What started out like another easy Pone Vedra Football victory changed into a major battle to preserve the Sharks undefeated 4-0 record and Ponte Vedra lost that battle, falling to Pedro Menendez 25-20 Friday evening on the road.
The Sharks moved smoothly for a touchdown after taking the opening kickoff, covering 80 yards in ten plays. Nick Tronti mixed passes to Marshall Few and Hal Swan with five Swan runs to put the Sharks in front 6-0.
The Falcons showed they were not about to be intimidated by Ponte Vedra’s impressive winning record and moved the ball on the ground easily in their first series with little opposition. Ponte Vedra managed to stop that drive on their own 11-yard line but the ease with which Pedro was able to run the ball would soon catch up with the Sharks.
The next Falcon possession saw the hosts drive ninety yards for the go ahead score with three minutes left in the half.
A brilliant kickoff return by Quint Boyd gave the Shark great field position and an opportunity to take the lead prior to half time. However, Ponte Vedra appeared to lose focus near the end of that drive with a first down at the Menendez 5-yard line and less than a minute left in the half.
Some questionable officiating and serious clock management issues cost the Sharks a chance to score.
Ponte Vedra, showing no sense of urgency, wasted at least 20 seconds calling the next play, a running play that moved the ball within inches of the goal line.
But no signal came from the referee as the clock wound down toward zero. The officials finally spotted the ball at the Menendez six-inch line giving Ponte Vedra one final play. The play turned into a disaster. With Tronti in the shotgun formation, the snap sailed over his head and the Sharks went into the break trailing 7-6.
That lost touchdown would ultimately spell the difference in the game.
Menendez came out of the halftime break and marched 60 yards in nine plays to move in front 13-6 but the Sharks answered with a field to forge a tie at 13-13.
A surprise Shark on-sides kick gave Ponte Vedra chance to take control of the game but Menendez was having none of it. They forced a Shark punt and quickly turned that possession into a 19-13 advantage.
Strong runs by Swan helped Ponte Vedra comeback to tie the game again at 19 with seven minutes left to play. But Pedro answered with yet another easy drive all on the ground for their final touchdown.
A failed two-point conversion left the Sharks trailing 25-20 with four and a half minutes left and enough time to mount a drive.
Swan again led Ponte Vedra by grinding out three long runs only to have major penalties nullify his effort. The Sharks last chance came when they faced a fourth down and inches at midfield. The Falcons denied Tronti’s sneak attempt sending Ponte Vedra to their first loss of the season.
