GREEN COVE SPRINGS - Middleburg High football coach Ryan Wolfe was having flashbacks from 2021 after his Broncos scored 26 unanswered second-half points only to face a game-winning field goal from Clay High with just two seconds on the clock.

"All I thought was how can this happen again," said Wolfe, who saw his quarterback Luke Padgett stopped by Clay linebacker Dominic Martin just inches short of the goal line in a Clay 23-21 win two years ago. "Our defense had been playing awesome all night and they came up big."

Having built up a 33-14 lead into halftime, Clay High played a near-perfect first half with fumbles turning into scores and defense playing heads up against the usually explosive Bronco offense led, ironically, by the younger brother of one of Clay's all-time great playmakers Jaylen Jenkins.

"I saw him at the halftime break and just told him to play calm and keep his cool," said Jenkins, referring to brother Jaydan Jenkins, the Broncos quarterback who engineered an astounding second half; even a surprised repeat touchdown pass to wideout Braydan Street late in the game. "I told him to play his game and not get down when things may go sideways."

In the final ticks of the clock, though, and with the score at 35-33 with Middleburg clinging to their two-point lead, it was not Jenkins who emerged as the hero, but defensive back Hasani Scott. Scott, untouched at the snap, rifled in from his outside rush position on the Clay field goal kicker Ethan Bellamare, who set up for what would have been his third game-winning field goal of the season.

"I was not on a go or any kind of special defensive play, but when I saw the snap get dropped and I wasn't touched on the way in, I just went for the tackle," said Scott, who wrestled down Clay's kick holder, wide receiver Payton Dykas, amidst a frenzy in the backfield before the final whistle. "We were in a rush to hurry the kicker because he had the other two game-winners and it was surprising that the wide receiver bobbled the snap. He is one of the best pass catchers in the state."

In the first half, Clay was on top of their game with quarterback Merrick Rapoza, at the Clay 31, finding wide receiver Antonio Thomas to the Bronco 31 on first down, then handing off to Gino Addison for the first score of the night.

That was quick strike one, 7-0.

With a Bellamare squiggler kickoff, Middleburg started at their own 41 with one handoff, but Clay linebacker Javaris Roberts strip-tackled Middleburg quarterback Carson Stewart with defensive end Jay'shawn McCloud scooping up the loose ball and nearly scoring; stopped at the one-yard line.

With an excessive celebration flag followed by a holding call pushing Clay to the Bronco 15, Thomas, behind Bronco defender Landon Nalepa, caught a superb end zone corner pass from Rapoza for Clay's second score, 13-0, with a flagged two-point attempt with 5:56 still in the first quarter.

"We had a great first half, very high emotion and good execution and then went flat after halftime," said Clay coach Kyle Kennard. "We just didn't prepare them enough knowing that Middleburg was a better second-half team."

Not ready to throttle back after the second score, Bellamare snapped a great onsides kick that Scott scooped up near midfield to give Clay another quick first down.

From there, Addison took two handoffs before blasting 45 yards to paydirt in a blink, 21-0, just one minute after Thomas' score, 4:57 on the clock.

Middleburg got their first scoring position as the second quarter started with a first down at the Clay 15-yard line and Jenkins finishing with a score, 21-7 with 11:32 left in the half.

Two strong runs by Clay's D.J. Swilling moved the Blue Devils into scoring position once more with Scott getting a late hit flag in a sideline tackle of Thomas to put Clay at the Bronco 15.

Four plays later, at the Bronco four, Addison was stopped on second down at the goal line, but his offensive line, led by center Cody Mobley, the eventual Clay Homecoming King, pushed in from the one-inch line to go up 27-7 with 6:09 left in the half.

With a Kaleb Robison punt, Clay started at their own 36 with 5:01 left in the half with Addison blasting 35 yards to the Bronco 30.

Clay got a Bronco flag to the 10-yard line where Addison scored one more, 33-7, with 3:09 left in the half. Eerily, Bellamare's PAT kick was blocked by Kendric O'Neal.

Middleburg moved quickly to finish the half down just 33-14 with 37 seconds to go with Stewart tossing quick passes to Jenkins to move the ball downfield before running back Jaden Boyd popped into the end zone for the final score of the half.

"We just had no energy in the second half," said Clay defensive tackle Aaron Stacy.

Nalepa would score on a plunge at 8:41 to go to put the score at 33-28.

In the final score of the fourth quarter, Middleburg got a snuffed fake punt tackle by defensive back Erick Fryer, who caught Clay up-man Omar Goosby behind the line of scrimmage, which set up a touchdown pass to wideout Braydan Street that took two tries to land.

"We threw it the first time in the end zone and he was just out of bounds, so we called the same play and he caught it the second time," said Wolfe. "No one would have thought we would have called the same play twice in a row, but it was open the first time and Jaydan just missed him."

Rapoza, with about four minutes left in the game and the score at 35-33, moved downfield with passes to Addison; one with an unsportsmanship-flagged vicious hit at midfield, and Dykas to set up the dramatic ending.