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First Half Action
This previously postponed game (due to Hurricane Isaias) was flexed to a Tuesday night as opposed to the usual Friday Night Lights. Nonetheless, the stands were full of passionate fans and the players came ready to play right from the initial kickoff.
This game started off with an absolute bang, when Cougars freshman DB Davey Lattimore blazed off a 72-yard kickoff return on the opening kick. Wakulla running back/defensive back Danny Godbolt had an impressive effort to catch Lattimore and prevent a first-play touchdown. However, the ball was still immediately within the 10-yard line of the War Eagles. Godby was already knocking on the door for points. And on their second play of the possession, Godby quarterback Landon Dougherty found wide receiver Kyle Estimond for a 5-yard score in the back right quadrant of the end zone for a touchdown. An Abdul Albasha extra point notched the game at a quick 7-0.
As for the War Eagles, they had a 24-yard kickoff return themselves, but it got called back to their 16-yard line as a result of an unsportsmanlike conduct call. Another penalty halted Wakulla’s progress when an illegal procedure made it so they had to cover 15 yards of ground as opposed to 10. The War Eagles had three medium-yardage plays to get to a 4th & 1 on their own 25-yard line. And the coach made the decision to go for it. It was an extremely gutsy call that could destroy every speck of momentum they could have. However, when wide receiver Ryheem Moore took the wildcat snap, he bolted up the field for a 15-yard gain to keep the drive going and light the crowd up. Running back Armon Lindsey would then take a carry for 22 yards to push Wakulla into opponent territory. Danny Godbolt filled in for a couple plays and rushed for an 11-yard gain to continue the progress towards the end zone. Ultimately, the drive was capped off by an Armon Lindsey ground-n’-pound run up the gut for a 5-yard score. And a Colby Carranza kick would even the score at 7 apiece.
The Cougars on their ensuing drive would receive a short kick from Wakulla to prevent another long kick return. The War Eagle defense would then force a third down, but Landon Dougherty scrambled out of the pocket and found athlete Terron Atkins trailing on the right side for an 18-yard pickup. A few plays later, Godby running back Kamren McMillan carved up the seam for a 22-yard rush and took multiple defenders to bring him down after he put his team on the Wakulla 6-yard line. McMillan’s next carry put the Cougars on the 1 and Dougherty took a QB sneak into the end zone for the second Godby touchdown of the first quarter. The kick this time however was blocked by War Eagle defensive lineman Antonio Harvey to keep the difference at 6 points.
Godby wasn’t the only team with a good kick return unit. Wakulla’s next kickoff return saw athlete Jarrell Rudolph return the Cougar kick for 50 yards and set them up at the opposing 40-yard line, exactly where the ball was kicked from. Danny Godbolt and QB Ashton Brooks would represent the War Eagles’ yardage numbers on the first few plays of the possession on the ground. They would also get a few chunk plays to get close to the end zone. A 15-yard Brooks to Ryheem Moore connection and 12-yard Brooks to Lindsey put Wakulla in easy striking distance for points as the second quarter rolled around. Ryheem Moore would then take another wildcat snap that would find him in the end zone from 6 yards out. Carranza’s successful extra point attempt adjusted the score to 14-13 in favor of Wakulla.
On their next posesssion, Wakulla’s defense would once again force Godby into a third-down situation right off the bat including a combined 2-yard TFL from middle linebacker Rayshon St. Hilaire, athlete Nigel Cloud and defensive end Zay Carnline. This attempt would not prevail as well for the Cougars, however, when their deep pass attempt was tracked well and picked off by War Eagle athlete Ced Hicks at the Wakulla 28-yard line in a diving effort.
The War Eagles’ ensuing drive began with a holding call on Godby and then a following offensive facemask that set Wakulla on a 1st & a country mile that they weren’t able to do much with and as a result went three-and-out. The punt from Wakulla was not returned and was downed at the Cougar 42-yard line.
On their first play, Godby had a snap go high and Dougherty immediately had to run back to corral the ball and was pulverized by athlete Ced Hicks for a 13-yard loss. A 2nd & 23 was once again not an ideal situation off the get-go for Godby, but Dougherty once again showed grit in the face of adversity heaving up a dart that was caught moss-style on the head of the defensive back by wideout Kyle Estimond for a 52-yard field-flipping highlight-reel catch. The next third down was an attempted pass that was excellently defended by Danny Godbolt, forcing Godby into their first fourth-down scenario of the game. The field goal attempt for the Cougars was wide left and Wakulla took over.
This Wakulla possession, similar to Godby’s, also started off with a loss. This one on third down as Cougar defensive end Tykari Powell burst his way into the backfield and got a 5-yard solo TFL to give Godby’s defense the upper hand in that present scenario. Being stuck behind the initial sticks again, the War Eagles managed to make it 4th & manageable, but elected to punt this time. This quickly took a turn when Godby athlete Zaeon Simmons flew off the edge, got within arms-length off the punter, and blocked the punt. He then ran after the ball and recovered it all himself.
This solo effort from Simmons gave Godby another chance to score with less than 2 minutes left in the half at the 10-yard line. On their second play, Landon Dougherty found Lacari Murray for an 11-yard touchdown. And on the PAT attempt, Godby converted but the play was deemed null for a holding call. The Cougars’ second attempt was blown up with a 13-yard sack from Ced Hicks and defensive end Lee-Anthony Green.
