ORANGE PARK, Fla. — Orange Park High School found itself in an early hole Friday night at Hoyt B. Cotney Stadium, trailing Atlantic Coast 14-0.
But the Raiders refused to stay down.
After falling behind by two touchdowns, Orange Park erupted in the second half, scoring 27 unanswered points at one point and turning a slow start into its first victory of the season, defeating Atlantic Coast 27-16.
The win moves Orange Park to 1-2 on the season, while Atlantic Coast falls to 0-3.
A Tale of Two Halves
Atlantic Coast controlled the opening half.
At the end of the first quarter, Josue Laguerre punched the ball into the end zone on a touchdown plunge, giving the Stingrays a 7-0 advantage.
End of 1st qtr Atlantic Coast gets the TD plunge from Josue Laguerre and lead Orange Park 7-0 @ACHSRecruiting pic.twitter.com/YL9jxMIjRa
— Duval Sports D1 (@DuvalSports) September 3, 2026
Atlantic Coast extended the lead when Jon Thompson broke through the Orange Park defense, bounced to the edge and raced down the sideline for a touchdown. The score put the Stingrays ahead 14-0.
Entering the game, Atlantic Coast was still searching for its first win after losses to Fleming Island, 33-0, and Mandarin, 50-9.
Jon Thompson races around the end for the Atlantic Coast score! Stingrays up 14-0, 2nd 10:59 over Orange Park pic.twitter.com/9JiAuhTCyb
— Duval Sports D1 (@DuvalSports) September 3, 2026
Orange Park was also looking to erase a difficult start. The Raiders had opened the season with losses to Jackson, 41-0, and Oakleaf, 46-6.
For Orange Park, the second half became a completely different game.
Special Teams Spark the Comeback
The Raiders’ comeback began with one of the biggest plays of the night.
Julian Still broke through and blocked an Atlantic Coast punt. Corey Johnson scooped up the loose ball and raced into the end zone for a touchdown.
WOW JULIAN STILL PUNT BLOCK!!! Scoop and score! Corey Johnson takes it to the endzone! Orange Park has come out of halftime HOT! We're tied 14-14,3rd 6:33 pic.twitter.com/Pu3fzlx0Dt
— Duval Sports D1 (@DuvalSports) September 4, 2026
Suddenly, the Raiders had life.
The special-teams touchdown cut the deficit to 14-7 before Orange Park quickly found another gear.
Still wasn’t finished.
On Atlantic Coast’s ensuing possession, Still came up with an interception, giving the Raiders another opportunity to seize control.
Atlantic Coast’s defense initially answered the challenge, turning Orange Park away and keeping the Stingrays within striking distance.
But the Raiders continued to pressure the Stingrays.
Xzavier Jones powered his way into the red zone, putting Orange Park in position to tie the game.
Then came the equalizer.
Daeveon Williams finished the drive with a touchdown on a tush push, cutting the deficit to 14-7 in the third quarter.
Moments later, Orange Park’s comeback was complete.
Raiders Take Control
With the momentum firmly on their side, Orange Park continued its offensive assault.
Austeen Mills found the end zone, giving the Raiders their first lead of the night at 21-14 heading into the fourth quarter.
Orange Park had gone from trailing 14-0 to leading 21-14 in a matter of one half.
Austeen Mills Touchdown! Orange Park has taken the lead for the first time in the game!! 21-14! We're headed to the 4th! pic.twitter.com/exY9yMGKof
— Duval Sports D1 (@DuvalSports) September 4, 2026
And the Raiders’ defense made sure the lead would hold.
Malpress Takes Over
One of the defining individual performances of the night came from Atlantic Coast defensive end Desmond Malpress, a Clemson commit.
Malpress repeatedly found ways to disrupt Orange Park despite the Raider’s attempts to slow him down with double teams, quick passes and different blocking schemes.
Early in the fourth quarter, Malpress batted down a pass and then came right back to block another Orange Park punt.
The blocked punt resulted in a safety, cutting Orange Park’s lead to 21-16 with 8:50 remaining.
Malpress wasn’t finished.
Later in the fourth quarter, he recorded another sack that forced a fumble, giving Atlantic Coast possession but putting tremendous pressure on the Stingrays’ offense.
His ability to consistently affect the game became one of the major storylines of Atlantic Coast’s quest for their first victory of the season.
Defense Finishes the Job
Atlantic Coast continued to battle, but Orange Park’s defense repeatedly came through when it mattered most.
Senior linebackers Bryson Pinkston and James Waters, along with senior strong safety Kendrick Baldwin, delivered sure tackling throughout the second half and helped prevent the Stingrays from turning their opportunities into points.
With just 1:37 remaining, Christopher Wilson came up with a huge sack on fourth down, forcing a turnover on downs and giving Orange Park the ball with a 21-16 lead.
That essentially sealed the victory.
Orange Park then put the finishing touches on the comeback.
Williams connected with Bellamay on a 35-yard touchdown pass, sending Bellamay into the end zone and putting the Raiders ahead 27-16.
That touchdown ended the scoring and officially gave Orange Park its first win of 2026.
‘We Were Tired of Losing’
After the game, Bellamay said the Raiders’ experience and senior leadership helped fuel their second-half turnaround.
“We are a team that’s senior heavy, so we all rallied and said, let’s lock in and go out and win the game.”
Williams echoed that sentiment, saying the Raiders’ frustration with their first two games ultimately brought the team together.
“We were tired of losing. Everyone was tired of losing, so tonight we decided to come together in the second half and play for one another and win.”
Orange Park did exactly that.
After being outplayed early and trailing 14-0, the Raiders responded with toughness, timely defense and explosive special-teams plays to rally for a 27-16 victory.
The win gives Orange Park a much-needed first victory and sends the Raiders into their next matchup with renewed momentum.
What’s Next
Atlantic Coast (0-3) will look for its first victory when the Stingrays face Sandalwood on September 11.
Orange Park (1-2) will look to build on its breakthrough victory when the Raiders take on Clay.
For a team that entered the night searching for answers after two lopsided losses, Orange Park found one Friday night:
Fight back, play for one another and finish.
