It was the last game of the season and, for many, the final game of their high school football careers as all-star teams from southeast Georgia and northeast Florida faced off in the annual War of the Border under the bright Florida sunshine in Yulee. The mid-February game offered players one last chance to show their abilities to college scouts who come to the game and to play in front of high school football fans who want to see one last contest before spring.
“They got a chance to compete at a championship level, and that game is played at a high level, before they finished their high school careers,” said Charlton County football coach Rich McWhorter, who coached the Georgia All-Stars. “For other guys it may have given them a chance to continue their football career. That game is out on hudl.com, and it has been sent to schools, so hopefully some of these kids are getting looked at.”
Players representing Georgia came from McIntosh County Academy, Camden, Charlton, Wayne, Brunswick, Bradwell Institute, Jeff Davis County, Brantley County, Ware County, Glynn Academy, Savannah High, and Johnson High.
The Florida team was represented by Westside, Ribault, Lee, First Coast, Paxon, Wolfson, Mandarin, Raines, West Nassau, Jackson, Fernandina Beach, Atlantic Coast, Bishop Kenny, Hilliard, Baldwin, Stanton, and host Yulee High School.
“I know from my experience that there are a lot of kids on that field that should be playing more football,” McWhorter said. “I saw some talent out there that’s college football talent. There are a few kids that I think could play Division I football.”
The Georgia team wore red jerseys while Florida, coached by First Coast High’s Marty Lee, donned blue with each player wearing their own team’s helmet in classic all-star fashion.
This year’s edition of the SEGA/NEFL was a first half defensive battle that had moments of flash in the second half before Florida claimed the final victory 28-18.
It came down to a stingy Florida defense that allowed Georgia just 12 rushing yards the entire game. The visitors did manage 206 yards passing on 15 of 35 attempts. Georgia had a total of 218 yards of offense, most of it coming through the air on the arm of Camden County quarterback John B. Jones, who had 153 yards passing with one touchdown.
Despite Georgia’s loss, it was a stellar day for McIntosh County Academy’s Dustin Anderson who had five catches for 90 yards including a touchdown and a 68-yard catch and run. Anderson also had a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown and an interception on defense. For his efforts, MCA’s Anderson was named Georgia’s Offensive Player of the Game.
On the other side of the ball, Bradwell Institute linebacker Joshua Ingram received the Defensive Player of the Game for Georgia.
Running-back Cameron Wakefield of Lee High School in Jacksonville was named Florida’s offensive player of the game. He had 11 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown. Linebacker Brady Stockard of Fernandina Beach High School received the Defensive Player of the Game for Florida.
Florida scored on its first possession with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Ribault’s Ryan Williams to Westside High’s Dale George to take a 6-0 lead. The defenses took over with each team swapping punts and turning the ball over on downs until halftime. The second half looked to be more of the same until, with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, Florida punted to MCA’s Anderson, who raced 67-yards up the right sideline to tie the score at 6-6.
Late in the third, Florida struck back when Williams hit Wakefield on a 41-yard pass to setup a nine-yard touchdown strike to Ribault teammate Rashad Flynn on the final play of the quarter for a 13-6 lead.
Georgia converted Anderson’s interception into points and then quickly came back with a 68-yard pass to Anderson, who then finished up the drive with a 5-yard touchdown catch to give Georgia the lead 18-13 with 10 minutes to go in the game.
Florida responded with a 65-yard drive to regain the lead and then sealed the deal with a 50-yard drive capped by Wakefield’s 26-yard run that gave Florida the lead for good at 28-18.
The game was the final foray into high school football for many months as the pads are put away for hibernation until spring for area football programs.
McWhorter became involved with the annual exhibition game when it expanded to the coast five years ago. The War of the Border is an opportunity for college scouts to get one more look at area high school seniors. This year, games were also played in Thomasville and Valdosta with players from those areas participating.
“Every player that was on both of those teams are at some level or another college athletes,” McWhorter said.
SE-SF-0317-War of the Border
Special Feature
March 2017
Written by: Rob Asbell
A Final Foray
