PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Week 0 was supposed to be a preview of what could be ahead for two Northeast Florida football teams, and Ed White and Nease did not disappoint.
Playing at Ponte Vedra High School because construction is underway on Nease’s stadium field and Ed White was performing maintenance on its stadium lights, the Commanders and Panthers traded big plays, hard hits and momentum swings before weather forced coaches to agree to end the game.
Nease struck first after a botched snap on an Ed White punt resulted in a safety, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
The Panthers quickly added to their advantage when Enrique Ordonez found the end zone to make it 9-0.
Ed White answered with a long touchdown run. Quarterback King Boylston used several keepers to help the Commanders get into the end zone, cutting the deficit to 9-8 with 7:10 remaining in the first quarter.
From there, both defenses stiffened.
Ed White recovered a Nease fumble, continuing a physical defensive effort. The Commanders were hitting hard, including a big hit by Josiah Bryant.
Nease answered with pressure of its own. Nick Blount recorded a sack, while the Panthers blitzed four straight times during one series.
After both teams traded blows, Ed White’s record-setting offense began to find its rhythm.
The Commanders scored the most points in FHSAA regular-season history in 2025, and that explosive ability was on display again.
Boylston delivered a beautiful pass to Demetrice Hugger, who went high for the touchdown. Ed White took the lead, and the Commanders continued to lean on their physical rushing attack.
Rontrez Loyd then pounded the rock on consecutive runs, helping Ed White move down the field before finishing the drive with another touchdown. The Commanders pushed their lead to 22-9.
Nease responded.
Aiden Phifer connected with Tyshawn Ford on a strike for a touchdown, cutting the Ed White lead to 22-16.
Then came two plays that silenced the crowd.
Boylston first connected with King Mercer on a long pass. Moments later, he went deep again, this time finding Mike Hinton for another explosive touchdown.
Just like that, Ed White had extended its lead to 30-16 heading into halftime.
Boylston, who has committed to Navy, was confident in what he saw from the Commanders’ offense.
“When we are clicking I feel we are the best offense in the nation” Boylston said after the game.
Nease refused to go away.
Ordonez scored his second touchdown of the night, showing why the Panthers’ running back is one of the players to watch this season. Ordonez rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season and appears poised for another big year.
Nease cut the deficit to 30-23 in the third quarter before weather brought the contest to an early conclusion.
While the final score will not count toward either team’s regular-season record, the Week 0 matchup served as a valuable measuring stick.
Both teams are coming off seasons in which they showed they can compete at a high level, and both have their sights set on returning to the playoffs and advancing further.
For Ed White, the performance was especially encouraging.
“I was very pleased with our physicality on the offensive line and our defense,” Commanders head coach Lawrence Johnson said after the game.
The Commanders will now turn their attention to Week 1, when they face Trinity Christian. Nease will open its regular season against Creekside.
Week 0 may not count in the standings, but both teams gained something valuable from the night — experience.
It counts next week, and both teams got better tonight.
