FLEMING ISLAND -The Buchholz banner read, “Irma hit hard but we hit harder.” Turns out it was Fleming Island doing the hitting and not Buchholz after all.
In a critical District 3-7A opener for both teams, it was Fleming Island doing all the hitting as the Eagles had little trouble with the Bobcats 27-0 Thursday night at Eagles field.
With little practice and preparation this week due to Hurricane Irma, the Eagles defense came read to play getting what is believed to be a school record nine sacks on the night; while holding the Bobcats to 63 yards of total offense.
Turns out the trio of seniors Ryan Smenda, Jack Surgeoner and Jalyon Robinson had a sack party and no one else was invited. Well except fellow senior linebacker Jackson Bull, who also came up with several big plays as well.
Through four games the Eagles defense has allowed only 18 points and accumulated 27-28 sacks according to second year defensive coordinator Stephen Creech.
While Smenda and Surgeoner have consistently made huge plays on defense, it was a coming out party for Robinson, who finished with 1.5 sacks and nearly made a even 10 total sacks if not for a targeting call.
“Our defensive coordinator Coach Creech calls a lot of blitzes and they worked perfect and we just made things happen,” Smenda said.
“At first we couldn’t get past the quarterback, but we kept working hard and kept executing all night,” Robinson said.
Buchholz quarterback Trent Whittemore was sacked eight times before giving way to Jaden Seider late in the fourth quarter. The defense didn’t let up and brought Seider down as well to finish with nine sacks on the night.
While the defense stole the show, the offense did have its moments too as well as special teams.
After a scoreless first quarter, Smenda, who also punts and plays some tailback, showed off his athleticism taking a fake punt 24 yards down the right sideline to put the Eagles inside the 30-yard line. Smenda capped the drive with a 3 yard run giving the Eagles a 7-0 lead three minutes into the second quarter.
Robinson brought Whittemore down on back-to-back plays to start the ensuing drive and Smenda laid a jarring hit to force another three and out on the Bobcats.
Sophomore quarterback Dean Hyams picked apart the Bobcats secondary and senior tailback Chauncey Garrison II showed off his versatile game catching passes and bruising through the Bobcats defensive line on the ground.
Hyams connected with Jared Ashe and Nick Ferendo for gains of 49 and 32 yards, which helped set up Garrison 9-yard bruising touchdown run increasing the lead to 14-0 with under three minutes left in the first half.
Victor Nelson returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards down to the 34, setting up the Bobcats to score and gain some much needed momentum just before half. Robinson nearly got his third sack of the night was flagged for targeting, which brought the Bobcats inside the 21-yard line.
However, Whittemore sailed a pass right into the hands of Bull who made the pick at the 2-yard line stopping any scoring chance for the Bobcats.
Surgeoner recognized the screen play and stopped tailback Edward Cason short of the first down and then teamed up with Smenda to stop Isaiah Michel on a fourth and two play just before half.
Tailback Anfernee McCaskill returned the second half kickoff 50 yards back to the 30-yard line to set up the Eagles quickly in striking range.
Three plays later, Hyams (9 of 13 for 206 yards) found Ashe in stride wide open for a 33-yard touchdown and 21-0 lead two minutes into the third quarter.
Despite now being down three scores, Buchholz still stuck with trying to establish a running game in the second half showing no since of urgency at all.
Surgeoner sacked Whittemore on the ensuing drive forcing another three and out again and followed with catching a interception off a tipped pass, before officials ruled an incomplete pass on the next drive.
Smenda and Surgeoner combined on a tackle two plays later and combined on a team sack as Whittemore was brought down by a host of Eagles.
The combination of McCaskill (54 yards on 8 carries) and Garrison (59 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries) on the ground led to the final score as the two chipped away yards and killed the clock before Garrison rumbled 3 yards increasing the lead to 28-0 with seven minutes left in the game.
With four minutes left, Whittemore was finally pulled out of the game and replaced with Seider, who completed two long passes on the final drive before going down behind the line of scrimmage for the Eagles ninth sack of the game.
Judging by their performance on the field, you wouldn’t have known Fleming Island was limited in their preparation last week due to Irma.
“The hurricane really helped us actually, it brought us closer together like brothers and we came together,” Surgeoner stated.
“This was a big win for us, but if anything Irma brought us a lot closer this week and we wanted to win this one for our community who has always supported us,” Creech stated.
Fleming Island (4-0, 1-0) travels to Ridgeview (4-0, 1-0) Friday night in a game no one had circled on the calendar earlier in the year and has suddenly become one of the top games this week.
And like Creech and the rest of the staff preach, it truly is one game at a time.
“We try to go 1-0 each week, except this week the goal is to go 2-0 and we don’t look past the next opponent,” Creech said. “Quick turnaround now and I’m sure the guys will be fired up for the in county game and be ready to roll next week,” Creech added.
