OAKLEAF - Oakleaf High running back Chris Foy II rumbled for 228 yards on the Fleming Island defense to lead his dad's Knights football team to a 24-14 district win over Fleming Island in a hotly contested clash between the two juggernaut teams.

"They said he wasn't battle-tested for a game of this magnitude," said Foy, of his son, who came with him from Andrew Jackson High School where he built a win-deprived program into the region playoffs in two of his three years. "He told me don't they know I played in the region playoffs in both varsity years? I think he made a statement today."

With the Knights exercising their mammoth-sized offensive line against the Fleming Island defense with quarterback Brandon Wallace, Jr., directing traffic, Oakleaf kept the ball moving between Foy's challenging runs off tackle, Wallace's jaunts out of the pocket and swift passes in the flat.

"This game was personal," said Oakleaf offensive lineman Chase Johnson. "We met them at the Jags offensive line challenge and we won that. It wasn't anything fancy; just muscle on muscle and we let it rip."

After a first quarter of little action, Fleming Island made the first move toward the Oakleaf red zone, at the 11-yard line. Still, Oakleaf safety Jordin Pryce stepped in front of wide receiver Trace Burney for an end zone interception to thwart the drive just before the end of the first quarter.

"I was on it the whole way and when I saw the receiver go across the middle, I could see the quarterback's eyes," said Pryce. "My coach told us he likes number three with his passes."

For Fleming Island coach Chad Parker, the interception surprised his team but also shifted the momentum.

"We score there and it's a different game," said Parker. "Three times in the red zone and no score. We beat ourselves; two missed field goals, a second and two flags, next snap over the quarterback. Instead of second and two, we are second and 20."

Foy II immediately blasted 28 yards on his first carry behind guard Chase Johnson to answer the turnover as the second quarter started with Oakleaf near midfield.

Wallace carried to the Fleming Island 32 with Foy crashing behind center Quory Ambrose to the 11 with a second handoff getting first down at the six. Wallace rolled into the end zone with a flag for holding bringing the ball back out to the 16. Another bash put the ball on the one-inch line but another flag pushed Oakleaf backward as Fleming Island put their big-boy defense; center Braden Cunningham, guard Kevin Reyes, and guard Joey Couch on the field for a match of girth on the goal line with Wallace losing his helmet on the plunge attempt to force a field goal for Oakleaf by Andrew McDaid and a 3-0 lead.

Off a screen pass on second and 16, quarterback Cibastian Broughton connected with wideout Devaen Boykin who broke for a 70-yard score to answer the Oakleaf field goal.

"It was a challenge for me because of all the talk about their quarterback," said Wallace. "Chris was running great; the offensive line was doing their job, and that opened our offense."

After a blooper kickoff put Oakleaf at midfield, two carries by Foy; 12 and 17 yards, put Oakleaf at the Fleming Island 30.

Wallace calmly waited for wideout Micheal Conner III to out-flank Fleming Island's defense with a scoring pass and Oakleaf reclaimed the lead 10-7 with 4:38 in the half.

Pryce slapped away a pass attempt to Aiden Postemski with two minutes in the half to thwart a red zone shot for Fleming Island.

Foy II broke off a 35-yard run to the Fleming Island 22 as Oakleaf looked to add one more score before the half. Wallace scored from 11 yards out with 28 seconds to go to give Oakleaf a 17-7 lead and plenty of momentum into the lockers.

Postemski nearly broke the ensuing kickoff before getting snagged at midfield with 22 seconds to go.

Oakleaf blocked a field goal in the third to maintain their lead.

Fleming Island got into the Oakleaf red zone after the kickoff, but an errant snap put the offense at the 27 with a second and goal. Broughton sprinted into the end zone, but a holding flag put the ball back at the 16 with 41 seconds in the third.

An option to Beverly got snuffed by linebacker Neal Whyte with Broughton throwing short in the end zone to Calvin Johnson. A fourth down at the 12 put kicker Patrick Sirdevan in but the kick was wide left to end the third period.

Broughton, though bottled up for most of the game, nearly sliced the game from Oakleaf with a 72-yard run to the Oakleaf nine with 4:34 on the clock with running back Tyler Beverly bouncing off tackle to score the game at 24-14.

"We still had a shot, even that late," said Parker. "Cibastian plays to the final whistle."