Sports: Top teams of 2014

Perfect Pirates: Braden River Football
Braden River had high aspirations heading into the season, but the Pirates’ success in 2014 even surprised them.

After coming from behind to defeat North Fort Myers 35-32 in the season opener Aug. 29, the Pirates racked up eight straight victories to finish the regular season a perfect 9-0.

Led by a junior quarterback and a trio of running backs, Braden River defeated rival Lakewood Ranch for the first time in five years to open the district season Sept. 19 before beating Sarasota, North Port and Palmetto to capture the program’s first district championship and advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

Braden River hosted its first regional quarterfinal game Nov. 14, defeating Pinellas Park 44-28. The Pirates closed out their season with a 37-21 loss to Tarpon Springs East Lake, who was ranked No. 1 in Class 7A, in the regional semifinals Nov. 21.

Braden River finished the 2014 season with a 10-1 record, outscoring its opponents 392-149 with three shutouts.

State Bound: Lakewood Ranch Volleyball
Seeking to finish what they and their former teammates started in 2012, Lakewood Ranch seniors Nicole Grant and Kelley Ainsworth helped power the Lady Mustangs to their second Final Four appearance in three years this season.

After capturing their fourth-straight district championship with a decisive 3-0 victory over rival Sarasota in the Class 7A-District 10 championship Oct. 23, the Lady Mustangs went on to defeat Tarpon Springs East Lake 3-0 in the regional quarterfinals Oct. 29 to set up a rematch with Sarasota in the regional semifinals Nov. 4.

Lakewood easily won the first set before Sarasota stormed back to win the second set. It was the first set the Lady Mustangs had lost to the Lady Sailors all season, but Lakewood wasn’t about to be denied on its home court. The Lady Mustangs easily won the next two sets to beat Sarasota 3-1 and advance to the regional finals for the fourth-consecutive season.

After missing out on a second trip to the state semifinals in 2013, Lakewood approached this year’s regional final match with something to prove.

Behind a strong defensive effort and Grant’s offensive prowess, Lakewood swept Fort Myers 3-0 in the Class 7A-Region 3 finals Nov. 8 to earn a berth in the Class 7A Final Four Nov. 14.

Lakewood ultimately saw its season come to an end with a 3-1 loss to Winter Springs in the state semifinals.

Will to Win: Lakewood Ranch Girls Soccer
The Lakewood Ranch High girls soccer team is no stranger to the state tournament, and 2014 proved no different for the Lady Mustangs.

Led by six seniors, the Lady Mustangs captured their fifth-consecutive district championship before embarking on a memorable regional tournament run.

Lakewood narrowly edged past Naples Gulf Coast (1-0), Riverdale (2-0) and Seminole (1-0) to win their second-consecutive regional championship and advance to the Final Four for the third time in five years.

The Lady Mustangs saw their season come to an end with a 3-0 loss to eventual state champion Melbourne in the Class 4A state semifinals Feb. 7. It was the second-consecutive season Melbourne had ended Lakewood’s state tournament run.

The season might not have ended the way Lakewood had hoped, but 2014 proved to be a season filled with historic runs, dominant defense, surprise and intrigue.

Lakewood set a new program record for wins (24) and shutouts (18) in a season. The Lady Mustangs outscored their opponents 71-10 in 26 games and finished the season ranked No. 4 in the state and No. 22 in the nation.

Mustang Magic: Lakewood Ranch Boys Soccer
The Lakewood Ranch High boys soccer team made history in 2014, advancing to the Class 4A Final Four for the first time in school history.

The Mustangs had seen their fair share of success in recent years, having won three district championships in six years and advancing to the regional tournament in five of those six years.

But it was getting to the regional finals and beyond that had hindered Lakewood in the past.

Lakewood appeared to have all of the pieces in place to make a significant playoff run heading into the season, but a rash of injuries in the middle of the season left the Mustangs’ playoff aspirations in doubt.

The Mustangs suffered through the middle of the season before the bulk of their injured players, including goalkeeper Liam Bramley, finally started to get healthy right before the district tournament.

After earning the No. 4 seed in the district tournament, Lakewood won its next six games, capturing district and regional championships along the way, before earning a berth in the state semifinals.

Lakewood’s historic season came to a close with a 3-0 loss to eventual state champion Melbourne in the Class 4A state semifinals Feb. 14.

Regional Tournament Bound: Manatee Cal Ripken 9U All-Stars
The Manatee Cal Ripken 9U All-Star team spent the 2014 season focused on the present moment.
That mindset helped carry Manatee to a perfect 17-0 record and a state championship during an eight-week stretch last summer.

In front of dozens of fans in their home ballpark, Manatee went 5-0 to win the Cal Ripken Florida State Championship July 10 through July 13.

Manatee outscored its opponents 49-18 throughout the four-day tournament, defeating Oviedo (7-4), Fort Lauderdale (13-5), Okeeheelee (9-4) and Palm Beach Gardens (8-3) before beating North Brandon 12-2 in the championship game.

As the state champion, Manatee advanced to the Southeast Regional Tournament July 23 through July 27, in Palm Beach Gardens.

Manatee went 3-2 in the Southeast Regional Tournament, which featured 16 teams from Virginia to Florida, to finish third overall.