The Williston Red Devils made the 20-mile trip from Levy County into Alachua County on Thursday, looking for their seventh straight win.
Williston found Citizens Field and the Gainesville Hurricanes to their liking, scoring on every offensive possession but one and pulling away for a 65-21 romp over the struggling Hurricanes.
Williston (7-1) has won seven games in a row since an opening week 36-35 loss in double overtime to Chiefland. The Red Devils have been rolling teams since that Chiefland game, outscoring their opponents 334-69 during the winning streak.
Gainesville (2-6) dropped its fifth straight game as it continues to struggle with two games left.
Four different players scored for Williston, including senior running back J’Dyen Mannah, who scored four touchdowns. Senior running back Omarion Walker added two rushing touchdowns, and senior running back Kameryn Manneh and senior quarterback John Jazikoff also added scores on the ground.
Sophomore Maverick Jones had three interceptions and returned one for a 40-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Jones also had one interception called back and now has eight picks on the season.
For legendary Williston coach Robby Pruitt, his 203rd win in Florida and 412th victory overall came in a very familiar style. The Red Devils ran the ball all night, and the only pass they attempted was completed for a 50-yard gain, but it was called back due to holding.
Williston senior running back Bryson Willis talked about what Pruitt means to this program.
“To have him as a coach is just a blessing in itself,” he said. “When he came here, it completely changed everything. We went from 1-8 to 2-8 to completely turn around to two straight undefeated seasons to eight wins and the state semifinals last year. We are 7-1 now and had he never come here, we wouldn’t be the team we have become.”
It only took a minute and 42 seconds for Williston to score on their opening drive, capped off by a 17-yard score by Kameryn Manneh.
Gainesville, which honored 20 seniors before the game on Senior Night, answered with a five-yard run by senior running back Dwight Jenkins to tie the game at 7-7. But Williston came right back and scored in just over a minute, as Walker rushed for a 46-yard score and a 14-7 lead.
J’Dyen Mannah then scored his first touchdown from 15 yards out for a 21-7 edge. Gainesville answered with an 18-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Jaishawn Sanford to bring the Hurricanes within 21-14.
But again, the Red Devils answered before halftime with a one-yard score by Jazikoff for a 29-14 advantage at the half.
The game was delayed for 20 minutes in the third quarter when Sanford was hit while throwing the ball and lay motionless for about 10 minutes. He was taken off the field on a stretcher to an ambulance. His condition was unknown as of this story.
The game was sloppy and marred by penalties throughout the second half, but Williston scored 29 straight points to get to a running clock.
Despite the big win, Pruitt still wasn’t happy with everything.
“It’s perfection, that’s what he (Pruitt) wants,” Willis said. “Some guys missed practice Monday and Tuesday and it showed on the field and he really wore into them. It’s really about us being a family and being together and solid as a rock.”
Football scores
Thursday, Oct. 16
Hawthorne 26, Dunnellon 0
Santa Fe (Alachua) 37, Lake Weir (Ocala) 0
Williston 65, GHS 21
