ORANGE PARK - With an astounding 23 state championship rings spread over six years, the senior class of the St. Johns Country Day School girls soccer team played their final home game on Wed., Jan. 10 amidst a flurry of fast first half goals with yet another 8-0 splashing, this time against district rival St. Joseph’s Academy of St. Augustine.

Seniors Alisa Detlefsen, Abbey Newton, Payton Crews, Kirsten Pavlisko and Anna Carrico were celebrated prior to the quick-score game with the first goal in after just 30 seconds.

“Think of the former players from here; Annie Bobbitt, Kaili Torres, Carson Pickett and Tyler Law plus a handful of others and this could be the most decorated group of seniors that has passed through here,” said St. Johns coach Mike Pickett. “Three of them; Payton, Abbey and Alisa have six rings each with a won/loss record of 156-5-6 over seven years. That’s pretty good.”

Pickett commented that the dynamic of playing from sixth or seventh grade on has been a key to the longevity of the Spartans success with his finding raw talent and being able to nurture that to soccer success.

“They all start at a level playing field,” said Pickett. “Whether fast, tall, short or slow, they all have potential at that age. It doesn’t matter. We treat them all the same and the transition comes when we start to put them in against older players. Their response tells me what the next step will be in their improvement. Some respond quicker to competition; others take a little longer. We just reload and rebuild.”

College wise, Pickett’s list of college athletes runs the gamut from national champions at Virginia and FSU; Torres and daughter Carson Pickett, and players at Notre Dame, Duke and Florida with Crews going to Texas Christian, Newton going to LSU, Detlefsen going to Troy, Carrico going to Centerville University, and Pavlisko going to FSU.