East County's top sports moments of 2020

No one could have predicted how 2020 would go. 

It was a year of challenges for everyone, including athletes. The high school spring season was canceled after a few weeks of play, while the fall season was delayed and shortened. Youth, club and professional sporting events were also affected.

Practices and games that were completed were modified to meet new safety needs. Still, there were uplifting moments. There were moments of perseverance and triumph. While some occurred before the world changed, others came after, providing a much-needed sense of normalcy. 

Within these moments, a handful separated themselves from the rest. Here are the top-five East County sports moments of the year. 

Gordon repeats as Gatorade Player of the Year

Braden River girls basketball star O'Mariah Gordon proved once again in 2019-2020 why she is widely considered the best player in the state. 

Gordon, then a junior, averaged 23.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 4.2 steals per game in the 2019-2020 season, leading the Pirates in each category. Her strong play led the Pirates (17-10) to their first-ever state semifinal appearance. The Pirates lost that game to Wekiva High on Feb. 27, but Gordon had a strong showing, with a game-high 27 points, six rebounds and three steals. 

People took notice. On March 6, Gordon was named the Gatorade Florida Girls Basketball Player of the Year. It was her second-consecutive year winning the award. She is the fourth Florida girls basketball player to repeat as a winner since the award was introduced in 1985. 

Gordon signed with Florida State University on Nov. 12, ending her long recruitment. Gordon, who is 5-foot-4, is ranked by ESPN as the 31st player in the class of 2021 and the seventh-best point guard. Now a senior, Gordon will look to become the first-ever three-time winner of the award — and take her team to a state title win in the process. 

Goelz wins Gatorade Player of the Year softball award

Shortened season or not, winning a Gatorade award is a big deal. 

Lakewood Ranch High softball senior Avery Goelz was named the 2020 Gatorade Florida Softball Player of the Year on May 28. The Mustangs played just eight games before the season was halted by the pandemic, but Goelz made every opportunity count. Goelz hit for a .591 batting average with three home runs and 13 RBI. The Mustangs went 8-0 in those games. 

Goelz, who will play for Florida in the spring, was ranked as the fourth-ranked recruit in the class of 2020 by Extra Inning Softball as well as one of MaxPreps' top-100 athletes in all sports. She and her Mustangs teammates will never know what this year could have been under different circumstances. Lakewood Ranch was ranked No. 1 nationally by MaxPreps when the season was halted. A season after falling in the state title game, the Mustangs were excited to make up for that loss, but never got the chance. 

As disappointing as that may be, Goelz earned the prestigious individual award. 

Andrew Novak captures Suncoast Classic title

The second year of the Korn Ferry Tour's LECOM Suncoast Classic tournament, held at Lakewood National Golf Club on Feb. 13-16, was contested before the pandemic was an issue.

Andrew Novak took the title, earning his first win as a professional golfer and taking home the $108,000 purse. He sank a birdie on the 18th hole to finish 23 under par, one stroke better than John Chin, who parred the final hole.

Novak celebrated by putting on the "White Jacket," a dental jacket provided by LECOM, and by drinking a beer out of the Suncoast Classic trophy. His victory came one year after Novak missed the cut at the inaugural Suncoast Classic. He learned from his mistakes, he said, and used his experience to play a much smarter tournament. 

Novak did so in front of a large crowd. Tournament Director Justin Kristich said the event sold approximately 20,000 tickets. 

ODA football team rallies to title game berth

When The Out-of-Door Academy football team went 0-4 during its pandemic-shortened regular season, it seemed like a disappointment.

Even though all Sunshine State Athletic Conference teams were eligible for the postseason in 2020 thanks to pandemic-caused rule changes, it appeared that an early exit was likely for ODA. Then the Thunder defeated Ocala Christian Academy 48-22 — its first win of the season — in the SSAC Class A first round on Nov. 6, and suddenly the whole program had a different vibe. 

The Thunder won again Nov. 13 in the Class A semifinals, 37-26 over Cedar Creek Christian. The 2-4 Thunder advanced to the state championship game against Bishop Snyder High. They did so without starting senior quarterback Tyler Beasley, who was out with an injury. The championship game did not go the Thunder's way. ODA led 19-0 before Bishop Snyder mounted a comeback to win 20-19. 

Even so, reaching that point after going winless marked the team's impressive progress during its first season under Coach K.B. Belton. 

Lakewood Ranch boys soccer reaches Final Four

For the second year in a row, the Lakewood Ranch High boys soccer team was one game from a state championship appearance. 

The Mustangs couldn't quite get there, losing 2-1 to Boone High on the road despite then-sophomore midfielder Drew Clark scoring on a first-half header to give the team a lead. Even though it did not end how the Mustangs wanted, the season was a triumph. The Mustangs played a defensive game, beating teams with sound defense and strong goaltending, but they made it work, going 19-6-1 and finishing the season ranked 99th in the country by MaxPreps.

Their biggest win, 2-0 over Steinbrenner High in the regional finals, included goals from then-senior Jacob Jordan and then-junior Timothy Sheredy. Then-senior Michael Plechy recorded the shutout in net. 

Coach Vito Bavaro said he was proud of the way the team improved throughout the season. He also praised the team's heart, pointing out that they trailed in three playoff games before coming back to win.