Following an upset loss to Menendez the week before, Ponte Vedra’s football Sharks righted the ship on Friday night with an impressive 48-25 Homecoming win over the Westside Wolverines in a district matchup.
Quarterback Nick Tronti led the Sharks with a pair of rushing touchdowns while completing 17 of 19 passes for 254 yards and four TDs.
Tronti’s first touchdown, a twelve-yard run at the ten-minute mark, came during the Sharks’ opening drive. The Wolverines answered after a roughing the punter penalty against Ponte Vedra kept their first drive alive.
Ponte Vedra used a bit of “trickeration” to score their next touchdown. It came on the opening play of the second quarter with the Sharks facing a fourth down at the Westside nine-yard line. Ponte Vedra came out of their huddle in a field goal formation with most of the offensive line set up on the left side of the field and Marshall Few, the holder for the field goal team, lined up deep behind the center as if preparing to take the long snap. Instead Few stayed upright, took the direct snap and found Kit Connelly alone in the right side of the end zone with a short pass for a 14-7 Ponte Vedra lead.
After Westside marched downfield on a 10-play drive it began to look like a replay of the Menendez game where the last team to score after trading touchdowns would win. However, the Wolverines failed to convert a 2-point try when Cade Macri tackled the Westside ball carrier for a loss and the Sharks held a 14-13 advantage. The Sharks immediately pushed their advantage to 21-13 when Tronti connected with Quint Boyd for 16 yards.
Westside was forced to punt on their next series and the Sharks used the Tronti to JD Pirris connection to move in front 28-13 at the half
Ponte Vedra’s defense shut down the Wolverine attack at the PV 37 to start the second half then Hal Swan picked up good yardage on a pair of runs moving the Sharks into Westside territory. Tronti then found Marshall Few open on the right side for 38 yards and the fifth Shark touchdown and 35-13 advantage.
The visitors used a pair of completions to score with 41 seconds left in the third quarter but again could not convert a a two-point attempt. This time Brogan Warwin made the key stop for Ponte Vedra.
The next Shark touchdown was all Hal Swan. He picked up 34 yards in two carries than gathered in a Tronti pass for 30 yards and the 6th PV score. Tronti would finish the scoring when he rolled right for 9 yards.
At halftime, David Angelo and Meg Barnhorst received Ponte Vedra’s Homecoming King and Queen honors.
