Jacksonville FL- Before they even took a snap, the Trinity Christian Academy Conquerors put 14 points on the board thanks to their special teams and their defense, who each scored a touchdown within the game’s first six minutes. The Conquerors controlled the game all night versus the 2019 Class 3A runners-up and put up another postseason running clock in defeating the Seminoles of FSU High School 45-14.
After Trinity kicked to open the game, the defense forced a three-and-out. Kensley Johnson, who had a 9-yard sack on first down, caught the punt at the Seminoles 48 and went virtually untouched up the right side and into the front corner of the end zone for the touchdown on the return.
That return sparked the Conquerors and the home crowd.
Following the ensuing kickoff, FSUS had 1st and 10 at its own 20. Terrell Jackson intercepted the pass and returned it 27 yards for the Pick 6. Caleb Stevenson converted the extra point to give the Conquerors a 14-0 lead before the offense ever took the field. Once on, the offense did not let up.
Stevenson was 6 for 6 in extra points and added a 45-yard field goal later in the game.
Each offense would cross the goal line before the first quarter ended. Trinity quarterback Jacory Jordan hit star receiver Marcus Burke for a 36-yard pass that put the ball at the 7, and Treyaun Webb finished the drive with his 12th rushing touchdown of the season with 3:47 left on the clock.
On the ensuing drive, FSUS’s star quarterback Tre Donaldson eluded pressure in the backfield and raced 66 yards down the right sideline for the touchdown, which seemingly stole the momentum away from the Conquerors.
Trinity, though, would get that momentum right back just 36 seconds into the second quarter. Christian Ellis scampered 17 yards and put a dazzling spin move on Donaldson near the 8 before crossing the goal line for the score. Ellis also finished with a team high 7 tackles in the game.
The Conquerors led 28-7 at that point, but they were not finished.
Senior Kaleb Killian and freshman Darnell Rogers teamed up during a touchdown drive the was completed at the 4:49 mark as Rogers took it in from the 2 after Killian drove down the field.
Moments later, Jordan hit Fred Highsmith with a 63-yard bomb for the touchdown that, coupled with Stevenson’s PAT, gave Trinity a 35-point margin and put up a running clock throughout the second half. That was the second straight game in which TCA forged the running clock.
Friday night was only the second time in which the entire starting offense was healthy and on the field all at the same time. The first was last week’s 35-0 win at Episcopal.
Donaldson would score again for the Seminoles. The four-star junior and target of many D-1 schools – in both football and basketball – finished an impressive drive with a 3-yard end-around for the game’s final tally.
Donaldson rushed for 92 yards and 2 TD’s on 11 carries and threw for 106 (12 for 17, INT). Emery Layerd rushed 8 times for 33 yards, and two more Seminoles totaled 15 yards on the ground for a total of 140. Six receivers caught two passes each, and two more caught one.
FSUS broke Trinity’s remarkable string of holding the opposition to single digits in scoring. That streak of the Conquerors’ defense reached eight games and included three shutouts.
Jordan, after his stellar performance for TCA last week, was 11 for 14 (78.5%) in passing for 205 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. Burke caught 4 passes for 69 yards, and Highsmith’s only catch was the 63-yarder for a score.
The Conquerors (10-1) advance to the 3A state semifinal next Friday, December 4. They will have a chance to avenge last year’s first-round knockout when they visit Ocala’s Trinity Catholic School (7-3). Trinity Catholic routed John Carroll Catholic School (9-2) 48-0 in Friday’s Region 2.
The winner will advance to the Class 3A State Championship Game to battle the winner of Region 3’s Berkey Prep (7-1) and Region 4’s Chaminade-Madonna (7-1).
The championship game will take place at Florida State University’s Doak Campbell Stadium at 7:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 16.
Statistics: Larry Withers, TCA Statistician
Photo courtesy of Trinity Christian Facebook
