Monitor Editor
GAINESVILLE— P.K. Yonge quarterback Aaron Small Jr. ran for 109 yards, including a breakaway 58-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, to give his team a 33-14 win over Keystone Heights last Friday.
Small also completed a 57-yard touchdown pass to Jaren Hamilton in the second quarter, allowing the Blue Wave (7-3) to pull away 27-0 with 42 seconds remaining in the first half.
The 27-point lead held until the fourth quarter, when the Indians (9-1) fought back with a six-play drive midway through the period. Kade Sanders capped the drive with a 15-yard run. Sanders then drove in the two-point conversion, cutting P.K.’s lead to 27-8.
On Yonge’s ensuing possession, Keystone’s Trey Jeffries recovered a Blue Wave fumble, giving the Indians a first-and-10 from the Blue Wave 46.
Seven plays later, Keystone hit paydirt again, with Jackson Williams reaching the end zone from the 15. A false-start penalty backed the Indians up for the two-point conversion, which failed, leaving the Blue Wave’s lead at 27-14 with 2:45 left in the game.
Dalton Hollingsworth led the Indians in rushing with 67 yards on 18 carries. Williams had 65 yards on six carries and one touchdown, followed by Logan Williams with 52 yards on 12 carries.
Hollingsworth also led the Indians in tackles with five, followed by Sanders with four. Clayton Kicklighter, Caleb Moncrief and Luke Snider had three tackles each.
The Blue Wave’s first score came at the conclusion of a nine-play drive, with Devin Pedro completing the campaign with a 5-yard run. Alex Barnett’s extra point gave the Blue Wave a 7-0 lead.
A middle screen pass from Small to Pedro gained 22 yards and was pivotal in the drive. The Blue Wave employed successful quick screens throughout the night.
P.K. Yonge scored on its next drive, going 50 yards on seven plays, with Pedro closing out the drive on a 15-yard run and Barnett adding the point after touchdown. P.K. Yonge led 14-0 with 9:19 to go in the first half.
P.K. Yonge’s next score came after Small busted a 54-yard run from the Blue Wave 12. Small ran through several Indian tackles during the play.
Two plays later, Small spotted a wide-open Hayden Moore in the corner of the end zone, but Hollingsworth saved a touchdown by hustling over from midfield coverage and hitting Moore as the ball arrived, drawing a pass interference penalty. Two plays later, Moore scored on a 1-yard dive. Keystone’s Jeremy Miller blocked Barnett’s extra-point attempt, giving the Blue Wave a 20-0 lead with 1:31 left in the first half.
An interception gave P.K. Yonge the ball on the Keystone 43 with 1:02 left in the half. After an unsportsmanlike-conduct flag backed the Blue Wave up to its own 43, Hamilton blew past the Indian secondary, and Small found the Blue Wave receiver in the end zone, giving the home team its 27-point lead at the half, following Barnett’s extra point.
On Friday, Nov. 12, the Indians are at home for the first round of the Florida High School Athletic Association playoffs. The 7:30 p.m. game features a rematch with with week-four opponent, Umatilla, which the Indians defeated 68-13.
