ORANGE PARK - With senior quarterback Gabe Taylor handling the brunt of the Orange Park High offense with runs out of the pocket and a handful of second level passes to wide out Brock Aflleje, the Orange Park Raiders battled with an up front strong ED White team that featured a corral of five solid running backs with the Commanders holding off to win a 49-21 spring game win Monday night at Orange Park High School.
Taylor, who engineered an opening offensive drive of 14 plays from the Raider 20 to the ED White eight yard line only to have a fourth down play land short of the goal line.
In the initial drive, running back Austee'n Mills showed flashes of big play potential with blasts behind tackle Terrick Moore keeping the chains moving.
ED White, in their initial offensive series, nearly replicated the Raiders opener with their own 12 play series that did end in the first score of the night, a direct snap 35 yard scamper as the second quarter began.
In the second quarter, coach Marcus Wimberly and offensive coordinator Tyler DeHart added the power running of Xzavier Jones to the mix with off tackle blasts moving the ball to the ED White 41 before Taylor misfired on a fourth and eight pass to Mills.
ED White took over, but Raider defensive back Derek Page III stole an errant Commander pass near midfield to set up the Raiders at the ED White 38.
Unfortunately, Jones fumbled the first snap away.
Orange Park's defense, led by a fourth down sack from defensive end Jermain Orr, Taylor took over from the Raider 35 and hit Afllege for a quick 20 yard slant to the Commander six with Taylor bouncing in from there behind center Andrew Austin to score for the Raiders.
ED White got another 10 play drive that ended with a touchdown off run plays to the Raider one yard line before scoring to put the game at 13-7.
A fumbled snap to Taylor put the Raiders at third and 30 at the Raider 15 before Taylor found Jones in the secondary for a 28 yard pickup then hit a swing pass to Jones the ball to complete the first down.
With 12 seconds to the half, Taylor hit Afllege to the 23 yard line before hit Afflege to the 15 on the final play of the half.
In the third, ED White rolled downfield for a score to 19-7 before Taylor answered with a Raider score to 19-14 with 5:24 left in the third.
In the rest of the second half, the ED White run game dominated to go up by as much as 37-14 with both teams putting in junior varsity players to finish the game.
Orange Park had a missed scoring opportunity on a bobbled pass from Taylor to James Waters at the ED White five yard line before Taylor fumbled the ball away being chased out of the pocket.