ORANGE PARK – The undefeated 5A-Ridgeview High Panthers huffed and puffed and, for nearly three quarters, stayed within a breath of taking down also unbeaten 7A-Fleming Island High who prevailed in the clash of unbeatens 28-20 Sept. 22 at Panther Stadium.

“The boys played their butts off the whole game,” said Ridgeview High coach Cameron Porch, now 4-1. “I was proud of our kids fighting through some adversity in a tough game.”

Ridgeview High quarterback Tyler Huff engineered a first series scoring drive that caught the Golden Eagles’ storied defense off kilter with swing passes to backs Caleb Plyler and Kiaran Turner. Huff and the Panther offense was hitting on all cylinders off the corners of the Golden Eagle defense before Huff blasted in for a 7-0 Ridgeview lead after four minutes of play.

“They definitely schemed us right in that first series,” said Fleming Island coach Damenyum Springs. “We had not had a speed practice or game since the storm and the emotional week, so they kind of surprised us, but we went back to basics and played our kind of football.”

Both teams had some emotional charge coming into the game with the sudden death of Fleming Island High football player Ben Johnson from the previous week, plus the surprising start of the now 4-1 Panthers, an 0-10 team in 2016.

With a solemn dedication to Johnson, just a sophomore, and a releasing of blue balloons in his honor, both teams took the field in front of a packed 8,000 fans as Panther Stadium erupted with football Friday night frenzy after the initial Panther scoring drive.

After Huff’s first round salvo, the Panther defense stuck with the over-amped attitude of the stadium behind linebacker Dominic Stanfield and safety Troy Harris who both reigned freely in the Golden Eagle backfield ejecting the Fleming Island offense in four quick downs.

Then, the first turnover occurred.

On second down, Huff tossed an out pass ruled a lateral to running back Jacolbi Sampson that got jarred out off a hard tackle from cornerback James Martin and scooped up by linebacker Ryan Smenda.

Five handoffs to running backs Chauncey Garrison and Anfernee McCaskill and Fleming Island was back in business 7-7 with 3:23 left in the quarter. Garrison rumbled 30 yards to the Panthers 16 to set up his own 13 yard scoring scamper.

A disastrous punt from Smenda put Huff and his squad on the Fleming Island 17 as the second quarter began and the quick-thinking signal caller wasted little time before finding wideout Jaiden Turner on a quick slant turned 39 yard scoring pass with 9:10 left in the half.

Neither team moved on their next series with Smenda booming a punt from his own 40 to the Panther one yard line giving Huff little room to operate.

The flipped field bode well for Fleming Island as well as a pass interference flag in the end zone that ended with safety/tailback Isaiah Walker ramming in from one yard out behind Smenda to tie the game 14-14 at 3:02.

“We had given them the ball on a short field three times in the first half and they scored on all three, it was 21-14 but there was no panic,” said Porch.

On the ensuing kickoff, Fleming Island’s opportunistic tacklers, led by senior Jackson Bull, caught Ridgeview returnman Kiaran Turner on the four yard that sent the message of defense to come as, on second down,cornerback Eugene Oglesby intercepted Huff at the Panther 25.

A sack by Stanfield and Chandler Russom pushed Fleming Island back three yards, but quarterback Dean Hyams came right back with a slant to slot back Aaron Ramirez to the 23 that set up a Hyams to Jacob Ashe touchdown toss with just 23 seconds left in the half and a 21-14 lead into the break.

“Halftime was just a calming moment for us, we reassured the kids that we were ok,” said Porch. “We didn’t feel like we were overmatched going into the game, they are a great team and well coached but we expected to win.”

A great return off the second half kickoff from McCaskill put the Golden Eagles back in contention, but the drive stalled at midfield with a flag and an incompletion.

From their own 11, Ridgeview looked discombobulated with pressure defense being applied by Fleming Island on an near pick from Martin, a pass rush from defensive end Jake Libretto and two false start flags creating a Panther punt to the Ridgeview 30 yard line.

McCaskill made quick work of the defensive stand with three carries to paydirt; one a 24 yarder to the five yard line where the score came at 7:45.

Down 28-14, Ridgeview needed another Huff offensive surge, but the Bull/Surgeoner/Smenda trio at linebacker for Fleming Island was not complying as the third quarter ended with both teams unable to move beyond fourth downs.

In the fourth quarter, with Huff icing a turned ankle, it was Kiaran Turner taking direct snaps behind center as Ridgeview tried in vain to ward off the rush of Fleming Island’s defense.

“Losing Huff was huge, I thought Kiaran did a great job stepping in on a moments notice and playing hard. Kiaran is a different type of QB back there,” said Porch.

Turner, being chased out of the pocket and unable to find receivers open, still was able to move the Panthers downfield in the second half of the fourth quarter to threaten the Fleming Island lead.

With 3:30 left in the game, Turner got chased, but found running room from the 44 to the eight yard line where two incompletes seemed to deflate the Panthers, but rev the Golden Eagles.

On second down from the 10, Turner sliced a pass to wideout Denali Lindo in the center of the Fleming Island defense and in the end zone to push the score to 28-20 with 1:33 on the clock and 4,000 fans sensing a miracle.

The miracle ended with Ramirez covering kicker Matt Koziolek’s onsides kick attempt as the other 4,000 fans let their breath out. The final blow was with four seconds when Bull intercepted an end zone pass attempt by Turner.

Fleming Island (5-0, 1-0) gets a second district 3-7A game with a trip to Oakleaf (1-3) on Friday. The Knights staged a dramatic second half comeback but fell short to Clay High, 42-35 despite 200 yards rushing and five scores from tailback Keshawn King.