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We're down to the Final Four. From the initial 17 nominations, there's four teams left in the running for the PNJ Team of the Year.
After 40,000 votes Jay boys weightlifting (52.03%, 20,979 votes), Pensacola Catholic girls volleyball (20.72%, 8,353 votes), Booker T. Washington boys soccer (16.78%, 6,765 votes) and Jay girls basketball (5.3%, 2,137 votes made the cut.
Though all four team state champions have all been eliminated, these teams still accomplished plenty. Three won regional titles, three won district titles and there was one individual state champion.
Now it's time to cut the list in half again down to two. Vote for which team you want to advance to the final round of voting until 11 a.m. CT on June 27. Below are the Final 4 teams listed in alphabetical order.
Vote for who should make the Top 2 for the PNJ Team of the Year
2025-26 record: 10-6-3, Region 1-5A runnerup
The Wildcats might not have been the dominant squad of previous years but played their best soccer when it mattered most.
After playing one of the toughest schedules in the state, Booker T. won its third straight district title, then won two road state playoff games as the No. 8 seed before falling to eventual state champion Beachside in the Region 1-5A final.
The Wildcats snapped Arnold’s 75-game home unbeaten streak in the regional quarterfinals, then took down local rival Gulf Breeze in the regional semifinals.
2025-26 record: 25-5, Rural state runner-up
The Lady Royals advanced to their first Final Four since 1998 after losing in the regional finals the previous three seasons. But that wasn’t enough, as Jay beat Hilliard in the state semifinals to advance to the state championship for the first time since 1996.
The Lady Royals lost to Williston in the state championship, but all-area selections Presley Hawthorne and Aubreigh Nelson are slated to return next season to write a different ending.
2025-26 season: Region 1-1A champions
Santa Rosa County has a new burgeoning weightlifting power. The Royals were district runner-up in Olympic and traditional before sweeping both regional titles. Jay then finished third in traditional and eight in Olympic at the 1A state championship, with junior Chase Dooley sweeping the Unlimited state titles and three other Royals winning medals.
2025-26 season: 21-10, 3A state semifinals
The Crusaders advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2015, going on a revenge tour to get back to Winter Haven.
Catholic won at Florida High in the Region 1-3A semifinals after the Seminoles ended their season in Pensacola on the same round a year ago. The Crusaders then pulled off a reverse sweep at North Bay Haven in the Region 1-3A final after losing to the Buccaneers in the District 1-3A final.
Freshman Ava Bradley was named the PNJ Newcomer of the Year and was one of five Catholic players named to the PNJ All-Area team.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Best Pensacola area HS team, who should advance to the top 2?
Continue reading...
After 40,000 votes Jay boys weightlifting (52.03%, 20,979 votes), Pensacola Catholic girls volleyball (20.72%, 8,353 votes), Booker T. Washington boys soccer (16.78%, 6,765 votes) and Jay girls basketball (5.3%, 2,137 votes made the cut.
Though all four team state champions have all been eliminated, these teams still accomplished plenty. Three won regional titles, three won district titles and there was one individual state champion.
Now it's time to cut the list in half again down to two. Vote for which team you want to advance to the final round of voting until 11 a.m. CT on June 27. Below are the Final 4 teams listed in alphabetical order.
Vote for who should make the Top 2 for the PNJ Team of the Year
Booker T. Washington boys soccer
2025-26 record: 10-6-3, Region 1-5A runnerup
The Wildcats might not have been the dominant squad of previous years but played their best soccer when it mattered most.
After playing one of the toughest schedules in the state, Booker T. won its third straight district title, then won two road state playoff games as the No. 8 seed before falling to eventual state champion Beachside in the Region 1-5A final.
The Wildcats snapped Arnold’s 75-game home unbeaten streak in the regional quarterfinals, then took down local rival Gulf Breeze in the regional semifinals.
Jay girls basketball
2025-26 record: 25-5, Rural state runner-up
The Lady Royals advanced to their first Final Four since 1998 after losing in the regional finals the previous three seasons. But that wasn’t enough, as Jay beat Hilliard in the state semifinals to advance to the state championship for the first time since 1996.
The Lady Royals lost to Williston in the state championship, but all-area selections Presley Hawthorne and Aubreigh Nelson are slated to return next season to write a different ending.
Jay boys weightlifting
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2025-26 season: Region 1-1A champions
Santa Rosa County has a new burgeoning weightlifting power. The Royals were district runner-up in Olympic and traditional before sweeping both regional titles. Jay then finished third in traditional and eight in Olympic at the 1A state championship, with junior Chase Dooley sweeping the Unlimited state titles and three other Royals winning medals.
Pensacola Catholic girls volleyball
2025-26 season: 21-10, 3A state semifinals
The Crusaders advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2015, going on a revenge tour to get back to Winter Haven.
Catholic won at Florida High in the Region 1-3A semifinals after the Seminoles ended their season in Pensacola on the same round a year ago. The Crusaders then pulled off a reverse sweep at North Bay Haven in the Region 1-3A final after losing to the Buccaneers in the District 1-3A final.
Freshman Ava Bradley was named the PNJ Newcomer of the Year and was one of five Catholic players named to the PNJ All-Area team.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Best Pensacola area HS team, who should advance to the top 2?
Continue reading...
