All-Sports Champions!

The Florida High School Athletic Association released its annual all-sports rankings, a.k.a. The Floyd E. Lay Sunshine Cup All-Sports Awards, for the 2024-25 school year, and Jesuit athletics was outstanding once again.

As the Tigers have done year after year, they ranked No. 1 among all schools in Class 5A and No. 1 among all schools in the Tampa Bay area, public and private.

In 5A, Jesuit edged out Florida's other Jesuit school, Miami Belen Jesuit, by three points in the FHSAA scoring system, 95 to 92.

In Tampa Bay, among all local schools, Jesuit's 95 points more than doubled that of area runner-up Seminole Osceola (42.5) as well as any local private school. (See the charts below for results in every category.)

Among all schools in Florida in all classifications, Jesuit ranked 3rd in the state, behind only 6A Ft. Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas and 4A Hialeah Mater Lakes Academy. That result makes it eight straight years the Tigers have ranked in the top 3 among all schools in Florida, and 12 straight years the Tigers have been in the Top 6.

Athletic director Terry Rupp '84 has presided over Jesuit's 12 sports team programs since 2009, guiding the Tigers to perennial powerhouse status in the FHSAA All-Sports competition.

In 2024-25, Jesuit's efforts were led by the State Champion wrestling program (head coach Sal Basile) which claimed the State Duals title. It is the fourth State crown since 2020 for Jesuit wrestling, which was led by three-time individual champion Draven McCall '25, who now wrestles for Army West Point.   

Numerous other Jesuit teams either nearly won a State title or made deep playoff runs, with 6 of 12 teams winning Region crowns. In the fall, cross country (Mike Phillips) earned its first Region title since 2008, golf (Dave Simmons) earned its second straight Region trophy, and swimming won its 16th straight Region under head coach Bill Shaffer, who tragically passed away a month later.

In the winter, soccer (Eric Sims '95) won its seventh straight Region title and came within inches of the program's eighth State title, losing on penalty kicks in the championship match for the second straight year. Wrestling came within a whisker of earning two State crowns, finishing as State runner-up in the Individual Bracket State Tournament. In the spring, baseball (Miguel Menendez) captured its fourth straight Region title.

District champions included football (Matt Thompson), basketball (Neal Goldman), lacrosse (Noah Menendez '14), and track & field (Andy Wood '92).

See below the FHSAA Floyd E. Lay Sunshine Cup All-Sports Award standings for the 2024-25 school year for boys programs: 1. in Class 5A, 2. in all classifications, 3. among all Tampa Bay-area schools, and 4. among all Tampa Bay-area private schools.

 

2024-25 FHSAA ALL-SPORTS STANDINGS

Florida – Class 5A
1. Jesuit High School – 95
2. Miami Belen Jesuit – 92
3. Ft. Walton Beach Choctawhatchee – 60.25
4. Ponte Vedra – 55.5
5. Tallahassee Chiles – 50
6. Fleming Island – 45.75
7. Seminole Osceola – 42.5
8. Panama City Arnold – 40
9. Tallahassee Lincoln – 39.5
10. New Smyrna Beach – 36

Florida – All Schools
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (6A) – 149.5
2. Hialeah Mater Lakes Academy (4A) – 115
3. Jesuit High School (5A) – 95
4. Miami Columbus (7A) – 93
5. Belen Jesuit (5A) – 92
6. Jacksonville Bolles (3A) – 84
7. Palm Beach Gardens Benjamin (2A) – 71
8. Boca Raton St. Andrews (3A) – 70
9. Fort Myers Bishop Verot (3A) – 68.1
10. Pace (6A) – 66
11. Plantation American Heritage (4A) – 65.5
12. Delray Beach American Heritage (3A) – 63.75
13. Winter Park (7A) – 63
14. Ft. Walton Beach Choctawhatchee (5A) – 60.25
15. Venice (7A) – 60

Tampa Bay – All Schools – Public/Private/Charter
1. Jesuit High School (5A) – 95
2. Seminole Osceola (5A) – 42.5
3. Berkeley Prep (3A) – 40
4. Cambridge Christian (2A) – 36
5(t). Mitchell (6A) – 34
5(t). Palm Harbor University (7A) – 34
7. Wesley Chapel (5A) – 29
8(t). Springstead (5A) – 28
8(t). Tampa SLAM (2A) – 28
10. Wiregrass Ranch (6A) – 27
11. Tampa Prep (2A) – 26
12. Plant (7A) – 25.25
13. River Ridge (5A) – 24
14. St. Petersburg (5A) – 23.5
15. Seminole (4A) – 22

Tampa Bay – Private Schools – Hillsborough/Pinellas/Pasco
1. Jesuit High School (5A) – 95
2. Berkeley Prep (3A) – 40
3. Cambridge Christian (2A) – 36
4. Tampa Prep (2A) – 26
5(t). Clearwater C.C. (2A) – 22
5(t). Zephyrhills Christian (1A) – 22
7. Calvary Christian (3A) – 19
8. Indian Rocks Christian (2A) – 16
9(t). North Tampa Christian (1A) – 13
9(t). Shorecrest (2A) – 13
11. Carrollwood Day (2A) – 12.5
12. Academy at the Lakes (1A) – 9.1
13(t). Bishop McLaughlin (2A) – 6
13(t). Seffner Christian (2A) – 6
13(t). Tampa Catholic (3A) – 6