JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Brenna Robinson never expected anything like this.
The Creekside defender and All-News4JAX girls soccer player of the year, never envisioned her final season playing out like a movie.
“With a fairytale ending,” she said.
The Knights had 13 shutouts and gave up just 18 goals in their run to the program’s first state championship. At the heart of that defense was Robinson, a dominant physical presence, who controlled the tempo of a Creekside team and helped the Knights make history.
“It’s just so surreal because that’s like comes out of a movie like we would never think in a million years that that would happen,” said Robinson, who had 12 assists and a goal. “So, it was just so cool going out as a senior like that.”
Robinson’s final season read like something out of a book.
Play with her younger sister, Avery: Done.
End a near five-year winless streak against their biggest rival: Check.
Play for and win a state championship: Yep.
Sign a scholarship with a Division I program (UNF): Done.
Be voted the state’s top overall player and win the Miss Soccer award: Cherry on top.
Even two months after Robinson and the Knights thumped Cypress Bay 3-1 to bring home their first state championship, how her final season played out still seems a bit difficult to believe. Brenna was the architect of the defense that shut down Cypress Bay. Her younger sister, Avery, scored the first two goals in the state title game to pace the offense.
“Winning a state championship is just crazy. And especially since it’s my senior year, like it just makes it that much better. I’m done with high school soccer,” Robinson said. “And getting to win it with my sister just made it that much better. Because that state championship game was the last that that we’ll play for high school soccer together. So, obviously ending it with a fairytale ending was so cool.”
Creekside finally turned the corner this season in the unlikeliest of ways — with a win over the nation’s top-ranked team who just so happened to be its biggest rival, Bartram Trail.
The Bears had beaten the Knights by a combined 8-0 in two previous meetings during the season. Creekside hadn’t beaten the Bears since a playoff game in 2017, with a mark of 0-9-2 against Bartram in that span.
That was before the upset of the year.
Creekside stunned the Bears in the regional semifinals, 3-2, ending a 32-game unbeaten streak of Bartram. Robinson said that many players from both teams are friends, so the rivalry is intense and the respect is mutual.
Beating the No. 1-ranked team in the country was a significant accomplishment, but it didn’t win Creekside anything but a spot in the next round. But there was no way that the Knights were going to let this opportunity slip away.
What that victory did was show Creekside that it was ready to emerge from the shadow of its biggest rival and thrive. The Knights followed by beating Lake Brantley, shutting down Palm Harbor University and then smothering Cypress Bay to win it.
“So, I think it was kind of easy for us to just take that [momentum] into the further games and just know that there was still more games that we need to get through,” Robinson said. “We still needed to get the job done after that game. So, I think just the main thing was confidence, really.”
ALL-NEWS4JAX GIRLS SOCCER FIRST TEAM
Position, Player, School, Class
F Julia Boaventura, St. Johns Country Day, Sr.
Integral part of Spartans’ 11th consecutive state championship team. Voted Class 2A player of the year and runner-up in Miss Soccer voting. Had 19 goals, 13 assists. Southern Miss signee.
F Olivia Bori, Bartram Trail, Jr.
Appeared on more nomination forms by area coaches than any other player. Second on the Bears in scoring (15 goals, 11 assists).
F Sarah Christiansen, Fletcher, Jr.
Scored 24 goals and had an assist for the Senators, who won the first soccer championship by a public school in Duval County. Voted Class 6A player of the year.
F Tamlyn Parkes, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Two-time All-News4JAX first-team selection. Team-leading 17 goals and added 9 assists for the 16-4-2 Sharks. Coastal Carolina signee.
F Grace Ivey, Bartram Trail, Jr.
Had 13 goals, 11 assists for the 18-1 Bears, who reached the No. 1 ranking in the country by MaxPreps. Texas A&M commit was the All-News4JAX player of the year last year. Two-time All-News4JAX first-team selection.
MF Avery Robinson, Creekside, So.
Leading scorer for the state champion Knights (13 goals, 6 assists). Had a pair of goals in the 7A state title game.
