Top-10 moments of the East County sports season

The previous postseason losses had been excruciating for the Lakewood Ranch High girls softball team.

Perhaps that's what made its 2021 state championship, the first in program history, so sweet. The Mustangs worked together for years to reach their ultimate goal.

"We're the first team from Manatee County to win a softball state championship," Mustangs Head Coach T.J. Goelz said. "I'm proud of all the players, coaches and parent volunteers in our program. It took three consecutive trips to the Final Four to do it."

East County had some terrific moments to celebrate in 2021. And while Lakewood Ranch High's softball state championship might have topped the list, plenty of other teams and programs celebrated their own very special moments.

Here is the East County Observer's top 10 moments of 2021.

1. Lakewood Ranch High wins Class 4A softball championship

Who says high school softball championships are decided by pitching?

The Mustangs, who had struggled to score runs in their previous Final Four appearances, did have any problem in 2021. They capped a 30-2 season by ripping Park Vista High 14-4 in the May 22 championship game in claim the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 4A state title.

Eight of the Mustangs’ nine players in the starting lineup had hits and the offensive barrage started early as the Mustangs built a 6-4 lead. Park Visita, which finished 29-1, tried to hang offensively with the Mustangs, but it just couldn't keep up.

"We're working hard to not have it be three more times until we win it again," Goelz said. "With eight of our nine starters in the batting order returning, I think we have a shot (to win again in 2022)."

2. Concession hosts PGA Tour

The greatest golfers in the world came to the Lakewood Ranch area in 2021.

Because of COVID-19 concerns in Mexico, The Concession Golf Club jumped at the chance to host the 2021 WGC-Workday Championship, held Feb. 25-29.

While the tournament was thrown together in a short period of time, PGA Officials raved about the course and the community.

Collin Morikawa outdueled Billy Horschel, Brooks Koepka and Victor Hovland to win the $1.82 million first prize. The event aired on the Golf Channel and NBC and proved the the area is capable of hosting major events. PGA Tour officials said they will consider the area for another event in the not-to-distant future.

3. Hayden Buckley wins LECOM Suncoast Classic

It didn't appear Hayden Buckley had made the field for the 2021 LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood National Golf Club.

He didn't qualify during the Monday tournament qualifier and therefore began turning his attention to the next Korn Ferry Tour event. But Buckley decided he would show up at the course for the opening round (the tourney was held Feb. 18-21) just in case a few players already in the field backed out.

Buckley was told 17 minutes before his tee time that he made the field due to a players dropping out.

He then proceeded to win the whole thing, shooting 13 under par before holding off Taylor Montgomery and Dawson Armstrong in a playoff on the No. 18 hole. Buckley sunk a 10-foot birdie putt after Montgomery and Armstrong missed their attempts and received $108,000 of the tournament's $600,000 purse for first place.

4. ODA baseball captures Class 1A state title 

The Out-of-Door Academy baseball team (24-3) picked up big hits from its star players and took advantage of three errors made by St. Johns Country Day (24-7) to win the Class 1A state championship May 20 in Fort Myers. 

Junior Aidan Marino and senior Nolan Lewellen hit home runs in the win. Junior pitcher Josh Cone threw 4.2 innings for ODA, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits. Senior pitcher Tyler Colditz, who is called "Ice" by ODA Head Coach Mike Matthews, took over in relief and threw 2.1 perfect innings to close out the win.

Colditz struck out the game’s final batter to set off a huge Thunder celebration on their first state championship 

5. Riley Simmons wins shot put title

Lakewood Ranch High senior shot put athlete Riley Simmons simply needed to relax. 

It was the thing that had plagued her, not just during the 2021 season but at past big tournaments. Simmons, who now attends Mississippi State, was capable of out-throwing anyone when she was on top of her game, but getting to the top of her game was the issue. She would get tense.

