JACKSONVILLE - Oakleaf High got a quick glimpse of the fast-scoring attack of ED White football with a pick six interception touchdown and a 60-yard quarterback scramble early in the first quarter; both negated by penalty flags, but did not flinch en route to a 345-yard, five-touchdown night from Knights running back Fareed "Buck" Coleman to beat the Commanders 45-41 in a non-district bonanza Friday night.

"I came with the mindset of being a soldier tonight," said Coleman, who had a career best of about 345 yards on the ground in punishing the Commander defense throughout the thriller. "I know my boys up front got my back and I repay them by running hard with every bit of my strength. Their strength is my strength."

With Coleman scorching the turf up and down the field, it was a slingshot pass from Oakleaf quarterback Jack Mckissock to wide out Trace Burney in the back of the end zone with just 14 seconds on the clock that sealed the 45-41 winning edge.

"We have the weapons to take what the defense gives us and with Buck getting most of the attention, we needed to surprise them," said Burney, who also was part of a four-man defensive effort to knock down a final Hail Mary pass by ED White at the buzzer. "I saw Jack in trouble in the pocket and knew I had to find open grass. When I played at Fleming Island with Cibastian Broughton, he was the best at keeping his eyes downfield while being chased and I learned to keep moving. Jack found me."

For the Knights, now 7-1 with a district championship showdown with Mandarin on Friday, coach Chris Foy calmly called the game his team's "test."

"We schedule our whole season to see what we can do against the very best we can put on that schedule," said Foy, who lost to Mandarin last year on the district title Friday, but avenged that with a region playoff win en route to a region final finish. "This was our test tonight against one of the best teams in the Duval area. We can proudly say that Clay County can play with the boys from Duval County."

In the nearly disastrous first quarter, with ED White blasting away with their two long-scoring romps, the game looked to be a fast start against the Knights until, after the 60-yard breakaway from Commander quarterback King Boylston, a shanked punt put Oakleaf on the Knights 42-yard line with a second attempt to generate some offense.

"We knew we had to answer," said Knights center Jayden Adams. "Buck said just give me some space and I'll get downfield."

On first down, Coleman got blasted for an 11-yard loss from Commander defensive end Mark Shiloh that put the Commander Homecoming fans into a frenzy, but Coleman went back to back big with a 29-yard blast to the ED White 29, then a second 29-yard blast to paydirt to put Oakleaf up 6-0, 7-0 with the first of seven perfect PAT kicks from kicker Sam Pena.

"I always say special teams matter when special teams matter," said Foy. "We needed that seven extra points that Sam gave us."

ED White responded with their own scoring drive; this one from their own 22 and comprising of hard running inside the tackles from Boylston and fullback Rontrez Loyd. The Commanders' relentless off-tackle attack on the Knights defense got fancy on the eight-yard line with a fake to Loyd and a reverse lateral to wide out King Mercer that landed in the end zone.

Once again, Foy's premonition on special teams emerged as the Knights buried the PAT kick for a prophetic 7-6 lead with 3:39 left in the first quarter.

Foy and offensive coordinator Bubba Horne continued to send Coleman into the Commander defense with six straight handoffs on the ensuing drive: one for 35 yards, and a quick slant to Burney to the Commander 12. After a penalty flag, Pena answered with a 33-yard field goal to put Oakleaf up 10-6.

ED White again sent their horses straight into the teeth of the Oakleaf defense, led by Mason Thomas, Evan Brown and Ashnel Louiceus, with an occasional flip pass on the corners to set up an 11-yard run from Loyd to a 12-10 lead. ED White missed a two-point conversion pass attempt.

Another five handoffs to Coleman; the best a 25 yarder, the final a nine-yard scoring run, put Oakleaf up 17-12 with 5:34 to halftime.
ED White struck back equally as fast with wide receiver Nick Roberson getting behind the Knights' secondary for the first of his three scores for the night to put ED White up 20-17 with a two point converson plunge from running back Julian Holt upping the ante.

What to do next? Coleman for seven carries; 10 yards, 19 yards and seven yards, before a four-yard tushpush scored to 24-20 with Pena again good on his PAT.
Not daunted, Boylston fired up a 28-yard scoring pass to Roberson to put the Commanders up 26-24 into the half.

"I implored them to reach down for their teammates and remember the brotherhood we had on the team," said Oakleaf linebacker Jermaine Robinson. "We've been tested for the last two years with games like this and we knew we would respond."

Oakleaf received the second half kickoff and did what? Coleman for four carries with an assist from wide receiver Jordin Price to the Commander 36. Coleman finished from there for a 31-26 Oakleaf lead.

On ED White's ensuing possession, Oakleaf's defense, Thomas twice with Louiceus not far behind, corralled Boylston twice for losses before a sack on fourth down put the Knights at the ED White 45.

"Eezy-Peezy", Coleman three times with a 34-yard scoring sprint to put Oakleaf up 38-26.

But wait, Boylston and Roberson were not done with the duo connecting again from midfield to put the game at 38-33 with 3:17 in the third.

"We knew he was the guy they were going to go to over top," Robinson said. "He's going to the Naval Academy, and we had our Josiah (Brown, defensive back), we had his back. Told him to forget it and play the next play."

ED White nearly used the entire clock in the fourth quarter with a touchdown at the six-minute mark putting the score at 41-38 with senior running back Joseph Williams scoring the six pointer and the two pointer to put the Commanders up 41-38 with 5:55 to go.

With the patience of the seasoned senior that he is, Mckissock directed the next 16 plays for the Knights behind Coleman and Burney with a key third down conversion pass play.

At the Commander 15, Mckissock got into the end zone to wide receiver Michael Conner, but the ball was slightly off and hit the turf with 22 seconds on the clock.
Mckissock salvaged a ferocious Commander pass rush on third down that forced a scramble to the three before finding Burney in the end zone with 14 seconds left.

Boylston launched a final pass into the end zone from the Commander 45-yard line that the Oakleaf defense, with Burney, dislodging the ball from Roberson on the way down.

Clay High, in their best performance of the season, stole a 35-34 win over Fernandina Beach with Ridgeview losing 56-20 to Impact Christian Academy, Orange Park losing 53-0 to Ponte Vedra in a pivotal district 3-5A clash, Fleming Island beating 3A-Terry Parker 55-26 and Keystone Heights losing 36-0 to Chiefland.