ST. JOHNS - Clay got mixed results at its spring jamboree at Beachside High, tying Creekside 14-14 in the opening half but falling 28-0 to Beachside in the closing half.

Senior quarterback Landon Martin was the offensive star in the half against the Knights, throwing for one touchdown and running for another. Martin led the Blue Devils on two long scoring drives, completing 8 of 13 throws for 88 yards.

In the nightcap against a very fast Beachside team, nothing went right as Clay went three and out on its first three possessions, while allowing the Barracudas to score on their first four possessions.

Outside linebacker Adam Whigham did have a sack and three tackles for loss to lead the Blue Devils' defense.

Clay played two full quarters against each opponent.

Martin, a junior who will enter his third year as the starter in the fall, completed eight of 13 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score in two quarters against Creekside.

“The quarterback is a really good player,” said Jeff Gierke, who is coming off a 2-8 campaign in his first season as Clay’s head coach. “He has played a lot of football. He is as experienced as anybody around here.”

In the opening half, the Class 4A Blue Devils and Class 7A Knights traded long touchdown drives on the first four possessions. Clay started with an 80-yard drive that consumed 5:22. Martin ran for 24 yards, including a 16-yard escape from the pocket that converted a third down. After a holding penalty against Creekside gave the Blue Devils a first down at the Creekside 24-yard line, Martin faked a hand-off and threw a strike to slot receiver Battle running a skinny post for a touchdown.

The Knights, who won their district last year but lost in the first round of the playoffs, responded with a 10-play, 71-yard march to tie the game. Consecutive completions from Rozzi Sperry to Tommy Goodrich moved the ball to the Clay 12-yard line. On the next play, Sperry rolled right and found tight end Caleb Brux for a score.

Clay again traveled 80 yards on its second possession. A 56-yard run by sophomore Connor Beck set up Martin’s touchdown run of seven yards over right tackle on the first play of the second quarter. Martin connected with Battle twice for 36 yards on the drive. Battle and fellow junior Daylen Brown each had five receptions.

Creekside again held serve. Sperry, who completed eight of 12 passes for 95 yards, found Brux and Goodrich for gains of 14 and 17 yards before throwing a dart to Davis Baldwin in tight coverage at the left sideline for the tying score.

An interception by Matthew Jones at the Clay 40, gave the Blue Devils a chance at victory with 1:21 remaining. Gierke elected to play his second string and was content to keep the ball mostly on the ground. Four runs by sophomore Keedrick Davis advanced the ball to the Creekside 37 as the halftime horn sounded.

Nothing went right for the Blue Devils against Beachside, a Class 5A school that went 8-4 last year and won a first-round playoff game. Clay went three-and-out on its first four possessions, gaining only 10 yards of offense.

The Blue Devils put together a drive on their fourth possession, moving to the Barracudas 9-yard line on a 15-yard completion from Martin-to-Matthew Jones on a hook route. But when Martin attempted to go back to Jones on the same pattern two plays later, his pass was intercepted at the goal line.

Meanwhile, the Blue Devils had few answers for the Beachside offense, which played second stringers at the skill positions after their initial drive.

Reserve signal caller Charlie Bowler shredded the Clay secondary for 165 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 10 of 16 throws. Running back Cayden Sundermier paced Beachside's ground game, rushing for 99 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.

“The first half showed how good we could be,” Gierke said. “But in the second half, it was right back to what got us in trouble last year. We came out flat. We were way bigger than them, and they were pushing us around.”

Gierke is confident the Blue Devils offense, with seven of 11 starters returning from last season, will be potent. He is concerned about the defense.

“Up front we were pretty physical, but we have to find more depth,” he said. “We got to get better in the secondary. We have got to find guys who will keep the ball in front of them and make tackles.”

Wyatt Rapoza, who missed the jamboree to play in the state baseball semifinals, will man the strong safety spot. Gierke said this summer’s seven-on-seven scrimmages will be critical for the players vying for starting roles at cornerback and weak safety and for the development of the secondary. With between 105 and 115 players expected to come out in the fal l— many will wind up on two junior varsity teams — Gierke expects the pass defense to be fine by next season.

“I am proud of the strides we have made this spring,” Gierke said. “We are just trying to win more than we did last year. I would hope that we are good enough to make some noise and get into the playoffs."

Beachside beat Creekside 21-7 in the middle half.