Orange Park Fl – In overtime, wide receiver Cobie Bates caught the go ahead touchdown from Quarterback Walter Simmons III to put the Knights up 29-22. It was Fleming Island’s turn to answer on offense, but a pass on 4th down from quarterback Grant Travis to running-back TK Kocak was broken up by Oakleaf’s defensive back Trey Thomas. Oakleaf’s players erupted in celebration as the Knights defeated their Clay county rivals 29-22.
The beginning of the game looked very different than the climactic ending, as Fleming Island dominated the first half. In fact, the very first play of the game resulted in a Fleming Island safety when an errant snap got away from Oakleaf to give the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead.
However, Oakleaf would respond quickly when running-back Adrian Grey burst through the middle for a 60-yard touchdown run to put the Knights up 7-2. Oakleaf led as the first quarter expired, yet that would be their last lead until overtime as Fleming Island began to matriculate the ball on several drives.
The first drive of the second quarter ended in a TK Kocak 3-yard touchdown run, as Fleming Island regained the lead 9-7. Kocak would finish with two touchdowns on the night. His fifth and sixth rushing touchdowns on the year.
The Golden Eagle’s next score would come when their other two headed monster at running-back Timmy Thomas barreled in from 2-yards out for his sixth touchdown of the year to balloon the Fleming Island lead to 16-7 going into halftime.
Nothing seemed to go Oakleaf’s way in the first half. turnovers, dropped passes, and missed assignments left many opportunities on the field. In the second half, Fleming Island would continue to capitalize on their opportunities when Kocak would pound it in for a touchdown to give the Golden eagles a 22-7 lead with 3:43 to go in the third.
Yet Oakleaf would finally wake up in the last minutes of the third as they started to execute. To stifle the Fleming Island blitz pressure that threw off their timing, Oakleaf dialed up a screen to Cobie Bates who took it to the house for their first score since the first quarter. Heading to the fourth, Fleming Island led 22-14.
In the fourth, trailing by a touchdown and needing crucial stops Oakleaf would get both. Linebacker Marcus Anthony and defensive back Isaiah Jones would make a key stop on 4th down tackling Kocak short of the first down.
Six minutes would run off the clock in the fourth quarter, with the Knights desperately needing a score. They’d turn to their dynamic pass catching duo Walter Simmons III and Terrance Anthony. Simmons hit Anthony on a comeback and Anthony did the rest weaving past defenders to the end-zone for the touchdown.
Trailing 22-20, Oakleaf still needed a 2-point conversion to tie the game. They’d use a little razzle-dazzle as Cobie Bates received the direct snap rolled right and threw back across his body hitting Marcus Anthony for the tying score.
Oakleaf would make another stop on defense as Fleming Island’s offense began to sputter. The Knights would get the ball back to their offense with .50 seconds to play in regulation. With time winding down Walter Simmons deep pass was intercepted by Fleming’s defensive back Joe Stephens a both teams prepared for overtime.
It was both team’s first time in overtime this year, unfamiliar territory for the Knights and Golden Eagles. So overtime would be decided by momentum and after coming back from 15 point in the second half, all the momentum lie with Oakleaf. It showed as Bates would score his second touchdown of the game and his fourth of the season to make the difference in overtime.
Oakleaf’s (3-2) win was huge for their confidence as they begin their trek against Northeast Florida teams. After losses to Lowndes (Ga) and Camden (Ga.) the Knights wanted to show the area that they were still one of the top teams in Northeast Florida. They’ll enjoy the win and look forward to Mandarin next week.
Fleming Island ( 4-1)lost a heart breaker to a team they desperately wanted revenge over from a 2018 defeat. Ironically, the Golden Eagles fell in the same fashion that they won last week. Next week they’ll look to rebound against First Coast.
