GREEN COVE SPRINGS - Clay High running back Kamari Davis ran for 129 yards and one of the Blue Devils’ three rushing touchdowns as host Clay pulled away from Palm Coast Matanzas for a 29-10 victory on Friday, Aug. 28.

Clay evened its record at 1-1, while the Pirates fell to 0-2.

Davis scored a two-point conversion over left tackle after Clay’s first touchdown midway through the second quarter. His touchdown came on an 18-yard scamper in the third quarter that gave the Blue Devils a 22-3 lead. On the touchdown, the 5-foot-9, 225-pound sophomore escaped the grasp of Pirates’ nose tackle Jayden Joseph at the line of scrimmage. He went left, cut up field, shook off safety Jalen Patton and rumbled the rest of the way to the end zone.

“Davis has angry runs every time he gets the ball,” said Clay head coach Jeff Gierke, noting that Davis was on the school‘s weightlifting team. “He is short, but he is fast and is hard to tackle. He is nothing but thighs and chest.”

After trailing 3-0 and not earning a first down in the first quarter, Gierke changed Clay’s offense by shelving the spread formation in favor of the I-formation.

Senior linebacker Kade Williamson went to fullback and Jay’Shawn McCloud came in as a tight end. The switch worked, as the Blue Devils promptly drove 60 yards and took the lead. The drive included three third down conversions, and Davis converted on a fourth down with a three-yard run to set up a first down at the two-yard line.

On the next play, fellow sophomore Wyatt Rapoza, who also started at safety, spun oit of a scrum in the middle to fall over the goal line. Davis then followed Williamson over left tackle for a two-point conversion for an 8-3 lead with 4:54 remaining in the half.

The ground game was even more effective in the second half as the Blue Devils began to wear down the smaller Pirates. Davis gained 92 of his yards in the final two quarters; Connor Beck carried 17 times for 58 yards to keep Davis fresh. Clay ran the ball 12 times on a 13-play, 77-yard drive that took half of the third quarter and culminated with Davis’s touchdown run. In all, the Blue Devils ran the ball 48 times.

“We got a 225-pound running back that is a ball of muscle,” Gierke said. “Beck is a really physical kid. We probably average 285 pounds on the offensive line, and with Jay'Shawn, we have a 265-pound tight end. We have a 215-pound fullback and a 210-pound quarterback. We have been bigger than everybody we have played. So sometimes if they can’t stop you. You are getting five yards every play, [so] why would you do something different?”

The Clay defense dominated while waiting for the offense to come around. Led by McCloud, who had two sacks and two tackles for loss, the Blue Devils limited Matanzas to two rushing yards. Clay also forced three turnovers.

Seven of the Pirates’ 17 running plays went for negative yardage. Weakside linebacker Adam Whigham turned the momentum of the game squarely in the Blue Devils’ favor just before halftime when he reached high to intercept a pass over the middle. He returned it 42 yards down the left side for a touchdown. Andrew Riddling’s extra point kick put Clay ahead, 15-3.

“Last year we gave up a lot of points and a lot of yards, so after the season we made it a point of emphasis to fix the defense,” Gierke said. “They put in the work in the offseason and it is paying off.”

Matanzas did draw within striking distance behind back-up quarterback Devin Davis, who provided the Pirates with a viable passing game. The freshman engineered an 80-yard drive that spanned the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter that cut Matanzas' deficit to 22-10 with 9:36 remaining.

But McCloud made sure there would be no comeback. The senior overpowered his blocker to sack Daniels on a fourth down at midfield with 4:11 remaining to seal the game.

Clay quarterback Landon Martin put the finishing touches on the win with a five-yard touchdown run up the middle with less than a minute remaining.

Rapoza and Matthew Jones recovered fumbles for the Blue Devils, who travel to Palatka (1-1) on Friday, Sept. 4 to renew their rivalry.

“It is going to be a tough place to play,” Gierke said. “It is an old rivalry, and I am glad we are playing them. But we are by no means a finished product, so we have to treat every opponent like it is a playoff game. Our kids are not going to take them lightly.”

Davis led Matanzas with 114 passing yards by completing 11 of 24 throws. The Pirates have their first home game against Deltona (2-0) on Sept. 4.

Broncos win third in a row; Eagles improve to 4-0

By Randy Lefko,

randy@claytodayonline.com

MIDDLEBURG - With Ponte Vedra High volleyball entering the Carrie Prewitt gym with a third place ranking in the North Florida despite having played no games, Middleburg High coach Meredith Forkum was short with her response.

"We shall see," said Forkum, who watched the Sharks, region semifinalists last season who eventually lost to 5A champion Chiles, take the first game of the match, 25-21.

The Broncos then got an astounding 26 kills from sophomore hitter Katelynn Laezza and the backline work of Allie Anschuetz and Amelia Cobb, who had 25 and 23 assists, respectively, took command to win 25-14 and 29-27 in the next two games.

Ponte Vedra used its championship pedigree to win Game 4, 25-23., before Middleburg won the decisive Game 5, 15-12, to win the match.

With wins against Oakleaf and Bartram Trail prior to Ponte Vedra, the Broncos' schedule doesn't get easier with Trinity Christian, Beachside and Chiles up next this week. Beachside will be a home game. They knocked Middleburg out of the 5A region bracket last year. Trinity Christian is 4-1 with a loss to Beachside.

Laezza, just a sophomore, has 70 kills to lead the Broncos scoring with senior Maysie Bader adding 42.

Fleming Island, still unbeaten after a thrilling 3-0 win over Bishop Kenny last week, had a four-game winning streak with recent wins over Ridgeview and Mandarin, who were both 3-0. Fleming Island coach Amy Yoder has a balanced front net lineup led by junior Lillie Eason with 59 kills, but Lauren Brosky added 31, Kaylee Clark added 24 and Zahaviah Sanders added 20. Clark is top blocker with 11 stuffs.

Yoder has her own stretch of top-tier challenges with Oakleaf and Fletcher on the road and Santa Fe and Spruce Creek coming to Fleming Island in the first two weeks of September. Santa Fe is 4-1 after beating Chiles on Aug. 22 in a 3-2 battle, and dropping Middleburg, 3-1, in their season opener. Santa Fe's lone loss is to unbeaten and 6-0 Calvary Christian of Clearwater, who were 31-1 and the 3A state champions last year.

St. Johns Country Day School is also unbeaten at 4-0 after an Aug. 27 barnburner 3-2 win over University Christian. The Spartans will also host unbeaten Bishop Snyder on Sept. 2.

Around the county, Oakleaf is 2-2 with a 3-0 win over Ridgeview. The Knights play Fleming Island and Nease this week, and Bolles on Sept. 8. Ridgeview is still winless at 0-4, with trips to Gainesville and Clay before coming home on Sept. 3 against Keystone Heights. Junior Colette Jones leads the Panthers with 25 kills.

For Keystone Heights, which is now 4-3 with recent wins over Orange Park and Clay, has a road trip to Hawthorne, the a home match against Columbia before embarking on a three-game road trip to Ridgeview, Bradford and Union County. Senior hitter Mia Rivera has stacked up 127 kills to be ranked second in Class 3A and second overall in the state. Senior Kaleigh Marquart has 219 assists so far to also be ranked second in 3A and in Florida.

Clay is 1-2 with a recent win over Baker County for their first win. The Blue Devils will play Ridgeview, Middleburg and Bishop Snyder in the first week of September.

Orange Park got their first win for new coach Hannah Smith with a 3-0 win over Riverside. That was followed by unbeaten Bishop Snyder winning 3-0. Emma Weber and Cai Puzie led the Raiders scoring.