MIDDLEBURG - Middleburg High football got their biggest shot in the arm Friday night with their amazing finish against Clay, but the fate of #Horsepower will be for that same team to dial in that Columbia High football does not care what happened last Friday.

Take what happened last Friday in Columbia, a surprising 35-31 win over Bolles, and a football fan only has to think Are the Tigers that good, or is Bolles on an off year?
I am sure Broncos' coach Ryan Wolfe, who has faced the iconic coaches of Columbia; Danny Green, Brian Allen, Craig Howard and the whole list of stalwarts that have made the Tigers program the winningest high school in Florida history.
By the way, the record against Middleburg? 10-0 for Columbia.
"All I know is that most guys down 33-7 would have tapped by halftime," said Wolfe, as he revealed in Friday's astounding 26-point second half and his team's defensive effort to capitalize on Clay's superb first-half effort; 33-14 at the half. "Not this team, not these guys. We have been in this spot before and keep the fight."
Two guys that highlight the "keep the fight", are linebacker Austin Cruce and defensive end Tucker Cody. Two guys that, at Clay, absolutely did not slow down until the final whistle.
Quarterback Jaydan Jenkins, playing in the shadow of big brother Jaylen, who was one of Clay's all-time greatest playmakers in their era of deep playoff runs, was undeterred by the aura of the same Blue Devil Stadium that his brother influenced.
Friday's game against Columbia could simply be one of the greatest games in the history of Clay County; much like Fleming Island' Frank Hall beating Bolles and Corky Rogers; Derek Chipoletti beating Fletcher a second time in the same season to stay unbeaten and Keystone Heights' Chuck Dickinson putting 50 points on the board in his first playoff win after nearly a decade of playoff invites.
"We always had to play Starke or Titusville Astronaut and never won one," said Dickinson, now retired from football, but still athletic director at Keystone Heights. "We were always in the first game, just never won it. That's why the Bradford County games are such a big rivalry because they kept us out most of the time. They were the team I always wanted to beat."
Around the county, Keystone Heights got a sterling offensive explosion in their 31-28 win over Crescent City with Tyler Sapp nailing the game-winner as time expired. Quarterback Baylor Ford threw for nearly 200 yards and had two long scores; one a 70-yard to Wyatt Van Zant and running back Cartez Daniels workhorsed 30 carries for 160 yards and two scores. Defensive end Jayden Goodman broke the game open with a blocked punt for a touchdown. Indians' coach Steve Reynolds is getting traction with his team and if they sneak into the playoffs with a win over Palatka (5-1, 58-0 over Central High, 1-5 out of Brooksville) and maybe P.K. Yonge (3-3, though with losses to Hawthorne and Union County) in their final, the Mudge "air-attack" factor could be critical.
Clay (4-2) must regroup and be ready for a three-game district slate with road games to Menendez (2-5) and Matanzas (4-2), then a home bonanza against St. Augustine (6-0) with Oakleaf the final.
Whatever happened in the second half on Friday, coach Kyle Kennard still has solid players that punch the time clock to work. Now is not the time to stray from Blue Devil hats to the ball mentality.
Fleming Island coach Chad Parker knew his schedule would be tough and he got a big dose of tough from Lake Minneola, but life gets no easier with Mandarin, Creekside, then Buchholz, all three having power seasons, on the flip side.
One win or three losses by close scores could be crucial for playoff hopes. Buchholz is the big target and they too face three biggies the next three weeks with Oakleaf, Bartram Trail then Fleming Island. A hiccup by both teams in this three-game slate is lethal.
Oakleaf plays as monstrous a schedule as they have ever had and sits as dangerous a team with a losing record as any. Coach Chris Foy has the football knowhow to corral his troops and get to basics to finish his season and, with the District of Doom coming into play, Oakleaf (Buchholz, Madison County, Bartram Trail) and Fleming Island control both destinies. As Yogi Berra famously said, "It ain't over till it's over."
At this point, Ridgeview at Orange Park is for recovery rights as both teams have faltered despite athletic lineups on both ends. This could be a late breakout for either team to finish the season on a positive note. Ridgeview senior running back Rayhn Hutchinson has proven that he is a legit ball carrier with three 100-plus games against defenses that know he is getting the ball.
Orange Park answers with junior tailback Joshua Johnson in what could make the game a track meet if both let 'er rip on Friday.