Tallahassee- The preseason is officially underway as many teams in Northeast Florida kickoff football in prep sports. Sandalwood was one of the local teams that traveled out of town for their first game action. The three hour bus ride down I-10 was prolonged on arrival by several thunderstorm cells in the big bend area. The game, originally slated for 7pm kicked off a little after 9pm making for a long night and wait for both teams, but even more so for Sandalwood. The sloppy weather was an early indication of the sloppy play to ensue. However, as the skies cleared it showcased some bright spots for both teams as well. Here are some takeaways from the kickoff classic between Sandalwood and Rickards.
Sandalwood’s offense moved the ball effectively versus Rickards early on. Jeff Sims took a zone read 50 yards from the Saints 20 yard line to the Rickards 30 yard line on the first play of the game. He would then complete a pass to Jhalyn Embry and add another 20 yard gain on a run to put Sandalwood in scoring position deep into Raider territory just minutes into the game. Sims had 70 yards rushing on the first drive, very impressive.
Unfortunately, that drive ended on an interception in the end zone by Rickards defensive back Lionell Whitaker. Whitaker intercepted Sims three times on the night. He killed Saints drives including the final one as Sandalwood drove from their own end zone attempting to win the game. The saints must learn to finish drives. Credit the Rickards defensive front that got penetration on some plays.
Sims was picked off trying to get the ball to his receiver Javonte Kinsey on his first drive. Yet on his next offensive drive, he returned to his big target hitting the 6’5 Kinsey who beat Whitaker for the touchdown. The two hooked up again for a touchdown in the 4th quarter to give Sandalwood a 13-6 lead. The year looks promising for that connection. Sims also has other weapons such as tight end Cornelius Forest Jr who was targeted only once in the preseason game.
Undoubtedly the player of the game on offense for Sandalwood was sophomore Jeremiah Huntley. The running back bulldozed his way for first downs punishing tacklers. He also avoided unblocked tacklers in the backfield. He finished with 24 carries for 235yds. Huntley is poised to have a coming out party this year. The Saints will look to add touchdowns on the ground as the offensive line finishes drives by executing. This was the only thing missing from the rushing offense on Friday night.
Another sensational sophomore that burst on the scene in the kickoff classic was Sandalwood’s defensive back Christian Ellis. Ellis was all over the field Friday night. He turned up the intensity by delivering a crushing hit on a punt, forcing the fumble. Then, he hustled down the field recovering a kickoff for the Saints. Yet probably his most impressive play was an interception in the endzone after Rickards returned a punt to the Saints 10 yard line. At the time, the interception prevented the tying touchdown. Sandalwood has big plans for Ellis and Huntley this year.
Another bright spot was the Saints defense who yielded only 8 points in the game. The linebackers routinely got tackles for losses and the defensive line showed great penetration. Led by senior linebacker Phillip Starks, they’re not the biggest but they are physical.
The leading tackler on the team this year will be Branden Jennings. He attacked runners in the backfield and moved sideline to sideline bringing ball carriers down. The junior is going to be problems for opposing offenses.
It was a no fly zone for the Sandalwood secondary. Playing without one of their top defensive backs senior Derek Bermudez, senior Jahquez Robinson was targeted only twice on defense and both balls almost landed in the front row of the stadium. Robinson played offense and special teams, recovering a fumble on a punt return. He would sit out the fourth quarter. Sandalwood will lean heavily on these defensive play makers. The unit will go as far as they will lead them.
The take away from the game ironically was takeaways. Careless turnovers doomed Sandalwood. Sims fumbled the ball multiple times, losing one for a Rickards scoop and score. Robinson also fumbled out of bounds on a reception. Dropped passes by receivers and missed tackles by defenders made for an overall disappointing debut for the team.
However give Rickards lots of credit. Their 10 returning starters showed that they won’t be 2-8 like a season ago. Players like Orian Ellis was all over the field leading them in tackles. They’re size on the offensive line was impressive across the board. But lack of execution plagued their offense as well. They’ll need to clean up a lot at the quarterback position as their passing game was non existent.
The Saints have time to correct the mental mistakes before the regular season starts. Said Coach Adam Geis after the game, “This was just a practice game and we had a lot of fluky plays that normally don’t happen. We also tried some new guys in different positions to see what we had. It will be different next week, and we’ll be ready to go”.
Sandalwood opens with Terry Parker this week. Week #1 is here, it’s go time!
