ST. JOHN’S Fla. — It took a while Friday night for Ware County’s offense to get in synch with its defense, but when it did, host Bartram Trail couldn’t hold back the visiting Gators.
For the fourth straight game, seventh-ranked Ware County pulled away in the second half to claim victory, this one by a 21-14 score. The interstate battle kept the Gators record perfect at 4-0 entering this week’s open date while Bartram Trail fell to 0-3.
“I can’t say enough about how proud I am of these guys,” Ware County head coach Jason Strickland said. “To overcome the adversity we had with the offense to start and get this win going into the break is humongous.”
Bartram Trail, which won last year’s game in Waycross 43-42 in overtime, led 7-0 before the Gators responded in the second quarter to tie the score 7-7 at intermission.
The visitors had a touchdown in each of the final two quarters to pull out the win.
“I thought we started flat with not a lot of energy on offense or defense,” Strickland said. “But we found a way. The defense held us in there until the offense could find itself.
“Two weeks is a long time to go with a sour taste in your mouth (from losing).”
The Gators, ranked sixth in the latest Class AAAA poll, return September 19 for a homecoming game against Tallahassee Lincoln.
Quarterback Isaiah White was the catalyst for the win, running for two touchdowns and going 8for-11 passing for 158 yards. The junior had scoring runs of one and nine yards in the second and third quarters before running back Jamir Boyd, who ran for 141 yards on 17 carries, added the clinching touchdown with a 57-yard run midway through the final quarter.
Ja’Mario Rice had four receptions for 79 yards while Ja’Londi O’Hara caught three passes for 41 yards.
Running back Arthur Lewis ran 12 times for 100 yards and the Bears’ first score. Quarterback Coleson Baum had Bartram Trail’s other touchdown on a short run in the fourth period.
After the Bears forced Ware County to punt on the first possession of the game, they needed only two plays to take the lead. Taking over at the 20, Baum hit Braden Trujillo with a 26-yard pass.
Baum drew the Gators defense offside on the next play before Lewis broke free after taking an option pitch from Baum to complete a 49-yard touchdown run. Lucas Floyd added the conversion kick for a 7-0 lead with 7:46 left in the first quarter.
The teams exchanged punts before the Gators drew even early in the second period.
“Coach (Dante) Sapp and his guys put together a defensive gem,” Strickland said. “They held us in there until the offense could figure things out.”
Starting at its 14-yard line, Ware County used 11 plays and a key penalty on the Bears to tie it with 10:40 left in the half on a one-yard keeper by White and the extra point from Jeffrey Gonzalez.
White was 3-for-3 passing on the drive for 41 yards. The penalty in the possession was interference for a first down at the Ware County 45 on a pass intended for O’Hara, who was behind the Bears’ defense.
Neither team threatened the rest of the half leaving the issue deadlocked until the Gators finally broke on top for good late in the third quarter.
Ware County took over at its 43 after forcing a punt, and had the lead in just three plays. White teamed with Rice on a 50yard pass on the first play for a first down at the Bears’ seven.
White lost two yards on first down, but somehow broke out of a pocket of defenders in the backfield on the next play to turn an almost-certain sack into a touchdown. Gonzalez added the extra point, and the Gators were never headed.
Ware County needed just two plays to score what proved to be the winning points with 7:56 left in the game after forcing a punt. From their 36, the visitors got a six-yard run from Boyd on first down and a five-yard face mask penalty at the end of the play.
The senior skirted right end on the next play to cover the remaining 57 yards ahead of the conversion kick from Gonzalez for a 21-7 cushion.
Bartram Trail responded with its most impressive drive of the night, going 76 yards in 10 plays to draw within 21-14 on a two-yard run up the middle by Baum and Floyd's kick with 4:41 left in the game. Baum, a senior, was 5-for-5 passing in the drive for 67 yards.
The Bears still had a chance to at least tie the game after forcing the Gators to punt on the ensuing possession with 2:18 remaining. Taking over at their 26, the Bears lost seven yards on first down on a sack of Baum before the quarterback misfired on a second down pass.
Baum got the sack yardage back on a pass to Trujillo, but was incomplete on a fourth-down pass giving the ball to the Gators, who ran out the clock.
