Ponte Vedra used big plays on both sides of the ball to defeat visiting district foe Bishop Kenny 36-7 Friday night at the Shark Tank.
The Sharks scored first after Nick Tronti and Marshall Few combined for a 25 yard completion and a first down at the BK 26. Tronti’s pass to Jarrett Stepp finished the drive to put Ponte Vedra in front 6-0 with the PAT to come. Even the conversion was exciting when Few, on a heroic effort, turned a muffed snap on the PAT attempt into 2 points and a 8-0 lead.
Few was on the receiving end of the Sharks’ next big play when he turned a 5- yard completion into a 60-yard touchdown.
But not all the big plays were made by the offense. Ryan Gleason, the Sharks’ premiere punt blocker, did his thing again stepping in front of a BK punt to give Ponte Vedra a first down at the Kenny 20 yard line.
The Sharks converted the blocked punt into their second touchdown after JD Pirris caught Tronti’s pass at the BK one-yard line and Hal Swan followed a block by Ryan Dowd into the end zone.
Ponte Vedra’s next shocker came midway through the third quarter. Swan caught a screen pass from Tronti and ran 67 yards to the Kenny end zone to give the Sharks a solid 29-0 advantage.
Although Kenny avoided the shutout with a second half touchdown, it was far too little and far too late and the Sharks still had yet another big play of their own. It came on their next possession with a Tronti to Pirris pass and run good for 70 yards and the final Ponte Vedra touchdown.
In addition to Gleason’s blocked punt, Ponte Vedra’s defense made a number of key stops on fourth down including an interception by Gabby Estevez to thwart a Kenny drive.
Ponte Vedra has a bye next week but will be back in action on Oct. 29 with a road game to Terry Parker High School.
