2015 Fall Varsity High School Sports Roundup

By: PHILIP MCMICHAEL
PTS Falconer Editor-in-Chief

This year’s fall sports season has provided more than its share of memorable moments and performances. Without a doubt it is one of the most successful all-around sports seasons that Palmer Trinity has ever experienced! Here is my roundup of each team’s performance.   

Girls Volleyball

2015 proved to be the year that the girls’ varsity volleyball team has been waiting for since its last state appearance in 2008. In the years since then, the Palmer Trinity girls were always a team to be reckoned with, but could never make the final push to put themselves among the state’s elite. After losing key seniors like Kristen Fernandez and Ellie Nosich, and with this year’s roster having only two seniors, a similar scenario to the last few years might have been expected. Instead, Coach William Gonzalez reversed the trend. Gonzalez has done a lot of winning in his past years, but this year, the team finally began to win the games that mattered. Though their record might not be as impressive as previous seasons, they were finally able to score the postseason victories that had previously eluded them for so many years. Ashley Quero ’17, Grace Hibshman ’16, and Grace Seide ‘17 proved to be dominant forces on the Falcon squad, using their collective height and powerful shots to spike or block any ball that came their way.  Juliette Hamilton came in this season as the always-critical libero and did not disappoint. Although the team’s first year in class 3A ended differently than the team would have hoped, the state final was still a respectable outing against a P.K Yonge team that is ranked 6^th in the nation [Maxpreps.com]. With only two seniors leaving the team next year, there is little reason to doubt that the team can have an equally impressive 2016 season.

Boys Cross Country

The Boys Cross Country team is another squad that hasn’t seen any real success since the last decade. With Coach Johann Odermatt in his 2^nd season with Palmer Trinity the results are starting to roll in. Coach Odermatt has transformed the previously mediocre boys’ team into a squad of dedicated runners who have outdone themselves time and time again this season. The Falcons were led by team mainstay and Captain Duncan Stoner ’18, while Nicolas Rey ’19 and Henry Fernandez ’17 followed close behind all season. The real season began when the team finished 2^nd in a small district meet of 5 teams. The strength of the team became evident when the boys finished 3^rd at a difficult regional course. With the team’s 10^th place finish at the State Meet in Tallahassee, Palmer Trinity is back on the cross country map. Although the team never had the fastest times at their meets, the key to the Falcons success was the balanced, close finishing results of the top 5 scoring members of the squad. The team regularly managed to place its top 5 runners somewhere close to the top of the pack, and the technique has worked wonders for the young boys’ team. With the team graduating only one senior and retaining its top seven runners, next year will be a chance for Coach Odermatt’s team to start setting its sights on a regional or state performance that brings home a trophy.

Boys Football

Last year’s winning record was a breath of fresh air for a Palmer Trinity Football program that had just endured two straight 1-8 seasons. In 2015 the Falcons were able to build on last year’s performance and managed to once again finish the season above .500. Coach Rudy Fernandez and his dedicated coaching staff have delivered a season to remember, and perhaps one that will be remembered as the beginning of an era of Palmer Trinity football excellence.  This season, in the small, four team Florida Independent Football Conference, the Falcons were finally able to find the confidence they needed to pull off the sort of big wins that can define players, seasons, and dynasties. Blake Miller ’16 finished his high school career with a bang, rushing for over 1100 yards while in the process breaking Palmer Trinity’s single game rushing yards record with 250 yards. Guillermo Bonet ’16 was the team’s leading receiver, and his standout moment came in the last play of the Falcon’s season on a fumble by Hillel Community’s kicker with 12.5 seconds left on the clock, in which Bonet scooped up the loose ball and ran it in for what would be the game winning score. The play highlighted the fact that Bonet has been a triple threat both on offense, defense, and special teams throughout the season. It was the type of play that can change a team’s entire outlook on the future, and can make a team realize that anything is possible. The Falcons would never have gotten there if it wasn’t for the defensive talents of players like Daniel Erixon ’16, Omar Montesinos ‘16, and Kyon Royal-White ’19. Next season, the biggest concern for any Falcon football fan would be that a large part of the team’s talent will have graduated. Quarterback Dylan Dibello ’17 and the offensive line will need to find ways to be productive other than relying on the talents of Miller, but, as this season has proven, anything is possible.

Girls Cross Country

After only a one-year hiatus, the Girls Cross Country team was back at states for the 2015 season. Led all season by Julia Irvin ’19, the young Falcon team just barely snuck into the Florida State Meet with a 6^th place finish at regionals – the last of the qualifying positions. The girls were able to secure a runner up trophy at their district meet, in much the same manner as the boy’s team. While Palmer Trinity had no single wickedly fast runner; they were able to consistently place their top 5 athletes in the top half of all races. After all, a team is only as strong as its weakest link, and the Falcons ladies certainly knew this. With the girls retaining all of their top 10 runners for next season, the team is poised to have consistent improvement for years and years to come.

Golf

Palmer Trinity’s golf team also had another successful season this year, winning the district title for the 2^nd year in a row. 8^th grader Cameron Piedra’s rookie year with the team proved to be a very successful one, as he and Jack Fumagali ’16 generally traded spots for the lowest score on the team at the Falcon’s various competitions. The team also had a record-setting year, with a school best 145 team score. The team managed to pull out a dramatic win over Belen by 1 shot. Team members consistently dominated rival Westminster Christian throughout the season. Although the team finished 5^th at regionals, the season was certainly a memorable one. With tons of young talent, next year’s team, led by Piedra, will likely have no upperclassmen.  Seniors Jack Fumagali, Michael Gravier, and Cooper Devine will leave Palmer Trinity with impressive golf resumes.