GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Clay High looked to put a quick death to the visit of the Orange Park High Raider football team and first-year coach Tom Macpherson, but the Blue Devils had to hold on by their fingernails after flying to a 35-6 lead only to have to hold on for dear life in the second half en route to a 35-27 final score in a key district 5-5A contest at Clay High School.

The Raiders, now 2-1 overall and 0-1 in District 5-5A, felt like they let one get away after committing three turnovers, having a punt snap go over the punter’s head for a 25 yard loss, failing on a fake punt, failing on three extra points, and having a punt travel only 13 yards.

“On our part, there were a lot of self-inflicted wounds,” said MacPherson. “Give Clay credit—they took advantage of the things they had to. We are almost there, but we aren’t there yet. It is far from over.”

For the Blue Devils, district champions the past three years, wideout Ajay Belanger led the Clay offensive attack with three touchdowns on just four catches as Clay built their lead then withstood the Raider surge.

Belanger beat Orange Park defenders in a variety of ways. The junior used a shoulder fake to open up space to the inside on an eight-yard slant route for the game’s first score. In the third quarter, he faked an out cut before sprinting up the field, leaving Orange Park cornerback Deontrae Thomas behind, as he hauled in quarterback Jaylan Jenkins’ long pass at the Orange Park 20 yard line and then cruised to the end zone for a 60 yard score.

But Belanger’s dominance was never more evident than when he ran up the sideline, turned and waited for one of Jenkins’ lofty aerials to come down. Using his 6’3” frame, he simply outjumped the shorter Darrius Portis, the Raider cornerback, to come down with a 34 yard sideline throw in the first quarter, and then used his strength and length to box out the Raiders’ Jordan Bundy and wrestle a second jump ball away from a shorter defender for a critical touchdown just before halftime.

“If it is a 50-50 ball, he is really good at coming down with it,” said Clay coach Joshua Hoekstra.

Belanger finished with 116 receiving yards, and all but one of Jenkins’ completions was to him.

The Blue Devils capitalized on several Orange Park mistakes to build a lead.

First, Orange Park punter Drew Hartley could not corral a high punt snap and was forced to simply fall on the ball at the Raiders’ 19 yard line, a 25-yard loss. Clay cashed in on the slant pass from Jenkins to Belanger, which came on third and goal.

On the next play from scrimmage, Clay linebacker Zach Alvarado caught a fumble by the Raiders’ Darrell Vann in midair and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown, extending the Clay lead to 14-0. Finally, an Orange Park attempt to trap the Blue Devils in poor field position just before halftime backfired on the visitors.

Instead of sending out the punt team with his charges facing a fourth and three at their own 24 yard line with 57 seconds remaining before halftime, MacPherson had his offense line up in formation as if to go for it. Instead, quarterback Demarae Byrd took a shotgun snap and punted. The ball traveled a mere 19 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, and then bounced six yards back toward Byrd, resulting in a change of possession at the Raiders’ 37 yard line. Set up with a short field, the Blue Devils took advantage by scoring in four plays. Belanger’s catch over Bundy gave Clay a 22-6 lead at the break.

“I was pleased at the defense getting takeaways early,” said Hoekstra. “We should have put it away, and we didn’t. But it was a district game, so whether you win by 40 or you win by one, it is a big win.”

Clay scored on their first two offensive plays of the third quarter to make a comfortable lead seemingly insurmountable. Marcus Jones, a senior running back who has had to take a back seat to blue chip recruit Colin Wilson and to junior Tymious Goodman, made his only carry of the game count, breaking a tackle just past the line of scrimmage, cutting to his right and racing upfield for a 64 yard score. When Clay regained possession after forcing a punt, Belanger scored his third touchdown on the long throw by Jenkins, extending the lead to 35-6 with 7:18 left in the third quarter.

Orange Park did not quit, however. Having managed less than four yards per carry and 61 rushing yards in the first half, Vann and fellow tailback Deontrae Thomas started moving through the Blue Devils defense like a wind through Palmetto leaves. Vann ended up with a game-high 139 yards on 20 carries, while Thomas averaged eight yards on his five second-half rushes.

“When we play Twain Newton at fullback, we can run the ball,” explained MacPherson.

Quarterback Demarae Byrd, who had connected with Newton up the middle for the Raiders’ first touchdown to cap a 96-yard drive, finished a third quarter march with a 25 yard strike to Kam Thomas. Clay senior Derek Smith came off the edge to block the point after attempt.

The Raiders maintained their momentum on a bizarre play later in the third quarter. With the Raiders driving inside the Blue Devils 10 yard line, Clay defensive back Evan Martin intercepted Byrd’s pass in the end zone. But after running out of the end zone, Martin retreated back behind the goal line in an effort to outrun his pursuers to the sideline. He was cut off by the Raiders’ Bundy and tackled for a safety.

The Raiders took the ensuing free kick and scored again, this time on a one yard keeper by Byrd, to close their deficit to 35-20. Clay, without Wilson, who had left the game in the first half with an apparent ankle injury having gained 38 yards on nine carries, turned to Tymious Gooden. The results were disastrous, as Gooden fumbled on an inside run. The ball trickled outside to cornerback Devin Jones, who scooped it up, juked Jenkins and scored with six minutes remaining. After Hartley’s point after, the Raiders were within one score at 35-27.

The Raiders defense forced a Clay punt on the ensuing series, and Orange Park took over at their own six yard line with 2:42 showing on the clock. The Raiders advanced to their own 33. Byrd then scrambled up the middle for 9 yards but fumbled as he fell. Alvarado pounced on the loose ball, his second recovery of the night. The Blue Devils ran out the remaining 1:18, moving to 3-1 on the season, 1-0 in district play.

The Raiders, now 2-1 overall and 0-1 in District 5-5A, are on the road again against Middleburg, while the Blue Devils travel to Oakleaf. In other district 5-5A action, Palatka (1-1, 1-0) defeated Ridgeview (0-4, 0-1) 36-30 and Baker County (3-0, 1-0) beat Menendez (1-3, 0-1) 45-14.