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Last week, the PNJ released its 17 nominees for the high school athletics Team of the Year.
This week, after over 32,000 votes, the list has been narrowed down to the Final 8. Jay boys weightlifting (34.82%, 11,178 votes), Pensacola Catholic volleyball (18.92%, 6,074 votes), Pace softball (16.71%, 5,364 votes), Pace baseball (14.01%, 4,497 votes), Booker T. Washington girls basketball (11.28%, 3,622 votes), Booker T. Washington boys soccer (1.39%, 447 votes), Pensacola Christian cross country (1.09%, 350 votes) and Jay girls basketball (0.74%, 239 votes) all advanced.
Those eight teams combined to win seven district championships, five regional championships, two state championships and one state runner-up appearance.
Now it's time to take the list down from eight teams to four teams for the Final Four.
Below is the list of the remaining eight teams in alphabetical order. Voting ends at 11 a.m. CT on June 20.
Who should make the Final Four for the PNJ Team of the Year
2025-26 record: 24-3, 5A state champions
The Wildcats set a goal at the beginning of the season to leave Jacksonville with the 5A championship trophy and completed the mission, winning the program’s first state title since 2000.
Booker T. had plenty of talent with Florida state signee Chamiah Francis (PNJ Defensive Player of the Year) and future college guards Jada Clardy (PNJ POTY) and Nylah Brooks leading the way. But they also played tenacious defense, holding every opponent under its season average and had role players step up in big moments.
When Francis went down in the first quarter of the 5A state championship against Blanche Ely, the Wildcats never wavered, fighting off a halftime deficit to edge the Tigers, 56-54.
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: 26-6, Region 1-6A runner-up
The Patriots didn’t have the high-end talent of some of their recent squads, but head coach Jason McBridge got all the pieces clicking to keep the program the best in the Pensacola area.
Pace won its sixth straight district title thanks to a Braiden Cheshire walk-off home run, then fell to Buchholz for the second straight year in the Region 1-6A final. The Patriots were ranked the top team in 6A for much of the season according to the FHSAA rankings, despite having just one senior, Emory Allen, who will play college baseball.
2025-26 season: 27-4, 6A state champions
One year after losing a 1-0 heartbreaker to Doral Academy in the 6A state championship, the Patriots finished the drill and won their second state title in the last three years.
Pace won its sixth straight district title and advanced to its sixth straight Final Four. The Patriots beat Parrish Community 2-1 in the state semifinals, avenging a 12-1 loss to the Bulls on March 7, then beat Bartow 3-1 in the championship.
Pace not only won the 6A state title, but finished the season as the top ranked softball team in Florida, according to MaxPreps.
2025-26 season: Boys 1A state runner-up, girls 3rd
The Warriors went out with a bang in Scott Cochran’s final season. The boys finished state runner-up, winning their first state hardware since 1998. The girls finished in third place, and seniors Jaimee Tutton (7th) and Reagan Smith (11th) were individual medalists.
Both teams swept the district titles for the sixth straight season, and finished as regional runner-up. Senior Jaimee Tutton and junior Isaiah Manderson were named the PNJ Girls and Boys Runner of the Year, respectively.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Best Pensacola area HS team, who should advance to Final Four?
Continue reading...
This week, after over 32,000 votes, the list has been narrowed down to the Final 8. Jay boys weightlifting (34.82%, 11,178 votes), Pensacola Catholic volleyball (18.92%, 6,074 votes), Pace softball (16.71%, 5,364 votes), Pace baseball (14.01%, 4,497 votes), Booker T. Washington girls basketball (11.28%, 3,622 votes), Booker T. Washington boys soccer (1.39%, 447 votes), Pensacola Christian cross country (1.09%, 350 votes) and Jay girls basketball (0.74%, 239 votes) all advanced.
Those eight teams combined to win seven district championships, five regional championships, two state championships and one state runner-up appearance.
Now it's time to take the list down from eight teams to four teams for the Final Four.
Below is the list of the remaining eight teams in alphabetical order. Voting ends at 11 a.m. CT on June 20.
Who should make the Final Four for the PNJ Team of the Year
Team of the Year Elite 8
Booker T. Washington girls basketball
2025-26 record: 24-3, 5A state champions
The Wildcats set a goal at the beginning of the season to leave Jacksonville with the 5A championship trophy and completed the mission, winning the program’s first state title since 2000.
Booker T. had plenty of talent with Florida state signee Chamiah Francis (PNJ Defensive Player of the Year) and future college guards Jada Clardy (PNJ POTY) and Nylah Brooks leading the way. But they also played tenacious defense, holding every opponent under its season average and had role players step up in big moments.
When Francis went down in the first quarter of the 5A state championship against Blanche Ely, the Wildcats never wavered, fighting off a halftime deficit to edge the Tigers, 56-54.
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.
Pace baseball
2025-26 season: 26-6, Region 1-6A runner-up
The Patriots didn’t have the high-end talent of some of their recent squads, but head coach Jason McBridge got all the pieces clicking to keep the program the best in the Pensacola area.
Pace won its sixth straight district title thanks to a Braiden Cheshire walk-off home run, then fell to Buchholz for the second straight year in the Region 1-6A final. The Patriots were ranked the top team in 6A for much of the season according to the FHSAA rankings, despite having just one senior, Emory Allen, who will play college baseball.
Pace softball
2025-26 season: 27-4, 6A state champions
One year after losing a 1-0 heartbreaker to Doral Academy in the 6A state championship, the Patriots finished the drill and won their second state title in the last three years.
Pace won its sixth straight district title and advanced to its sixth straight Final Four. The Patriots beat Parrish Community 2-1 in the state semifinals, avenging a 12-1 loss to the Bulls on March 7, then beat Bartow 3-1 in the championship.
Pace not only won the 6A state title, but finished the season as the top ranked softball team in Florida, according to MaxPreps.
Pensacola Catholic volleyball
Pensacola Christian cross country
2025-26 season: Boys 1A state runner-up, girls 3rd
The Warriors went out with a bang in Scott Cochran’s final season. The boys finished state runner-up, winning their first state hardware since 1998. The girls finished in third place, and seniors Jaimee Tutton (7th) and Reagan Smith (11th) were individual medalists.
Both teams swept the district titles for the sixth straight season, and finished as regional runner-up. Senior Jaimee Tutton and junior Isaiah Manderson were named the PNJ Girls and Boys Runner of the Year, respectively.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Best Pensacola area HS team, who should advance to Final Four?
Continue reading...
