A wild night deserved a wild finish and that is exactly what fans got as Seminole (3-0) sandwiched a pair of touchdowns around a Coconut Creek-Monarch (2-1) score in the final 3-1/2 minutes to pull out a 30-26 victory at Thomas E. Whigham Stadium in the Tim Raines Athletic Complex.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms, with plenty of lightning, moved through the area late in the afternoon on Friday, but fortunately, the only real remnants at game time was wet fields as for the first time this season there were no weather delays.
The Fighting Seminoles trailed 20-16 at halftime and that was still the score with the clock winding down late in the fourth quarter.
The Tribe finally took its first lead _ 23-20 _ since late in the first period when Anthony Gay III capped a drive with a 7-yard scoring run with 3:30 to play.
It looked like the host Noles were going to run out the clock, but fumbled the ball away at midfield with 1:28 to play and the Knights regained the lead with just 42-seconds remaining.
The hosts refused to give up and battled back with a nice drive behind quarterback Michael Clayton fired a high laser over a pair of Monarch defenders which Xavier Tucker was able to go up and snag for the game-winning 17-yard touchdown reception.
Defending SSAA (Sunshine State Athletic Association) state champion The Master’s Academy (5-0) stepped up in class to take on Lake Howell (0-3) and looked impressive in pulling away late for a 35-17 victory.
There were really only two other games that were close, with Orangewood Christian (1-4) holding off Lake Highland Prep (2-1) in a defensive struggle, 9-6, for its first win of the season and Ocala Christian Academy (4-0) doing likewise against Lake Mary Prep (2-3), winning, 14-11.
The rest of the games had very little drama after halftime as high-scoring Oviedo (3-1) scored in about every way possible in a 49-13 victory over Lyman (1-3); Hagerty (3-1) quarterback Caden Mitchell set a pair of school records, most passing yards in a game _ 328 _ and most touchdowns in a game _ six _ all in the first half in a 49-14 trouncing of Pine Ridge (0-3); The Geneva School (3-1) waltzed past Liberty Christian Prep (0-5) from Tavares, 35-0; Winter Springs (2-1) continues to surprise with a 50-12 thumping of Kissimmee-Liberty (1-3), 50-12; Flagler Palm Coast (3-0) rolled over Lake Brantley (1-3), 48-0; and Legacy Charter (1-4) from Ocoee blanked Trinity Prep (0-3), 20-0.
Here are recaps, where available:
Seminole 30, Monarch 26
Clayton had a big night, completing 11-of-17 passes for 148-yards and two touchdowns.
The Seminole running back duo of Rodney Grant III (12-carries, 84-yards, touchdown) and Khamani Robinson (9-carries, 110-yards, touchdown) combined for 194-yards on 21 carries and a pair of touchdowns.
The Tribe defense was stout again, making six tackles for loss, seven quarterback sacks and recovering a fumble.
Seminole 30, Monarch 26
First Quarter
SHS _ Grant 19 run (Allen kick).
MHS _ Spaeder 10 run (run failed).
SHS _ Robinson 1 run (Kick failed).
Second Quarter
MHS _ Parham 33 pass from Spaeder (run failed).
MHS _ Joselin 7 run (Reed run).
SHS _ Allen 43 FG.
Third Quarter
No scoring.
Fourth Quarter
SHS _ Gay 7 run (Allen kick).
MHS _ Riggins 30 pass from Spaeder (run failed).
SHS _ Tucker 17 pass from Clayton (Allen kick).
Oviedo 49, Lyman 13
Running back Chance Nixon put on a show, carrying the ball just three times for 118-yards, including touchdown gallops of 71- and 42-yards, while Brock Joyce and Jerome Curry had big all-around games _ Joyce completing 3-of-4passes for 37-yards, carrying the ball seven times for 38-yards and a touchdown and catching a 4-yard pass, while Curry was 4-of-10 passing for 64-yards, carried the ball fie times for 15-yards and two touchdowns and caught an 8-yard pass _ but it was pair of blocked punts by Brady Manning (who also had an interception and a fumble recovery) and Joey Gioia that led to touchdown recoveries by Samari Chisholm and Lucas Lyons that stole the headlines.
Oviedo 49, Lyman 14
First Quarter
OHS _ Lyons recovered blocked punt (Calder kick).
LHS _ Nyenkan 1 run (Sargent kick).
OHS _ Nixon 71 run (Calder kick).
Second Quarter
LHS _ Scaglione 42 pass from Sanchez (Sargent kick).
OHS _ Chisholm recovered blocked punt (Calder kick).
OHS _ Joyce 1 run (Calder kick).
