- May 21, 2025
Matanzas Male Athlete of the Year Jordan Mills (right) stands by his portrait after athletic director Jordan Butler unveils the portraits of Mills and Female Athlete of the Year Alexandra Gazzoli. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas Girls Athlete of the Year Alexandra Gazzoli was in Bradenton for an AJGA golf tournament but spoke a few words via video. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Rilee Whitmore (right) was named the Pirates' 2024 Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Swimmer Sam Peters was named the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. From the Matanzas athletic awards slide show. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Girls golf and girls lacrosse coach Brandie Alred 9left) was named the Female Coach of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Football coach Matt Forrest (left) was named the Male Coach of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Bella Tietje, the 2023 Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, and Karl Knighten, the 2023 Male Athlete of the Year, returned to Matanzas to announce the finalists and winners of the 2024 Athletes and Scholar Athletes of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas Male Athlete of the Year finalists Neda Jaronis, Cole Hash and Jordan Mills. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Karolina Jaronis (swimming) and Rilee Whitmore (weightlifting, cheerleading) were finalists for Matanzas Female Athlete of the Year award. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas High School held its Captain of the Code athletic awards ceremony on Monday, May 6, at the Pirate Theater.
Jordan Mills, who won a state wrestling championship and is also a football and track standout, was named the Male Athlete of the Year. Alexandra Gazzoli, won the Female Athlete of the Year award. Gazzoli, who has signed a golf scholarship with Florida State, finished among the top four at the Class 2A state golf championships four years in a row. She won the title her junior season.
Rilee Whitmore won the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award, and Sam Peters won the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year award.
Girls golf and girls lacrosse coach Brandie Alred was name Girls Coach of the Year. Football and boys weightlifting coach Matt Forrest was named Boys Coach of the Year.
The Captain of the Code winners for each sport most embraced the five pillars of the Pirates' code — discipline, responsibility, relentless effort, commitment and positive attitude.
Here is the list of winners:
Baseball: Nick Pandich
Boys Basketball: Peter Austin
Boys Bowling: Brandon Page
Girls Bowling: Haley Olsen
Boys Golf: Jacob Roster
Girls Basketball: Ryleigh Smith
Girls Golf: Ana Heartz
Boys Weightlifting: Cole Hash
Football: Jordan Mills
Flag Football: Eva Servello
Boys Lacrosse: Connar Bohan
Girls Lacrosse: Mia Apfelbach
Boys Soccer: Mason Evans
Girls Soccer: Carina Brito
Cheerleading: Madelynn Hambelton
Swimming: Carmella Cuccinello
Girls Weightlifting: Samayra Cabrera
Girls Wrestling: Kendall Bibla
Boys Wrestling: Mason Obama
Boys Tennis: Tyler Lemmon
Volleyball: Paige Duckworth
Girls Tennis: Olivia Rabbat
Cross Country/Track: Lupita Galeano
Softball: Ashley Sampselle
Girls Coach of the Year: Brandie Alred
Boys Coach of the Year: Matt Forrest
Female Scholar Of the Year finalists: Rilee Whitmore (weightlifting, cheerleading); Taylor Boone, basketball; Isabel Doshier, soccer. Winner: Rilee Whitmore.
Male Scholar Athlete of the Year finalists: Sam Peters (swimming); Scott Wiggins (soccer); Austin Weeks (bowling, tennis). Winner: Sam Peters.
Female Athlete of the Year finalists: Alexandra Gazzoli (golf); Rilee Whitmore (weightlifting, cheerleading); Karolina Jaronis (swimming). Winner: Alexanra Gazzoli.
Male Athlete of the Year finalists: Jordan Mills (football, wrestling, track); Cole Hash (football, weightlifting); Neda Jaronis (boys soccer). Winner: Jordan Mills.
