The battle between Nease and Ponte Vedra captured the attention during week one, but now the rest of the season starts and the biggest question surrounding both teams is how will they respond in week two?
It was an emotional game for both teams, which can mean a difficult game to bounce back from no matter which side of the scoreboard they ended up on.
The Panthers are coming off huge victory and could not have scripted a better start to the year, but they must quickly refocus, as they travel to take on the Creekside Knights in another county bout.
The Knights finished with a winning record last season but struggled defensively to slow opponents down and wound up surrendering an average of 33 points per game.
Despite the winning record, those woes defensively were a major reason for the five losses they suffered and that was the case in the opening week this year, as the Knights lost 57-13 to Mandarin.
It is tough to tell with only one games being played, and the fact that the Mustangs are considered one of the best teams in the state, whether the 57 points scored is a true example of the Knights’ defense this season.
However, if the Knights have not fully corrected their issues on defense from a year ago, the Panthers offense could be able to exploit that for a second straight week, especially if they play on target and in rhythm like they did against the Sharks.
The Sharks must rebound from the opening loss to the Panthers, as they follow it up with another tough matchup on the road against the Bartram Trail Bears.
Bartam Trail trailed 12-2 in the third quarter at home against Sumner, but wound up winning 34-12, thanks to a furious late comeback.
The Bears are a traditional winning program, but appeared to figure things out in the second half of their season opener and could carry over the momentum into the next contest against the Sharks.
One of the things the Sharks have going for them is a stellar defense, especially along the defensive front that could cause havoc at any moment, and that will be crucial in slowing down the Bears’ attack.
The Beachside Barracudas opened the season with a blowout 42-16 win over Orlando Christian Prep and will also go on the road as they travel to Duval County to face the Englewood Rams.
Eddie Jordan and the offense looked sharp out of the gate with a five-touchdown performance and a pair of wide receivers in Drew Watson and Maddox Hunstad having 100-plus-yard nights.
The Barracudas are hoping that offensive production travels well in their first road game of the young season.
