MACLENNY-After five straight weeks of running clocks and shortened games, everybody was curious how Baker County would respond with a close fourth quarter game.
They responded well holding off visiting Clay 28-14 at Memorial Stadium last night to win the programs eighth overall district title since 1945.
About the only one who wasn’t concerned at all about it was Baker County head coach Jamie Rodgers.
“I knew the guys would respond really well to this,” an elated Rodgers said. “We practice really hard Monday through Thursday for this, as games are won in preparation and not just on Fridays.”
Things didn’t start out so well for the Wildcats though as the Devils took the opening kickoff and behind Louisville commit senior tailback Colin Wilson marched easily inside the 2-yard line.
A holding penalty though backed the Devils back to the 13-yard line. Clay was given a second chance on fourth down after missing a 33-yard field goal that sailed wide left thanks to an off sides call, but the Wildcats defense held the Devils on fourth and 11 and the Devils came up empty handed after driving inside the red zone.
Tailback Seth Paige made them pay on the first Wildcat play from scrimmage taking a handoff from quarterback Joe Green 85 yards before being pushed out at the 9-yard line.
Three plays later, Green scored from 4-yards out and the Wildcats were up 7-0 with 4:33 left in the first quarter.
Clay answered right back though behind Wilson and sophomore tailback Cedrick Brown. The two helped the Devils move down the field with ease, capping it off with a 25-yard touchdown run by Wilson which tied the game at 7-7 with 1:02 left in the first quarter.
Just like a heavyweight boxing match, teams traded blows back and forth early on until both were able to make adjustments at the half.
Green took a keeper 28 yards down to the 38-yard line, while Josh Haygood followed with a 13 yard run putting the Wildcats inside the 25-yard line.
Three plays later, Green juked three defenders on a third and eight play and scrambled 23 yards for a touchdown putting the Wildcats back on top at 14-7 minutes into the second quarter.
Clay missed a huge chance to tie the game on its next drive as Jenkins threw a ball deep across the middle and towards a wide open and streaking Ajay Belanger who got his hands on for a brief second before dropping what would have been a 91-yard touchdown catch.
It was that kind of night for Clay and had them thinking what could have been as numerous trips inside the red zone came up empty as well.
Ironically the theme for last nights game was appropriately titled ‘Every teams nightmare’.
You can bet Clay won’t ever forget Seth Paige or Joe Green as the two became nightmares for the Devils to handle through out the game.
Trailing 14-7 in the third quarter, Clay took advantage of a shanked punt and a non 12 man call to tie things up in middle of the third quarter.
Wilson broke off a 26-yard run to bring the Devils inside the 14-yard line, two plays later Brown bulldozed his way in from 12 yards tying the game at 14-14 with 7:47 left in the third.
Paige broke off a 50 yard run that moved the Wildcats inside the 18, however a unsportsmanlike call against the Wildcats put the ball back at the 33-yard line. Five plays later, Paige broke loose for a 22-yard touchdown run putting the Cats up 21-14 with 4:13 left in the third.
Wilson limped off the field on the Devils ensuing possession with a possible ankle injury but returned obviously in pain on a fourth and 1 play to pick up a key first down. Wilson hobbled back off the field after picking up the first down immediately.
Haygood put the game out of reach on the second play of the fourth quarter taking a handoff from Green and racing 59 yards down the sideline tight roping the final 15 yards to put the Wildcats up 28-14 with 11:38 left in the game.
Despite being down two scores Clay had several opportunities to get back in the game.
Wilson carried the Devils on his back on the ensuing drive getting them inside the 10-yard line.
With fourth and 1 from the 9-yard line, Wilson was hit immediately by a host of Wildcats and came up short of the first down by 6 inches.
Baker County took over at their own 9-yard line with a little more than six minutes remaining standing between them and their second district title in four years.
Behind Green, Paige and Haygood, the Wildcats were able to burn about four minutes off the clock on its ensuing possession before giving the ball back to Clay with under three minutes remaining.
Shaquan Griffin, who made numerous big plays in the backfield all night, came up big in the fourth quarter sacking Jaylan Jenkins for a five yard loss. Jenkins avoided a sack on the ensuing fourth down play but sailed a ball high and into the hands of Lee Graham who came up with the interception with under two minutes remaining.
Baker County took a knee on consecutive plays before Clay called a timeout on third down before the players doused Rodgers with the Gatorade Shower. Another kneel down and Rodgers got another Gatorade shower this time it counted. Rodgers didn’t even know he got doused twice.
“You get so into the game you don’t even realize that,” Rodgers laughed. “This is a special night for us, this is what our eighth district title in school history.”
Baker County (7-0, 4-0) officially wraps up District 5-5A play next week against Ridgeview before traveling to Madison County in two weeks for the regular season finale. The Wildcats found out immediately after the game they would be hosting Belleview Nov. 11 in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.
Clay (5-3, 3-1) must beat Palatka next week to wrap up the district runner-up berth. A loss could create a three-way tiebreaker with Palatka and Menendez for the runner-up spot.
