Reports from FloridaHSFootball.com Staff.
Navarre Saves The Day
While hundreds of Florida teams kicking off their season with pre-season kickoff classics, four teams traveled out-of-state for their official season openers.
The result wasn’t pretty as state teams went 0-3 in Georgia and 1-3 against out-of-state teams.
Leon County teams Maclay, NFC and Lincoln all came home with losses in Georgia, while Navarre handled host Dothan, AL easily to pick up their first win of the season.
Here is a recap of opening games.
Note: For Lincoln’s game vs. Camden County, see story here.
Deerfield-Windsor 47, Maclay 0
ALBANY, GA – With a roster nearly quadrupled its size, Maclay was in trouble from the get go.
Deerfield-Windsor, with a 53 man roster, wore down a much smaller Maclay team and took advantage of several mistakes as well.
A disastrous opening drive for Maclay ended with Deerfield-Windsor beginning its first possession first and goal from the Maclay 9-yard line. Senior quarterback Tyler Lowe ran in from 4-yards to open the scoring.
Starting their second possession from the Maclay 30, fullback Cooper Roberts trotted in from 15 yards putting the Knights up 14-0 six minutes into the game.
Joseph Davis picked off Maclay quarterback Jake Brady on the first play of scrimmage after the Knights score and returned it 26 yards for another score.
Brady connected with Emory Boeneke for a 47-yard completion down to the 27-yard line before another turnover gave the ball back to the Knights.
Lowe hit a wide open Trey Young for a 67 yard touchdown pass and 27-0 lead and the rout was on.
A 12 yard sweep gave the Knights a 34-0 halftime lead and command of the game.
Fullback Cole Mitchel’s 6-yard score and Roberts 80-yard interception return closed out the scoring.
Maclay (0-1) will travel back to Georgia this week to take on the Brookwood Academy Warriors out of Thomasville.
Eagle’s Landing Christian 35, North Florida Christian 0
McDONOUGH, GA – Despite being 7-7 and state runner-ups, Eagle’s Landing Christian carried heavy expectations into the 2015 season opener, ranked No. 2 in the GHSAA Class 1A Private Rankings.
The Chargers didn’t disappoint as North Florida Christian season opener went anything but expected, coming home with a 35-0 loss to Eagle’s Landing Friday night outside Atlanta.
It doesn’t get any easier as NFC (0-1) travels back to Georgia Aug. 28 to face a Windsor team, which routed Maclay 47-0.
Navarre 43, Dothan 22
DOTHAN, AL – Not even a lengthy weather delay, could slow a fast Navarre team.
Mother Nature unleashed a heavy dose of rain, lightning and thunder early on forcing an hour and half delay.
Then Navarre unleashed a storm fury of its own, running for 487 yards in the Raiders 43-22 win over the Tigers.
While Dothan offense imploded with two interceptions, a blocked punt and a three-and-out on its first four possessions, Navarre was just warming up.
Behind junior tailback Michael Carter’s career night, 222 yards and three touchdowns, the Raiders scored at will.
Aaron Mitchell blasted up the middle for a 37-yard score minutes into the game to give Navarre a 7-0 lead.
An interception by Ryan Diamco set up Carter’s first score of the season a 13-yard run which increased the Raiders lead to 14-0.
Dothan responded on its ensuing drive as Jacoby McDaniel trotted 13 yards for a score cutting the lead to 14-6 with under three minutes left till half.
A Navarre field goal and McDaniel 41-yard pass to Kobe Baggett gave Navarre a slim 17-12 lead at the half.
Navarre added to its lead to start the second half with a quick six play drive behind Carter.
Dothan closed the margin back to eight to 23-15 midway through the third quarter behind Evan Hogan’s 30-yard field goal.
However, Navarre put it away scoring on three of its next four possessions to open a sizeable 43-15 lead.
Octavien Moyer’s 3-yard score, Carter’s 15-yard strike and Hassan Williams picking up a teammates fumble and returning it 43 yards closed out the Raiders scoring.
A long kickoff return set up McDaniel’s 25 yard run to the 21, before he pitched it backwards to Williams, who took it the remaining way for a touchdown cutting the lead to 43-22 with a little over three minutes remaining in the game.
Navarre (1-0) hosts Pensacola Catholic at home Friday night at Bennett C. Rusell Stadium in the home opener.
Player of the Week
With Week Zero having only a handful of games that count, it was not hard to find the Player of the Week to recap everything.
Michael Carter, Navarre – Carter ran for a career high 222 yards and three touchdowns in leading Navarre to a 43-22 win over host Dothan in the season opener.
Carter began the game breaking off runs of 28 and 8 helping set up Aaron Mitchell’s 37-yard score.
An interception by teammate Ryan Diamco set up Carter’s first score of the season, a 13-yard run, which gave Navarre a 14-0 lead early on.
When Dothan cut the lead to 17-12, it was Carter who helped them get out of the jam, picking up 37 yards on the ensuing drive capping it with another score increasing the lead to 23-12.
Carter, who had 118 of his 222 yards in the second half, accounted for 41 yards on Moyers scoring drive.
He then finished off a six-play drive midway in the fourth quarter with a 15-yard scoring run off the left side with 6:54.3 left, making it 37-15.