MF Maggie Mace, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Finished with 13 assists, 11 goals for the Sharks. Has signed with Coastal Carolina.
MF Lauryn Mateo, St. Johns Country Day, Jr.
Second on the Spartans in scoring with 14 goals, 9 assists. Another big piece of the most dominant program in state history.
MF Paige McSwigan, Creekside, Sr.
Had 11 assists and a pair of goals for the Class 7A state champion Knights.
D Brenna Robinson, Creekside, Sr.
All-News4JAX player of the year scored a goal and had 12 assists for state champion Knights. Voted Florida’s Miss Soccer award winner. Has signed with UNF.
D/F Alexi Pitt, Bolles, Sr.
McNeese State signee. Two-time All-News4JAX first-team selection.
GK Taylor Sweat, Fletcher, Jr.
Made 86 saves for the Class 6A state champion Senators and was a wall in goal in the title game.
SECOND TEAM
Pos., Player, School, Class
F Brialyn Anderson, Providence, Sr.
F Taliah Brooks, Mandarin, Fr.
F Courtney Brown, Stanton, So.
F Kaitlyn Scherer, Fleming Island, Jr
D Madi Male, Fleming Island, Sr.
D Bowen Phillips, Fletcher, Sr.
D Gabrielle Rourke, Atlantic Coast,
F/MF Jori Follenweider, Bartram Trail, Sr.
MF Landry Kelly, Christ’s Church, So.
MF Morgan McDonald, Bartram Trail, Sr.
MF Josey Rossignol, Fletcher, Sr.
GK Abigail Whitcomb, Wolfson, Sr.
Honorable mention
Pos., Player, School, Class
F Elle Anderson, Providence, So.
D Anna Bachman, Bartram Trail, Jr.
D Olivia Bestic, Ponte Vedra, Jr.
MF Annalise Cannada, Bolles, Jr.
MF Karlee Castleman, Christ’s Church, Fr.
GK Bailey Dean, Bartram Trail, Sr.
MF Marisa Dill, Providence, Sr.
F Betty Elliott, Fernandina Beach, So.
MF Lauren Ferranti, Episcopal, Sr.
F Neilani Goicoechea, Atlantic Coast, Jr.
D Lily Graham, Fleming Island, Sr.
D Brayden Gray, Bolles, Sr.
F Mackenna Gregory, Bishop Kenny, Sr.
F Emma Griner, Stanton, So.
F Audrey Howard, Wolfson, So.
GK Mackenzie Kirk, Fleming Island, Sr.
MF Hannah Lemieux, St. Johns CD, Sr.
F Angelina Madera, Fletcher, Sr.
GK Roxy Mathews, St. Johns CD, So.
MF Abby Measor, Bishop Kenny, Sr.
F Abby Mehm, University Christian, Fr.
F Reese Mumbauer, Yulee, Sr.
F Kya Quinn-Mustafa, Englewood, So.
F Naycka Ortiz, Ridgeview, Sr.
F Jianna Ramirez, Creekside, Jr.
MF Julianna Reali, Ridgeview, Sr.
F Kalli Robinson, Tocoi Creek, Fr.
F Ryanne Robinson, Orange Park, Fr.
F Charlotte Sefcik, St. Augustine, Sr.
F Kiersten Shaw, Keystone Heights, Fr.
F Nora Slack, Episcopal, So.
F Olivia Surrency, Creekside, Jr.
MF Maggie Tibbitts, St. Joseph, Sr.
MF Adrienne Trerotola, Mandarin, Jr.
D Avery Upton, Creekside, Jr.
F Sophia Vaughn, Tocoi Creek, Jr.
D Victoria Villasana, Ponte Vedra, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
F Anna Whitehouse, St. Joseph, Jr.
D Avery Williams, Bartram Trail, Sr.
F Ellie Wilhelm, Bishop Snyder, Sr.
F Jada Williams, Flagler Palm Coast, Sr.
F Skylar Ziegaus, Columbia, So.