Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine

Nathan Jennings and his Hawthorne teammates didn’t need game consoles or gadgets on their Christmas lists this year. Instead, the Hornets leaned on a different kind of list heading into the Holiday season, one that steered them to their third state championship in four seasons.

“We all left really bad when we didn’t win it last year for that group of seniors, so we all made lists of what was going to happen in 2025, and it made for the most intense offseason I’ve ever been a part of,” junior athlete Nathan Jennings said.

For three straight seasons, the Oak Hall football team saw its year end in the first round of the playoffs. Entering 2025, the Eagles adopted a new mindset, one built on working harder, pushing further and finally breaking through to the championship they believed they could win.

On Saturday, that mission became reality. With a 27–10 victory over Tampa Cambridge Christian, Oak Hall secured its first state championship in program history, validating months of offseason preparation.

For Hawthorne High School, success has become the expectation. After reaching the state championship game in each of the last three seasons, the Hornets entered 2025 focused on another deep postseason run. Their opening-round blowout of Branford showed they’re well on their way.

For the Saint Francis Catholic Academy football team, moving from conventional 11-man football to the 8-man game was a change that came with plenty of uncertainty. But after an early adjustment period, the Wolves have found their rhythm and now find themselves as a legitimate playoff contender with hopes of a state championship run.

Senior linebacker Demarco Daniels entered his final season at Eastside High with a goal of being one of the best linebackers in Florida. At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, he certainly fits the part, but a groin injury sidelined him for several games and prevented him from matching the eye-popping numbers he posted last year.

Still, Daniels’ mindset never wavered. Now healthy, he’s back leading the Rams’ defense and proving he belongs among the area’s top defensive players.

When you’re the first high school football player in Florida in more than 20 years to record 1,000 yards both receiving and rushing in the same season, you know you’re going to draw some attention.

Buchholz senior Justin Williams entered his final season as a Bobcat expecting defenses to double and triple-team him, doing whatever they could to keep the ball out of his hands. Even so, Williams says the focus this year isn’t about matching last season’s numbers, it’s about winning the last game of the season.