Ponte Vedra took advantage of a badly overmatched Arlington Apache football team on Friday evening at home for their third win of the year 42-0. The Sharks scored 39 points in the first half then emptied their bench for the final twenty-four minutes, much to the delight of an expanded roster that included twenty sophomores.
The Sharks need just five plays following the opening kickoff to get on the scoreboard and all five of those plays were Nick Tronti passes. Marshall Few was on the receiving end of three balls, the third good for a 6-yard touchdown.
The Apaches had possession for only five plays before Jacob Reeves separated the Arlington quarterback from the football and recovered the fumble. Tronti turned the miscue into seven points when he connected with JD Pirris on a four-yard strike.
The visitor’s offense was their own worst enemy as Ryan Gleason trapped the Arlington ball carrier in his own end zone for a safety and a 16-0 Ponte Vedra lead.
Things went from bad to worse on the ensuing Shark possession when Hal Swan sprinted 24 yards for the third Ponte Vedra touchdown of the first quarter. Still the Sharks highlight reel performance continued following an Apache punt. This time it was Quint Boyd on the receiving end of Tronti’s 15-yard pass to the end zone.
Arlington then caught a break when a Tronti pass was deflected and intercepted to stop another Shark drive. Once again the Apache offense failed to get the football out of their own end zone as Cade Macri got credit for a sack and the second safety of the game for Ponte Vedra.
The Sharks were forced to punt on their next series and Arlington took over on their own 5-yard line--not a good spot considering their offensive performance on the night. Gabby Estevez made the visitors pay again when he stepped in front of an Apache desperation pass and returned it 25 yards for the fifth Shark touchdown and a 39-0 half time lead.
The Arlington offense was still not finished. Their next adventure featured a punt blocked by sophomore Daniel Lychlyter and Ponte Vedra turned that into a Chris Howard 32-yard field goal, ending the scoring for the night.
Ponte Vedra plays away from home for the next two weeks, first at Wolfson then at Menendez. They return October 2nd against Westside.
