St. Augustine FL- Wednesday night’s SJMSAA Championship game match-up between Gamble Rogers (8-0) and Landrum (7-1) seemed destined to happen from the beginning of their 2020 seasons. After all, the Lions were the 2018 county champs and the Stingrays were the champs in 2017 and 2019.
Landrum came into this year’s playoffs having only lost two regular season contests since the 2018 season. A 19-7 loss to end the 2019 regular season and a September 16th loss (16-6), both at the hands of Gamble Rogers.
Likewise, the Stingrays came into Wednesday having won 19-straight contests. Their last loss, a 27-14 setback to Landum in the 2018 semifinals. Landrum would beat Murray the following week for their championship. Gamble would roll to an 11-0 season and the 2019 title.
Wednesday night the Lions game plan was to slowly wear the Stingrays down. On the ninth play of the opening drive though, Arthur Lewis IV recovered a fumble and took it 50 yards for a touchdown and a 6-0 Gamble Rogers lead. The Lions would then have a turnover on downs followed by a Stingrays three and out.
The Lions would then embark on another long drive ending when Trenton Jones intercepted a Corbyn Fordham pass. The Stingrays offense, which struggled most of the night, had another 3 and out. Landrum took possession with a few minutes left in the first half but Trenton Jones recovered the third Lions turnover of the half and found the end-zone with a 45 yard touchdown return. Despite being out-gained 92-0 in the first half, the Stingrays went into intermission up 12-0.
The Lions would capitalize on a Brooks Corneilson interception caught by Connor Doherty. The next play Jack Ottesen put Landrum on the board with a 12-6 score. The Stingrays offense stalled yet again and by the end of the third quarter Landrum had out gained Gamble Rogers 92-9 in the period and went into the fourth trailing 13-12 with second and goal on the 1.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Emmett Grzebin, who rushed for 104 yards on 20 carries, punched in the game tying touchdown. Jack Ottesen’s extra point kick gave the Lions their first lead of the game with 7:58 left in the contest.
Facing third and ten and another three and out, Joe Soto broke through for his biggest gain of the night, a 29 yard run putting the Stingrays in Landrum territory for the first time. With 2:31 to go, Soto would take a keeper off the left side for a 16 yard go ahead touchdown.
On the ensuing drive, Landrum got down to the Stingray 31-yard line but could not convert on fourth down. A few plays to run out the clock and the Stingrays had escaped with an 18-13 win and their second straight title.
Photo by: Sabrina Denise Andrson )
Landrum once again controlled the game running 44 plays and gaining 213 yards compared to Gamble Rogers 28 plays for 77 yards. In addition to Grzebin’s performance, Jack Ottesen had 9 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown, plus a PAT and 4 receptions. Corbyn Fordham completed 7 of 12 passes as well for the Lions held and Gage Anderson, the Stingrays leading rusher averaging nearly 12 yards a carry, to 13 yards. Joe Soto rushed 3 times for 55 yards on the game winning drive to finish with 68 yards rushing.
After the game, Gamble Rogers Head Coach Matt Potak said of his team “It was an unbelievable team effort. My hat’s off to Landrum Coach Fordham and his staff are a great group of kids and families.” Speaking of his own team Coach Potak said “The Stingrays are not just one coach, just one player…guys stepped up when they had to and they just kept winning.”
Asked how it felt to win a 2nd straight championship 8th grade TE/LB Benjamin Johnson said “Words can’t describe it, it’s just incredible, unbelievable.”
The Stingrays win extended their winning streak to 20 games and gave them their 2nd championship in a row and 3rd in 4 years. As for Landrum, their season ended valiantly fighting all the way to the last seconds of another championship game.
Features image by Sabrina Denise Anderson
