-1.
The boys 4x400m relay team of Shepherd Rozier, Tyler Griffin, Tyler Shaw and Byron Bach also earned the right to advance to regional competition with a fourth-place time of 3:46.
At the Region 2 finals, Williams won the 1600m with a time of 5:10. She was Keystone’s only regional participant to qualify for state.
Williams placed 14th at state with a time of 5:42.
Wright was part of a girls weightlifting team that was the District 5-1A runner-up. She and 13 of her teammates earned the right to compete at the regional level.
The Indians had two individual district champs in Kenslee Phillips, who had a 100 total in the 101 class, and Rozlynn Sames, who had a 225 total in the 139 class.
Cadence Dickerson and Grace Wagner were runners-up, with Dickerson lifting a total of 135 in the 110 class and Wagner lifting a total of 220 tin the 139 class.
Four lifters placed third: Abbigail Anthony-Rozier in the 110 class (120 total), Chloe Still in the 129 class (150), Lillian Mitchell in the 183 class (210) and Wright in the 199 class (260).
Heidi Knapp and Hailyn Knight were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 119 class. Knapp had a 150 total, while Knight had a 140 total. Schiley Starling placed fourth in the 129 class (135), while Ariel King was fifth in the 154 class (205).
Two earned sixth-place finishes: Kaya Gwynn in the 154 class (145) and Dezaray Bright in the 199 class (175).
At the Region 2 finals, Wright became Keystone’s first lifter since Morgan Boettcher in 2013 to qualify for state. She placed fifth with a total of 265.
Wright capped her season with an 11th-place finish at state. She had a total of 290.
Raab’s a district champ in wrestling
Stephan Raab won the championship in his weight class, while seven of his teammates placed second, third or fourth at the District 2-1A wrestling finals.
All earned the right to move on to regional-level competition.
Raab won the 195 class, pinning his first opponent in one minute and then winning the championship by pinning his opponent in 5:15.
Sheppard Wingate was the runner-up in the 160 class. Being the top seed in a class of only three wrestlers automatically put him in the championship match, which he lost due to an injury default.
Four earned third-place finishes: Ethan Crosby in the 126 class, Saige Dennis in the 138 class, Canyon Hayes in the 145 class and Gabe Adams in the 285 class.
Tyce Pigga and Alyx Nichols, wrestling in the 132 and 152 classes, respectively, each placed fourth.
At the Region 2 finals, Raab was the only Keystone wrestler to earn a win. He went 1-2.
Rally gives baseball team district trophy
Connor Guy delivered the game-winning hit as the Keystone baseball team rallied from a one-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Baldwin 6-5 and win the District 3-3A championship.
The Indians entered the tournament having won seven of nine games. They took on P.K. Yonge in the semifinals, with pitcher Mike Moreland giving up two hits in an 11-0 win.
The bulk of the Indians’ runs occurred in the second and third innings.
Guy hit a two-RBI triple as part of a four-run second, that also included an RBI single by Moreland and an RBI on a ground out by Carson Osteen.
Keystone pushed six runs across in the third. Chase Packham drove in two with a single, while Dalton Hollingsworth drove in one when he ground into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded. Runs also scored on a passed ball and a bases-loaded balk, while Guy drove in one by drawing a bases-loaded walk.
Guy finished with three RBI, while Packham, who went 2-for-3, and Osteen each had two.
Moreland, who went 2-for-2, and Hollingsworth each had one RBI.
Evan Andrews went 2-for-3.
Moreland gave up no walks and struck out four in earning the win.
In the District 3 championship game, Baldwin took a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Hollingsworth scored the Indians’ first run on a balk in the second inning.
The Indians tied the game in the bottom of the third on Ty Glenn’s two-out, two-run double.
Each team scored a run in the sixth, with Hollingsworth scoring Keystone’s run on an error.
Keystone trailed 5-4 entering the bottom of the seventh. Packham and Osteen — the first two batters were hit by pitches.
The first two batters — Chase Packham and Carson Osteen — were hit by pitches. Jeremy Miller reached on a bunt single to load the bases with no outs for Guy, who hit a 1-0 pitch into right field that scored both Packham and Osteen.
Guy and Osteen finished 2-for-3 and 2-for-4, respectively.
The Indians’ season came to an end with a 5-1 loss to Episcopal in the Region 1 quarterfinals.
Keystone managed only four hits, with Osteen going 2-for-3.
Glenn drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk to force in the Indians’ only run.
