Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year from Miami. Plus new football coach at South Broward and more
In its 40th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes, Gatorade announced Gigi Artiles of Miami Westminster Christian School is the 2024-25 Gatorade Florida Volleyball Player of the Year.
Artiles is the first Gatorade Florida Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Westminster Christian School.
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their success on the court, in the classroom and in the community. The award distinguishes Artiles as Florida’s best high school volleyball player, and she joins an impressive group of alumni that spans CEOs, coaches and star athletes such as April Ross (1999-00, Newport Harbor High School, California), Kerri Walsh Jennings (1995-96, Archbishop Mitty High School, California) and Ayden Ames (2023-24, Prosper High School, Texas).
Artiles, a 6-foot-3 junior outside hitter, led the Warriors to a 22-5 record and the Class 2A state championship. She recorded 375 kills and 274 digs, including 23 kills in Westminster’s 3-1 win over Trinity Catholic High School in the state final. She also compiled 44 service aces and 35 blocks while posting a .440 kill percentage at net. Ranked as the nation’s No.11 recruit in the Class of 2026 by PrepDig.com, she concluded her junior year with 1,271 kills in her prep volleyball career.
Artiles and her sister, Bella, co-founded Angel Share Charity in 2009, which assists low-income families in her community. She has also volunteered locally as a youth volleyball coach.
“Gigi is a dynamic hitter and a solid, six-rotation player,” said Matt Willems, head coach of Miami Divine Savior Academy. “She simply took over in the state semifinals and state championship matches and willed her team to victory. She’s the real deal.”
Artiles has maintained a weighted 4.14 GPA in the classroom. She has made a verbal commitment to receive athletic aid to play volleyball at the University of Georgia beginning in the fall of 2026.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states across 12 different high school sports – football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field – and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Artiles joins recent Gatorade Florida Volleyball Players of the Year Izzy Starck (2023-24, Viera High School), Jordyn Byrd (2022-23 & 2021-22, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School) and Paris Thompson (2020-21, Fort Myers High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $5.6 million in grants to winners across more than 2,000 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade, Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY and X(Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.
Football coach
Hollywood South Broward High School no longer has an opening for its head football coach. That position was filled recently when the school announced that former Miami Springs head coach Darryl Bethune will head up the Bulldogs program moving forward.
Bethune, who served as T.Y. Hilton’s offensive coordinator when Hilton starred at Springs from 2004-07, (before moving on to FIU and the Indianapolis Colts) took over as head coach at Springs in 2012. He inherited a team that had gone winless the previous season and led the Hawks to their first playoff berth in 18 years in 2013.
After he stepped down following the 2018 season (after compiling a 36-34 record), he served as an assistant coach at North Miami for three seasons before joining Darryle Heidelburg’s staff at Miami Norland in 2022 as an offensive consultant and offensive line coach where he helped lead the Vikings to a state runner-up finish in 2023.
Bethune will inherit a solid program in South Broward, which made the postseason each of the last three seasons under Coach Charles McCrea, who stepped down last November.
“I appreciate very much the opportunity that South Broward High School has offered me and am very excited to be taking over such a fine program,” said Bethune. “I met with the players [recently], and I’m looking forward to getting to work.”
BILL DALEY
Soccer
The annual GMAC Tournament in boys’ soccer showcased some exciting action.
In quarterfinal play, Miami Jackson edged Ferguson in a shootout to advance, and South Dade won a close game against TERRA.
Jackson improved to 9-1-1, while handing Ferguson its first loss of the season at 7-1-1.
Christopher Guerra scored approximately 10 minutes into the second half, lofting a shot over the defender from about 25-30 yards to give Jackson a 1-0 lead. The Falcons evened things on a goal with 10 minutes to go, and when regulation ended tied at one, the winner was determined on penalty kicks.
Shootout: Jackson 4, Ferguson 2: Jackson missed, Ferguson scored (1-0); Jackson (Josue Mendoz) scored (1-1), Ferguson scored (2-1); Jackson (Brandon Hernandez) scored (2-2), Ferguson blocked by Jackson keeper (Jesus Alvarenga); Jackson (Saul Euceda) scored (3-2), Ferguson blocked by Jackson keeper (Jesus Alvarenga); Jackson (German Argenal) scored (4-2).
Jackson received strong defensive play from defenders Nicolas Fernandez, Kevin Cruz and German Argenal, while Derkson Cox, Saul Euceda and Jean Laferriere were outstanding as midfielders.
In South Dade’s 1-0 victory, Jerry Marjolains scored the winner off an assist from Alan Gonzales. The Buccaneers improved to 12-2-3, and TERRA is now 8-2-3.
▪ BOYS: GMAC Semifinal: Miami Beach 4, South Dade 0: Santiago Lemos 1 goal; Jamary Joseph 1 goal 1 assist; Tomas Visintini 1 goal; Yadell Alonso 1 goal; Valentino Levy 1 assist; Thiago Marchisone 1 assist; Camilo Grajales 1 assist; Gkp Lenonx Munoz 9th shutout. MB 12-2-2, SD 12-3-3.
▪ BOYS: GMAC Semifinal: MAST 5, Miami Jackson 0: MAST 10-1-2, MJ 9-2-1.
More soccer
In girls’ soccer, Gulliver Prep keeper Ana Levy Armesto made 17 saves on 20 shots as the visiting Raiders tied Miami Lourdes 1-1. It was Senior Night for the host Bobcats (8-1-2).
