FRUIT COVE-Bartram Trail head coach Darrell Sutherland is hoping what paid off last season will pay off again this season.
Last year, a 56-24 loss to state power Daytona Mainland, helped springboard the Bears (9-4) to an Elite 8 run in the state playoffs.
Sutherland is hoping for a similar run this season after seeing his Bears (1-1) drop a 48-22 decision to visiting Mainland last night.
Playing a team like Mainland helps expose a team’s weakness and boy do the Bears have some jarring weaknesses.
Using a three quarterback system of Riley Smith, Jordan Smith and Joey Gatewood, allows the Bears a mixture of different formations and strengths; yet also seems to handicap an offense that couldn’t get into a consistent rhythm.
Through out the game, at some point all three lined up at quarterback or at wide receiver. As the saying goes though, if it broke don’t fix it and if works for the Bears keep it going.
What wasn’t working was having its defensive backs playing ten yards off the ball and leaving Mainland receivers wide open.
Mainland didn’t waste any time establishing momentum and an early lead with a 14-play, 65 yard drive that culminated with a CJ Wilson 1-yard touchdown run giving the Bucs a 7-0 lead with 6:53 left in the first.
Mainland senior quarterback Denzel Houston, a third year starter, was 4-for-4 for 40 yards on the drive while also adding 14 yards on the ground.
Houston was nearly flawless on the night finishing 25 of 29 for 306 yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception, while also adding 82 yards an two touchdowns rushing.
The Bears defense has no answer for stopping Houston and the rest of the high powered Bucs offense.
After a three and out by the Bears, a solid punt return from Keylon Kennedy put the Bucs at midfield. Two plays later, Houston picked up two huge blocks and scrambled 25 yards down to the 11-yard line.
Houston finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run giving the Bucs a 14-0 lead with 4:12 left in the first.
Interceptions by Mainland athlete Cyrus Fagan and Bartram Trail linebacker Drew Mims stalled each others drives on the next possession.
Houston ran a fake punt on Mainland’s next possession and nearly picked up the first down after pitching it forward to a offensive lineman, however the Bucs were flagged for illegal procedure.
Backed up inside the 3-yard line, Mainland was forced to punt and Rhett Barnett broke through the middle and was able to partially block the punt, which rolled out of bounds for a safety cutting the lead to 14-2 and give the Bears the ball back.
However, the momentum didn’t last long as Jordan Smith was picked off by Kennedy at midfield on the ensuing play after the kickoff.
Five plays later, the combination of Houston and Wilson had the Bucs back in the end zone again. Wilson lined up at quarterback and handed it to Houston on a sweep, who then pulled up and hit a wide open Jhii Taylor for a 23-yard strike putting Mainland up 21-2 with 9 minutes before half.
Bartram answered quickly as three plays later, following a 41 yard run from Devin Ellison, Riley Smith connected with Robert French for a 22-yard strike cutting the lead to 22-8 with under eight minutes left till half.
Wilson, 82 yards on 17 carries, carried Mainland back into striking distance again with runs of 13, 10, 8 and 10 to put Mainland inside the 30-yard line. Houston easily found receiver Brian Jenkins for a 15-yard score putting Mainland back up 28-8 with 5:05 left till half.
Ellison took a pitch from Jordan Smith and rumbled 9 yards to cut the lead to 28-15 with less than a minute left till half.
Mainland refused to take a knee and Houston found Jenkins wide open for a 43 yard gain and then a 22 yard gain a play later putting the Bucs inside the 5-yard line. Houston hit Nathaniel Dell in the right corner of the end zone with 10.1 seconds left in the half giving Mainland a 34-15 halftime lead.
The second half was more of the same as the Bears came up short on a fourth and inches play on their first possession of the second half.
Houston made them pay, five plays later Houston found D’marcus Adams in the right corner of the end zone putting Mainland up 44-15 at the midway point of the third quarter.
Ellison, 120 yards on 9 carries, rumbled 62 yards down the Mainland sideline cutting the lead to 41-22 with 14 seconds left in the third.
Houston finished off the scoring with a 13-yard scramble making it 48-22 just minutes into the fourth quarter.
Led by sophomore Kevon McCrary, the Bucs defense was consistently in the backfield and in the face of the three quarterbacks disrupting the Bears offense through out the game.
Both teams cleared their bench in the fourth quarter allowing several of the backups valuable playing time.
Fortunately for the Bears (1-1) the game wasn’t a district game and they have plenty of time to fix their mistakes and to make their playoff push. Beginning with Friday’s game at Ridgeview (0-2) and huge home games with Fleming Island (Sept. 16), St. Augustine (Sept. 23), Ponte Vedra (Oct. 7) and Buchholz (Oct. 14) looming.
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