Mike Ridaught
The P.K. Yonge football team entered Friday’s Class 3A regional semifinal at Trinity Catholic (Ocala) with a lot of momentum.
The Blue Wave, the No. 4 seed in Class 3A-Region 1, were riding a 7-game winning streak heading into the game against the top-seeded Celtics.
However, less than two minutes into the game, Rashaun Walden fumbled and Trinity Catholic recovered. One minute later, Marquis Jones scored on a 1-yard run with 9:13 to play in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
It would be the first of four turnovers in the first half as Trinity Catholic raced out to a 35-0 lead en route to a 35-7 win with a running clock in the second half.
Making matters worse was that Blue Wave quarterback A.J. Small, Jr., left the game early in the first quarter. After the game, P.K. Yonge coach Kevin Doelling told John Patton of the Ocala Star-Banner that Small suffered a fractured ankle.
Later in the first quarter, with a chance to possibly tie the score, Devin Pedro fumbled and the Celtics recovered at their 35-yard line.
That led to a 65-yard drive and another 1-yard run by Jones for a 14-0 lead with 10:53 to play in the second quarter.
Blue Wave (8-4) freshman quarterback Adrian Curtis threw a 22-yard pick-6, by Donathan Lecorn, with 1:04 to play in the half. Jones ran in the 2-point conversion for a 35-0 lead to ensure a running clock in the second half.
Curtis did put the Blue Wave on the scoreboard with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Pedro with a little over eight minutes to play in the game.
Trinity Catholic (7-2), which won its seventh straight game, will host Florida High (Tallahassee) in next Friday’s regional final.
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