St. Augustine FL- It was an emphatic exclamation point on an undefeated season for Gamble Rogers, as the Stingrays defeated the defending champion Murray Bulldogs 20-0 to win the SJMSAA Championship. The Stingrays and Coach Matt Potak cap a perfect 11-0 season with a dominating performance on both sides of the ball.
On special teams, Gamble Rogers would recover a fumble on the opening kickoff to set the tone for the game. Cason Blanco recovered the fumble and stayed on the field to lead the offense.
The Murray defense was able to stop Gamble Rogers on downs and get the ball on their 25 yard line. Yet disaster would strike early for Murray, when they fumbled the ball on a running-play that was recovered by Gamble.
It didn’t take long for Gamble to make them pay. Julian Quintero rushed for a big gain for a first down. Then Zander Martin powered the ball down to the one yard line on two consecutive runs. Cason Blanco would score the first touchdown of the game on the next play sneaking the ball into the end-zone as Gamble Rogers led Murray 7-0.
Murray attempted to get their offense going behind running-back Devonte Lyons. He got a first down on a powerful run to jump start the Murray offense. However, Gamble Roger’s defensive back Frankie Morabito would stop any momentum the Bulldogs tried to gain when he intercepted a pass and returned it deep into Bulldog territory.
Gamble Rogers was quickly on the board after a big run by Martin, followed by a run by Joseph Soto. Blanco would finished the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game as Gamble Rogers led 14-0 in the second quarter.
Murray attempted to move the ball yet frustration gripped their players. The result yielded costly penalties for the team that made navigating the aggressive Gamble Rogers defense impossible. Kani Harris, Gage Anderson, Peyton Conley and company made sure to stop the the advances of Murray play makers like Marquis Sams. A fumbled snap gave Gamble the ball and they would capitalize on the turnover.
Gamble would score their third touchdown on their next drive, a long pass from Cason Blanco to Frankie Morabito as the Stingrays took a 20-0 lead in the St. John’s County championship game. Murray would head into halftime with a little momentum when Kyon Wilcox intercepted a pass as time expired.
The second half saw Gamble control the clock on the ground and play field position. They would lose their leader, Cason Blanco to a nasty face-mask which injured his back, however, his defense would step up in his place.
To secure the shutout, the Stingray defense stepped up big on the goal-line. After Murray got big plays from Sams and Lyons, Gamble Rogers would force an incomplete pass on fourth down ending the game and starting the celebration.
Gamble Rogers won their second championship in three years with a team that dominated the competition. Yet it wasn’t just on the field practice that the helped the team achieve success. Coach Potak and staff instituted daily study halls for homework, and pregame meals in middle school football. Said Potak, ” I’m so proud of the community , not just the kids but the entire team in all phases of the game”.
