STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME COVERAGE POWERED BY
ORLANDO, Fla. — This time, Plantation American Heritage had to work for it.
The Patriots fell behind Ponte Vedra 13-0 less than three minutes into the 5A State Championship Game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando but rallied to win a 35-33 thriller to capture their third state title in four years.
American Heritage finished the season 14-0 but had to recover an onside kick with three minutes left to finally hold off the pesky Sharks, who were making their first state championship game appearance.
Ponte Vedra (13-1) struck two plays into the game as Marshall Few took a short, five-yard pass from Nick Tronti and outran the American Heritage defense 76 yards to the end zone. Â The Sharks didn’t attempt the extra point due to a bobble on the hold but led 6-0 only 45 seconds into the game.
On the ensuing kickoff, Ponte Vedra tried a short kick and recovered at the American Heritage 45 yard line. Â Four plays later, running back Hal Swan caught a 15 yard TD pass from Tronti down the left sideline to put the Sharks up 13-0 only 2 minutes and 37 seconds into the game.
American Heritage woke up, though and moved down the field 63 yards in only 2 minutes as Patriots quarterback Jason Brown finished off the drive with a 12 yard TD run. Â The American Heritage defense then forced a Ponte Vedra punt again on the next drive, and Patrick Surtain returned the Tronti punt to the 17-yard line. Miles Jones finished off the short drive with a 3-yard run and American Heritage took their first lead at 14-13.
The Patriots added to the lead halfway through the second quarter on a 5 yard TD pass from Brown to Dontavius Butler and American Heritage led 21-13 with 6:26 left before halftime.
Ponte Vedra’s offense had cooled off after a hot start, but on the next drive, the Sharks got back on the board. On fourth-and-10 from their 45, Tronti, who also serves as the Ponte Vedra punter, completed an 18-yard pass to Few to keep the drive going. Â Tronti finished off the drive with another TD pass to Few, this one from 15 yards, and Ponte Vedra only trailed 21-20 at the halftime break.
There was no scoring in the third quarter, but American Heritage got back on the scoreboard on the first play of the fourth quarter. Â Brown finished off a 15 play, 80-yard drive with a 5-yard scoring run to once again extend the Patriots lead to 8 at 28-20. Â Ponte Vedra once again answered, with Tronti scoring his first touchdown rushing from 5 yards out. The Sharks two-point pass was incomplete, but the lead was only 28-26 for American Heritage with 7:57 left.
The play of the game came on the ensuing kickoff for American Heritage as Anthony Schwartz returned the kick 59 yards to the Ponte Vedra 25. Â 4 plays later Brown ran in from 1 yard out for his third rushing touchdown of the game, and the Patriots lead extended to 35-26 with 5:39 left.
Ponte Vedra wouldn’t go away all night and put together another drive as Tronti scored on a 2 yard run to finish off a 9 play, 80-yard drive that took only 2 minutes and 33 seconds. Â The Sharks tried an onside kick with 3:06 left but American Heritage recovered and ran out the clock to finish off another state title.
American Heritage outgained Ponte Vedra 359-325 and had the ball for 26:24 to the Sharks 21:36. Neither team had a turnover.
For American Heritage, Brown was 13-of-16 passing for 81 yards with one TD passing and ran for 72 yards on 11 carries and the three rushing scores. Â Running back Jordan Johnson paced the Patriots on the ground with 21 carries for 132 yards.
Ponte Vedra receiver another huge performance from their senior quarterback Tronti. Â The Charlotte commit was 16-of-21 passing for 265 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another 23 yards with the two TD’s on the ground. Â Few ended up with six receptions for 154 yards and two TD’s receiving, but Ponte Vedra was held to only 60 yards rushing. Â Senior running back Hal Swan managed only 37 yards on 13 carries for the Sharks.
AMERICAN HERITAGE HEAD COACH PATRICK SURTAIN AFTER THE GAME
