Battling adversity was the name of the game for the Ponte Vedra Sharks on the road against district foe Fleming Island tonight, but it was not enough to finish on top, as the Sharks fell on a last-second field goal 31-29 and dropped to 3-2 and 1-1 in District 3-5A.
The final field goal came after the Sharks had taken the lead for the first time all night, 29-28, following a drive of their own and a touchdown pass from Drew Price to Davitt Doherty in the corner of the endzone with one minute left to play in the game.
It was a fast-moving drive where Price was on target throughout hitting multiple receivers before placing a beautiful ball into the arms of Doherty, who dragged a foot in bounds as a defender pushed him out of bounds to secure the score.
The Golden Eagles started fast with a pair of early touchdowns to lead 14-0, and the Sharks were focused on climbing out of that early hole for the rest of the game, including scoring a late touchdown before the half to cut the deficit to nine, 21-12.
Both teams traded blows throughout the second half, as one was quick to answer the other with a scoring drive or a defensive stop.
The tit-for-tat contest included a couple of deep passes hauled in by Cam Tietze and Jack Berquist, both amazing over-the-shoulder grabs that proved crucial on Sharks’ scoring drives.
Brian Case continued the strong running style he has been accustomed to, especially in the red zone, as he scored a pair of touchdowns from a yard out.
Also, showing a nose for the end zone was J.P. Dolan, who came in during a goal line package and walked in for a touchdown on the night.
Although the game did not end as the Sharks would have liked it to, the teams still showed excellent poise under pressure and a resilient nature that will bode well for them moving forward.
