JACKSONVILLE - Middleburg High running back T.J. Lane ran for 194 yards and two touchdowns, but could not save the Broncos from falling 45-25 to host Jacksonville Bishop Kenny and quarterback James Resar on Fri., Sept. 2 in Jacksonville.
The Broncos fall to 0-2 on the young season, while Bishop Kenny improved to 2-0.
Middleburg (0-2) at Bradford (1-0)
With miscues costly in the Broncos first two games, coach Ryan Wolfe will need what calls a “perfect” game to defeat a tough Bradford team coached by coach Jamie Rodgers, a Baker County state runnerup coach and former Suwannee High coach with vast playoff experience. Rodgers had his former Baker County guys down 21-0 two weeks ago before lightning stopped the game at halftime. Last week, Bradford rocked Baldwin 35-0 last week and that means Rodgers has the offense humming.
Middleburg’s Demarion Suggs is the point man on the defensive line and has been chaotic up front with his quick step off the snap. Linebackers Tony Steele and Austin Cruce will be tested at the second level to control the game.

No answer for Resar
Middleburg’s Demarion Suggs knifed through the line and dropped Crusaders running back James Davis for a loss to thwart the initial Bishop Kenny drive on downs, but the Crusaders scored touchdowns on their next four possessions. The Broncos did a solid job limiting Bishop Kenny tailback Julian DeWees, who had only 44 yards on 12 carries. But they had no answer for Resar, who completed 13 of 17 passes for 226 yards with three touchdowns and ran for three more scores in the first half as the hosts built a 42-13 lead.
Resar, who has scholarship offers from multiple Division I colleges including Iowa, led Bishop Kenny in rushing with 73 yards on 11 carries.
“He is as good as a quarterback, and as good of a player, as we will face all year,” Middleburg head coach Ryan Wolfe said of Resar. “He smoked us all night.”
Resar was especially good on third downs. Late in the first quarter, on a third and nine from the Middleburg 31 yard line, the 6’4” junior ran towards the line after taking a shotgun snap. Just as he was being tackled by the Broncos’ Tony Steele, Resar shoveled a pass out ahead of teammate Michael Leonard, who ran under the ball, cradled it and ran all alone to the end zone for a touchdown. The improvisation put Bishop Kenny ahead 14-7 after Ethan Eddins’ extra point.
On the next Crusaders’ possession, Resar threw a well-timed out route to Jayden Harris for 14 yards on a third and 11. That conversion led to a quarterback sneak by Resar that pushed Bishop Kenny’s lead to 20-7.
Later in the second quarter, Resar escaped pressure to find Leonard along the sideline for 17 yards to convert a third and nine. On the next play, he connected with Jackson Burnett on a slant pattern to give the Crusaders a 27-7 edge.
The Broncos’ effort to keep pace with Resar was sabotaged by two special teams mistakes.
First, a short kickoff following Leonard’s touchdown was fielded by Middleburg upman Terrence Thomas, who fumbled following a jarring hit by the Crusaders’ Antonio Alicea. The ball was recovered by Bishop Kenny at the Broncos’ 40 yard line. That turnover led to Resar’s quarterback sneak and a 21-7 Crusaders’ lead.
Later in the second quarter, after Middleburg had for the first time forced Resar into a three and out, it appeared that the Broncos would get the ball back in good field position with a chance to cut a 28-13 deficit to a single score. Eddins rocketed a 57 yard punt that Middleburg return man Aiden Postemski attempted to scoop off of the turf that had been rained on throughout the first quarter. Postemski could not secure the ball as he looked up at the oncoming Crusaders. Bishop Kenny’s Alicea dove at the ball, which squirted to the Middleburg eight yard line, where the Crusaders’ Tyler Triggers fell on it. Two plays later, Resar followed the right side of his line for his second rushing touchdown to give Bishop Kenny a commanding 34-13 lead.
“The kickoff return fumble and the punt return fumble were the turning points of the game,” said Wolfe. “We lost two possessions, and both resulted in touchdowns for them.”
Lane started at running back due to the FHSAA-mandated suspension of Broncos star Mike Mitchell, who is committed to Utah. Lane averaged 8.4 yards per carry on 23 rushes, including runs of 30, 38 and 45 yards. The senior scored both of his touchdowns on the same play, lining up as a wildcat quarterback and following the lead blocking of h-back Wyatt Underwood. His two-yard plunge in the first quarter tied the game at seven after Wade Mathis’ extra point, and his three yard run in the second quarter brought the Broncos within 28-13.
“TJ is a baller,” said Wolfe. “He is a great student, . . . has a great work ethic, and had a great game.”
Middleburg outscored Bishop Kenny 12-3 in the second half. Broncos quarterback Jayden Jenkins, who only attempted three passes in the first half, got the Broncos’ passing game going over the final two quarters. On a third down and 10 from the 12 yard line, Jenkins faked a handoff to Lane and found Jayden Levy behind the defense for a touchdown that made the score 45-19 with 11 seconds left in the third quarter. The drive covered 80 yards in seven plays.
After forcing a three and out, Middleburg pulled to within 45-25 with a 65 yard march that was capped by a 12 yard strike from Jenkins to Underwood on a skinny post route with 7:19 left in the game. Jenkins finished with eight completions in 14 attempts for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
Any hope of a miracle comeback was dashed when the Crusaders picked up three first downs rushing on their next drive, holding the ball until just three and a half minutes remained.
Wolfe said that the Broncos’ miscues in the first half reminded him of their losses last year.
“We have let two wins get away,” he said. “We have to come out a different team on Monday [at practice].”
The Broncos will seek to crack the win column at Bradford on Friday, September 9