Fleming Island is 7-0 against Orange Park since November of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Fleming Island Golden Eagles will head out on the road to face off against the Orange Park Raiders at 7:00 p.m. Fleming Island has now lost seven straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since September 1.
Last Friday, things could have been worse for Fleming Island, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a 35-21 loss to Buchholz. While losing is never fun, Fleming Island can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 160th, while Buchholz is ranked seventh).
Orange Park never got on the board in their matchup two weeks ago, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Middleburg last Friday. They enjoyed a cozy 41-22 victory over the Broncos.
Orange Park found their leader in underclassman Dylon Ruiz, who rushed for 146 yards. Ruiz was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 67 yards. Jermel Brown made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Fleming Island's defeat was their third straight at home, which dropped their overall record down to 2-7. The slump could be explained by some tough opposition over that stretch, namely Buchholz, Lake Minneola, and Bartram Trail. As for Orange Park, their win bumped their record up to 4-5.
Everything came up roses for Fleming Island against Orange Park in their previous matchup back in November of 2022 as the team secured a 52-12 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Fleming Island since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
