Friday night’s Class 2S-Region 2 Quarterfinal at Citizens Field was a penalty fest.
So, it comes as no surprise that a penalty affected the final outcome of Eastside’s 28-27 win at home against No. 5 seed Palatka in the first round of the FHSAA state playoffs.
The No. 4 seed Rams (8-3) had just seized the momentum with a 40-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Adrian Curtis to wide receiver Antoneo Wilson to give Eastside a 28-21 lead with 2:56 to play.
“When his number is called he makes plays, and he just made probably one of the best catches this year,” said Eastside coach Harold “Gator” Hoskins. “It was a great catch.”
The senior made a remarkable catch for the go-ahead score in the right corner of the end zone.
“It was just my quarterback trusting me and giving me a shot at probably one of my best catches this year,” Wilson said. “I just saw the ball and went up and got it.”
On the ensuing kickoff, Ty Valentine fumbled the ball, but once he secured it, he raced 84 yards down the left sideline for what should have been the potential tying score.
However, Valentine taunted on his way into the end zone and the Panthers were flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty.
Hoskins accepted the penalty on the extra point instead of the kickoff, forcing the Panthers to try the conversion from the 17-yard line, which ended with a failed 2-point conversion instead of an extra point.
“Going into the game I was just watching them kick the extra points and I just knew they were kind of short,” Hoskins said. “When they got the penalty, they wanted to put it on the return but I said, ‘no, let’s use it here and force them to go for two.’ I think that was a good call by me in that situation but it was a good stop by the defense.”
The Panthers did have one final chance late.
Palatka (7-4) got the onside kick at their own 44-yard line with 2:37 to play.
The Panthers went 4-and-out as Eastside sophomore Kamariyon Mack almost intercepted the final pass but the incompletion secured the win for the Rams, who won their fourth straight game.
“If I’m being honest I’m not too happy with our performance tonight,” Hoskins said. “I think we gave up too many big plays, too many penalties, but it’s the playoffs. We did enough to get by and we’re on to the next round so I’m happy about that, but we’ve got to fix a lot of things next week.”
Eastside was in control in the opening quarter.
Senior running back Joshua Benjamin set the tone early with a pair of rushing touchdowns in the opening quarter. He finished with over 100 yards and three touchdowns.
“He’s been running the ball pretty well the last couple of games, but I think the credit is to the offensive line,” Hoskins said. “They’ve been doing a much, much better job these last couple of games, giving him a crease, and he’s the type of kid that if you give him a crease he will take it to the house. I’m just proud of the kid.”
Benjamin’s 2-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal put the Rams on the scoreboard first with 5:05 to play in the first quarter.
Following a fumble recovery by Eastside’s Jacquez Whitehead at the Eastside 49-yard line, Benjamin scored on a 51-yard run with 19 seconds to play in the opening quarter for a 14-0 lead.
He would have had a fourth touchdown but his 68-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter was called back due to a holding call.
The senior said it was his best game.
“I feel good,” Benjamin said. “I did my thing tonight, three touchdowns, ran behind my O-line…I really should have had four, but they called it back.”
Palatka quarterback Tommy Offord did his best to keep the Panthers in it, rushing for an 8-yard touchdown in the first half and completing a 70-yard scoring pass to Trenton Williams, which tied the game at 14-14 less than a minute into the second half.
Valentine’s 11-yard run gave Palatka its first lead, 21-14, with 7:56 to play in the third quarter.
Benjamin answered a few possessions later with a 15-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 21-21 with 7:40 to play.
Prior to Wilson’s late touchdown, he had a 15-yard reception on the drive to put the Rams at the Panthers’ 42-yard line, setting up the senior’s game-winning catch.
Eastside will travel to top seed Bradford (Starke) next Friday for the regional semifinals.
The Tornadoes (11-0) defeated No. 8 seed Atlantic (Port Orange), 42-0, in the other regional quarterfinal to advance.
Thursday, Nov. 9
Class 4S-Region 1 Quarterfinal
Buchholz 59, Mosley (Lynn Haven) 0
Friday, Nov. 10
Class 3S-Region 1 Quarterfinal
No. 3 Choctaw (Fort Walton Beach) 37, No. 6 Columbia (Lake City) 14
Class 2S-Region 1 Quarterfinal
No. 4 Pensacola Catholic 41, No. 5 Suwannee (Live Oak) 6
Class 2S-Region 2 Quarterfinal
No. 1 Bradford (Starke) 42, No. 8 Atlantic (Port Orange) 0
No. 4 Eastside 28, No. 5 Palatka 27
No. 2 Yulee 36, No. 7 Keystone Heights 10
Class 1R-Region 3 Quarterfinal
No. 4 Lafayette (Mayo) 40, No. 5 Branford 2
No. 3 Union County (Lake Butler) 58, No. 6 Hilliard 8
Class 1R-Region 4 Quarterfinal
No. 4 Pahokee 56, No. 5 Dixie County (Cross City) 0
No. 3 Newberry 49, No. 6 Chiefland 16