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Blue Devils bash Raiders

By Ray DiMonda Correspondent
Posted 9/23/20

GREEN COVE SPRINGS - After righting the ship from last year’s 1-9 season with a victorious home opener over perennial Class 2A powerhouse University Christian last week, the Clay Blue Devils filled …

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Blue Devils bash Raiders


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS - After righting the ship from last year’s 1-9 season with a victorious home opener over perennial Class 2A powerhouse University Christian last week, the Clay Blue Devils filled up the tank on the steam roller and continued their dominance over the Orange Park High Raiders in a clash of district 5-5A teams. Clay took the first four possessions for paydirt, as Orange Park had no answers going into the half down 28-0. Clay kept the pedal to the metal with a final 47-13 score.

“We challenge these guys week in and week out” said Blue Devil Head Coach Kyle Kennard, who opens his head coach career with two wins. “Play like it’s your last game. The Raiders put us in a few situations tonight and we had to find a way out. Our kids played hard and mixed it up all night. We wanted a shutout, but it is what it is. We’ll continue to get better each day, each game.”

The Blue Devils would only need a total of 25 offensive plays to rack up 47 points.

Orange Park set their own tone quickly as the game kickoff went out of bounds, allowing Clay to start on the 35.

After a Clay block in the back had them seeing first and 20, junior running back Al Querious “Q” Ray, gained the 10 back. The next play, senior quarterback Tre Griner found D’Maurion Frazier for a 67 yard touchdown pass to get the Blue Devils out 7-0 early.

On the return drive, the Raiders were facing a third and 11 situation, and lined up to punt. As punter Thurman White set to kick, he looked up field, saw the left side open and took off for a first down. The Raiders continued the drive to the Clay 26 where they went for it on fourth and short and had the pass broken up by defender Brennan Stewart. Turning over on downs, Clay only needed a single play to have Ray go 74 yards, putting the Blue Devils out front 14-0.

“I owe everything I do to my offensive line” said Ray, who finished with 165 yards on just 12 carries. “Those guys up front make my job easy.”

The return Raider drive was snuffed out when the Raiders, again going for a fourth down conversion, took a sack by Clay’s Tristan Keith. Keith was hot all night and would pad his stats on several outstanding defensive plays. Clay would take over on downs again and go straight to work with footwork from Ray and Griner to pound the ball to the 13 to end the quarter.

As the second quarter got started, again Griner found Frazier for another touchdown pass at 11:52 to go up 21-0. Griner finished with three scores off just 123 yards passing with Frazier snagging two for six points.

“Tre knows he has to be a leader” said Ray of his quarterback. “He works so hard and is doing everything coach tells and asks of him.”

The ensuing Raider drive was highlighted by another Keith sack for four yards.

After a fourth and 13 punt, Clay was back at work on a drive highlighted by a Q Ray hurdle over three Raider defenders. Clay stayed with a heavy dose of Q runs, and another Griner touchdown run. Kicker Reece Paradise stayed strong looking all night, hitting all but one attempt which was a fumbled snap. The good point after kick put Clay in front 28-0.

The Raiders answered with a drive to the 32 where they attempted a Christian Bartley field goal. Kayden Rossow broke through, got a hand on it, and deflected the kick away to foil the Raiders once again. Rossow had three blocks, or partial blocks on the evening. Clay was finally stopped on the return drive, punting to the Raiders.

Starting with excellent field position, Orange Park had 1:50 left to get on the board and get some momentum going before the half.

After a fake handoff, Josh Jordan broke through the line and dropped Raider quarterback Tavien Wilkerson in his tracks.

With a minute to the half, Orange Park didn’t have a hurry up set ready and would let the clock expire just as they looked to be the biggest threat on the night.

The third quarter didn’t go well for the Raiders as they took the kickoff, and during that drive suffered another Tristan Keith tackle of Wilkerson that took the Raider quarterback out for the remainder of the game due to injury. Elijah Craggette was called to play quarterback for Wilkerson. The drive ended in another Raider field goal attempt that had the distance, but went wide left.

Taking over on the 20, Clay perfectly executed a Griner to Ray fake handoff. Griner paused just enough to sell the handoff to Ray, getting Orange Park to take the bait and left Griner all alone with a wide open runway to find the endzone for an 80 yard, one play touchdown drive.

“Tre is a three year starter and he is starting to understand what it is to be a leader and a quarterback, having control of the offense” said Kennard. “As a senior, he is doing everything we ask of him. With no turnovers, we are very hard to beat.”

The Raiders finally had a dose of lady luck when faced with a fourth and long, punted and recovered a Clay fumble at midfield.

The Raiders finally converted with only seconds left to play in the third. The point after was blocked by Rossow to keep the score 34-6.

Clay again drove the field with runs from Ray and Griner to get the ball to the Raider 42.

On first down, Griner went all air for 42 yards to Jaden Bryan, putting Clay up 41-6.

On the return, the Raiders never quit as they again faced a fourth and 16, and made the first down. The drive was capped with a Jiovanni Fowlin run, bringing the score to 41-13.

Clay had one more turn highlighted by a Kayden Rossow 65 yard run, getting the ball to the Raider 15. Two plays later, Jaden Jenkins, younger brother to former Clay star Jaylen Jenkins, tucked the ball and found a gap on the right side to go for a 16 yard touchdown.

As the clock expired, Clay elected to not go for the point after attempt, finalizing the score at 47-13.

“I care about this program and care about moving it forward” said Kennard. “Once we had some success, they saw what we were doing was working, and we had buy-in. We’ll continue to win. I still work with all of these kids to get better every day and understand a winning mentality. It’s getting there. I have them understanding, we are not last year’s 1-9 team.”

Clay travels to a challenging environment in Palatka (0-3) where the fans are extremely passionate about their football program. Orange Park will host the yet to win Raines Vikings (0-2) to see who can claim their first 2020 season victory.