GREEN COVE SPRINGS - Clay High flag football quarterback Teaghan Moses returned to action after a long off-year of knee rehabilitation, stood in the pocket and delivered a strike to wide receiver Yuliana Garcia that went for 36 yards as the Blue Devils won a 21-0 match with Ridgeview on Thursday, March 14 at Clay High School.
"Yeah, I think naturally some nerves kick in, but she's a tough young lady," said Clay coach Jared Moses, Teaghan's dad. "I'm just so proud of how hard she's worked."
Moses' return saw the Clay offense move methodically downfield with passes to Garcia and former starting quarterback Cora Parker on the receiving end of a handful of passes with Moses deftly avoiding contact in the pocket with rollout passing plays and even two somewhat nervewracking runs downfield that Moses pull up on a fourth down run to avoid contact and a second run toward the goal line that had a bit of contact.
"I was taking any chances on my runs," said Teaghan Moses.
With Parker, normally a defensive safety and wide receiver, starting the game at quarterback, Clay, now 6-0; 5-0 with Parker at quarterback, first struck after an interception from Kirra Dodson that nearly went to the house, but traveled 30 yards to the Ridgeview 21 yard line.
From there, Parker rumbled in from two yards for the first score with Dodson catching the PAT pass for a 7-0 lead as the first quarter ended.
After a defensive stop by the Clay defense, led at rusher by Khloe Burke and pass coverage by linebackers Charlotte Glavin and Tatum Waugh on pass attempts to Ridgeview's six foot wide receiver Nacoya Blocton, Ridgeview punted and covered the ball at the Clay two yard line to set up a long field for the Blue Devils' offense.
Moses entered the game as quarterback and calmly hit Garcia on a short dump pass over the middle that the speedy Garcia hit the gas pedal to midfield to set up Clay's second touchdown, a pass to wide receiver Charlotte Andrus, that put the score at 14-0. Andrus also caught the PAT pass.
In the first half, Ridgeview was having success on offense with running back Taniya Booker dancing through the middle of the Clay defense and quick slants to wide receiver Emma Rayes, but could not get into the Clay red zone.
In the second half, Waugh crashed a pass away from Ridgeview's Narissa Blocton on fourth down to put Moses back on the field.
From inside the 40, Moses hit Parker on a short post pattern that seemed to bounce off Parker's knee that Parker snagged and kept running to set up a fourth and goal from the Ridgeview six yard line after two strong pass knock downs by Narissa Blocton and Booker.
From the six, Ridgeview opened with Rayes snagging a quick slant for 15 yards with the Panthers offense looking to spring Booker through the middle of the Clay defense and utilize Nacoya Blocton's height advantage in the Clay secondary as the third quarter ended at 14-0.
In the fourth, starting at their own 20, Clay moved to the Panther 11 with Moses leaving the pocket for a run to the Ridgeview two yard line.
From the two, Ridgeview nearly got their own interception for a wide open field by Narissa Blocton, but she could not hold on to the ball.
Moses missed Garcia in the back of the end zone and, on fourth down with 7:23 to go, Moses rolled left and hit Andrus in the end zone for a 20-0 lead; 21-0 with Parker PAT pass catch.
Ridgeview had some late success with tall passes to Nacoya Blocton.
Clay finishes with four road games after Spring Break with Oakleaf (2-3) first on March 25 followed by Columbia (0-4), Fleming Island (6-1) and Florida Deaf (2-3).
In other area flag action, Fleming Island, who beat Ridgeview just 6-0 on a cold, windy night last week, won a defeated Paxon 12-7 behind two touchdown passes from quarterback Devyn Dudones; one a 34 yard to Emily Poucher, the other a nine yarder to Poucher in the fourth quarter for the lead.
Fleming Island defeated Middleburg 14-13 in a tough match on March 11 with Julia White scoring twice on short touchdown passes for the Broncos and Fleming Island getting a nine yard scoring pass from Dudone to Poucher and a 35 yard scoring pass to Audrey Ellis. The Golden Eagles were good on both PATs to secure the win.
Middleburg defeated Orange Park 31-9 and Oakleaf (2-3) lost a 20-13 decision to Keystone Heights (4-5) with Indians quarterback Alee Horton hitting three touchdown passes; two to Aubre Miller and one to Ashlyn Brown. Brown had 103 yards in pass catches to lead the Indians offense. Middleburg beat Keystone Heights 14-7 on March 5 with Bronco quarterback Raychel Hansen piling up 191 passing yards on the night with freshman Payton Morton scoring twice for the Broncos. Morton, who also intercepted a pass against Keystone Heights, now has 14 catches with three scores for the season.
For Keystone Heights, against Middleburg, Horton passed for 228 yards, but with just the one score to Miller.
Keystone Heights also lost a 34-6 match to Ocala Forest.