Macclenny Fl-The kickoff to the NEFAC middle school football season saw Baker County roll over visiting Oakleaf Junior High (Clay County) 44-14 to start the 2023 football season. The game was a rematch of the NEFAC championship last fall ,that saw Baker County defeat Oakleaf 10-0. The Jackets were hoping to sting the Bobcats early in the season with a loss, and early on it seemed as if they would be successful in doing so.
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After stopping Baker County on their first drive, Oakleaf went to work on offense. Their first play they went up top for 20-yard pass connection from quarterback Amari Green to wide receiver Landon Nichols.
After several runs by up the middle which moved the ball deep into the red-zone, Oakleaf found themselves with 4th and goal from the Baker County 5-yard line, when Green hit Josiah Isaac on an accurate strike in the end-zone for the game’s first touchdown. The 2-point conversion was good, and The Jackets led 8-0.
Unfortunately for Oakleaf, that would be their last score until the 4th quarter as Baker County scored 36 unanswered points. On the ensuing drive, quarterback Nate Welch would start the second quarter leading his team down the field.
The drive culminated in a strong run off tackle by Detron Ruise who broke several tackles and followed the blocks of his offensive line for the touchdown. The 2-point conversion was good, as the score was tied up 8-8 in the 2nd quarter.
Next, Baker County’s defense would step up to stop Oakleaf. Nate Welch made a key open field tackle on 3rd down, very impressive as he also served as the team’s quarterback.
Jabron Elliott would then sack Green on a 4th down pushing Oakleaf back and getting the ball back to his offense. Elliott also saw time at full-back rushing for a couple of 2-point conversions.
With the ball back on offense, offensive coordinator Coach Tucker Roberts decided to go back to pounding the rock and Ruise was the pounder. Behind big offensive tackle Jackson Girardo, Ruise would rumble for his second touchdown virtually un-touched, giving his team a 16-8 lead after the 2-point conversion going into halftime.
The second half saw the other two phases of the game break the contest open for Baker County. First, Oakleaf would be forced to punt the ball to Gary Mosley who responded with a spectacular punt return for a special team’s touchdown.
Leading 24-8 in the 4th quarter, a 6th grader would score on defense for Baker County, as safety Brandon Arnold intercepted an Oakleaf pass and weaved his way to the end-zone for a 30-yard pick-6
Ruise would add another rushing touchdown in the game, showing why he’s an exciting player to watch this year. His cousin (Jaymodd Ruise) was a Duval Sports 2021-2022 Prime Time Player, and currently attends Savannah State.
Oakleaf would score late with a kickoff return in the game. However it wasn’t enough for a comeback, as Baker County closed out the scoring and the game 44-14.
Baker County and Oakleaf both showed they have reloaded with lot’s of talent. In addition to the players aforementioned, Baker County’s #11 Delynno Ruise, and Oakleaf’s #11 Chris Gage showed exceptional tackling ability. They were two of many players that made lots of plays on the field for boh teams.
This is just the start of the season, and it’s a long one, but chances are that these two teams will see each other again down the road.
