Eight area teams moved on Friday night, five are highlighted here as Lee, Columbia, Trinity Christian, Baker County and Crescent City all advanced to the second round of the playoffs with wins.
No. 5 Lee 48, No. 4 Hagerty 7
OVIEDO – It took all of 23 seconds for visiting Lee to unleash a flurry of frustration and also send a message to fellow 7A playoff teams; don’t forget about us.
Taz Nicholson took the ensuing kickoff back to the Hagerty 35 yard line and two plays later Nicholson rumbled 9 yards for a score putting Lee ahead 7-0 barely 30 seconds into the game.
Lee never let off the gas as Cameron Sapp found Cobie Bates for a 73 yard reception for a 14-0 lead with 2:12 left in the first.
Huge catch by #14 C. Bates for the touchdown. Generals lead 14-0 with 12 minutes left in the first quarter. pic.twitter.com/1AmBvWn4dk
— Riverside Generals (@RHSGenerals) November 10, 2018
Hagerty fumbled the ensuing kickfoff and the Generals recovered it setting up Malik Brown’s 4 yard run seconds later, giving Lee a 21-0 lead to bring the first quarter to a close.
Nicholson tore up the Huskies defense on the ground punishing them every drive to set up another score, while picking off a pass on the next defensive series to set up the fourth score.
#3 Taz Nicholson bullies his way for a first down. pic.twitter.com/ru91RT805u
— Riverside Generals (@RHSGenerals) November 10, 2018
Nicholson picked off the Huskies Sammy Cordero, which set up the ensuing score. Sapp found Brown wide open for a 42 yard reception for a 27-0 lead just seconds into the second quarter.
#9 M. Brown with the TD caych extending the lead to 28-0!! pic.twitter.com/8mwvSwxIkk
— Riverside Generals (@RHSGenerals) November 10, 2018
The defense came ready to play and nearly shut out the Huskies as leaders Terrance James and Ralph Mency brought the house every play. Mency sacked Cordero on the next drive.
Five minutes later, Sapp raced 23 yards for a score and 34-0 lead.
#2 C. Sapp can’t be denied. TOUCHDOWN GENERALS!!! pic.twitter.com/1wYM8J7iqc
— Riverside Generals (@RHSGenerals) November 10, 2018
The Generals defense forced three turnovers in the first half, recovering a fumble on a kickoff and intercepting Cordero twice.
Just before half, Huskies quarterback Sammy Cordero was hit as he threw the ball and Jaheim Singletary picked it off and returned it 85 yards for a pick six and 41-0 halftime lead.
#21 J. Singletary pick 6!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/Zx8XI5gF3i
— Riverside Generals (@RHSGenerals) November 10, 2018
Sapp found Bates for a 42 yard score and 48-0 lead midway through the third.
Sapp only mistake of the game an interception picked off by Caleb Lowe led to the Huskies only points of the game as with 1:38 left in the game, Cordero hit Hagen Turner for a 21 yard toss cutting the lead to 48-7.
There is not a better way to end the night….
Duuuuvaaalll!!!
Go Big Blue! pic.twitter.com/zEEdPPjTFg— Riverside Generals (@RHSGenerals) November 10, 2018
Lee (9-1) will travel back to Lake City where they Generals will get a chance to avenge their only loss of the season against the Columbia Tigers (10-1) in the Jungle Friday night.
No. 1 Columbia 38, No. 8 Fletcher 10
LAKE CITY – No Klen Callum no problem for the Columbia Tigers.
After nearly dropping a game with Fletcher just a few weeks ago, the Tigers made sure the anticipated rematch with Fletcher wasn’t even close.
The difference, with Callum out injured, the Tigers relied on the arm of quarterback Jordan Smith, who picked apart the Senators secondary finishing 15 of 29 for 288 yards and three touchdowns just in the first half.
Smith ended the night with a remarkable 429 yards and four touchdowns in the 38-10 win over Fletcher Friday night in the Jungle.
After Fletcher took a 3-0 lead on a 25 yard field goal from James Schaefer, the Tigers responded with a 31-0 run to put the game away.
Less than two minutes after the field goal, Smith connected with Marquez Bell for a 39 yard strike to put the Tigers ahead 7-3 just a minute and 15 seconds later.
Just before the end of the first quarter, Smith found Lanadrick Bradley for a 22-yard score and 21-3 lead with 22.6 seconds left in the first.
A 4 yard punt set up another score as Smith found TJ Jones for a 27 yard strike and 28-3 lead midway through the second quarter.
Schaefer’s 38 yard field goal before half was blocked allowing the Tigers to take a 21-3 lead into the half.
