LOCAL SPORTS

Kevin Johnson grew up within walking distance of Englewood High School and later starred for the Rams. Now, he's taking over as the head football coach.

Team officials say the name and brand should be revealed in the coming months.

With less than two weeks to go until the start of the NFL Draft, there are still loads of questions about who the Jaguars will select with the 24th pick of the first round. One of the biggest questions is who will be there when the Jaguars are on the clock?

In what is believed to be a first in the area, Charlsea Clark, who took Bishop Kenny to three straight girls basketball final fours has been hired as the boys basketball coach at Atlantic Coast.

There are some familiar faces at 121 Financial Ballpark this week but they are wearing Durham Bulls uniforms. Former Bishop Kenny star Ben Gamel and Fernandina Beach alum Michael Johns are experiencing their first series as professionals at the Baseball Grounds.

Seven yellow cards and two players sent off contributed to Jacksonville's 3-1 loss to Miami FC.

The Dates for the Jaguars' organized team activities (OTAs) have been released by the NFL.

He's only in seventh grade, but St. Johns Country Day guard Cam Cooper has already received four college scholarship offers. And that's only the beginning.

It came down to the goalkeepers in penalty kicks and Jacksonville's Nick Rulle got the better of Miami United's Peterson Occenat to give the Armada the win in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup Thursday at UNF's Hodges Stadium.

Jacksonville’s Kaitlyn Schroeder has won a lot of golf tournaments, but she admits she’s never played in an event quite like the one she will next weekend at Augusta National, the home of the Masters.

On Thursday, the Jacksonville Armada will play in the U.S. Open Cup for the first time since 2018.

The first round of The Players Championship tees off Thursday morning. Here are five tips to make your visit to TPC Sawgrass as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

The Jacksonville Jaguars placed their franchise tag on tight end Evan Engram.

Emily Sisson claimed her third straight women’s title in Saturday’s Gate River Run, but this year’s $5,000 Equalizer Bonus went to the man who caught her on the Hart Bridge off-ramp: Olympic steeplechaser Hillary Bor.

In a move that is anything but unexpected, the Jaguars are moving on from cornerback Shaq Griffin, according to a report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Ribault can advance to the state championship game in boys basketball with a win on Thursday.

Mother Nature and Emily Sisson. And a lost minute. These are the three biggest storylines heading into Saturday’s Gate River Run, the national championship 15K.

On Saturday, the Gate River Run will be held for the 46th year, and for the first time in recent years, runners won’t have to adapt to a new course.

Seven local teams are still alive in the state high school basketball playoffs. Among them, Ribault and Bishop Kenny, who will face one another at Ribault on Friday.

After Oakleaf lost in the playoffs last season, it didn’t take long for the leaders on the girls’ basketball team to start working toward a better season. Now, the Knights are back in the final four.

Florida State battled back from a 19-point deficit but came up short at home, losing 75-69 to Boston College.

Playing without their best player, Florida struggled to score, falling on the road to the Razorbacks 85-64.

Since the girls' soccer postseason began, Stanton has been on a roll. Friday, they face the defending state champions for spot in the stat finals.

St. Johns Country Day girls soccer has been so successful — they’ve won 14 state titles, including the last 11 in a row — that head coach Mike Pickett treats everything before the playoffs as a warmup. He picks some of the best teams in the nation to make up one of the most difficult schedules in the state for a reason. He wants his team to be challenged. On Friday, the Spartans play for a spot in the regional finals, the next step toward another championship.

There are a few high school sports dynasties in our area. Bolles swimming and St. Johns Country Day girls soccer jump right to mind. But we should include the cheerleading program at West Nassau in that list.

Although the team doesn't have a name or stadium yet and the games aren't scheduled to begin until 2025, JAX USL, the group bringing a USL Championship soccer team and women's professional team to town have begun building their front office by hiring former Jacksonville University men's soccer coach Mauricio Ruiz.

