Ponte Vedra came into last Friday night’s football game against Nease owning an eight-game win streak in their rivalry. The Sharks found a way to win this year’s Battle of the Bridge 35-14 despite two red zone fumbles and a missed extra point in the game’s first 24 minutes.
A wildly enthusiastic, standing-room-only crowd at Panther Stadium saw Ponte Vedra dominate the Aug. 24 game in almost every aspect, including a more than two-to-one advantage in time of possession. With Nease holding a 14-13 halftime advantage, the Panther faithful had high hopes of reclaiming the Bridge trophy. But 22 unanswered second half points for the Sharks would make the difference.
Game recap
The Sharks, led by quarterback Jack Murrah and running back Mark Calvin, mounted an extended opening drive moving to a first down at the Nease 5-yard line. What the Panthers’ defense could not stop, a Ponte Vedra fumble did. Nease took over in the shadow of their own goalpost and moved to their 30-yard line before punting the ball away.
Murrah moved his team from midfield to inside the Panthers’ red zone, and once again the Sharks fumbled the ball away.
This time, Nease took advantage of the turnover. Panthers speedster Joe Bradshaw ripped off 40 yards, and then quarterback Preston Staples connected with Jeremy Killmer for 43 more and a touchdown as the first quarter expired.
Down 7-0, quarterback Cobi Myers took over for the Sharks and engineered a 71-yard drive. Myers hit on a pair of first down passes to Nick Pirris and Reese Russi, and then he ran for 21 yards before handing off to Calvin for the touchdown. Trouble continued for the Sharks when the point-after attempt hit off the left upright.
Ponte Vedra forced a three-and-out and Murrah came back in the game at quarterback. A 12-yard completion to Russi gave the Sharks a first down at midfield. Then a Murrah to Pirris toss was good for 15 more. Murrah then went to Kyle Barker for 15 yards and a touchdown. The Sharks led 13-7 with two minutes left in the half.
Nease, behind two outstanding broken field runs by Staples, was able put together a solid drive in the final minutes to regain the lead 14-13.
After the teams traded possessions to open the second half, disaster struck for the Panthers. Caden Fordham’s punt pinned Nease inside the 20-yard line. On the next play, the Panthers fumbled the ball. Fordham scooped it up and raced into the end zone for the Sharks’ third touchdown of the night. Coach Matt Toblin’s prudent decision to go for two was justified when Murrah sent Barker in motion to the right and lofted the ball to him alone at the goal line. The Sharks now led 21-14.
Ponte Vedra’s defense took over behind big plays by Peter Merlini, Max Schalit and Mark Young, forcing Nease to finally give up the ball just before the third quarter ended. The Sharks used the first play of the fourth quarter to score again. It came on a third-and-short situation. Running back Campbell Parker busted straight up the middle for 59 yards to the Panthers’ 7-yard line, and then he ran the same play again to pick up seven more and a touchdown.
The Sharks turned the affair into a rout scoring their final touchdown with less than six minutes left to play. Parker broke out of a scrum at the 30-yard line and sprinted into the end zone for his second touchdown.
This Friday, the Sharks host Palatka at 7 p.m. in their home opener. Nease plays at Orange Park at 7 p.m.
