Football Recap: D'ante Simms' Big Game Can't Quite Lead Fernandina Beach over West Nassau + How To Watch

Fernandina Beach was the 24-20 winner over West Nassau when they last played one another back in November of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Pirates fell 32-21 to the Warriors on Friday. The Pirates have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Fernandina Beach's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was D'Ante Simms, who picked up 70 receiving yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 66 yards and one TD. Simms got the majority of those receiving yards when he pulled down a pass and took off for a gain of 56 yards. Ian Miller was another key passer, throwing for 228 yards and a pair of TDs.

West Nassau's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Smo Green led the charge by rushing for 185 yards and a pair of scores while picking up 7.7 yards per carry. Those 185 rushing yards gave Green a new career-high. Andi Ataiza also helped out as he racked up 138 rushing yards.

Fernandina Beach suffered their first road loss, dropping their record down to 5-2. As for West Nassau, they pushed their record up to 6-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home.

Fernandina Beach will have a little extra prep time after the defeat as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Yulee at 7:00 p.m. on October 10. The Hornets' defense has only allowed 6.5 points per game this season, so the Pirates' offense will have their work cut out for them. As for West Nassau, they will square off against Keystone Heights at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The Indians will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more points each contest than the last.