The Ospreys sank 13 three-pointers, the most allowed by JU this season, in a 65-58 win, their second in as many games over the Dolphins.

UNF jumped out to an early 17 point lead and never trailed as the Ospreys took the first game of the River City Rumble over Jacksonville University 76-63.

Nease quarterback Marcus Stokes, once a Florida commit, signs with West Florida.

After a dream season came to an end with a loss in Kansas City, the Jaguars leadership will now look to an offseason unlike any they have experienced in recent history.

As the Jaguars are set to play the Chiefs in Kansas City, many fans will get together and cheer them on — some 1,100 miles away, in Jacksonville.

The 2022 season has the arrow pointing up for the Jaguars' future success, but this team has set its sights on the Lombardi Trophy.

Three days after the Jaguars pulled off the third-largest comeback in NFL playoff history, Jacksonville is still buzzing. And Trevor Lawrence admitted they may have gone past the 24-hour rule in celebrating the comeback win over the Chargers.

The Jaguars made some big moves this past offseason, but none were bigger than hiring Doug Pederson as head coach.

Planning and preparations are underway as thousands of Jaguars and Chargers fan plan on attending Saturday’s AFC wild-card game in Jacksonville.

Jaguar fans are in the midst of euphoria after the improbable season Jacksonville just pulled off.

The Jaguars know who they will play and where they will play them in the playoffs. But what about tickets to the game?

Doug Pederson took a team from back-to-back seasons with the worst record in the league, then brought them back from 2-6 to the brink of the playoffs. And it only took a few months.

Trevor Lawrence is playing the way everybody thought he would when he was drafted with the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. It just took a little longer to happen.

Pro Football hall of Famer Ed Reed has been hired as the new football coach at Bethune Cookman.

The Jaguars placed two veterans, left tackle Cam Robinson and defensive lineman Dawaune Smoot on injured reserve on Monday, meaning they will miss the rest of the season.

The Mustangs opened the season 9-0, outscoring the opposition by 40 goals. The average score of a Mandarin game this year? 9-1.

A day after the Jaguars celebrated their 17-point come-from-behind win over the Dallas Cowboys, the team learned that they will have to play the rest of the season without starting left tackle Cam Robinson.

They’re No. 1 in the nation but they’re not talking about it.

One year ago today, Shad Khan fired Urban Meyer. What a difference a year makes. One year on, there isn’t a hint of the strife that was left in Meyer’s wake. The infighting, the lack of vision and trust, and most of all, the lack of respect. You won’t find that in Jacksonville now.

The Jaguars can make the playoffs, with only a little help. And they can even afford a loss in the final four weeks of the season.

The Fortegra Invitational may soon need to add Providence to the tournament’s title.

Whether Trevor Lawrence plays or not, the Jaguars know they must play better Sunday against the Titans if they want to end the nine-year winless streak in Nashville.

Trevor Lawrence says he’s planning ahead as if he is playing on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. He’s just not taking snaps in practice.

Traditionally, Notre Dame and South Carolina have brought big crowds to bowl games. Will we see the same at the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl this year?

For the fourth time in four years since taking over as the head coach at Bolles, Matt Toblin is preparing for a final four game. This time, the most successful program in the history of high school football all in Florida will play the role of the underdog.

After upsetting AFC North-leading Baltimore, the Jaguars travel to Detroit to face the Lions in search of their first winning streak of the season.

For the first time since 2016, two of the most storied high school football programs in northeast Florida will meet when Raines faces Bolles in the regional finals.

Ten games into Doug Pederson's first season, the Jaguars' head coach seems prophetic. When hired, he said it would not be an overnight fix. While the team has shown improvement, it has been a slower-than-hoped-for process.

Among the playoff games on Friday, Baldwin hosts Baker County in the 2S regional semi-final. The meeting is a rematch of a game won by the Indians 30-7 earlier in the season. That game was part of a historic season for Baldwin, who had not beaten Baker County since 1968 and had never won a district championship in football. They accomplished both feats this season.

