Under pressure, Mariner High seniors, and cousins, A.J. Reyes and Kari Durham usually were at their best.

Whenever there was a big game on the baseball field over the past three years, Reyes often got the ball and gave the team a chance to win with a quality start.

He went 8-3 as a senior and led the pitching staff to a 21-8 record and the District 5A-15 championship.

“He basically anchored our pitching staff for the last three years,” Mariner baseball coach Steve Larsen said. “Any time we had a district game or tough game, he threw it.”

Durham, a goalkeeper on the girls’ soccer team, delivered several clutch performances of her own. She set the school single-season record for saves (167) and posted 13 shutouts as a senior.

The cousins made their college choices official with a signing ceremony Friday in the school cafeteria.

Reyes signed a baseball scholarship with Polk College while Durham will play soccer at Dakota Wesleyan.

“When you know somebody so well and they’re leaving, you’re conflicted,” Mariner athletic director Vito Mennona said. “You’re happy for them and proud, but sad at the fact that they’re leaving.”

Both Reyes and Durham helped carry on the tradition of team success in their respective sports.

The Tritons were district runner-up in Reyes’ freshman and sophomore years, but this year finally attained their first district title since 1999.

Reyes picked up his final win in a Tritons’ uniform, beating Barron Collier in the district semifinals.

“It was a lot of fun this year, to go out and finally get the district championship,” said Reyes, who also played center field.

He’s the 14th Tritons player to go on to play college baseball since 2002. Former Mariner grads Casey Coleman, Josh Upchurch and Robert Greene currently play for Florida Gulf Coast University.

Larsen said Reyes’ command and composure are important strengths as he moves forward.

“He just needs to get stronger,” Larsen said. “His approach to pitching is second to none. He just needs to build up more strength and velocity and I think you’ll see him in another year or two moving on to Division I.”

Durham’s success defending the goal came after transitioning from a field position her sophomore year. She considers diving to make saves her favorite part of playing the position.

After recording seven shutouts as a junior, when the Tritons advanced to the regional quarterfinals, Durham continued to solidify the defense as a senior when they posted a 19-2-3 record.