Luckily, Simmons had perfected the art of keeping cool by the time the Class 4A state track and field championships arrived on May 8 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, keeping limber and repeating various mantras in her head. She launched a towering throw of 44 feet, 3.25 inches as a result, good for the gold.

6. Local hockey player drafted

Entering the 2021 NHL season, only 14 players born in Florida had played in the league. 

Sasha Pastujov has eyes on joining that exclusive club.

Pastujov, who was raised in Lakewood Ranch, was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the third round (66th overall) in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft on July 24. Pastujov had made a name for himself playing in the U.S. National Team Development Program. In 90 games between the U17 and U18 U.S. National Teams, Pastujov had 115 points (44 goals). 

Pastujov is likely a few years away from reaching the NHL level as he's currently playing at Notre Dame and the Ducks retain his draft rights through the end of his college career, though he could sign with the team earlier than that. Whenever he does arrive, Pastujov is ready to increase Florida's hockey footprint. 

7. Lakewood Ranch High relay team takes silver

The Lakewood Ranch High 4x800 relay team, consisting of juniors Maya Bridgeford, Ariana Majaro, Hailey Marston and senior Grace Marston, entered the Class 4A state meet seeded third but was convinced it could finish higher than that. 

The team was right. The Mustangs ran a 9:15.87 to finish in second place, 1.63 seconds behind Evans High, May 8 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. That boost in speed came in part because of a time trial the team held during practice in the week leading up to the event. The time trial would determine who would run in the relay, and everyone wanted a spot — including Bridgeford, who had not run an 800 race all season as she's typically a shorter-distance runner.

As it happened, Bridgeford impressed coaches during the time trial and earned a spot on the state team. She ran the first leg of the state race before making a seamless handoff to Majaro, helping secure the silver. 

8. Pirates volleyball team wins first district title

After the Braden River High volleyball team's 3-0 district semifinal home win against Manatee High Oct. 19, the Pirates players and coaches huddled together and began pointing to the banners hanging on their gym's walls. 

Compared to the other school sports programs, the volleyball team has had quite the drought, not winning a district championship since 2010.

Two days later, Braden River (21-8) earned its banner. The Pirates swept Bloomingdale High (13-7) 3-0 to capture the Class 6A District 7 title and celebrated their accomplishment on their home court. 

The team would reach the regional semifinals before falling 3-0 to Riverdale High (24-7) on Nov. 3. 

9. Braden River High football wins playoff win

All season long, the Braden River High football team had to deal with injuries. 

To name a few, sophomore quarterback Nick Trier injured his foot in the second week, forcing senior wide receiver Bryan Kearse to step into his place, and senior running back Justice McDaniel went down in the first week with a broken ankle, leading to senior Nehemiah Jenkins and sophomore Trayvon Pinder getting carries in his place. 

The injuries didn't derail the Pirates season. Instead, the team followed head Coach Curt Bradley's "next man up" mantra and continued to do what Braden River does best — win. The Pirates finished the regular season 8-1 and won their first-round playoff game 30-16 on the road over Countryside High (5-6) on Nov. 12. The Pirates would lose to Jesuit High (14-0) the following week, ending a season where they showcased their perseverance. 

10. Braden River Soccer Club plays in U.S. National Championships

The 2021 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships were originally supposed to be held in Arizona in July, but because of COVID-19 concerns, the event was moved to the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch. 

This was welcome news to Braden River Soccer Club's U18 girls team, which was playing in the event for the first time, the end of an historic season for the Rage. The U18 girls team became the first Braden River Soccer Club squad, boys or girls, to win the Florida State Cup, defeating the Cooper City Cobras 4-0 in the finals May 23. The Rage then advanced to the U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Championships, where the Rage reached the finals but lost 3-2 to All-In FC (Georgia). Even though the club lost, it was enough to earn an invite to the National Championships, which features the top-eight teams from each region.

The Rage lost all three of its games at the National Championships, held July 20-25 at Premier, but the team's run to the tournament set a new bar for excellence in the program.