North Florida High School Football Spring Games Recap
As the calendar flips to June, it signals the end of a nearly three-week stretch that saw close to 60 North Florida high school football teams take the field for their spring games. Below is a recap of some of the scrimmages/jamborees that took place.
Nease Panthers 41 , Palatka Panthers 21
In a high-scoring battle between two squads with the same mascot, Nease and Palatka managed to put on quite a show offensively in their spring game on May 25. According to an article written in the Palatka Daily News, Nease got on the board in a hurry, scoring touchdowns on its first three possessions. Palatka, meanwhile, struggled to get into an offensive rhythm for much of the first quarter before finding some momentum in the second. Nease sophomore quarterback Marcus Stokes finished the game with three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown, while Palatka played junior quarterback Matthew Lands and sophomore quarterback/running back Jamarrie Mckinnon. Lands finished with two passing touchdowns and McKinnon found the end zone once on the ground.
Baker County Wildcats 27, Creekside Knights 0
After a 10-3 record last year, Baker County managed to put together quite the performance in its spring game against the Creekside Knights on May 28. According to an article in the St. Augustine Record, the Wildcats were able to capitalize on a few of the Knights’ miscues to get ahead early and never looked back on the way to a shutout victory. Some of those miscues from Creekside included a 99-yard punt return given up on special teams, a fumble and an interception. While the Knights did have some mistakes offensively, they were still able to move the ball; however, they found themselves struggling as they entered the red zone.
Bartram Trail Bears 29, Columbia High Tigers 20
This spring game had a little bit of everything. There were some scoring moments and a little bit of sloppiness with some turnovers. But given that it is a scrimmage, that is to be expected. According to an article in the Lake City Reporter, the two teams combined for five turnovers. Bartram Trail was able to jump out to an early 14-0 lead before Columbia came roaring back to tie things up. Both the Tigers and Bears rotated their quarterbacks throughout the game. Soon-to-be senior Kade Jackson started behind center for Columbia and managed to toss two touchdowns after throwing two early interceptions. Freshman Evan Umstead relieved Jackson in the second half and led two drives for the Tigers, and sophomore Cohen David also got some reps in the fourth quarter, scoring a three-yard touchdown on the ground. As for Bartram Trail, junior quarterback Trenton Delaere threw one touchdown pass before backup signal caller Cade Duncan came in during the fourth quarter. The junior also had one touchdown pass, as well. With both teams now able to see their strengths and weaknesses, it will be interesting to see how they fare when August rolls around.
Written by: Nick Anschultz
