JACKSONVILLE – Middleburg High tailback Andrew Thomas rushed eight times for 106 yards and three touchdowns as Middleburg tuned up for the regular season with a 48-0 drubbing of host Wolfson in a preseason game Friday night.

“We had no idea who our tailback was going to be going into spring practice,” said Broncos head coach Karl Smeltzer. “We tossed it to Andrew one time, and we did not worry about it any more.”

Thomas, who started at free safety for Middleburg in 2016, did all of his damage in the first half. The shifty junior scored on Middleburg’s first two possessions on sweeps covering 10 and 40 yards, and completed his hat trick with a one yard plunge to send the Broncos into the intermission with a 34-0 lead.

Thomas spearheaded a Broncos’ rushing attack that pounded out 252 yards, 201 in the first half, and averaged more than thirteen yards per attempt. All seven Middleburg touchdowns came courtesy of the ground game. Brandon Gary, who had never played an organized football game before Friday, picked up where Thomas left off in the second half. The senior ran for 57 yards and two touchdowns on five carries. Tyler Bryant made the most of his only carry, bursting through the middle of the line and faking out a Wolfpack safety on his way to a 54-yard score. Kodi Carrington, a fullback who will likely be counted on in short yardage situations, gained 31 yards on three carries. The senior, who also starts at middle linebacker on defense, scored on a five yard run in the second quarter.

The Class 6A Broncos simply overwhelmed the 4A Wolfpack, scoring on their first six possessions to force a running clock early in the third quarter.

“I thought we played well,” said Smeltzer. “I wanted to see discipline, and I did. I was also proud of our depth.”

The Broncos incurred only two penalties, and the only other blemishes on an otherwise perfect performance were a blocked extra point after Thomas’ first touchdown and a fumbled snap that was recovered by Wolfson’s Drew Lambert in the fourth quarter. Four different kickers converted extra points.

The game was a coming out party for new Broncos’ outside linebacker Brody Senn. The sophomore had three tackles for loss, and his tight coverage on Wolfpack tight end Mark Harrington forced a fourth down incompletion on the only Wolfson drive that crossed midfield.

“He played really well,” said Smeltzer said of Senn. “He got to show himself tonight, and he is going to play a lot.”

Junior defensive end Noah Janda added a sack and a tackle for loss. Middleburg, playing without three starters on the defensive line, still held the hosts to 40 total yards and one pass completion.

The lopsided game did not provide much of a barometer for Middleburg’s aerial attack. Returning starter Garrett Blanchett completed three of five passes for 26 yards.

While Wolfson may be hard pressed to improve upon their 1-8 record from a year ago, they will likely attract some attention for playing a young woman who is believed to be the first female in Duval County to play a skill position in a varsity game. Chris’tal Smith, a freshman listed at 5”5’ and 155 pounds, gained six yards on five carries against the Broncos. Daquaris Fulton led the Wolfpack with 35 yards on five carries.

Meanwhile, the needle is pointing upward for Middleburg. Smeltzer, who took a team that had gone 0-10 in 2015 and guided them to the school’s first playoff appearance in fourteen years in 2016, believes that if the Broncos eliminate mistakes they can contend for the District 4-6A title.

“We are much, much bigger than we were, much, much stronger than we were, and much, much faster than we were,” said Smeltzer.

The challenging district includes Jacksonville Englewood, Ponte Vedra Nease, Jacksonville Ed White and perennial favorite St. Augustine.

Smeltzer believes the Broncos’ schedule is favorable, allowing them to jell before the season’s most critical games. Middleburg does not play a district game until the fourth week, and does not play St. Augustine until October 27. The Broncos host Pedro Menendez to begin the regular season on Friday, August 25.