Preview: Orange Park Raiders vs. Ponte Vedra Sharks
Orange Park is 0-1 against Ponte Vedra since October of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Orange Park Raiders will be playing at home against the Ponte Vedra Sharks at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Friday, Orange Park made easy work of Ridgeview and carried off a 36-12 victory.
Orange Park found their leader in underclassman Dylon Ruiz, who rushed for 225 yards and a touchdown while picking up 11.8 yards per carry. Ruiz was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 59 yards. Quinton "q" Moore was another key contributor, picking up 70 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Orange Park's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB five times. Leading the way was Ashnel Louiceus and his two sacks.
Meanwhile, Ponte Vedra had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 24.4 points), and they went ahead and made it six on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Tocoi Creek 38-6 at home. The result was nothing new for Ponte Vedra, who have now won five matches by 20 points or more so far this season.
Ponte Vedra got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Benjamin Burk out in front who threw for 212 yards and three touchdowns on only 16 passes. The team also got some help courtesy of Griffin Owen, who picked up 92 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Their wins bumped Orange Park to 3-4 and Ponte Vedra to 6-1.
Orange Park might still be hurting after the 30-6 loss they got from Ponte Vedra in their previous meeting back in October of 2022. Will Orange Park have more luck at home instead of on the road?