Entering their bye week at 3-7, there are major improvements for the Jaguars to make. But the team is staying positive as they look to finish the season strong after the break.

After snapping a five-game losing streak, the Jaguars' "So what? Now what?" mantra will be put to the stiffest test of the season as Jacksonville travels to Kansas City to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.

Jordan Travis threw three touchdown passes, Trey Benson ran for 128 yards and two scores as Florida State became bowl-eligible with a 45-3 rout over Miami. The Seminoles (6-3, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) outgained the Hurricanes (4-5, 2-3) 456-188 and were never threatened after a 31-3 lead at halftime. Travis completed 10 of 12 passes for 202 yards before being removed early in the fourth quarter. Florida State exceeded 200 yards rushing for the fourth straight game with 225. Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke re-aggravated an injury to his right throwing shoulder early in the second quarter. He returned for the next drive but left for good after another errant pass missed its target.

Doug Pederson believes the Jaguars' trade for suspended wide receiver Calvin Ridley will make the team better. Eventually. Pederson said that he won't know for sure until the league clears the former Falcons' first-round pick to return to play.

Facing a five-game losing streak, Jaguars' head coach Doug Pederson called for the team to avoid trying to take short cuts to win a game.

Wuerffel played in four games in the rivalry, two in Jacksonville, one in Gainesville, and one in Athens while the Gator Bowl was being renovated prior to the first season of the Jaguars. Wuerffel says he thinks the game should stay where it is.

The Jacksonville Icemen opened the sixth season of the franchise with a resounding 5-2 victory over the Orlando Solar Bears Saturday at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena.

After more than a decade of struggles, Jackson is contending again. If the Tigers beat Raines a week from Friday, they’ll clinch the district title for the first time since 2009.

The Jaguars spent more money in free agency this offseason than any team in NFL history ever has. They are looking for a good return on their investment and Friday’s preseason matchup with the Cleveland Browns offered a first look at several new additions.

The Jaguars play their first home game of the preseason on Friday when they host the Cleveland Browns. After losing to the Las Vegas Raiders 27-11 in the Hall of Fame game, the Jaguars will roll out most of their starters on Friday. Here are four big things I’ll be watching for in the game.

At the AAU National Championships and Junior Olympics, 8-year-old Josalyn Glover of Kingsland, Georgia, nearly broke the national age group record in the 400 meters as she won the title during the meet at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Fleming Island running back Sam Singleton posted on his social media that he is "100 percent committed" to the Noles. Singleton is ranked among the top 250 players in the country and was among the last remaining uncommitted top local prospects. He'll be heading to Tallahassee next year.

There is always a lot of anticipation for the start of training camp at any level — high school, college or pro. But when there is a new coaching staff, the anticipation is heightened. On Tuesday, the Gators players reported to the first Billy Napier-led training camp.

Three draft picks are listed as starters on the Jaguars' first official depth chart of the season, released in advance of Thursday's Hall of Fame Game.

No player in Jaguars' history is more closely linked to Tony Boselli than Mark Brunell. On Saturday, the two will once again be on stage together when Brunell presents Boselli for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In the history of the Jacksonville Sharks, the team has won three championships. One in the Arena Football League and two since joining the National Arena League. The team now stands two wins away from another title.

The No. 1 seeded Jacksonville Armada hosted and defeated No. 4 Pensacola FC in the NPSL Gulf Coast Conference Semifinals Wednesday night, 7-2.

The Jacksonville Armada U-23 will open the post-season Wednesday evening with something to prove. Despite a regular season that resulted in 11 wins, no losses, and one draw, the best record of the 95 teams in the National Premier Soccer League, the Armada U-23s still remember how last year ended.

After earning a spot on Team USA, former Bartram Trail swimmer Morgan Ray arrived at the Paraswimming World Championships in Portugal only to test positive for COVID-19. After being cleared on Wednesday, he was in the pool for the first time at the meet and nearly broke an American record.

