Tallahassee FL- Bolles jumped out to a quick 7-0 when Kade Frew took a handoff 60-yards on the second play of the game to get the scoring off and going. However, that would be the last Bolles touchdown until the last two and a half minutes of the game.
Quarterback Brody Palhegyi’s precision in short passes moved the ball efficiently. He would throw for 358 yards and 4 touchdowns. Clemson wide receiver signee Troy Stellato caught two touchdown passes, as Cardinal Gibbons captured their second state championship.
From the start of the second quarter, it would be all Cardinal Gibbons. A patient and methodical offense from Gibbons schemed it’s way to first down after first down. Palhegyi would hit Jesse Anderson with a 4-yard pass for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.
Bolles defense looked sluggish and Palhegyi picked the secondary apart. After the Bolles offense was forced to punt, Palhegyi found Stellato from 7 yards out for a touchdown as Cardinal Gibbons took a 14-7 lead into halftime.
A barrage of penalties plagued Bolles in the first half, yet in still they were in striking distance of Cardinal Gibbons trailing by just one score. Bolles switched it up on offense putting Caden Fordham at quarterback. The Bulldogs moved the ball with direct snaps in empty formations. Yet on third and short Bolles was unable to convert and was forced to punt.
With Bolles trailing 14-7 midway through the third quarter, the Cardinal Gibbons lead ballooned to 28 points within one quarter. Kamari Moulton took a screen pass 32-yards for a touchdown. Then scored from 4-yards out on a run in the fourth.
Troy Stellato often ran free in broken coverage and Bolles seemed to have no answers. leading 28-7 Stellato scored on a 10-yard pass to put the game out of reach, his second score of the game.
Bolles showed some life in the 4th quarter however, as Davis Ellis would return a kickoff for a touchdown. Bolles would recover the ensuing kickoff, and a pass from Gunner Boree to Davis Ellis would put Bolles on the goal line. Kade Frew would punch it in from 2-yards out to bring the final score to 35-21.
Cardinal Gibbons finished the season 8-1, and before their championship win, the #25 team in the nation. Maxpreps also has them listed as #3 in the state of Florida.
Bolles would finish with a 10-3 record on the season and back to back state runner-up trophies. Though it may not be the ending the Bulldogs envisioned, not many saw Bolles reaching the last game played in Class 4A in the first and second years of Coach Matt Toblin coaching tenure. They’ll look to reload with key pieces in hopes of getting back there next year.
