September 29, 2025
Lake Minneola, South Lake and East Ridge Launch “Gem of the Hills Championship”
By Kyle Coppola
Lake Minneola, South Lake and East Ridge Launch “Gem of the Hills Championship”
A new tradition is taking root in Lake County high school athletics, as Lake Minneola, South Lake and East Ridge High Schools have come together to launch the “Gem of the Hills Championship,” an all-sports trophy awarded to the school that dominates head-to-head competition across all varsity sports.
Inspired by the shared community spirit and rivalry among the three Clermont-based schools, the championship was conceived by athletic directors Ty Ensor (East Ridge), Travis Alderink (South Lake) and Stephanie Cheney (Lake Minneola) over the summer. The goal is to strengthen competition, boost school pride and spotlight student-athletes throughout the year.
The name “Gem of the Hills” is a nod to Clermont’s well-known nickname, highlighting the city’s unique blend of scenic rolling hills and sparkling lakes. The trophy, much like the city it represents, is meant to be a symbol of excellence, grit, and community.
Throughout the school year, each time Lake Minneola, South Lake and East Ridge face off in a sanctioned varsity sport, from football to basketball, volleyball to track and field, the result will count toward the Gem of the Hills standings. At the end of the year, the school with the best overall record in these head-to-head matchups will claim the trophy and hold bragging rights until the next season.
“This isn’t just about one sport, it’s about celebrating all of our athletes,” says Stephanie Cheney, athletic director at Lake Minneola. “We want our students to take pride in representing their school in everything they do, and this championship gives them one more reason to bring their best every time they compete.”
The trophy is expected to create new excitement among students, athletes, and fans, particularly as traditional rivalries are reignited in every sport throughout the school year.
While the initial launch involves only the three Clermont schools, the vision doesn’t stop there. Ty, Travis and Stephanie are already laying the groundwork to expand the competition into a full Lake County championship starting next school year. The hope is to involve all Lake County high schools in a similar all-sports competition, further elevating the profile of high school athletics in the region.
“The energy and rivalry are already there,” Travis Alderink of South Lake High School. “We’re just giving it a platform. This is about uniting communities through sport and who doesn’t love a good trophy chase?”
As the inaugural season of the Gem of the Hills Championship kicks off, students, faculty and family members are look forward to a year full of high-stakes matchups, school spirit and the kind of competition that makes high school sports unforgettable.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
