SIDELINES: Matanzas' Breckenridge, Seabreeze's Chesley sign with universities

Matanzas shortstop Gabe Breckenridge signed a letter of intent on Dec. 1 to continue his baseball career next year at Mississippi Valley State.

"In today's age of recruiting, you have to put yourself out there," said Matanzas baseball coach Jim Perry. "Gabe put himself out there and he performed. All the things coaches talk about — work ethic, consistency, great attitude — he brings all of those things to the table."

Breckenridge batted .300 with 24 runs scored as a junior last season. He started at second base for the Pirates as a sophomore and moved to shortstop last year. He said he chose Mississippi Valley State over Alcorn State, Morehouse College, Savannah State and Florida Memorial.

"I wanted to go to an HBCU (historically Black college and universities)," he said. "I wanted to experience a different culture."

He said when he visited Mississippi Valley State he liked the culture and first-year coach Milton Barney, who will be the school's third baseball coach in three years.

"He's trying to flip the program around, and I wanted to be a part of that," Breckenridge said.

Breckenridge has played baseball his whole life. His father, Lamont, is an assistant baseball coach at Matanzas and a former assistant coach at Flagler Palm Coast when current Matanzas athletic director was the Bulldogs' head baseball coach.

"Since he was 11, 12 years old, Gabe came to practice with me every day," Lamont Breckenridge said.

Seabreeze's Chesley returns

Seabreeze girls soccer player Brianna Chesley scored the game's only goal in her first game of the season, Dec. 2 against New Smyrna Beach.

Chesley had been injured and missed the Sandcrabs' first six games. Before the Thanksgiving break, the senior forward signed a letter-of-intent to play soccer next year at Baylor University.

"She's a remarkable player. She changes things for us when she's on the field, that's for sure," Seabreeze coach Eli Freidus said. 

"We were supposed to bring her back slowly (from her injury). She doesn’t have the personality for that. She likes to run people over."

— ELI FREIDUS, on Seabreeze soccer player Brianna Chesley

Last season, Chesley scored 23 goals in 15 games. She scored three goals in two games and four goals twice — against Spruce Creek in the Five Star Conference championship on Jan. 13 and against Eustis on Jan. 31.

"We were supposed to bring her back slowly (from her injury)," Freidus said. "She doesn’t have the personality for that. She likes to run people over. She has one speed — full speed."

Seabreeze improved to 2-5 with its 1-0 win over New Smyrna. Its losses have come to teams with a combined record of 22-2-3 heading into games on Dec. 6.

"We're playing these top teams in the state and the country," Freidus said. "I'm feeling pretty good where we're at, actually."

The Sandcrabs visit Spruce Creek, Thursday, Dec. 8, for a 5 p.m. game.

Pirates' wrestlers win two tourneys

Matanzas won the Lady Clash of the Titans girls wrestling tournament at University High School on Dec. 2. With 204.5 points, the top-ranked team in the state cruised to an easy win in the 25-team field. The Pirates outscored second-place South Dade by 81.5 points.

Matanzas's boys team won its own Southern Paint Scuffle duals tournament on Dec. 3. The Pirates went 5-0 in their dual matches. Mainland finished fifth with a 2-2 mark.

Matanzas' Dylan Parkinson was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. Parkinson went 5-0 at 152 pounds. Four other Matanzas wrestlers went 5-0: T.J. McLean (106 pounds), Kaden Golder (113), Toryion Stallings (126) and Tyler Thomas (220).  

At the Clash of the Titans tournament, four Pirates won individual titles: Mariah Mills (110 pounds), Christina Borgmann (120), Brielle Bibla (130) and Kendall Bibla (140). Matanzas also had three third-place finishers — Autumn Jarvis (115), Tiana Fries (125) and Brooklyn Watt (190) — and one fourth-place finisher in Bre'anna Corley (135).

Flagler Palm Coast's Joslyn Johnson finished fourth at 100 pounds. Mainland, which finished seventh overall, had one champ (Cheyenne Wigley, 235 pounds) and three others who placed: Jah'Mya Hill, second at 155; Eva Rojas, fourth, 190; and Katherine Meza-Perez, fourth, 235.

High school results

Flagler Palm Coast's girls basketball team defeated University 39-17 on Dec. 2 with freshman Alexandria Connerton scoring a game-high 12 points. The Bulldogs (3-2) lost to Winter Springs 42-25 the following morning in a tournament at Spruce Creek. Hannah Clark led FPC with eight points.

Matanzas' girls weightlifting team hosted a four-team match with Palatka, DeLand and Florida School for the Deaf and Blind on Nov. 30. The Pirates finished second behind Palatka with Matanzas' Aryanna DiFatta (110 pounds) and Maria Kelly (139) winning their weight classes. 

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