It was a busy Friday night across St. Johns County, with district matchups, undefeated records on the line and a pair of county rivals facing each other.
St. Augustine remained unbeaten at 4–0, Ponte Vedra picked up its first victory of the season, Creekside won an all-St. Johns County matchup against Tocoi Creek, while both Bartram Trail and Beachside saw undefeated starts come to an end.
Here’s how St. Johns County’s high school football teams fared Friday, Sept. 11.
Friday night scoreboard
| Matchup | Final |
|---|---|
| St. Augustine at Middleburg | St. Augustine 48, Middleburg 6 |
| Ponte Vedra at Beachside | Ponte Vedra 24, Beachside 7 |
| Tocoi Creek at Creekside | Creekside 38, Tocoi Creek 17 |
| Mandarin at Nease | Mandarin 32, Nease 14 |
| Bartram Trail at Fletcher | Fletcher 30, Bartram Trail 7 |
| St. Joseph Academy at Old Plank Christian | St. Joseph 12, Old Plank 6 |
| Florida School for the Deaf and Blind at City of Life Christian | City of Life Christian 42, Florida Deaf 16 |
Pedro Menendez had the week off and returns to action Sept. 18 against Matanzas.
St. Augustine 48, Middleburg 6
There still isn't a blemish on the record for St. Augustine High School.
The Yellow Jackets improved to 4–0 with a dominant 48–6 road victory over Middleburg.
Chance Carter got St. Augustine moving early with a touchdown run, while quarterback Cash Downey connected with Ray'shawn Jeffries and Brandon Whitfield Jr. for first-half touchdown passes as the Jackets quickly took control.
St. Augustine also opened district play with a win, continuing an impressive start that has included victories over Palatka, Nease, Pedro Menendez and now Middleburg.
StJohnsFL School Guide: St. Augustine High School
Ponte Vedra 24, Beachside 7
One of the night's biggest local matchups featured Ponte Vedra High School visiting Beachside High School.
The game was tied 7–7 at halftime, but Ponte Vedra controlled the second half to earn a 24–7 victory — and its first win of the season.
Alexander Winkles scored the touchdown that put the Sharks in front, while Carter Sole connected with Cade Turner for a touchdown that helped seal the victory.
Beachside's Bennett Hunt scored an early touchdown for the Barracudas.
The result moved Ponte Vedra to 1–3 while Beachside fell to 2–1, ending the Barracudas' undefeated start.
StJohnsFL School Guides: Ponte Vedra High School | Beachside High School
Creekside 38, Tocoi Creek 17
Another county-versus-county matchup went to Creekside High School, which defeated Tocoi Creek High School 38–17.
Davis Baldwin powered the Knights with three rushing touchdowns, while Blake Weeks also reached the end zone.
Creekside improved to 3–1 overall and 1–0 in district play. Tocoi Creek dropped to 0–4.
StJohnsFL School Guides: Creekside High School | Tocoi Creek High School
Mandarin 32, Nease 14
Nease High School faced one of Northeast Florida's stronger teams Friday night, falling 32–14 to unbeaten Mandarin.
Shaunqueze Foster rushed for two Mandarin touchdowns, while Brysen Wright caught a touchdown pass from Knox Annis. Chris Harrison and Manny Cole also scored for the Mustangs.
The loss moved Nease to 1–3 overall and 0–1 in district play, while Mandarin remained undefeated at 3–0.
StJohnsFL School Guide: Nease High School
Fletcher 30, Bartram Trail 7
After opening the season with three consecutive wins, Bartram Trail High School ran into a tough Fletcher team on the road.
The Senators defeated the Bears 30–7, handing Bartram Trail its first loss of the year.
The Bears are now 3–1 after beginning the season with wins over Tocoi Creek, Middleburg and Bishop Kenny.
StJohnsFL School Guide: Bartram Trail High School
St. Joseph Academy 12, Old Plank Christian 6
St. Augustine's St. Joseph Academy pulled out a low-scoring road win, defeating Old Plank Christian 12–6.
Asher Glisson rushed for a touchdown and Jack Powers caught another key score as the Flashes improved to 2–2.
Florida Deaf 16, City of Life Christian 42
The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind fell 42–16 to City of Life Christian in eight-man football.
The Dragons started with a bang when Ochocinco Adams broke free for a 58-yard touchdown on the game's first play from scrimmage.
Michael Gross also rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown for FSDB.
Other Sports
Lightning washes out the main event at HOKA Nights of Thunder
St. Johns County cross-country runners traveled to Tallahassee Saturday for one of Florida's most anticipated early-season meets — the HOKA + Nights of Thunder Cross Country Fest at Apalachee Regional Park.
The event was designed to finish under the lights, with high school varsity races scheduled for 9 p.m. on the same course that hosts Florida's state championships.
Local programs including Beachside, Bartram Trail, Nease, St. Augustine and other St. Johns-area runners made the trip.
Some earlier races were completed, but lightning moved into the area before the featured varsity races and the remainder of the competition was called off.
Official results show completed junior-varsity competition while the varsity fields are filled largely
For the runners who had traveled hours for a 9 p.m. race, the cancellation could have made for a disappointing end to the night.
Beachside's team decided to make something out of it instead.
Hanna Antonelli, a Beachside junior and founder of the Beyond the Game Foundation, said the team maintained its spirits despite never getting the chance to race.
“We made the most of the situation with some great team bonding activities,” Antonelli said.
Beyond the Game focuses on athlete mental wellness and performance — making the response especially fitting on a night when athletes had to handle something entirely outside their control.
Sometimes the weekend sports lesson isn't found on the scoreboard.
Sometimes it's what the team does when there isn't one.