Football Recap: Williston Skates Past Gainesville with Ease

Winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Williston). They claimed a resounding 65-21 victory over the Gainesville Hurricanes. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Red Devils' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 132nd, while the Hurricanes are ranked 363rd).

J'Dyen Manneh

Rushing Yards (Career)

10/16/25 @ Gainesville	189
09/26/25 @ Trinity Catholic	126
10/03/25 @ Belleview	91
09/12/25 vs Lake Minneola	60
09/13/24 @ Zephyrhills Christian Academy	50

J'Dyen Manneh was his usual excellent self, rushing for 189 yards and four scores on only eight carries. Those 189 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Omarian Walker, who rushed for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only nine carries.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Williston was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 503 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 165 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.

Williston didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Kyrin Penny and Maverick Jones. Jones is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in each of the last four games he's played. He got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Williston's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-1. The road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 51.3 points over those games. As for Gainesville, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-6.

Coming up, Williston will head out to face off against Newberry at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. That matchup will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Manneh and Kaleb Woods. As for Gainesville, they will be playing at home against Vanguard at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Knights' defense has only allowed 5.4 points per game this season, so the Hurricanes' offense will have their work cut out for them.