BY DAN HILDEBRAN
West Nassau produced 327 offensive yards, leading to a 42-10 win over the Indians in Keystone Heights.
The Warriors’ trio of running backs, Gaven Carter, Skyler Freeman, and Smo Green, ran for over 60 yards each.
Keystone’s first drive looked promising, with the Indians driving 52 yards in 14 plays to the Warrior five. From there, Tyler Sapp hit the left upright on a field goal attempt, but the ball ricocheted between the uprights, and Keystone got on the board first with a 3-0 lead.
However, the Warriors answered with an 11-play, 55-yard drive of their own, culminating with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Pryce Arnold to Colby Gay. However, Andi Ataiza’s run for the two-point conversion fell short, and the Callahan-based team had to settle for a 6-3 lead.
West Nassau scored again just before the half on a 30-yard gallop by Freeman. Arnold’s 2-and-a-half-yard run for the 2-point conversion was good, and the Warriors took a 14-3 lead into halftime.
West Nassau got the ball to open the second half, and it only took the Warriors three plays to extend their lead to 18.
Carter broke free for a 43-yard sprint from the West Nassau 48 to the Keystone 9 and then gained seven more yards on a subsequent rush before Ataiza finished the drive with a two-yard rush with 10:39 left in the third quarter. Kevin Sheppard’s extra point was good, and the Warriors took a 21-3 lead.
Keystone’s kicking game produced the team’s only other score when Kyle Perkins picked up a dropped punt reception from a Warrior player and took the ball into the endzone. Sapp added the PAT, pulling the Indians within 11 with a 21-10 score.
But the Warriors came right back with Arnold hitting Gay on a 32-yard post pattern and the junior wide receiver hitting paydirt. Sheppard’s extra point was good, and the 6-1 Warriors’ chances of improving to 7-1 looked favorable.
The Callahan Crew took their 28-10 lead into the fourth quarter and wasted no time putting more distance between themselves and the home team, engineering an 8-play, 60-yard drive capped with a 5-yard scoring run by Green. Sheppard added one more, and the Warriors had a 35-10 lead.
West Nassau’s final score came after recovering a Keystone fumble, which gave the Warriors the ball on the Keystone 24. Three plays later, Green ran in from the 10, and Sheppard concluded the night’s scoring with another successful kick, giving West Nassau a 42-10 win and improving their record to 7-1.
Keystone goes on the road this week to face winless Santa Fe in Alachua at 7:30. The Raiders have been outscored 214-30 this year and have not scored in their last four games.
