MIDDLEBURG - Middleburg High coach Ryan Wolfe likes his 3-0 record so far in 2024 despite playing two games in horrendous weather, but the optimism is that, at some point, the Broncos will be able to flex their full arsenal of muscle on a dry field without six inches of mud at their ankles.
"We have had just one game in good field conditions and we scored 42 points," said Wolfe, who saw his Bronco defense, led by senior defensive tackle B.J. Carter (5 tackles, one block pass, 3 QB Hurries) and ends Gabe Baker (5 tackles, 1 sack) and Kadin Hanifen (9 tackles) on the outside, shut down an equally talented Clay High football offense in a 9-0 Mudfest Friday night in Middleburg. "Tonight was just terrible weather, terrible field conditions, and I think there were a few big games canceled because of the weather (notably Bolles vs. St. Augustine). My guys showed little grit and toughness by doing what had to be done to get the win."
With the game a tossup of runs through the slop by Middleburg's Travis Pinkard, who has emerged as Wolfe's go-to guy between the tackles and behind senior Charles Little at guard, and Clay's Lavaris Roberts, who slivered through occasional holes in the Bronco defensive front for a tough 79 yards on the night with a 19 yarder his longest, it was a scintillating third-period kickoff return of 85 yards by Jordan Williams to the Blue Devil red zone that defied the odds on such a slippery field. Pinkard punched in the touchdown plunge to put the Broncos up 9-0.
The return was the highlight of the sloppy night and gave the Broncos their 9-0 lead after a field goal by Brock Araujo in the second quarter was the jist of scoring to the halftime break.
As was expected, fumbles were a staple of the night with Clay's Antonio Thomas looking to break a left-side run for a long gain only to have the ball slide out behind him while on the run and no one near him.
Clay power back Javaris Roberts, also Clay's middle linebacker (10 tackles), had a strong 10-yard run that was heading to more yards when the ball squirted out to a Middleburg hand.
Middleburg quarterback Carson Stewart had little luck in the air, including a first-quarter interception in the end zone by Clay's Mikeise Battle, but kept receiver Deshun Green busy in the muck with four passes including two stabs in the corner of the end zone that put Green in a six-inch lake of water gathered off the end zone corners. Stewart was attempting to use Green's long arms and 6'-2" frame over cover man Lavaris Roberts (5'10"), but the wet ball and weather made Stewart's throws look like "helicopters" according to Wolfe's assessment on 1010XL radio Friday night wrapup show.
"We protected the ball as best we could, kept our arms locked in," said Wolfe. "In these conditions, that wet ball will have a mind of its own."
Clay coverman Floyd Reed almost got a hold of a pass from Clay's Landon Martin, but, again, the wet ball did not cooperate.
Middleburg will host winless Hollis Christian Academy on September 13 with a trip to winless Ridgeview to follow. Hollis lost 54-0 to unbeaten Zarephath Academy, coached by Ivory Durham, with Zarephath lighting up the Hollis secondary for 378 yards in the air with four touchdowns. Good news for Bronco quarterback Carson Stewart if the weather is dry.

Week Four/Sept. 13

Game to Watch
Fleming Island at Orange Park
Orange Park is now in the same district as Fleming Island and Raider coach Marcus Wimberly wants a playoff spot. Don't know if Gabe Taylor can read the Fleming Island linebacker crew; Cohen Cioffi, AJ Witt and David Smith, and that could present disaster. The Fleming Island pressure will be the key to the rattle.
Should Taylor get time and receivers get open, his arm is lethal and this could get ugly fast. Taylor vs. Broughton in a shootout would be fun to watch.
Orange Park has taken some beatings including a 54-14 game to Riverside after Riverside held off a game Fleming Island team without Cibastian Broughton in week two.
Figure Fleming Island looking to solidify a spot in playoffs with a big win here. Orange Park can be a spoiler with an upset. Maybe it will rain again to slow down the Fleming Island attack.

Tocoi Creek at Clay
Tough to figure out Tocoi Creek as they went in overtime to beat a Westside team that had been dismantled by both Fleming Island and Middleburg already. Tocoi Creek lost 35-6 to Bishop Kenny last Friday and will want to get back on track, just as Clay will want to. Clay's game with Middleburg was just a tough place to play with the weather not helping, but coach Kyle Kennard has the firepower to, on a good night, light up a scoreboard.

Fleming Island at Orange Park
Hollis Christian at Middleburg
Keystone Heights at Newberry
Keystone Heights returns from a horrendous week before their bye of last week and will need to get some positive in their step. Newberry is a tough town to play in and the Panthers have had enough tough games already with an overtime loss to Hawthorne and a 23-0 loss to 4A-Ocala Vanguard. Vanguard, though 2-1, lost to Buchholz in their opener but beat 6A Lake Minneola and Newberry in consecutive weeks.
Keystone Heights (1-1) won't have mammoth center Bryce Daniels and coach Steve Reynolds has a few other big guys to step in with Jackson Herman a Swiss Army Knife kind of player.

Upset
Oakleaf at Hawthorne
Oakleaf will have survived some early tests but will run into a monster in Hawthorne; Hawthorne being twice the Class 1A champions and undefeated (13-0) last year. That being said, Hawthorne beat Madison County for that title last year in a tussle and Oakleaf already beat Madison County pretty resoundingly in Madison County's "Boot Hill", stadium nickname.
On the other side of the coin, Hawthorne, 2-1 with a 41-27 loss last week to FSU High (1-2), returns a hot quarterback; CJ Ingram (2618 YDs, 38TDs) and his favorite RB (Kennon Johnson 1594 TDs, 16TDs). The previously winless FSU High team, who broke a 27-game win streak for Hawthorne en route to their two state titles, had its two losses to Dunnellon and to Thomas County Central in Georgia. FSU High showed a strong run game to knock off Hawthorne.
Should Hawthorne snuck in some scouts against Fleming Island, maybe they picked up something about slowing down the Oakleaf attack (Rain Delay).
---------------