GREEN COVE SPRINGS - Clay High tailback Keyjuan Davis was stopped just inches short of the end zone as the Clay High Blue Devils nearly rocked the north Florida football world with a thrilling come-from-behind second half that ended with a 44-43 loss to district 5-5A's Pedro Menendez High School. Menendez came to Green Cove Springs as a returning region playoff team with a 3-2 slate; losses to St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra, set to yawn through the 0-5 Blue Devils.

Did not happen that way.

"No matter what, we are a team and it says C-L-A-Y across our chests," said Clay coach John Stilianou. "I’ve never been more proud of a team. They fought and they clawed their way back in. Monday, we get back to work.”

Clay, behind 226 yards rushing with four scores from sophomore Al'Querious Ray and 114 yards from Davis, rallied back from a 17 point deficit to tie the game before a Davis Wildcat on the left side was denied, ending the game in a 44-43 heartbreaker.

“You don’t play that hard and not deserve to win,” said Stilianou. “We just can’t get a break right now; we just can’t get the ball to bounce our way.”

The Blue Devils would get down quickly 17-0 in the first quarter before going into halftime 31-17 with a bit of momentum.

Whatever Stilianou told his team and adjusted to at the break showed, as a different Clay team took the field in the third quarter.

In the third quarter, Clay would use a one-two punch of Davis and Ray to march the ball downfield. The move capped off with a Ray Wildcat touchdown to tie the game at 31-31 with :37 ticks left in the third.

After a huge Clay sack by Alex Maier, the Falcons would again attempt a fourth down run and succeed.

On the next play, Falcon quarterback King Benford scrambled, found a hole and took it to the house to put Clay behind 37-31.

On the point after, the Falcons would attempt a fake kick which was picked up immediately by the Blue Devils and swallowed up to hold the Falcons at 37 points.

The Falcons would continue the trickery with a failed onside kick that never traveled 10 yards.

Starting on the Menendez 48, Clay had Davis go outside once, then came back to Ray up the middle, then back to Ray around the left side where he found a 46 yard runway straight to the endzone to tie the game back at 37-37 with 8:10 left to play.

“I never have to question the resilience of these guys, or their character," said Stilianou. "They are going to show up, they are going to represent.”

Two missed field goals by Clay's Tucker Reape and a vicious sack from linebacker Alex Maier kept Clay in the hunt for the district upset.

In the overtime, Menendez needed three plays to finally punch through, and stayed safe with a kicked point after to go up 44-37.

On the Blue Devil first play, Ray’s number was called up the middle where he drove for two yards, but was hurt on the play.

“Just at the wrong times, this guy goes down, or that guy goes down just as we need them. We can’t make excuses, we just need to keep showing up and fight our way out of it," said Stilianou.

Davis would shoulder the load and use a Falcon unsportsmanlike penalty, take a second and five run, again hooking around the left side to get Clay within a point of Menendez.

With Ray still out, and the last two kicks blocked, Davis was stopped, denying Clay the point after attempt and keeping Clay still winless after gutting out a huge come from behind tie.

Friday night, Clay will travel to Bolles to take on the 5-1 Bulldogs, now coached by two former Clay High coaches; Matt Toblin and Joshua Hoekstra.