St. Johns FL- Seven is the number of completion in biblical terms. It’s also the winning number in the dice game of craps. So it may or may not be a coincidence, that when Bartram Trail needed to win their game Friday night versus Buchholz, they executed a 7 minute drive culminating in a Harry Bowker touchdown run, which eventually propelled the Bears to a 38-35 victory.
After falling behind 14-0 to visiting Buchholz, Bartram’s dynamic offense woke up. After the Bobcat’s Jakhai Mitchem scored twice on running plays midway through the first quarter, the Bears began to air it out as Bowker found his receivers Griffin Helm and Gunnar Hitzeman on big passing plays. The drive would end in a touchdown when sophomore running back A.J Jones burst right up the middle for the 11 yard score to begin the second quarter. The run would pull Bartram to within 7-points of Buchholz. 
Bartram would cut the lead to 14-10 with a field goal, however Buchholz would quickly increase it when quarterback Camden Orth scored on the QB sneak to push the score to 21-10 in the second quarter. The score would temporarily demoralize the home crowd as Bartram failed to capitalize on several first half opportunities for points. Including a missed field goal and dropped interception. Trailing by 11 going into the third quarter, Bartram came out of halftime like they just had an espresso from a 7-eleven convenience store. Bowker connected with Gunnar Hitzeman on a 30 yard touchdown pass to make the score 21-17. After a defensive stop, Bartram’s running back Devin Ellison (Georgia Tech Commit) scored on a powerful rushing touchdown to give the Bears their first lead of the game 24-21.
Buchholz was not finished, as Camden Orth hit his big target Trent Whittmore for two big catches on a Buchholz 3rd quarter scoring drive. The Bobcats retook the lead 28-24 over Bartram. The back and forth affair continued when A.J Jones would score a second time in the contest, giving Bartram a 31-28 lead with 9 minutes remaining in the fourth. 
The Bartram defense would hold deep in their own territory forcing an incomplete pass on fourth down for the Bobcats, yet there was still just over 7 minutes remaining in the game as Bartram clang to a 31-28 lead. From their own 20 yard line, Bartram went on an amazing 18-play, 80-yard drive, with only rushing plays. Senior running back Devin Ellison and sophomore running back Aaron (A.J) Jones took turns grounding and pounding the Bobcats into submission. On 3rd-and 4 during the drive, Jones was overheard asking head coach Darrell Sutherland to cancel a pass play and to keep running the ball. The result was a first down as the Bears kept matriculating the ball down the field. Bowker would score his touchdown run with just 1:25 remaining on the clock, an amazing display of old school offensive football by a new age passing Bartram offense.
Camden Orth quickly drove Buchholz down the field and scored with just :17 seconds remaining in the game, making the score 38-35. However, Bartram would recover the on-sides kick to secure the win, and guarantee a three-way tie in district 3-7A with themselves, Oakleaf, and Buchholz.
Final! Bartram 38 Buchholz 35! pic.twitter.com/mzT1KSeqeC
— Duval Sports ™️ (@DuvalSports) October 27, 2018
It was a great team win for Bartram spear-headed by three big performances on offense by #24 A.J. Jones 13 att-73yds-2TDs, #22 Devin Ellison 13 att-72yds-1TD, and #4 Harry Bowker 16 att-23 comp-205yds-1 Pass TD- 1 Rush TD-0 int. Their excellence in executing the 7-minute drive, kept their district title and playoff hopes alive and well, to be decided by the FHSAA point system at seasons end.
Up Next:
Bartram Trail (6-3, 3-1) at Nease (3-6).
Buchholz (6-3, 3-1) vs Alachua Santa Fe (5-4)
Oakleaf (5-4, 3-1) at Ocala Vanguard (9-0)
