By Johnny Inama
The Ponte Vedra Sharks football team played their first game of the regular season on Aug. 25 against Bartram Trail high school. The home opener was a very anticipated game as the Sharks were looking to start strong at home. The Bears scored first with a quick touchdown to leave the Sharks with an early 7-0 deficit. The Sharks drove down the field, with a field goal from senior kicker, Evan Redmond, to end the first quarter with a score of 7-3 Bartram. The Sharks put together another good drive in the second quarter, capped off with a receiving touchdown from junior running back, Brian Case, to make the score 10-7 Ponte Vedra at the half. The Sharks offense hit a wall after the halftime break, and Bartram went on a 13-0 run going into the fourth quarter with a score of 20-10 Bartram. The Sharks finally put together another scoring drive with a 48-yard touchdown catch from senior wide receiver, Ryan Smith, to put the Sharks within one score with a few minutes remaining in the game. The Sharks had a late chance with less than a minute to put together a miracle, but they unfortunately could not get within field goal range, and would go on to lose 20-17. “I think we showed that we can make some plays, but our execution as a whole from all parts of the offense needs to improve,” said senior quarterback, Ben Burk. While they did suffer an unfortunate loss, there was plenty of highlights that the team showed against a good Bartram Trail team.
“I think we showed that we can make some plays, but our execution as a whole from all parts of the offense needs to improve.”
Ben burk (12)
The Sharks now sit at 0-1 on the season, but they have the chance to bounce back next week on Sep. 1 against Florida State University high school (FSUHS). This could prove to be another difficult game as FSUHS went 14-1 last year.
(Pictured: Ryan Smith (12) celebrating a receiving touchdown)
