FLEMING ISLAND - Fleming Island High quarterback Eric Gentry threw three touchdown passes - two to Tristan Stevenson - as the host Golden Eagles withstood a late Riverside rally to run their record to 2-0 with a 42-33 non-district victory against the Generals on Friday, Aug. 29.
Oakleaf High withstood a double pass touchdown from Orange Park on the first play, then proceeded to a 56-7 non-district win on the same Friday.
This Friday, those two purveyors of undefeated seasons and plenty of offensive firepower will step onto Oakleaf's "Dungeon" field for a date with destiny.
For Fleming Island, a program in transition after 14 starters from last year either graduated or transferred. The Eagles also replaced their head coach in July, and are off to a 2-0 start with victories over rival Clay and a perennial Class 4A playoff participant, Riverside, which is encouraging.
“I feel really good,” said Fleming Island head coach Tom MacPherson, who was elevated to head coach on July 13. “Riverside is a game that we did not win last year, so that is a huge get for us.”
For Oakleaf, coach Chris Foy, after a regional final finish last year and with his starting quarterback returning to add on to his 3,000-plus passing yards and 30 touchdowns, the thought of a 14-10 preseason win, then a 23-14 escape from Riverside - the same Riverside that Fleming Island beat, may have included a bit of what the heck happened to all that firepower?

And, also, how did that same quarterback throw three interceptions in one game, including one that was a 94-yard pick-sixer?
"I think Jack (quarterback Jack McKissock) put a lot of pressure on his shoulders against Riverside, but the team had his back to get the win. Against Orange Park, he was Jack again," said Oakleaf coach Chris Foy. "My coaches and I sat down after Riverside, and we kind of agreed that with all of our weapons, we still have to stay with fundamental football: blocking, tackling, running and catching."
Against Orange Park, the Raiderswere poking the bear with their first offensive play by landing in the Oakleaf end zone, The Knights exorcised those demons with a combination of hard running from ramrod C.J. Moses, some highlighted passing action from Jordin Price, including a wiggly-run 50 yard slant, pivot and jet to paydirt, with Jack McKissock, the aforementioned 3,000 yard passer, seemingly precision-like with shots to everyone in a Knights uniform. Price also scored on a 12-yard McKissock strike.
"That play they ran woke us up real fast that they were there to win that game," said Foy. "The team settled in, we went back to our run game and C.J. Moses was C.J. Moses for us, right through the middle of the defense."
Oakleaf beat Riverside a week earlier with no offensive scores (two kick returns for touchdowns and one pick-six by Price). The Knights took two more interceptions to paydirt against Orange Park - one by Evan Brown off a ticked pass from Raiders quarterback Gabe Taylor, the other off a bumped Taylor loft that defensive back Sincere Murphy leaped and ran to paydirt.
"I run scout offense in practice and throw in those screen passes just to keep our defensive line honest, that's how that play happened," said Foy. "Evan and Chris Jules are starting to close down the line for our defense."
For Gentry, who piloted the Golden Eagles' offense last year when Riverside beat the Golden Eagles, 48-39, it was his only start of the season, due to a suspension of starting quarterback Sebastian Broughton, who is now on scholarship at Akron. Gentry completed eight of 12 passes for 185 yards with no interceptions, and he gained 47 yards on seven rushes. In just his third varsity start, the junior led the Golden Eagles to touchdowns on four of their first six possessions, with one of the scoreless series ending because of halftime. Gentry connected for touchdowns with Stevenson and Noah Voltin on well-timed wide receiver screen passes from 22 and 19 yards out.
“Eric has been good two weeks in a row,” said Macpherson. “Eight for 12 is a great ratio. He is now in complete control of the offense. He is trusting his weapons.”
With a 28-13 advantage after three quarters, it appeared that the Golden Eagles would cruise to a win. But Riverside rallied behind its elusive quarterback, Jaiden Delaune, who ran for three touchdowns and passed for another. He marched the Generals 55 yards, converting a fourth-and-one with a run up the middle and a third-and-11 with a swing pass to Zion Hicks. The junior quarterback capped the drive with a four-yard run through a gaping hole up the middle, pulling the Generals to within 28-19.
Delaune went right back to work after Riverside forced a three-and-out, needing only two plays to cover 66 yards. His first throw was an inside screen to Darayl Gathers that gained 46 yards, and the second, after a horse collar tackle penalty against Fleming Island, was a 10-yard slant to Derrick Bridges for a touchdown that made the score 28-25 with 4:32 remaining.
Two runs by Brady Digman netted only a yard, leaving the Golden Eagles facing a third-and-nine from their own 35 with all the momentum favoring Riverside. Macpherson turned to Gentry and Stevenson. Gentry took a five-step drop and then lofted a spiral toward Stevenson up the right sideline. The junior wideout hauled in the pass between Generals' cornerbacks Carl Hendricks and Caleb Thomas at the Riverside 35-yard line, then loped all alone to the goal line as Thomas and Hendricks knocked each other down. Fleming Island led 35-25 after Parker Sirdevan’s extra point with 3:26 to go.
“In that situation, you think players, not plays,” MacPherson said. “Get the ball to your best players.”
Fleming cornerback Chase Donaldson sealed the game two minutes later with an interception. Defensive end Thomas Thrasher, who had a sack and a tackle for loss, hit Delaune as he threw. Donaldson broke on the fluttering ball, caught it on the run and sprinted 62 yards for a touchdown. Sirdevan again converted the extra point, putting the Golden Eagles in front 42-25 with 53 seconds left.
Riverside backup quarterback Mitchel Gaskins provided the final margin with a 21-yard scoring pass to Cedric Odol and a two-point throw to Gathers.
Macpherson vowed to work on third down defense and to clean up Fleming Island’s execution. The Golden Eagles were penalized 14 times for 100 yards Friday; one a costly flag that negated a whippet-fast 100-yard kickoff return score by Sebastian Cruz.
“This is two weeks in a row now. We have had more procedure penalties than I’ve had in my 25-year career,” said Macpherson. “I don’t know who is moving, how we are moving, or where we are moving, but they are calling penalties, so something is happening.”
Oakleaf's return to high-octane fuel in all three phases of the game will provide the very good Fleming Island secondary, including Donaldson and Cruz, an intense pass rush, as well as Rodgers and Thomas Thrasher, a challenge. At the same time, Gentry's emergence as a commander on the field for a quick-strategy attack by Macpherson will make Friday's showdown a game of ages.
Foy noted that he has never coached against Macpherson, but also acknowledged that Derek Chipoletti and Mark Michaels, both former Oakleaf coaches in Chipoletti's region, will make the game enjoyable.
"Oakleaf and Fleming Island is a game that brings the best of both teams," said Foy, who also asked about a possible Middleburg game in the future. "With those two guys on the sideline, it's even more of a challenge. As for Middleburg, I will say we have Fleming Island on Friday."