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Broncos in playoffs!

Last time in playoff was 2003

Randy Lefko
Posted 10/20/16

PONTE VEDRA – Middleburg High football coach Karl Smeltzer was visibly emotional to the point of holding back tears after his Broncos’ defeated defending district 3-6A champion Ponte Vedra Nease …

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Broncos in playoffs!

Last time in playoff was 2003


Posted

PONTE VEDRA – Middleburg High football coach Karl Smeltzer was visibly emotional to the point of holding back tears after his Broncos’ defeated defending district 3-6A champion Ponte Vedra Nease Friday night in Ponte Vedra.

“When you go 0-10 and you think you have a plan, you start to wonder if the plan was any good,” said Smeltzer. “The kids bought into the plan despite the 0-10 last year and have put together a surprising season.”

The Broncos earned a berth into the region playoffs for the first time since 2003 and can grab a district 4-6A title with a win over St. Augustine in a week. Middleburg has a BYE week this week before playing St. Augustine on October 28.

Just to add a nugget on playoff intel, in district 3-6A, Niceville and Crestview, the top two teams in that district and the probable first round region opponents for either Middleburg or St. Augustine, are both still undefeated. Niceville plays Crestview October 28. Niceville was the 2015 region 1-6A finalist that beat St. Augustine in round one, before losing to Tate in the final. In 2014, Niceville beat Oakleaf 35-0 in the region 1-7A final en route to a 7A runnerup finish. Crestview is new to the unbeaten season ranks going 5-5 last year and 3-7 in 2014.

District 4-6A

St. Augustine (6-1, 2-0) Beat White 45-6, Nease Oct. 21

Middleburg (4-3, 3-0) Beat Nease 20-6

White (2-4, 1-2)

Nease (1-4, 0-2) Nease at St. Augustine Oct. 21

Englewood (1-6, 0-2) Beat 5A-Wolfson 28-26

Middleburg, ironically, was district 5-3A runnerup to Clay in 2003, and advanced with a region playoff win over Palatka (54-28) before losing 45-22 to Dunnellon. Clay beat St. Augustine and North Marion to advance to the region final where Dunnellon won 26-19.

Middleburg High’s defense stood out against Nease with safety Travis Hupp snagging two interceptions and blocking a punt as Nease scored on their first offensive series, but only got as close as the Bronco 22 yard line for the rest of the game.

In the first quarter, Nease forced a Middleburg punt from the Bronco 17 that put the Panthers at midfield. Nease orchestrated a 10-play scoring drive off quarterback runs from 6-foot-3 Leighton Alley. Alley ended the drive with a seven yard run with 5:18 left in the quarter.

Middleburg answered the Panther score with Bronco quarterback Garrett Blanchett executing a near-flawless read-option off left tackle from 25 yards out to tie the game. Kicker Matt Oliver’s PAT kick put the Broncos ahead with just 30 seconds in the stanza. Tailback Robert Lowder, the Broncos leading rusher with 119 yards took three handoffs from the Nease 42 to the 25 before Blanchett kept the ball on the option to score. Lowder had a 45 yard scamper in the second quarter that put Middleburg at midfield, but the drive stalled at the 47.

The 7-6 score stuck until the halftime break with Bronco cornerback Antwan Stone snagging an interception at midfield and defensive end Carvin Duverge ending the half with a monster sack also at midfield. Bronco safety Alituan Temoney, on an outside blitz, caught Alley in the backfield and forced a hurried throw that earned an intentional grounding flag for Nease. Temoney’s play came after Stone was nabbed with a 15 yard pass interference flag on the previous play.

In the third period, Smeltzer went for an onsides kick that produced a massive scrum in front of the Middleburg sideline. After a lengthy referee powwow, Nease was awarded the ball.

Hupp would answer the questionable call with his first interception off a tipped slant pass attempt to put the Broncos on the Nease 34 yard line.

Lowder hopped on a train to the Panther 18 to set up Blanchett and the Bronco offense with an excruciatingly complex 10-play series that netted just 20 yards with numerous penalty flags on both sides keeping the ball in limbo. At the Nease one yard line, Middleburg fullback Alex Joe did his best Bo Jackson swan dive over the Nease defense for a second Bronco score. Oliver’s kick was blocked but Middleburg was up 13-6 with 6:53 left in the quarter. Blanchett executed a key 11 yard scamper on fourth and five at the Nease 23 to keep the drive alive.

As the fourth quarter approached, Middleburg got two breaks with a flag on Nease for 12 men on defense preventing a fourth and five punt from the Bronco end zone and a third and six pass to Stone pushing the Broncos into Nease territory as the fourth quarter started.

Smeltzer would again go Vegas on a fourth and four near midfield, but punt fullback Shad Taylor was swarmed in the Bronco backfield on the fake punt attempt.

With Nease smelling blood in the water with the demolition of the fake punt, it was Bronco defensive noseguard Dylan Hanna blowing up the first play on the series for an eight yard sack and Duverge hurrying Alley into an incompletion on third down.

On the Nease punt attempt from the Panther 35, Hupp came in all alone off the left side of the Nease offensive line and smothered the kick toward the Bronco sideline. Safety Andrew Thomas won the scramble to the ball and covered the loose piggie just inside the sideline at the Nease 24 yard line.

Lowder made a skillful spinning catch of Blanchett’s option pitch and turned the near-disaster into a 13 yard gain where two plays later Joe bashed in from six yards out to up the score to 20-6 with 6:49 still on the clock.

Nease did not look to just walk away and settled in with a massive air assault on the Bronco defense in hopes of a couple of quick strikes, but it was Hupp a second time who thwarted the momentum with a sideline tip of a long pass near midfield. In the prior play, Middleburg’s other outstanding defensive end, Andrew Austin, got into the sack game on third down to put Nease in a must-throw down for Hupp’s heroics.

Hupp was not through with adding to his area leading interception total of five when on the next drive. Bronco defensive coach Alan Burnsed continued to throw a Greyhound busload of pass rush at Nease with Duverge, Austin, Brent Caviness and Joel Enriquez creating massive havoc in the Nease backfield.

After a flag for a late hit, Nease had life at their own 44 yard line with 1:32 left in the game, but Hupp came up big again on the sideline with his second pick to quell the Panther faithful and give Joe three handoffs to end the game.