The Gainesville High football team entered its Class 4A-District 5 opener against Lecanto on Friday with an unbeaten record for the first time since 2012.
However, the Hurricanes failed to execute in key moments which led to a 24-7 loss at Citizens Field.
It didn’t take long for the Panthers to set the tone.
After winning the opening coin toss and deferring to the second half, the Hurricanes kicked off to Lecanto junior Braylen Moore who fielded the ball at the 15-yard line and returned it 85 yards down the Panthers’ sideline for a 7-0 lead just 17 seconds into the game.
“Right from the beginning our execution was really, really poor tonight,” said GHS coach Ian Scott. “We didn’t execute on the kickoff coverage, and we gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown.”
GHS (3-1) began its first offensive possession at its own 34-yard line and drove the ball into Lecanto territory. However, on 4th-and-1 at the Panthers’ 43-yard line, senior running back Devin Johnson was stopped short and the Hurricanes turned it over on downs.
“I don’t know how many 3rd and 4th and shorts we did not convert because we didn’t do the right thing,” Scott said. “We didn’t understand the situation. We tried to bounce outside and all we need is a half a yard, and getting the false start here on the goal line on 4th and short…”
After turning it over on downs a second consecutive time on a 4th-an-1, the Gainesville defense came up with a big play as senior Jordan Dixon intercepted Lecanto quarterback J.T. Tipton, his first pick of the year, at the 42-yard line and returned it to the 8-yard line with 2:25 to play in the opening quarter.
GHS had a 4th-and-goal at the 1-yard line. However, an illegal procedure penalty forced them to try and kick a field goal on 4th-and-6.
“Those types of things and situations, those are things that end up costing you a football game,” Scott said. “In a game that’s coming down to the wire like this, we’ve got to be able to execute and that’s a part of our growth that we are discovering together.”
Making matters worse is sophomore Alejandro Probert slipped on the muddy field and missed a 22-yard field goal with 11:54 to play in the second quarter.
“That’s football, right?” Scott said. “Those things happen, and you’ve got to be able to fight back, and I thought we did a good job. We fought.”
It went from bad to worse though as the Hurricanes committed two 15-yard penalties on Lecanto’s next drive, which started at its own 20-yard line.
The drive ended with a 23-yard scoring run by Delonzo Washington with 10:14 to play in the half to give Lecanto a 14-0 lead.
Lecanto (3-1) got the ball back and drove into GHS territory, but junior Josef Scott caused a fumble by Washington and senior Jalen Johnson recovered at the Hurricanes’ 45-yard line.
This time, the ‘Canes converted a key 4th-and-1 on the drive with a 2-yard run by Johnson to the Lecanto 30-yard line.
On the next play, junior quarterback Nelson Tambling threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Matt Williams to cut the deficit in half, 14-7, with five minutes to play in the half.
It would stay that way until late in the game thanks to the defense.
“Those guys fought,” Scott said. “In the grand scheme of things, they gave up 10 points, we had the kickoff return and the pick-6 so defensively those guys fought and fought, and they did the best they could, and our offensive guys did too but we just didn’t execute in the key moments. They did and we didn’t and that’s the difference in the game.”
There were plenty of mistakes that ended up being costly, yet Gainesville only trailed by one possession, 14-7, as the fourth quarter began.
However, Gainesville turned it over on downs with 9:04 to play on back-to-back short yardage plays.
“You only get so many shots at it,” Scott said. “Those things happen, and we’ve got to be able to focus in those moments. We had a 3rd-and-1 and tried to bounce outside, and we slipped and fell and then the 4th down play they blitzed everybody…but, that’s a huge moment in the game. If we go score there and tie it up, who knows what happens?”
Instead, Lecanto marched down the field, taking advantage of a GHS offsides play on 3rd-and-1 and scored on a 25-yard touchdown run by Washington.
However, the play was called back due to holding and the Panthers settled for a 23-yard field goal by Alex Paul with 4:04 to play for a 17-7 lead.
On Gainesville’s final possession, Tambling was intercepted by Lecanto’s Raheim Rushing, who returned it 54 yards for the pick-6 with 2:31 to play.
The Hurricanes are back in action on Thursday at 7 p.m. against Forest (Ocala).
Thursday, Sept. 12
Eastside 16, Trinity Catholic (Ocala) 10
Friday, Sept. 13
Manatee (Bradenton) 34, Buchholz 27
Lecanto 24, Gainesville 7
Hawthorne 27, Oakleaf (Orange Park) 21
Newberry 48, Keystone Heights 0
Palatka 35, Santa Fe (Alachua) 0
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic (Spring Hill) 54, Saint Francis Catholic 0
Chiefland 38, Lafayette (Mayo) 20
Williston 56, Zephyrhills Christian Academy 6
Fort White 34, Fernandina Beach 26
Union County (Lake Butler) 22, Baldwin 0
Bradford (Starke) 18, Mandarin (Jacksonville) 13
Lake Weir (Ocala) 11, Bell 0
Dixie County (Cross City) 20, Belleview 8
Branford 42, Hilliard 12
Trenton 52, Harvest Community (Jacksonville) 28
Godby (Tallahassee) 29, Suwannee (Live Oak) 26
Madison County 18, Columbia (Lake City) 13
Zarephath Academy (Jacksonville) 56, P.K. Yonge 13
Cedar Creek Christian (Jacksonville) vs. Bronson, not reported
OFF – Oak Hall
