ST. AUGUSTINE- The game last Friday between Clay High and Toccoi Creek would be decided by a single kick. By the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils trailed 28-21 and hadn’t scored since before halftime. The Blue Devils had to get back into the game, somehow, some way.  

Taking the initiative, sophomore quarterback Landon Chadwick threw a long bomb to junior wide receiver Antonio Thomas along the right hashmark, which was capped off by a big off-tackle just before reaching the end zone. Keeping the momentum, running back Gino Addison found the ball in his hands. Addison, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound sophomore, quickly surveyed the field and switched gears, taking off into a physical, barreling gallop toward the left hash mark. He was untouched in his 14-yard stride to the endzone.  

All that was needed was for the Blue Devils to nail the extra point to tie the game up; however, their hopes were jeopardized when junior kicker Ethan Bellemare missed the extra point with just under six minutes remaining. Nevertheless, Clay’s defense held firm to force a punt, which reinitiated another Blue Devils’ drive from their own 24-yard line all the way to deep in Toros’ territory.   

With only two seconds remaining and the ball at Toccoi Creek’s six-yard line, Bellemare found himself another opportunity, a chance for redemption. A nearly sold-out crowd of orange-clad Toros’ fans, who made life tough for Clay throughout the night, erupted into chaos, all in anticipation that Bellemare would miss again. The weight of the entire game and the crescendo of emotion from the bout between the border-county schools would fall onto the shoulders of the junior as he lined up for a 23-yard field goal attempt.   

Bellemare sealed the deal, nailing the field goal through the uprights as time expired, initiating a wild frenzy that sent the entire Blue Devils’ team into an on-field celebration. The Blue Devils secured a fourth straight win since falling to county rival and area superpower Fleming Island in their opener. In neighboring St. John’s County, the Blue Devils crashed Toccoi Creek’s homecoming party.

But the junior didn’t boast of himself. Instead, Bellemare credited his coaches and teammates for the big win. “Once again, it’s my team. My team has confidence in me. I love doing what I do, just putting it through those uprights. It feels like nothing else,” Bellemare said. Not the first he handled himself under pressure, the cold-blooded kicker booted a game-winning try through the uprights at Orange Park on Sept. 8, two weeks before the commencement of the Raiders’ new stadium.  

The Blue Devils took advantage of multiple mistakes from Toccoi Creek junior quarterback Ryan Killmer, who dealt with connection problems throughout the night. On offense, Gino may have scored the touchdown that put the Blue Devils back within striking distance, but his brother, Iyen, generated 255 yards and four touchdowns on a whopping 7.1 yards per carry. But leave it to Iyen, just another selfless teammate under the leadership of head coach Kyle Kennard, to credit his older brother for showing him the ropes. “I’ve really watched (Gino) a lot. I watch his film and style of running and try to copy that,” he said. 

Since their loss to the Eagles at the start of the season, the Blue Devils have been a formidable force with a high-flying offense that averages 37.3 points per game, aided by an opportunistic defense.