Wakulla’s final possession ended rapidly in 2 plays when the clock expired after a TFL from Godby defensive tackle Willie Ponder and athlete Zaeon Simmons. The halftime score remained at 19-14 in the favor of Godby.
Second Half Action
Wakulla received the ball first in the second half and started off at their 34-yard line courtesy of athlete Demarkus Roberts’ 23-yard kick return. War Eagle athlete Bryce Manning began this possession for Wakulla with three consecutive runs that advanced the chains. Two plays later, however, Wakulla threw a ball that would be picked off by Cougars defensive back Xavier Randolph. Randolph showed off his speed as he rocketed 58 yards on the return for a Godby touchdown. And this time, the Cougars’ 2-point conversion was successful on a rush from QB Landon Dougherty to put Godby up 13.
The War Eagles were now without much momentum, but running backs Danny Godbolt, Bryce Manning, and Armon Lindsey moved the chains a couple of times with a bunch of rushing plays. After this, though, the War Eagles got caught up on a 3rd & 13 because of a false start penalty and a 1st down TFL from Cougars defensive back Terrian Atkins Jr., athlete Terron Atkins, and linebacker Bryce Murphy. Ryheem Moore caught a pass from Ashton Brooks for 8 yards to put the 4th down at 5 yards and once again Wakulla went for it on fourth down and the Brooks to Moore connection prevailed for a second play in a row to earn a new set of downs. Three plays later, on the next third down, Moore took a wildcat snap and rushed 14 yards for his second rushing touchdown of the day.
After another great return from Davey Lattimore, the Cougars started on the borderline of opponent territory at the 44-yard line. And on their first play of the drive, Dougherty connected with wide receiver Kamari President for a 41-yard gain to instantly put Godby back in the red zone once again. Kamren McMillan then rushed for three straight plays down the gut of the War Eagles defense, capping the drive off with a 4-yard touchdown to give the Cougars their 13-point lead back.
Fourth quarter rolled around and Wakulla went back to one of its staples: the wildcat. Demarkus Roberts and Ryheem Moore muscled their way for chunk gains to start the drive off. Eventually, Wakulla ran out of steam and got stuffed on a third down for no gain. However, Godby were called for a personal foul. So instead of a 4th & 9 for Wakulla, they got a fresh set of downs. Brooks was back in the game and dealt a 12-yard pass to Demarkus Roberts for a first down. Roberts and Lindsey would get the next few carries and set up the man of the night – Ryheem Moore with another wildcat formation play on 2nd & Goal at the 4. And once again, he converted, scoring his third rushing touchdown of the night and putting the game back to one possession.
Before the kickoff, one of the coaches could be seen talking to kicker Colby Carranza…and there was a reason. Carranza’s kickoff had a particularly odd spin to it that landed into the returner’s hands and spilled out as quickly as it was caught and Wakulla jumped on the ball. The crowd, already fired up from the previous touchdown erupted once more and the War Eagles sideline could probably be heard from Wakulla Springs itself.
Armon Lindsey had a couple of nice carries these next few sets of downs, including a 13-yard gain and an 8-yard gain. However, due to an illegal shift penalty, the War Eagles had more ground to cover and ended up once again facing a fourth down scenario, this time in the red zone with limited clock and no field goal option. And consistent with the rest of the game, Wakulla went for it. Brooks backed up toward his strong running back, Lindsey, who ran toward the right side of the offensive line. The Godby defensive line swallowed up Lindsey’s path, but he didn’t have the ball. Brooks had perfectly sold the fake, hit the hole on the left side of the offensive line for an 11-yard gain. Without a doubt, one of the most clutch high school plays I’ve ever seen. Brooks checked out of the game immediately after this and Moore shifted over behind the center. And Wakulla wildcat just couldn’t be stopped. Moore, from 2 yards out, hit the outside on the right side of the line and scored. Carranza’s fifth extra point of the night put the score at 35-34 in the favor of Wakulla. The only difference in the scores was from the blocked extra point from way back in the first quarter.
Wakulla had all the momentum now, and the defense played like it. Demarkus Roberts broke up the first down pass attempt from Godby and the third down play was thwarted by a sack from Lee-Anthony Green, Antonio Harvey, and Rayshon St. Hilaire for an 8-yard loss. Pinned 18 yards back of the sticks, the Cougars were forced to punt it back to the War Eagles.
And just like their final drive against Rickards, Wakulla went with what was working – wildcat after wildcat. Moore had five straight wildcat runs. 4 yards, 4 yards, 7 yards, 6 yards, 7 yards. Godby burned its final timeout in the process, but the clock was already low enough. Brooks came back out one more time to kneel the ball to solidify Wakulla’s sixth win of the season and end one of the greatest football games I’ve gotten the privilege to witness with my own two eyes.
Players of the Game
Wakulla High School War Eagles
WR/SS Ryheem Moore – 13 RUSH, 72 YDS, 4 TD; 5 REC, 39 YDS; 9 1ST DOWNS; 7 TKL
RB Armon Lindsey – 17 RUSH, 96 YDS, 1 TD; 1 REC, 12 YDS
MLB Rayshon St. Hilaire – 7 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 SACK, 4.8 TKLYDS, 2.7 SACKYDS
Godby High School Cougars
QB Landon Dougherty – 8/13 140 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT, 5 1ST DOWNS, 2 PTCONV
ATH Terron Atkins – 2 REC, 23 YDS; 10 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 TKLYD
DB Xavier Randolph – 6 TKL, 1 INT, 58 INTYDS, 1 DEFTD
