STARKE – Oakleaf Junior High football almost made a second dramatic comeback in two playoff games, but Bradford County Middle School held off a gallant effort by the Yellow Jackets to win 38-23 in the Northeast Florida Athletic Conference championship game Tuesday night in Starke.

Bradford County opened up with a 12-0 lead in the first half off rugged running right into the teeth of the Yellow Jacket defense before hitting a short touchdown pass.

Near the end of the first half, Bradford County struck again with a 15 yard scoring pass as Oakleaf tried to find a way to stop the Tornado ground game.

As the half approached, Oakleaf started finding green grass behind running back Devin Outlaw, who had an astounding 380 yards and five touchdowns in the Yellow Jackets 41-40 comeback win over Lake Asbury last week in the semifinal.

On the half ending scoring drive for Oakleaf, quarterback Drew Ammon hit wideout Jeremiah Shack for a pass to the Bradford County 10 yard line as the clock ticked down to halftime at 35 seconds to go.

A penalty flag pushed Oakleaf five yards forward to the five where Ammon again hit Shack on a slant that got a roughing the passer flag and Oakleaf a first down at the Bradford one yard line with 11 seconds.

A pass to Shack in the end zone missed with seven seconds as the Oakleaf sideline was looking for a momentum shift with the score before Outlaw powered in with 1.3 seconds on the clock to put the game at 12-7.

The score stayed at 12-7 through the third quarter as both teams tightened up on defense.

In the fourth, Outlaw started revving up the Oakleaf offensive engine with big chunks of turf before scoring at 7:48 from 50 yards to put the Yellow Jackets up 15-12.

Bradford would respond with a 50 yard scoring pass to go up 18-15, then get a fumble recovery on the ensuing kickoff that turned into a 47 yard Bradford touchdown run and a 26-15 lead with 5:36 to go.

Oakleaf would start at the 42 yard line with a sense of urgency as Outlaw kept pounding the Bradford defense before Outlaw broke again for a 50 yard score to put put Oakleaf within reach at 26-23 with 4:32 left in the game.

The Oakleaf defense stuffed Bradford back to their own four yard line, but a breakaway run for 96 yards put Bradford up 32-23. Bradford would score one more to go up 38-23 before Outlaw fumbled the ball away near midfield with 45 seconds left to end the game.