Ponte Vedra Downs Broncos In Downpour, Sharks Hand Middleburg Their First Loss

Middleburg Fl- In a show of explosive offense and territorial dominance, the Ponte Vedra Sharks delivered a statement win Friday night, downing previously unbeaten Middleburg Broncos 41-14 in a torrential down pour. The victory snapped Middleburg’s 6-0 run and solidified Ponte Vedra’s standing as a serious threat in their district.

From the opening quarter, the Sharks looked sharp. They struck early behind a hard-nosed run by Alex Winkles, who burst into the end zone for the contest’s opening touchdown. He finished the game with 90 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. That early punch set the tone, as Ponte Vedra showed energy and execution from the sideline to the line of scrimmage.

The Broncos attempted to counter, and they did when quarterback Mason Bacus hit Jordan Williams on the slant for a long touchdown. Althogh Ponte Vedra led 13-7, Middleburg seemed to be building momentum to get back into the game.

Yet the Sharks defense responded to that momentum by making Middleburg one dimensional. Their usually reliable attack was stifled entering the second quarter, yielding key stops and turnovers that swung momentum back to the Sharks. The Sharks’ offense kept pressing, with balanced drives that mixed inside runs and play action passes to keep Middleburg off balance. JP Dolan would score on the ground for the Sharks.

Ponte Vedra built a comfortable cushion and forced the Broncos into desperation mode. The Sharks continued to pour it on in the third quarter, punctuating drives with touchdowns that highlighted their depth of playmakers.

Meanwhile, Middleburg’s offense, which in prior weeks had looked nearly unstoppable, sputtered under pressure. Their few big plays were either stalled by solid coverage or negated by penalties. Ponte Vedra’s Fionn Day led the team with 10 tackles and 2 interceptions on the night. Ethan Holmes and Dolan both had sacks. Cooper Sobiecki also had an interception.

In the fourth quarter, with the defense handling their business and the game well in hand, Ponte Vedra never let up. They added more points to stretch the lead while the Broncos struggled to regain footing. The Sharks finished with with 212 passing yards and 107 rushing yards in the victory. Cole Rosenthal accounted for all the passing yards and 2 touchdowns. One to Davitt Doherty and the other to Jack Berquist.

The 41-14 final line reflected a Sharks squad that executed with precision when it mattered the most. Ponte Vedra and head coach Steve Price improve to 5-2 and 2-1 in the district. They host Orange Park next week. Middleburg fell to 6-1, 1-1 in the district and host Beachside next week.

Photos by Heather Isbell

About the author

Andre' Ellis, Founder/ Lead Writer DuvalSports.com Florida Times Union All-City 1998,LB, Sandalwood Florida A&M Unv, BA , MBA