It was a historical night for the Ponte Vedra Sharks’ defense, as they created havoc throughout their 45-21 first round victory over the visiting Beachside Barracudas.
Highlighting the effort was senior defensive end Ryker Kemp who had five sacks in the game and in the process became the school record holder for sacks in a career, which he did so late in the fourth quarter following his fifth sack.
According to Kemp, having faced the Barracudas earlier in the season, the Sharks had a good idea of how pass heavy their offensive scheme was, and they believed it offered a great chance to impact the game as a defensive line.
“We knew we were going to be in the backfield the whole game and we were definitely prepared for it,” Kemp said.
With every sack, Kemp’s awareness of how close he was for the record became more and more evident as he knew he was getting close and the teammates kept reminding him on the sideline.
“Once I got four I knew I tied it, so I knew I just needed one more,” Kemp said.
The defensive effort led to several three and outs and the offensive was able to capitalize, especially in the second half when the Sharks came out with their foot on the gas and were able to extend their 17-14 halftime lead.
Following a three and out to open the second half when Beachside quarterback Eddie Jordan was stuffed on a sneak attempt on fourth and short, Brian Case broke a long run down the left sideline and a couple of plays later Drew Price rolled out and hit Davitt Doherty for a touchdown to go up 24-14.
Price continued his rhythm in the second half, throwing two more touchdowns to Cam Tietze and even Talan Babin, who had his number called with a designed play for a receiving score.
“When coach called it, I was in a little bit of disbelief, but then when I saw the ball in the air I was like ‘the ball’s in the air and I can’t believe I’m going to catch a touchdown,” Babin said. It was definitely a surreal moment.”
It was another big night on the ground for Case, who broke free from the line of scrimmage and outran the secondary for a 75-yard touchdown run as the Sharks immediately had an answer for the Barracudas’ lone touchdown in the second half.
According to Babin, the Sharks dedicated the game to his best friend and senior J.M. Pawlick, who was unable to play due to recovering from surgery.
“He's a senior, and we just knew it was not going to be his last snap as a PV football player,” Babin said. “We got together, and we knew we were playing it for J.M.”
The Sharks will go on the road to face top-seeded Niceville High in the second round on Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. after the Eagles defeated the Middleburg Broncos 49-13.
