Both the Ponte Vedra Sharks and Nease Panthers will be looking for rebound weeks after suffering a loss to open the 2022 season.
The weather forecast played a role in both week one contest, but that role was felt in different ways.
The Panthers were hindered by turnovers, so cleaning that area of the game up will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game.
Other than that, it was the Panthers’ passing attack that could not seem to find a rhythm against Jackson, and the running game was unable to be establish itself in the contest, creating quite the predicament for the offense.
Stokes missed practice time leading up to the opener, which could have played a role in the lack of timing between he and his receivers. It will be interesting to see how much difference a strong week of practice makes when they travel to Creekside for their week two matchup.
It was just the opposite for the Sharks, who were forced into an affair that was dominated by the ground games.
However, because of this it is hard to get an accurate read on the Sharks when it comes to their passing attack.
Hopefully things will begin to open and the weapons on the out wide will get the proper opportunity to show their skill.
Defensively, the Sharks were stout and looked to have not missed a beat from last year.
They only gave up 13 points to Bartram Trail and will be put to the test once again in week two against a Florida State University High team that won 11 games a year ago and started its 2022 campaign with a 22-19 victory over a prominent contender in Ocala Trinity Catholic.
The Sharks have proven they are up to the challenge on defense time and time again, but the questions revolve around the offense and weather or not they can trade blows with the Seminoles.
It will be the Sharks home opener, which is an advantage they do have, as the Seminoles will have to make the trip from Tallahassee.
Despite the Panthers giving up 30 points in the opener, the defense showed plenty of bright spots to build on.
There were several big hits on the night and the Panthers were routinely swarming to the ball with at least two or three tacklers around the ball carrier.
This was especially noticeable when it came to stopping the run, which is a valuable aspect of the Creekside offensive gameplan.
In week one, the Knights ran the ball 41 times for 307 yards and four touchdowns compared to just five passes, which were efficient and resulted in a pair of touchdowns as well en route to a 49-0 win against Viera.
If the Panthers do not have to worry about defending as many short fields this week, look for them to focus on stopping the Knights’ ground-and-pound approach.