Fletcher put together a solid drive to start the third quarter driving to the 17 yard line but a fourth and 3 pass came up a yard short. Columbia took advantage of the turnover on downs as Smith’s 1 yard sneak made it 28-3 minutes later.
After a series of turnovers on both teams, the Tigers added a field goal to increase the lead to 31-3 lead late in the third.
Finally with 10 minutes left in the game, the Senators stopped the 31-0 run as Myles Montgomery scored on a 7 yard run to cut the lead to 31-10 early in the fourth.
Smith capped the scoring with a 22 yard toss to Jones for a 38-10 lead with 22 seconds left in the game.
Columbia (10-1) will host Lee (9-1) in the second round of the Class 7A state playoffs Friday night in the Jungle.
No. 1 Trinity 62, No. 8 Suwannee 15
WESTSIDE – After ten consecutive games, a bye week was gladly welcomed with Trinity Chrisitan.
A refreshed Trinity team took it out on visiting Suwannee Friday night scoring 55 first half points including 21 in a span of less than a minute.
Fred Davis returned the opening kickoff back 95 yards for a score to give Trinity a quick 7-0 lead seconds into the game.
After a quick three and out on defense, Marcus Crowley raced 97 yards on the Conquerors second play of scrimmage for a 14-0 lead and the rout was on.
Crowley scored again on a 1 yard run as Trinity lead 20-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Tyree Taylor put Suwannee on the board with a 1 yard run to cut the lead to 20-6 early in the second quarter.
A 42 point second quarter made it a running clock and put the game out of reach as the Conquerors scored on a Malik Myers 4 yard pass from Jacory Jordan, Stephen Williams returned a interception 54 yards, George Hawkins returned a fumble 32 yards, Treyaun Webb scored on a 5 yard run, Jonathan Ealey raced 73 yards and Williams had his second pick six of the quarter with a 48 yard return.
CJ Hall 2 yard run capped the scoring with a touchdown run in the third quarter.
Trinity (11-0) host Wakulla Friday in the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs.
No. 4 Baker County 28, No. 5 Hernando 14
MACLENNY – The talk leading into the game was would Baker County be able to stop the old fashioned Hernando wing-t attack; the better question was could Hernando stop Baker County ground attack ?
Looks like the latter was the difference as the Wildcats grounded out 369 yards on 46 carries out of the spread offense to pound their way through visiting Hernando 28-14 to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the third straight year.
The Jeckle and Hyde Wildcats team this year finally looked like the playoff team we have been use to seeing the last couple of years as the Wildcats played great defense and were able to run the ball effectively to sustain drives and kill the clock.
Tied at 7 all, John Green broke free for a 75 yard run which set up Kelton Knabb score to spark the Wildcats offense, which produced 21 fourth quarter points, to put it away.
Scooby Graham (134 yards on 18 carries) and Green (171 yards on 11 carries) carried the Wildcats offense especially in the fourth quarter. Green broke free again for a 53 yard scamper to put it away.
Behind Knabb, the defense held the Leopards offense to only 91 yards on the ground.
Baker County (7-4) travels to No. 1 Nature Coast (10-1) Friday in the second round of the Region II-5A playoffs.
No. 4 Crescent City 22, No. 5 Fort Meade 6
CRESCENT CITY – It was the Naykee Scott show Friday night as the junior quarterback accounted for three touchdowns to lead the host Crescent City Raiders to their first playoff win in 18 years with a 22-6 win over visiting Fort Meade.
Scott began the show with a 25 yard toss to Bernard Wright to give the Raiders a quick 7-0 lead and added to it just before half with a 14 yard run to give them a 14-0 half time lead
With six minutes left in the game, Fort Meade finally got on the scoreboard thanks to 8 yard pass by Dearrick Howard to Jonathan Berrien cutting the lead to 14-6 in the fourth.
However, with under a minute left, Scott’s 2 yard touchdown run clinched it at 22-6 to break two long playoff droughts for both Putnam County and Crescent City.
The win was the first by a Putnam County team since 2002 and the first Crescent City playoff win since 2000.
Crescent City (9-2) travels to No. 1 Hawthorne (10-0) Friday in the Sweet 16 for a spot in the Elite 8 of the Class 1A playoffs.
So Crescent City got the job done, taking down Fort Meade, 22-6, behind two TDs running and one throwing by QB Naykee Scott (26 carries, 126 yards/9-for-15 passing, 1 INT, 97 yards). First Putnam County state playoff win since '02, first CC state playoff win since 2000.
— Mark Blumenthal (@diabolicalmarky) November 10, 2018
