In baseball, a “fielders choice” consists of a play where a batter reaches base safely, because the defense tries to get out another baserunner. The defense’s attention is fixed on one player, while another player makes them pay by scoring. Well, in Nease’s win over rival Ponte Vedra Friday, it wasn’t a fielders choice, but it was a “Felder’s Choice” as wide receiver Brayden Felder scored two touchdowns to lead his team in receiving.
The Panthers opened up with wide receiver Maddox Spencer catching a precision pass in the corner of the end zone from quarterback Nate Harry, giving Nease an early 7-0 lead. Spencer picked up where he left off last year, as the Duval Sports First Team Prim Time Player led the area in receiving in 2023. With Spencer performing at a high level early, his play syphoned the focus of the Ponte Vedra’s defense, opening up an opportunity for another wide receiver to have a big night.
Maddox Spencer gets Nease on the board first! @DuvalSports
— Asia 📸✨ (@amaye_) August 23, 2024
Nease- 7
Ponte Vedra- 0
8 mins left in 1st quarter pic.twitter.com/ZlYjgfoClw
Tied 7-7, and as the first quarter came to a close, Nease’s Brayden Felder restored the Panther’s lead with a diving catch in the end zone, sparking momentum for the rest of the game. Felder wasn’t finished yet, scoring his second touchdown just before halftime, increasing Nease’s advantage to 21-7. It was a “Felder’s Choice” in the first half as the junior wide-out capitalized on matchups to make Ponte Vedra’s defense pay.
Although Ponte Vedra fell behind early, they showed they could quickly respond to scores. After Nease’s first touchdown, the Sharks responded with a touchdown from running back Brian Case, tying the game at 7-7. Case was one of the area leaders in rushing in 2023. He looks like he will have another great year for the Sharks.
After halftime, Ponte Vedra sought to regain control, but the Panthers defense was relentless. Joe Miracle sealed the deal with a game-changing interception, snuffing out any chance of a Sharks comeback. Nease added a field goal by Tyler Ghazanfari to extend the final score to 24-7.
Nease has been handling their weight on both ends of the ball! #6 Joe Miracle with an interception to keep the lead 24-7 at the top of the 4th quarter @DuvalSports pic.twitter.com/RCID0cVyqz
— Asia 📸✨ (@amaye_) August 24, 2024
Nease head coach Colin Drafts prepared his team effectively for the upcoming season opener. His team was sound on defense, holding Case to under 100-yards rushing, holding Price to just 100-yards passing with no touchdown passes, and holding Ponte Vedra to just one score.
Equally as prepared was quarterback Nate Harry, who tossed three touchdown passes in the game. Harry replaced senior quarterback Bryce Frick who graduated last year. The Panther passing attack is back, and looks better than ever with Harry leading it. Friday was a “Felder’s Choice” for Harry, who found his wide receiver Brayden Felder twice.
The Nease Panthers made a strong statement in their Week 1 matchup against the Ponte Vedra Sharks, kicking off the 2024 season with a 24-7 victory. With the win, Nease has won two games in a row, and three out of the last four contests against Ponte Vedra. Nease (1-0) will travel to play Creekside next Friday, while Ponte Vedra (0-1) will have another battle on the road as they travel to play Bartram Trail (1-0).
