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Vero Beach success set tone for memorable school year
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Vero Beach success set tone for memorable school year

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Colter DeCoste (left) and Avery Davis, of Jensen Beach High School, return a shot against Barron Collier during a doubles match in the Class 3A state tournament April 14at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs. Jensen Beach completed an undefeated season with its first state title.
ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Colter DeCoste (left) and Avery Davis, of Jensen Beach High School, return a shot against Barron Collier during a doubles match in the Class 3A state tournament April 14at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs. Jensen Beach completed an undefeated season with its first state title.
Dennis Jacob
Columnist
Updated: Yesterday 1:37 p.m.
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HOBIE HILER/ SPECIAL TO TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Fort Pierce Central's quarterback Jake Celidonio (3) was one of two area quarterbacks who passed for 400 yards in a game during the 2015 season.
HOBIE HILER/ SPECIAL TO TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Fort Pierce Central's quarterback Jake Celidonio (3) was one of two area quarterbacks who passed for 400 yards in a game during the 2015 season.
JEREMIAH WILSON/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Martin County flag football quarterback Elise Liggett launches the ball May 14 during the Class 2A state final against Seminole Ridge at Robinson High School in Tampa. The Tigers became the first area team in the sport to reach a state final.
JEREMIAH WILSON/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Martin County flag football quarterback Elise Liggett launches the ball May 14 during the Class 2A state final against Seminole Ridge at Robinson High School in Tampa. The Tigers became the first area team in the sport to reach a state final.
SAM WOLFE/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Madi Bell celebrates after Jensen Beach High School's volleyball team defeated Mitchell in the Class 6A state final Nov. 14 at the University of Central Florida.
SAM WOLFE/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Madi Bell celebrates after Jensen Beach High School's volleyball team defeated Mitchell in the Class 6A state final Nov. 14 at the University of Central Florida.
CINDY SKOP/SPECIAL TO TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Vero Beach forward Megan Gorman breaks past Boca Raton's Audrey Ramsey (left) and Tracey Kemp during the Class 8A state championship game Feb. 20 at Lakeland. Gorman, the 8A Player of the Year, had a double-double as the Indians won 77-68 in double overtime for their first state title.
CINDY SKOP/SPECIAL TO TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Vero Beach forward Megan Gorman breaks past Boca Raton's Audrey Ramsey (left) and Tracey Kemp during the Class 8A state championship game Feb. 20 at Lakeland. Gorman, the 8A Player of the Year, had a double-double as the Indians won 77-68 in double overtime for their first state title.
Updated: Yesterday 1:37 p.m. 0

Correction: This article has been modified from its original version. Stone Labanowitz passed for 414 yards and five touchdowns in a game against Jupiter.

No matter where you looked, Vero Beach High School's athletic program always seemed to be in the spotlight during the 2015-16 school year.

The home side of the 48-year-old Citrus Bowl was closed in October because of structural concerns, but the football team completed a second consecutive undefeated regular season.

The girls basketball team completed a 41-year, 1,036-game run to its first state championship, prevailing in a wild, double-overtime championship-game thriller against Boca Raton.

The girls lacrosse team's decade-long run as Florida's best ended with an agonizing overtime loss to Bartram Trail in the state final.

Thirteen Vero Beach teams won district titles, six added regional crowns and seven advanced to state.

The red- and white-themed year ended, fittingly enough, with the reopening of the refurbished Citrus Bowl home stands in May.

The Hibiscus City was not the only site of worthwhile moments. Let's check out many others in our sixth annual year in review.

COACH OF THE YEAR

In a year packed with wonderful storylines, it's impossible to overlook Martin County's Jeff Padgett, who guided the girls golf, weightlifting and flag football teams to district titles. The flag football team had an undefeated regular season and reached the Class 2A state final.

In pulling triple duty over the past three seasons, Padgett has guided his teams to eight of a possible nine district titles. That's some feat.

STATE'S BEST

Two sets of area players and coaches swept the Florida Dairy Farmers Awards in their class.

Jensen Beach volleyball outside hitter Snowy Burnam and coach Mike Sawtelle were honored in Class 6A.

Vero Beach girls basketball forward Megan Gorman and coach Rahshard Morgan earned Class 8A's top honors. Morgan finished runner-up for overall state coach of the year.

ALL-AMERICAN

Pine School volleyball player Ali Denney, a 5-foot-6 senior outside hitter, was a first-team choice on the MaxPreps Small Schools All-American Team.

TURNAROUND TEAM

Rebounding from an 0-9 season in 2014, Treasure Coast's football team had a school-record 5-0 start and finished 7-3 with its first playoff berth since 2012.

SINGLE-EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Garrett Barber (The Pine School boys golf): Shot a 3-under-par 69 to earn medalist honors in the District 19-1A tournament.

Madi Bell (Jensen Beach volleyball): Had 17 kills, six blocks and 11 digs in a three-set win against Mitchell in the Class 6A state final.

