OAKLEAF - With Oakleaf coming into Fleming Island hot off massive wins over Riverside (35-7) and Orange Park (42-0), the Fleming Island Golden Eagles, amidst a topsy-turvy season start that first had to have a second-half surge to beat Clay and then a barnburner (48-39 loss) game at the same Riverside that Oakleaf dismantled, the stakes will be pretty high come Friday, September 6.
Fleming Island will have Cibastian Broughton behind center, which adds a bit of intrigue for the game because the Golden Eagles got a great debut from backup Eric Gentry last week. Gentry was stoic in his first varsity game, playing solid ball for coach Derek Chipoletti and giving Riverside a game.
Oakleaf, on the other hand, went Oakleaf on Orange Park behind a tweak on offense that saw wide receiver Carlos Witherup emerge as a backfield threat with two scores while bulldozer Chris Foy II took some time off after his first score put the game into running clock mode.
A key factor for the game will be the penalty flags. Both teams have wracked up some flag day points, obviously with Broughton sitting out the Riverside game, and with Oakleaf probably leaving half a dozen scores in the referee's pocket.
Being probably one of the more intense rivalry games in the county this year, Fleming Island has already played their rival game against Clay, showing some grit. Oakleaf has just plain dominated up front with Biggie and Monster Mason plus an elite secondary while the big boys up front; Reggie Houston and Chris Jules have given Wendy's Son plenty of space. Knights quarterback Jack McKissock has quickly established his ambition of showing he can play big-boy football.

Week Three/Sept. 6

Game to Watch
Oakleaf at Fleming Island
Both warmed up against a tough Riverside team; one at home, one on the road. If my Game to Watch proved fruitful, this game will be a barnburner.
Can Broughton to Burney outrun Kitchens, Pryce, and Kaylib Singleton (Fleming Island transfer, Oakleaf secret weapon on either side of the ball)?
Can Foy and Foy pummel Cioffi and Nate Van Hof?
Oakleaf already took out Fleming Island once and Carlos Witherup is back in the Oakleaf lineup. Witherup and Singleton, Price and Connor, that's a tough cover for Fleming Island secondary.

Englewood at Ridgeview

First-year coach Merlin Smith's team has to stop giving the ball away; two interceptions and a fumble in a 46-0 loss to West Nassau, to get the momentum back on the Panther side of the ball. Englewood is 0-2; with losses to Baldwin (45-14) and unbeaten Beachside (58-14), and has its setbacks and this might be a good game for Ridgeview to get their shoes back on. Englewood has a gunslinging quarterback, sophomore Ty Keister (No. 10), with 500 yards in two games with three scores and a big receiving corps led by senior Antwan Campbell (No. 2) with 15 catches at 20 yards a pop with two scores; one an 80 yarder.
Panthers should not take this 0-2 team lightly.

Orange Park at Riverside

Orange Park coach Marcus Wimberly wanted to set a tough schedule to try and get the playoff points that he narrowly missed last year and, with the likes of Mandarin and Oakleaf already visiting, the next foe is those dudes from Riverside who have seen Clay County's finest already and are looking to drop more firepower in Clay County. Raider quarterback Gabe Taylor has been near heroic in leading the offense on foot and in the air, if his time comes in the pocket; Quinton Moore and Daniel Richardson get open, the Raiders might surprise a Riverside team overlooking a pesky Raider team.

Upset of the Week

Clay at Middleburg

Middleburg got the momentum of their schedule with two wins in their first two games giving Coach Ryan Wolfe an unbeaten slate thus far, but Clay has had to dig in the dirt to get their win and a tough loss to Fleming Island. Whether that translates to a coach Kyle Kennard brimming with the fight against a rival will be the task. Clay's win over Yulee was a Yulee team that took an unbeaten and talented Union County team to a 14-13 loss a week before visiting Green Cove Springs.
Middleburg quarterback Carson Stewart (9 of 9 passes, 243 yards vs. NFEI, 5TDs, no INTs) had the hot hand against there are buts with the caliber of opponent ratio. NFEI at 1-1 beat a Hollis Christian team 28-6 in their opener that was beaten 51-0 in their opener by Chiefland so let's talk numbers.
Junior Travis Pinkard (vs. NFEI 70 Yds) has become a top ball carrier for the Broncos after Wolfe contemplated numerous athletes behind Stewart and that may stabilize the attack. Wide receiver Deshun Green (vs. NFEI 4 passes, 132 Yds, 2TDs) is a legit threat anywhere on the field with a 33-yard average on four catches and two scores.
Middleburg's attacking defense behind coaches Ben Traywick and Alan Burnsed already has nine sacks on the year with junior Kadin Hanifen answering the "where's Cowboy?" question with 29 tackles in two games.
Middleburg also stole two balls against NFEI mainly because of six quarterback hurries and probably a dozen almost QBHs with interceptions from safety Dusty Silcox and a near-sack ball pops-up interception from defensive end Ronell Seward.
Maybe Middleburg fans don't like Clay fans and the game will rise to a battle of titans as is usual and this will come down to a fourth-quarter surge, but, either way, expect a great game.
Call this an upset only because Middleburg being able to let loose without facing Final Four finishers from the previous season may be unleashing a new look for the Broncos.
Upset only if the Broncos (and I don't think coach Ryan Wolfe will allow it) don't factor in that Clay is just as dangerous an opponent as Bishop Kenny, Bradford or Ponte Vedra were in the first half of their previous schedules.
Bronco quarterback Carson Stewart has looked sharp in two games, but Clay's front line; Goosby, Stacy and the Swilley twins, do a lot of chasing in the pocket.
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