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Ole Miss commit Shea Patterson threw four first-half touchdown passes to lead No. 17 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) to a 49-7 rout of visiting No. 12 Cocoa on Friday. It was the only game of the weekend involving two Super 25 teams.
“It was good to come out and get a win at home, especially coming off a short week after DeSoto,” IMG Coach Kevin Wright said. “We knew they were a good football team, and all I knew was that (Cocoa) has only lost only four games in three years… What they do schematically is tough, and they have good running backs and a good scheme.”
On the first play of the game from scrimmage, Patterson connected with Drake Davis for a 69-yard touchdown pass. Following a Cocoa fumble, Davis ran it in on a reverse from the 29 to put IMG up 14-0 in the first quarter.
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Patterson, given plenty of time by his offensive line on fourth-and-10 on the Ascenders’ next drive, rolled left and found Tony Jones on the right sideline for a 28-yard touchdown pass and IMG led 28-0 midway through the second quarter. Patterson found Isaac Nauta for a 33-yard pass play to put the Ascenders up 35-0 late in the first half and the running clock was on.
Patterson completed six of eight passes for 222 yards and his four touchdown passes tied the school record set last year by Deondre Francois against Prestonwood Christian Academy (Plano, Texas.).
“It was awesome, it was the most fun I’ve ever had in a game – I just love these guys,” Patterson said. “(Cocoa) was playing a lot of man tonight, and our guys did a good job beating it and getting open to make plays.”
Patterson’s backups, Louis Colosimo and Bryson Lucero, each threw touchdown passes for IMG (3-0) in the second half.
Cocoa’s hopes took a hit in the first quarter when quarterback Bruce Judson left the game following a hard hit by Rashaun Smith. That made the Tigers’ run-oriented offense a little more one-dimensional as running back Timmy Pratt was the team’s only real option.
Cocoa (2-1) didn’t score until Pratt ran it in from the 15 with 6:15 remaining in the game.
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