Middleburg Fl- After jumping out to a 10-0 lead Friday night, Middleburg (6-0) found themselves in a storm with rival Orange Park (1-5) as the Raiders scored 14 unanswered points to take the lead 14-10 at the beginning of the third quarter.
After a safety, and a Jaden Boyd fumble return for a Middleburg touchdown, the Broncos looked as if they would burst the doors open in the District 3-5A contest. Middleburg’s defense had only given up 6 points all season to this point, and that point total looked safe after the first quarter.
However in the 2nd quarter Orange Park would come storming back, when quarterback Dawson Smith completed a 45-yard pass Alexavier Fennell for a touchdown to get the Raiders back in the game. Still. Middleburg led at halftime 10-7.
The torrential down pour of points didn’t stop there, as Dawson Smith took off for a 66- yard rushing touchdown for Orange Park. Smith was running the zone read at times tonight, and on this play showed why he was a dangerous threat on the ground. Orange Park led 14-10 in the third,
Middleburg would weather the storm and respond. They drove down the field on an incredible 8 minute scoring drive that resulted in Carson Stewart taking it in for a rushing touchdown. Brock Araujo added the extra point as the Broncos regained the lead 17-14 going into the fourth quarter.
Middleburg’s defense would come up big with a crucial fourth quarter stop on Orange Park’s ensuing drive, giving the ball back to the Middleburg ball control offense. The Broncos did the rest, going on another long drive which ended in a touchdown by Carson Stewart passing to Mason Zwilling.
The storm had passed for Middleburg, and the aftermath resulted in a 24-14 victory. It wasn’t easy as the Broncos yielded their most points all season, and found themselves trailing for the first time in 2024. Yet, the team showed that they could handle uncommon circumstances battling back for the win to remain undefeated.
The Broncos head into their toughest stretch of the schedule where they will face Ponte Vedra, Beachside, Fleming Island, and North Marion. All teams with winning records. For Coach Ryan Wolfe this win was important because it gave them the jumpstart in district play that was needed, and kept the momentum of one of the few undefeated teams left in Northeast Florida.
