MIDDLEBURG - Middleburg High senior quarterback Carson Stewart ran for a touchdown and threw for another and the Middleburg defense scored twice as the host Broncos rallied from a second-half deficit to down Orange Park 24-14 in a District 3-5A tilt on September 27.
“I’m happy,” said Middleburg head coach Ryan Wolfe, whose undefeated Broncos ran their record to 6-0, 1-0 in the district. “We had not had a game that pushed us to the limit to see what we could do when we had to.”
It was a tale of two halves. The Raiders dominated the first half, earning eight first downs compared to Middleburg’s two. Orange Park had 161 yards of total offense in the first two quarters while holding the Broncos to 43, minus 4 rushing. But Middleburg took a 10-7 advantage into the intermission thanks to three big plays.
First, on a fourth down from the Middleburg 21, Broncos senior cornerback Joel Lowe ensured that the Raiders’ initial drive, a march that consumed the first nine minutes of the game, resulted in no points when he intercepted a Quinton Moore pass that had
been intended for Dylan Ruiz but was tipped into the air by Middleburg linebacker Keensdee Roseme.
Then, after a 57-yard punt by Stewart rolled dead at the Raiders one-yard line 30 seconds into the second quarter, Moore mishandled a low snap. By the time Moore picked up the ball, he was swarmed under by Middleburg’s Brad Darnold and Peyton Mooningham for a safety and a 2-0 Broncos lead.
On the ensuing possession, Orange Park drove 76 yards for a first down at the Middleburg four-yard line. But on the next play, the snap appeared to come before Moore was ready and the moment he took to gain control of the ball seemed to disrupt his handoff to Ruiz. Ruiz was stood up by Mooningham and Broncos tackle B.J. Carter, and the ball fell to the ground. Broncos’ free safety Jaden Boyd scooped it up amongst a pile of bodies and ran 98 yards to the other end of the field, reaching the goal line just before the Raiders’ Brock Aflleje could catch him.
Orange Park head coach Marcus Wimberly thought the play should have been ruled dead prior to the fumble.
“From our perspective, he was down [before the fumble], but we can’t use that as an excuse,” Wimberly said after the game. “There’s missed calls all the time. The whistle didn’t blow, so you’ve got to keep playing until the whistle.”
Boyd runs long sprints, including 100-yard dashes, on his own in practice to be ready for moments like these.
“He [Ruiz] was standing,” said Boyd. “My D-end B.J. Carter punches the ball out and it was sitting on the ground. I picked it up, I am still running, I don’t hear a whistle, and I go, ‘I’m taking this to the crib.’”
Stewart, who completed 13 of 18 passes for 131 yards and ran for 31 yards, ran up the middle for a two-point conversion after Boyd’s return, giving the Broncos a 10-0 lead with 2:55 remaining in the second quarter.
Orange Park did strike paydirt on their final possession of the first half when Moore connected with Alexavier Fennell on a fly pattern from 42 yards out. The 6’2” Fennell wrestled the high spiral away from a defender, who fell as Fennell sauntered into the end zone. Brock Aflleje added the extra point.
The second half was nearly a complete reversal of the first. Middleburg earned 10 first downs while the Raiders had just two. It started out well for the Raiders, however, as Moore faked a handoff to Ruiz up the middle, burst through a crease off left tackle, cut outside, turned upfield and outran Boyd to the sideline for 65 yards and a touchdown. Aflleje’s point after gave Orange Park a 14-10 lead two and a half minutes into the third quarter, the first time this season that the Broncos had trailed in the second half.
Moore, a receiver who played quarterback due to an injury to Gabe Taylor, was the most dynamic player on the field, running for 131 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and throwing the touchdown pass to Fennell.
“Moore brings athleticism, a little speed, a little different element to it [the QB position],” said Wimberly. “He stepped up and played well tonight.”
Middleburg was unfazed by Moore’s quick strike, dominating from that point. Stewart led the Broncos on an eight-minute, 79-yard march after Moore’s score, capping it himself with a one-yard run on third and goal to go. The senior took a shotgun snap and followed the blocking of guard Noah Montoro and tackle Trent Pavlus over the left side, twisting across the goal line to take the lead back for Middleburg with 1:15 left in the third quarter.
Middleburg scored the clinching touchdown with 3:38 remaining, thanks to a bold call by Wolfe. Facing a fourth and seven from the Raiders 10-yard line, he could have trotted Araujo out for a short field goal to give the hosts a six-point lead. Instead, he went for it, knowing he had a play designed for such a moment. Stewart looked toward receivers Deshun Green and Jordan Williams to his right and then found Mason Zwilling, who had snuck out of the backfield, wide open in the middle of the end zone for the score. Araujo added the point after the final margin.
“We’re faking like it is outside zone [a running play], and if they are in cover zero, it draws up the linebackers. The receivers run outs to bring the safeties toward the sideline,” Wolfe explained. “I’ve been running that play for 20 years. It’s a good one.”
Orange Park turned the ball over on downs on their final possession. For the Raiders, who fell to 1-5, 0-2 in District 3-5A, it was a lost opportunity, but Wimberly remained optimistic.
“Their [the Raiders’] spirits are up. They are fighters,” he said. “We just need a win under our belt. We have a good chance next week. We just gotta keep chopping wood.”
Orange Park hosts Westside (1-3 at press time) in a non-district game on October 4.
For Middleburg, the schedule gets more challenging over the next month, beginning with an October 11 contest at Ponte Vedra after a bye week.
“Now the murderer’s row starts: PV, Beachside, Fleming, and North Marion,” said Wolfe. “Keep working on us and I think we will be fine. We have got a good team.”