Jake Celidonio (Fort Pierce Central football): Passed for 402 yards and five touchdowns against Bayside.

Beck Fox (Vero Beach boys golf): Shot a 7-under-par 65 in an 18-hole match against The Pine School.

Megan Gorman (Vero Beach girls basketball): Had 40 points, 26 rebounds, two assists, two steals and four blocks in a preseason win against Rockledge. She went on to produce 25 double-doubles in 27 regular-season and playoff games.

Chase Hyland (Pine School boys track): Swept the distance events — 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters — in the Region 3-1A meet. Hyland also won a regional title in cross country.

Coulter Karr (Martin County diver): Broke a 36-year-old school record with 252.45 points in six dives in a tri-meet win against Port St. Lucie and Treasure Coast.

Anthony Knighton (Fort Pierce Central boys basketball): Scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a win against South Fork.

Elise Liggett (Martin County flag football): Threw five touchdown passes as the Tigers defeated Vero Beach 31-6 in the District 4-2A final.

Stone Labanowitz (South Fork football): Passed for 414 yards and five touchdowns against Jupiter.

MJ McGriff (Vero Beach football): Scored four touchdowns — two rushing, one receiving, one punt return against in a 42-35 playoff loss to Kissimmee-Osceola.

Brock Miller (John Carroll Catholic boys basketball, football): Made 16 of 17 shots and finished a double-double with a 35 points and 14 rebounds in a win against King's Academy. Also had 10 tackles for loss, including four sacks, in a football playoff win against Cardinal Mooney.

Nathanael Nicholson (St. Lucie West Centennial football): Scored two touchdowns in a 12-second span — one on a 50-yard fumble return, the other on a fumble recovery in the end zone — against Melbourne.

Jarez Parks (Sebastian River boys track): Extended school records in the shot put (190 feet, 1 inch) and discus (59-7), winning both events at the UNF Spring Break Invitational.

Stanley Spence (South Fork football): Scored five touchdowns — two rushing, two receiving plus an interception return — against Suncoast.

Zach Taglieri (Port St. Lucie baseball): Went 3 for 3 with a grand slam, a double, two runs and seven RBIs in a win against St. Lucie West Centennial.

Drew Wright (Master's Academy boys basketball): Scored 43 points in a win against Covenant Christian to send the Patriots to their fourth consecutive district final.

STATE TITLES

Cole Colozzo (South Fork): Won the Class 3A state title in the pole vault for the second consecutive year.

Konnor McHale (Jensen Beach): Won the Class 2A state wrestling title at 132 pounds and finished with a school-record 195 wins.

Jarez Parks (Sebastian River): Defended his Class 3A state title in the discus.

Caleb Pottorff (Lincoln Park Academy): Won the Class 2A state title in the 3,200 meters.

WINNING STREAK

Vero Beach's football team has won 24 consecutive regular-season games, two shy of the area record set by St. Edward's in 1988 and matched by Vero Beach in 1994.

The Vero Beach girls lacrosse team's 145-match instate winning streak, which began in 2007, ended Feb. 12 with a 14-6 loss to Orlando-Bishop Moore.

BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW

The Celidonio brothers accounted for nine touchdown passes in Week 11, five by Jake in Fort Pierce Central's win against Bayside and four by Nick in John Carroll Catholic's win against Glades Day.

The Graham family produced a mother-son district medalist duo when Jensen Beach's Tim Graham won the District 22-2A boys golf title. His mother, Laurie Rinker, was a three-time district medalist (1977-79) for Martin County's girls team.

IN MEMORIAM

Marion "Chubby" Bass (82, March 11): A standout athlete who earned a staggering 14 letters — in football, basketball, baseball and track — at Vero Beach, Bass played on a Final Four basketball team in 1950 and an undefeated football team in 1951. He had a long career in education and coached Vero Beach's baseball team for two seasons in the 1960s.

Hiram Henderson (81, April 18): A lifelong Vero Beach resident who was co-valedictorian in 1952 and later made a major impact as a teacher, Henderson also coached Vero Beach High School's freshman football team in the 1960s and was the boys and girls tennis coach in 1964.

Mike Livings (57, April 23): A 14-year assistant coach under his father, legendary Vero Beach football coach Billy Livings, Mike also coached the Fighting Indians' boys tennis team from 1986-96.

Bill Priestley (88, Jan. 10): Vero Beach's boys and girls swimming coach from 1963-78 finished with more than 200 dual wins, including a 62-meet roll with the girls from 1969-74. Priestley led the Indians to eight top-10 state finishes (seven girls, one boys) and coached Okeechobee's boys and girls teams from 1995-2001.

Mike Rees (67, Oct. 14, 2015): Port St. Lucie's boys and girls bowling coach from 2005-12, Rees guided the girls to their first state tournament berth in 2011. Also coached girls swimming in 2004 and the softball team from 2008-11.

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