BALDWIN-The sign read, “You might have our name, but you don’t have our game.”
Unfortunately, Baldwin cheerleaders were wrong, this time.
Visiting Fort White (4-2, 1-0) came into Earl Fouraker Field and handed host Baldwin a 27-7 loss in key District 6-1A game for both last night.
Outside of sharing the same mascot (Indians), that’s where the similarities end between the two.
Fort White came into the game having been battle tested in close losses to 7A Fletcher and 2A University Christian and it showed.
When the game was on the line the battle tested visiting Indians stood the challenge and didn’t fold.
Ahead just 6-0 midway through the third quarter, Fort White took advantage of a Baldwin turnover to extend its lead.
CJ McCoy recovered a Isaiah Miller fumble at the 19-yard line to stop a Baldwin potential scoring drive.
Two plays later, Demetric Jackson Jr. found Bryson Brady wide open across the middle for a 52-yard touchdown reception extending the lead to 12-0 with 6:27 left in the third quarter.
Baldwin (4-2, 1-1) wouldn’t go away though as two possessions later, the host Indians took advantage of a Fort White turnover to cut the lead in half.
Jackson slipped and fumbled on a fourth and short play from his own 23 yard line giving the host Indians great field position.
Gavin Screws connected with Shane Sanderson for a 9 yard completion down to the 6-yard line and Miller followed with a 6-yard run up the middle untouched cutting the lead to 12-7 with less than a minute left in the third quarter.
That’s when Fort White took over and put the game away outscoring Baldwin 15-0 in the final quarter to get the win.
JacQuez Pelham 36-yard run on the second play of the fourth quarter set up his 18-yard touchdown run two plays later which gave Fort White some breathing room at 20-7 just seconds into the fourth quarter.
Jackson, who also plays safety, knocked away a Screws pass on fourth and 6 to end the host Indians next drive.
Behind Kalin Timmons and Jackson, the visiting Indians methodically marched down the field at ease on its next drive. Jackson time after time kept the Baldwin defense on its heels, faking handoffs to Timmons or Pelham and keeping it for huge gains.
Jackson rumbled 15 yards on a fake and Pelham followed with a 11 yard run to put the visiting Indians inside the ten yard line.
Three plays later, Pelham rumbled 10 yards untouched up the middle for his second score and more importantly putting Fort White up 27-7 with 4:15 left in the game.
From his safety position, Jackson closed out the game hauling in a Screws pass well overthrown and right into the hands of Jackson with 1:30 left in the game.
Embroidered on the back of Fort White jerseys is the word, ‘Tiwake’ which means family in Hawaiian. The word is a great metaphor of what this Fort White team is one big happy family literally.
Demetric Jackson is not only the head coach of the team but also the Mayor of Fort White and the father of quarterback, safety and punter senior Demetric Jackson Jr.. Defensive coordinator Shea Showers is the father of senior wide receiver and cornerback Shannon Showers. Coincidentally, the elder Jackson and Showers were teammates in college at Florida and won a national championship in 1996.
Add in the fact, former Florida State All-American kick returner Tamarick Vanover son Dedrick Vanover plays on the team and you have an abundance of talent at Fort White.
“People don’t think we are a good team and I have to remind them we feel we have a really good team and have a lot of playmakers on this team,” Jackson said. “We can spread you out or if you play us tight we can pound you good too.”
Things didn’t start the way Jackson would have wanted it to go as his team struggled to find an identity in the first half ahead only 6-0 at the half.
“I told the team it’s not how you start the game, it’s how you finish it,” an elated head coach Demetric Jackson said. “We have been battle tested with games against Fletcher and UC so our players and coaches understood what it takes.”
Baldwin initial drive of the game chewed up nearly five minutes off the clock but a sack by McCoy put them out of field goal range and forced to go for it and Screws pass fell incomplete at the 25-yard line.
It didn’t start any easier for Fort White either as Pelham fumbled seventh play of the drive giving the host Indians the ball back.
After a quick three and out by the Fort White defense, the visiting Indians finally got on the scoreboard seconds into the second quarter.
Vanoever took a jet sweep down the left sideline untouched for a 32-yard touchdown run putting the visiting Indians ahead 6-0 just 11 seconds into the second quarter.
Jackson, who nailed two 50 yard plus punts during the game, put one inside the 10 yard line to which Baldwin fumbled and Daniel DeAntonio recovered.
The fumble helped set up Brandon Shrum 33-yard field which was blocked at the line of scrimmage and rolled into the end zone, where Sanderson picked up the loose ball and returned it 105 yards for an apparent touchdown.
Once the ball crossed the goal line it’s a dead ball and can’t be returned. By a matter of inches the play was brought back and Baldwin took over at the 20-yard line instead of going ahead 7-6 midway through the second quarter.
“No doubt that was a huge game changer for us, lucky for us the officials made the right call and we didn’t head into the locker room down 7-6, instead we are up 6-0 at the half,” Jackson said.
“I told them to not look at the scoreboard, go out and make plays and in the second half and we put some things together and executed,” Jackson stated.
Fort White gets their first district win of the season and now its next man up mentality for the visiting Indians.
“Baldwin is a great team and now we have to get ready for Hilliard next week and Union County in two weeks and Hawthorne after that,” Jackson said. “I keep telling people this is really tough district.”