Keystone finished the season with a 15-13 record.
Boys golf team wins District 3-1A title
Alex Addington placed third overall for the Keystone boys golf team, which won the District 3-1A championship with a team score of 349.
Addington had birdie and made par on eight holes to finish with an 18-hole score of 81.
Nick Binet made par on five holes and finished in a four-way tie for seventh with a score of 88, while Nicholas Williams, who had a birdie and made par on five holes, had an 11th-place score of 89. Logan Spence, who had two birdies and made par on two holes, shot a 91, which was good for 14th place. Shepherd Rozier, who made par on three holes, had a 21st-place score of 99.
The Indians went on to place 10th at the Region 1 finals. They were led by Addington again. He had two birdies and made par on 10 holes in finishing with a 19th-place score of 79.
Girls golfer Jackson is tops in District 3
Candace Jackson captured the individual championship for the girls golf team, which was the District 3-1A runner-up with a team score of 454.
Jackson had a birdie and made par on 11 holes to finish with a score of 78, which put her in first place by 11 strokes.
M.J. Rivera, who made par on three holes, finished tied for fourth with a score of 105. Mia Rivera and Rexi Lewis placed eighth and ninth, respectively, with scores of 132 and 139. Lewis made par on one hole.
The Indians’ season ended with a sixth-place finish at the Region 1 finals. Jackson, who made par on eight holes, finished tied for 13th with a score of 84.
Football team wins 1st playoff game
Keystone rushed its way to a 9-1 regular season and then won the program’s first-ever playoff game, defeating Umatilla 50-0 in the Region 2-4A quarterfinals.
During the regular season, the Indians attempted only 30 passes as they rushed for an average of 349 yards per game. They entered the playoffs scoring an average of 41 points per game to opponents’ 10 points per game.
It was more of the same in their playoff matchup against Umatilla, with the Indians rushing for 383 yards and seven touchdowns.
Tyler Jenkins, who rushed for 145 yards, scored two touchdowns, including one on a 60-yard run.
Kade Sanders also rushed for two scores on his way to a 91-yard night.
Dalton Hollingsworth and Logan Williams each had one touchdown run. Williams’ run covered 44 yards as he finished with 96 yards.
Jackson Williams rushed for a touchdown as well as having a successful two-point conversion run.
Hollingsworth also ran the ball on a successful two-point conversion, while Caleb Moncrief caught a pass from Connor Guy on a two-point play as well.
Keystone’s history making season came to an end with a 34-6 loss to The Villages in the Region 2 semifinals.
The Buffalo scored a touchdown in each of the first two quarters to take a 14-0 lead into halftime. They tacked on two more scores in the third quarter to go up 27-0.
Keystone, which was held to 120 yards on the ground and outgained 285-163 overall, finally scored on Guy’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Bryar Schenck with nine minutes to play.
Jenkins finished the game with 61 rushing yards.
Girls soccer team is district runner-up
The girls soccer team earned its first regional playoff appearance in eight years, advancing to the District 4-3A championship match off a 4-1 semifinal win over Crescent City.
Keystone scored all of its goals in the second half, with the first coming on a Shelby Phillips penalty kick that tied the score at 1-1. Kiersten Shaw later scored to give the Indians a 2-1 lead.
It was the first of two goals for Shaw, while Shoshona Fernandez scored her team’s final goal.
Ella Hutchins had an assist for Keystone, while goalie Aspen Krohn made 14 saves.
The Indians lost 6-0 to P.K. Yonge in the championship match. They then saw their season come to an end with an 8-0 loss to Bolles in the Region 1 quarterfinals.
Keystone finished the season with a 12-8-1 record.
Cross country team makes regionals
For the seventh time in eight years, the boys cross country team qualified for regional competition after a seventh-place finish at the District 2-2A finals.
Tyler Griffin and Tyler Shaw led the way for the Indians with 36th- and 42nd-place finishes, respectively, in a field of 147. Griffin had a time of 19:03, while Shaw had a time of 19:17.
Ryder Thomas finished in the top half of the field as well with a 50th-place time of 19:29.
Anthony Peak (21:02) and Ayden Graff (21:10) added to the team’s score as well, while the following also participated: Will Begue (21:55), Clark Byrnes (24:29) and Beckett Capper (28:26).
The Indians’ season came to an end with a 16th-place finish at the Region 1 finals. Griffin led the team with a time of 18:27, which was good for 48th out of 114 runners.