Third Quarter
OHS _ Curry 5 run (Calder kick).
OHS _ Nixon 42 run (Calder kick).
OHS _ Curry 1 run (Calder kick).
Fourth Quarter
No scoring.
Hagerty 49, Pine Ridge 14
Mitchell was phenomenal, completing 16-of-19 passes for 328-yards and six touchdowns in a half of action as the host Huskies led 28-0 after one quarter play and 49-6 at halftime.
Bryson Bock caught four passes for 101-yards and three touchdowns, Jordon Ketron also caught four passes for 68-yards and a pair of TDs and Jalon Lewis made three catches for 44-yards and a score.
The Hagerty defense had three interceptions _ two by Kale Encarnacion and one by Kyle Galarza _ and Cruz Salazar recovered a fumble.
Hagerty 49, Pine Ridge 14
First Quarter
HHS _ Lewis 5 pass from Mitchell (Zinnert kick).
HHS _ Bock 22 pass from Mitchell (Zinnert kick).
HHS _ Ketron 20 pass from Mitchell (Zinnert kick).
HHS _ Bock 38 pass from Mitchell (Zinnert kick).
Second Quarter
PRHS _ White 65 pass from Rosa (kick failed).
HHS _ Salazar fumble return (Zinnert kick).
HHS _ Bock 7 pass from Mitchell (Zinnert kick).
HHS _ Ketron 15 pass from Mitchell (Zinnert kick).
Third Quarter
PRHS _ Gordon 6 run (Gordon run).
Fourth Quarter
No scoring.
The Master’s Academy 35, Lake Howell 17
Junior running back O’Shea Faison ran for four touchdowns and Davon Washington caught eight passes for 174 yards and a touchdown and the host Eagles won their first ever game against a Public School, scoring two fourth quarter touchdowns to turn a tight 21-17 lead into a comfortable, 35-17 victory.
The Master’s Academy 35, Lake Howell 17
First Quarter
TMA _ Faison 18 run (Gotwalt kick).
LH _ Parker 40 FG.
Second Quarter
TMA _ Faison 8 run (Gotwalt kick).
LH _ Johnson 50 run (Wilkerson run).
Third Quarter
TMA _ Faison 5 run (Gotwalt kick).
LH _ Morris 3 run (run failed).
Fourth Quarter
TMA _ Washington 25 pass from Smith (Gotwalt kick).
TMA _ Faison 1 run (Gotwalt kick).
Winter Springs 50, Liberty 12
Quarterback Makiye McBurse was 7-for-9 passing for 112-yards and two touchdowns and also carried the ball 10-times for 23-yards and two more scores as Winter Springs broke a 5-game home losing streak.
Anthony Valentin (11-carries, 80-yards), Marje Foster and Jorden Frederick also ran for touchdowns, while Johan Torres and Jaiden Roberts had the receiving touchdowns for the Bears.
Here are the Week 4/5 results and the Week 5/6 schedule:
WEEK 4/5
Friday, September 13
Flagler Palm Coast High School 48, Lake Brantley High School 0.
The Geneva School 35, Tavares-Liberty Christian Prep 0.
Hagerty High School 49, Pine Ridge High School 14.
Lake Mary High School was off.
Ocoee-Legacy Charter 20, Trinity Preparatory School 0.
The Master’s Academy 35, Lake Howell High School 17.
Orangewood Christian School 9, Lake Highland Prepartory School 6.
Oviedo High School 42, Lyman High School 14.
Ocala Christian Academy 14, Lake Mary Prep 11.
Seminole High School 30, Coconut Creek-Monarch High School 26.
Winter Springs High School 50, Kissimmee-Liberty High School 12.
WEEK 5/6
Friday, September 20
(Games at 7 p.m., unless otherwise posted)
Spring Hill-Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School at Orangewood Christian School.
Bradenton Christian High School vs. The Geneva School at Eric Liddell Athletic Complex, 6:30 p.m.
Kissimmee-Gateway High School vs. Winter Springs High School at A.W. Epps Sports Complex.
Hagerty High School at Timber Creek High School.
Harmony High School vs. Lake Howell High School at Richard L. Evans Field.
Lake Brantley High School at Pine Ridge High School.
Lake Mary High School at Dr. Phillips High School.
Lake Mary Prep at St. Petersburg-Shorecrest Prep.
Lake Wales High School vs. Seminole High School at Thomas E. Whigham Stadium in the Tim Raines Athletic Complex.
Lyman High School is off.
The Master’s Academy is off.
Oviedo High School is off.
Trinity Preparatory School at Windermere Prep, 4 p.m.
