Each time Chris and I have predicted different winners, the game has gone down the wire. In Week 2 it was Jenks over Union 9-6, Week 3 saw Lakeland down St. Xavier 25-22, and last night Nease topped St. Augustine 24-21.
Last nights game had it all. There were big passes, huge runs, costly mistakes, solid defense, and controversial calls. After one half, Nease was up 3-0 after a drive into the red-zone stalled and they were forced to settle for a field goal.
Both offenses saved their fireworks for the second half as both teams came out swinging. Each team traded huge plays and touchdowns throughout 2nd half until a Nease drive stalled with a little over five minutes remaining in the game. Nease, down 17-21, faked a punt and made a controversial completion for the first down, to keep the drive alive. It took a few more plays for Nease to find pay-dirt and send their fans into a frenzy.
But... here Nease was again. Losers to St. Augustine for 13 years in a row and leading with two minutes to go. Would past history come back to repeat itself? I was almost certain St. Augustine was going to break the Panther hearts once again. I don't think I was alone as thousands of local fans who new the history of these two teams looked on. With a national TV audience watching, the Nease defense stiffened, stopping several near completions, and put an end to the streak as a fourth down pass fell to the turf.
As time ran out, I was on the St. Augustine sideline where it was dead silent in disbelief. The Nease side, on the other hand, was in absolute hysteria. A collective group of players, coaches, parents, cheerleaders, and fans began an impromptu celebration on the field filled with tears and screams from everyone.
Last night's game reminded me of why many people believe that the best sports spectacles are not on your TV but in hometowns around the nation every Friday night.
Another amazing night and get a look at some of the night's pictures of the
Nease vs. St. Augustine game!