In a close battle of top programs from Broward, Plantation American Heritage handed Parkland Stoneman Douglas its first loss this season.
▪ GIRLS: American Heritage 1, Stoneman Douglas 0: Juliana Soto 1 goal; Allison Aleman 1 assist; Gkp Jill Miliffe shutout. AH 9-1, SD 7-1-5.
▪ GIRLS: American Heritage 8, West Boca 0: Victoria Burns 3 goals; Natalia Dorn 1 goal; Elyana Garzon 1 goal; Jordyn Norwood1 goal; Allison Aleman 1 goal; Mattie Hall 1 goal; Gkps Jillian Miliffe and Reagan Rivers combined shutout. AH 10-1.
▪ GIRLS: Gulliver Prep 1, Lourdes 1: GP: Nora Henein 1 goal; Ari Segrera 1 assist; Gkp Ana Levy Armesto 1 goal allowed, 17 saves. Lour: Lia Chantres 1 goal; Lily Martinez 1 assist; Gkp Lillian Graham 1 goal allowed, 2 saves. GP 7-5-2, Lour 8-1-2.
▪ GIRLS: La Salle 2, St. Brendan 0: Chiara Gutierrez 1 goal; Valentina Mangles 1 goal; Gkp Olivia Rodriguez-Salum 9th shutout. LaS 11-5.
▪ GIRLS: Lourdes 5, La Salle 1: Valentina Kalka 2 goals, 1 assist; Gianna Gry 1 goal; Veronica Aguilar 1 goal; Sienna Aviles 1 goal; Nicole Lee 1 assist; Lily Martinez 1 assist. Lour 8-1-1.
▪ BOYS: Cardinal Gibbons 1, Archbishop McCarthy 0: Luigi Olivieri 1 goal; Brody Broestler 1 assist; Gkp Tyler Fuquay shutout. CG 7-4-1.
▪ BOYS: NSU University School 4, Orlando Lake Highland Prep 2: Raul Leyva 1 goal; Nicholas Marques 1 goal; Tommy Abramzon 1 goal; Julius Bullock 1 goal. NSU 9-3-1.
▪ BOYS: NSU University School 4, Orlando Trinity Prep 1: Nicholas Marques 2 goals; Julius Bullock 1 goal; Martin Segal 1 goal. NSU 10-3-1.
Wrestling
Deerfield Beach High School hosted the 12th annual Meyerson-Trichon Wrestling Championships.
Parkland Stoneman Douglas finished first, going 5-0, while Boca Raton. Spanish River took runner-up honors at 4-1 with its lone loss to Douglas.
Results: Douglas 71, Dillard 12; Douglas 67, South Plantation 11; Douglas 67, Deerfield Beach 10; Douglas 56, Monarch 15; Douglas 48, Spanish River 36; Spanish River 39, South Plantation 37; Spanish River 69, Monarch 12; Spanish River 65, Deerfield Beach 15; Spanish River 59, Dillard 18; South Plantation 54, Deerfield Beach 29; South Plantation 47, Dillard 30; South Plantation 52, Monarch 23; Monarch 46, Deerfield Beach 35; Dillard 48, Monarch 33; Deerfield Beach 48, Dillard 36.
Basketball
▪ GIRLS: North Miami 59, Krop 24: Rayna Benoit 23 pts (4-8 3-ptrs), 5 stls, 5 asts; Donnesha Morency 10 pts, 10 rebs, 8 stls, 8 asts; J’adore Hayes 4 pts, 20 rebs, 8 stls, 10 asts, 6 blks; Naima Garnes 11 pts, 15 rebs, 5 stls, 5 asts; Lailah Willis 4 pts, 5 rebs; Reseda Desdunes 5 pts. NM 10-4.
▪ GIRLS: North Miami 75, Alonzo Tracy Morning 22: Rayna Benoit 17 pts (3-7 3ptrs), 8 asts; Donnesha Morency 19 pts, 10 rebs, 10 asts; J’adore Hayes 27 pts, 25 rebs, 5 blks, 10 stls; Rene Alijah 7 pts, 5 rebs, 2 stls. NM 11-4.
▪ GIRLS: North Miami 62 VS North Miami Beach 40: J’adore Hayes 28 pts, 20 rebs, 5 asts, 3 blks; Donnesha Morency 13 pts (1-3 3-ptrs), 5 rebs, 10 stls, 10 asts; Rayna Benoit 9 pts (2-5 3-ptrs); Tiana Fleurima 9pg 5reb 10stls; Naima Garnes 10 rebs, 3 pts, 5 stls. NM 12-4.
▪ BOYS: Belen Jesuit 61, Miami Jackson 44: Orlando Roche 26 pts, 2 asts, 3 rebs; Alec Arnholt 15 pts, 1 ast; Nicholas Misiunas 7 pts, 2 rebs; Javier Vasseur 4 pts, 5 rebs; Mikey Valdes 2 pts, 6 asts, 2 rebs. Bel 10-6.
▪ BOYS: St. Brendan 75, American 66: StB: Duque 27 pts, Fragela 24, Jimenez 9, Gutierrez 6, Lentz 4, Martinez S 3, Martinez 2. Amer: Black 21 pts, Torres 20, Costin 9, Garcia 8, Robinson 8. 3-ptrs: Fragela 5, Gutierrez 2, Jimenez 1, Martinez 1, Duque 2. StB 11-1.
Send high school sports results
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have varsity results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@miamiherald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
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Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
This story was originally published January 14, 2025 at 1:23 AM.