After a miserable 2020 season that included 15 straight losses and an even worse 2021 under Urban Meyer, the Jaguars' new head coach knows that he has to build trust first. He took two more steps on Thursday.

How do you honor a man who has made a major impact on your life? If you are former Bolles football player Tommy Murphy, you name a racehorse after him.

The Florida Gators softball season will be remembered as a success, but one that came up just short of a fairy tale ending.

Of the eight teams to make it to the Womens' College World Series, the Florida Gators have the most all-time appearances there--11. But in the previous 10, Florida hosted their Super Regional. This year, they had to go on the road and win 2 of three in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech. Thursday evening, they'll begin their world series run against Oregon State.

Former Jaguars' kicker Mike Hollis, 50, will make his return to pro football Friday when he kicks for the Jacksonville Sharks in a National Arena League game against the San Antonio Gunslingers.

After being played after on New Year's Eve last season, the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl will kick off a day earlier this season.

Thursday is a big day for Clay County high school softball as both Clay High and Middleburg High School will play in separate State Final Four games.

This week in the waters of the St. Johns River, a national championship in sailing was on the line in the Thistle class. Over 50 sailing teams from across the country have been in Jacksonville all week competing.

Dozens of coaches and student-athletes from 17 Gateway Conference schools were honored Monday night at the Florida Theater.

A month after the move was rumored, the Jaguars have officially hired Ethan Waugh as assistant general manager, reuniting Waugh with Trent Baalke.

The season is on the line for the Jacksonville Icemen Wednesday night after losing a 2-0 decision to the Florida Everblades on Tuesday.

After winning the ASUN conference championship, the #17 JU Dolphins are looking to take it to the next level in the NCAA tournament, starting Friday.

The Jaguars signed free agent quarterback E.J. Perry on Thursday, adding depth behind Trevor Lawrence.

The man known as "Mr. Patton Park" to thousands of soccer players, coaches and parents, Randy Powell, passed away Tuesday night after a battle with Leukemia. Powell did everything at Patton Park, the city-owned soccer complex on Hodges Blvd. since it opened in 2000.

After winning a playoff series for the first time, the Jacksonville Icemen now know who they will face in the next round of the ECHL's Kelly Cup playoffs.

Bolles' boys' lacrosse is making a return trip to the state semi-finals while Episcopals' girls have made the Final Four for the first time in program history.

Jaguars' left tackle Cam Robinson made it official, signing his new three-year contract with the Jaguars, a deal worth as much as $54 million.

How did the Jaguars do in the draft? Let’s get my draft grade out here first and then talk about why. I’m giving the Jaguars a B. It was darn-near professional. That’s a step forward after what we’ve seen in the recent past.

Something special seemed to be in the air for Jacksonville-area runners who enjoyed great days at the Boston Marathon.

Doug Pederson threw out the first pitch at the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp game Tuesday evening and he also threw out some thoughts on the draft and building a winning culture.

One of the best high school basketball players from the Jacksonville area of the past decade is coming back to the Sunshine State. Alex Fudge announced Wednesday that he’s leaving LSU and transferring to Florida.

The Jaguars announced that left tackle Cam Robinson has signed his franchise tender on Wednesday. That means no long-term deal, yet. They can still negotiate until July 15.

One year after shopping in the bargain bin, the Jaguars have made a big slash in free agency.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of The Players Championship moving into it’s permanent home at TPC Sawgrass. In 1982, Jerry Pate fired a final round 67 to beat Brad Bryant and Scott Simpson by two strokes, taking home $90,000 and a set of wet clothes after he dove into the water at 18 in celebration of his win.

47 of the top 50 players in the World Golf Rankings will descend on TPC Sawgrass to compete for one of the biggest championships in golf. It's the week of The Players, and there are some changes this year.

If there’s anyone who knows how the body responds to running the River Run, it’s Page Ramezani. Not only does Ramezani hold records at five ages at the Gate, but he also is a cardiologist at the Florida Heart Clinic.