High school playoff football was in full swing on Friday, Nov. 14, across St. Johns County.
The Beachside Barracudas defeated the Milton Panthers 23-7. Beachside opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 22-yard field goal from senior kicker Owen Carey and stayed in control for the rest of the game.
Senior wide receiver Drew Watson played a big part in Beachside’s success as he had more than 100 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter to put the Barracudas up 10-0. Watson has not only excelled on the field this season but also in the classroom. He was just voted Student Athlete of the Month at Beachside.
Senior quarterback Eddie Jordan also had a good night for the Barracudas with 172 passing yards and 38 rushing yards. He scored the last touchdown of the game in the third quarter giving the Barracudas a comfortable 20-7 lead. Jordan is a finalist in the 2025 NFL Latino Youth Honors program.
The Ponte Vedra Sharks defeated the Niceville Eagles 31-30 in an overtime thriller. The Sharks got on the board first on a 33-yard field goal by Noah Ash to go up 3-0 but Niceville answered with less than a minute to go in the opening quarter. Jack Berquist had an impressive night for the Sharks as he rushed for eight yards and had 37 receiving yards. He also scored the first touchdown in overtime. Sharks’ quarterback Cole Rosendahl threw for 253 yards and had one touchdown.
Ponte Vedra’s defense, led by Talan Babin, limited the Eagles to 1.5 yards per carry. Babin had one of the two interceptions on Niceville’s quarterback. Ponte Vedra will play at home on Friday, Nov. 21, in their rematch against Beachside.
The Nease Panthers defeated the Oakleaf Knights 45-7. Nease quarterback Aiden Phifer rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns. The Panthers defense also had a big night getting three sacks on Oakleaf’s quarterback. The Panthers’ record is now 9-2.
Stay tuned to The Recorder for more playoff news and recaps.
