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King runs roughshod over Bears

By Doug Deters
Posted 9/19/18

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King runs roughshod over Bears


Posted

OAKLEAF – Oakleaf High’s football team knocked the “Bear” off their backs with a first-time win for the Knights over the Bartram Trail High Bears via a career night from senior tailback Keshawn King, who rumbled for 251 yards on the ground with five scores as Oakleaf won 69-53 in a game that last until late Friday night at Oakleaf High School.

“We knew this would be a tremendous challenge but our seniors had as one of their goals to be the first team to beat Bartram Trail” said Oakleaf first-year coach Frank Garis. “This is just the beginning and we have a grind of games coming up starting with Clay and Fleming the next two weeks. We don’t get a week off with our schedule so our goal is simple: Go 1-0 next week.”

Bartram Trail has been a pivotal game for Oakleaf in the last five years with the Bears, in 2015, knocking the Knights out of playoff contention three years ago under coach Derek Chipoletti. In Chipoletti’s region championship season, 2014, Bartram Trail was not in the Knights’ district 3-7A lineup. The previous two years, under coach Steve Reynolds, Oakleaf lost to Bartram Trail in regular season play with Oakleaf not in playoff contention.

Since 2015, Bartram Trail has been in district 3-7A, replacing Fletcher, and has battled with Buchholz and Fleming Island for district titles with Buchholz winning in 2015 and 2016 over Bartram Trail and Bartram Trail beating out Fleming Island in 2017.

On Friday, it took Oakleaf less than three minutes to strike first on a ground attack led by quarterback Walter Simmons III and King. On third down and eight, King ran 40 yards for a first down at the Bartram 23 yard line with Simmons following that with a 15 yard scamper to the six. From there, Simmons barreled in for the quick 7-0 lead.

Bartram Trail played the role of the big boy on the block taking a punch from the new “up and comers” while they calmly and precisely rushed and passed their way down the field getting an average of 6-12 yards each play. They would easily score their first touchdown in just over three minutes of game time to tie the game at 7-7.

Intent on keeping pace, Simmons went to the air to wideout Terrance Anthony for a 58 yard catch but Anthony fumbled the ball out of the end zone to return possession to the Bears.

On the next Bears’ series, Knights linebacker Dexter Moore blasted through and caused a Bears fumble that linebacker Marcus Anthony scooped up at the Knights’ 20 yard line. Simmon’s and the Oakleaf offense stalled at the Oakleaf 20 forcing a punt just outside of the end zone. A high snap to punter Tyler Laberis would sail into the endzone with Laberis attempting to throw out of the end zone only to be intercepted at the 10 yard line. Two plays later, Bartram Trail scored and went ahead 14-7.

Bartram Trail tried an onsides kick that left Oakleaf midfield. From the nine yard line, King would crash in to tie the game at 14-14.

After a Bears touchdown made the score 20-14, Simmons hit two passes; a 25 yarder and a 12 yarder to Antonio Marshall to put Oakleaf at the Bears’ four yard line. Simmons ran the ball in to give the lead back to Oakleaf 21-20 with 5:02 to the half.

“Having the ability to convert on third downs has been our calling card all year so far and it was an unbelievable effort by our offense all night” said Garis.

Simmons again would convert two third down plays before throwing a 50 yard touchdown pass to Sean Washington to push the lead to 28-20 with less than two minutes until halftime.

Bartram Trail answered with a 45 yard touchdown pass to A.J. Jones with one minute left to close the gap to 28-26.

Not to be outdone; Simmons would find Anthony on a 60 yard touchdown pass with less than 30 seconds left to push the lead to 35-26.

The Bears took all of 90 seconds to score on their first possession of the second half with a 24 yard touchdown pass to Griffin Helm who made a difficult juggling catch to get the Bears to within two points at 35-33.

King would take multiple runs down the field all the way to the Bartram five yard line. King would take one play off to catch his breath then score on a two yard run for a 41-33 lead and it looked as if defense would be optional in the second half for both teams.

Bartram Trail would answer King’s runs with their own drive that resulted in a 26 yard touchdown run by A.J. Jones to pull the game back to within two points at 41-39 with the failed two point conversion.

Oakleaf running back Adrian Grey chipped in with a 15 yard run with 2:48 remaining in the 3rd quarter for a 48-39 lead in a game that was quickly turning into an episode of “Can You Top this!”

The Oakleaf defense dodged a bullet on a dropped pass by a wide open Bears player that would have been an easy touchdown that turned into a punt back to the Knights. King would make the Bears pay with a 53 yard touchdown run with 1:17 left in the third quarter to give Oakleaf a commanding (But not comfortable) 55-39 lead.

The Oakleaf defense decided to make a play as Chrystian Sellers would intercept a pass on the Bears next possession and return it to midfield and the “big boy” of the neighborhood seemed to be shell shocked by the Knights.

“Our defensive guys had cramps and rolled ankles all night. We even had to put a guy at middle linebacker that had never played there before. We just kept being positive with the defense and they made some big plays especially in the second half” said Garis.

King would then deliver a knockout blow with a 47 yard touchdown run to break the game wide open at 62-39 with 10:30 left in the contest.

However, Bartram Trail would answer with a two minute drive to pull back to within 17 points at 62-45.

Right on cue, a third Oakleaf running back, Adrian Grey, would respond with a 45 yard run down to the 10 yard line to set up King for another knockout shot in just 25 seconds to take a 69-45 lead with just over eight minutes remaining.

Bartram Trail would add one more touchdown with five minutes left but Oakleaf was able to keep the ball and convert first downs for the final four minutes to leave with a record-setting 69-53 district win.