OAKLEAF - A first-quarter field goal by Oakleaf High football kicker Andrew McDavid was all Oakleaf could muster as the Knights fell to top-ranked Buchholz 38-3 in a District 3-4S matchup on October 13.

"You can’t start slow,” said Oakeaf head coach Chrisopher Foy, Jr. “My concern is how we respond. We let them impose their will on us early, and we did not respond tonight.”

For the second week in a row, Oakleaf (2-4 overall, 1-2 in District 3-4S) came out flat against a highly ranked opponent. Bradford ranked third in Class 2S, scored its only two touchdowns of the game on their first two possessions in the Tornadoes’ 12-0 victory over the Knights on October 6. Buchholz (7-0, 2-0) also hit paydirt on its first two drives, shooting out to a 14-0 lead less than halfway through the first quarter on two scoring passes from Trace Johnson to Justin Williams. Johnson and Williams, both sophomores, hooked up for all three touchdowns scored by the Buchholz offense.

Johnson is the son of Buchholz alum and former Florida Gator quarterback Doug Johnson, and he directs the Bobcats aerial attack with surgical precision. The 6’1”, 179-pounder completed 14 passes in the first half for 167 yards. The Bobcats hardly bothered with their running game, calling only three running plays while throwing the ball 22 times in the first half. The Knights simply could not cover Williams, who led all receivers with six catches for 96 yards.

Once the Bobcats seized their two-touchdown lead, the outcome was never really in doubt. Oakleaf did have a few chances to get back in it but were thwarted each time. Safety James Kitchen provided a spark when he recovered a fumble caused when Knights defensive tackles Justin Marsh-Mensie and Amare Thomas sandwiched Buchholz running back Quinton Cutler at the Bobcats 46-yard line. Two plays later, Oakleaf quarterback Brandon Wallace found split-end Bryson Keitt up the right sideline for 30 yards. The drive bogged down from there, but McDavid was true on a 37-yard field goal attempt that cut the Knights’ deficit to 14-3.

It appeared that Oakleaf forced a second consecutive stop when Bobcats kicker Jay Giunta was wide left on a 47-yard filed goal attempt on the ensuing possession. But the Knights were called for a running into the kicker penalty. Giunta, who kicked three field goals on the night, took advantage of the additional five yards, nailing a 42-yarder to restore a two-touchdown advantage.

Oakleaf was on the verge of having its Homecoming crowd back in the game in the second quarter when running back Christopher Foy, II, the head coach’s son, broke through a hole in the middle and split the safeties on his way to an apparent touchdown run from 40 yards out that would have drawn the hosts within one score. But the play was nullified by a penalty for a chop block, and the Knights elected to punt from the Buchholz 42-yard line two plays later with 1:20 remaining until halftime. Johnson directed a two-minute drill that ended with a 38-yard field goal by Giunta as the first-half clock expired, giving Buchholz a 20-3 lead.

Any hope of a second-half comeback was dashed in the first 12 seconds of the third quarter. That is how long it took Buchholz up back R.J. Livingston to cover 80 yards, taking the second-half kickoff and jutting straight upfield, evading a tackler and outrunning McDavid to the sideline for a momentum-seizing score that, after Giunta’s PAT, gave the visitors a 27-3 lead.

Johnson and Williams finished off the scoring with a 34-yard bomb with 3:37 remaining in the third quarter. Williams ran a go route and was able to haul in a perfect rainbow from Johnson despite tight coverage by Oakleaf’s Michael Conner, III. Cutler ran up the middle for a two-point conversion to provide the final margin.

The Knights could not cover Johnson, who scored from 27 yards out on a skinny post and from 28 yards out on another fly pattern in the first quarter. The Bobcats milked the clock in the second half, throwing only three passes and running the ball nine times.

Oakleaf’s game plan was to run the ball with Foye, II and with Jordin Price, who frequently lines up at wide receiver. Neither had any success, with Price netting only eight yards on nine carries and Foy gaining only seven yards on his first seven attempts. On four of their five first-half possessions, the Knights ran two running plays for minimal yardage and then threw on third down.

“We outnumbered them in the box,” explained the elder Foy. “With them having just five in the box, we have five linemen, a quarterback and a running back who can block if the quarterback runs the ball, so those numbers are in your favor to run the ball.”

With senior linebacker and Florida commit Myles Graham leading the charge along with 6’3” defensive tackles Nick Clayton and Elijah Daniels, who each had two tackles for loss, the Buchholz five defied the numbers. Aside from a 50-yard burst from Foy late in the fourth quarter, Oakleaf ran for only 35 yards on 27 rushes. Graham, a four-star recruit, is the son of former Florida Gator and Tampa Bay Buccaneer running back Ernest Graham.

Foy’s scamper gave Oakleaf a first and goal to go from the 10-yard line, but the Knights Da’Jon Brown was stopped for no gain from the two with 1:36 remaining.

Foy was somber after the loss.

“It’s very disappointing,” he said. “We had a good week of practice, and the coaches had an excellent game plan. But hey, you got to do it.”

A season that started with such promise now teeters on disappointment. After staking a claim to being Clay County’s best team with season-opening victories over Orange Park and Fleming Island, four straight losses may have damaged the Knights’ psyche, particularly on offense. Oakleaf, which averaged 28.5 points per game through their first four games, has not scored a touchdown since September 29.

The schedule does not get much easier. Oakleaf’s final three games of the regular season are on the road, beginning with a trip to Madison County on October 20. The Cowboys brandish a record of 4-1 and are ranked third in Class 1R. On October 27, the Knights play at Bartram Trail, which is ranked fifth in Class 4S and, like Buchholz, is 2-0 in District 3-4S.

“This type of schedule tests your fortitude,” said Foy. “Somewhere in this journey, we have got to step up and stand up to it and find a way to get a victory.”

Buchholz, now 7-0, hosts Bartram Trail on Thursday, October 19, in a game that will likely decide the winner of District 3-4S. The Bobcats will return to Clay County on October 27 for their final district game against Fleming Island.