GREEN COVE SPRINGS - Fleming Island High quarterback Cibastian Broughton did what Cibastian Broughton is supposed to do, but it did take a bit of time to get there as the Fleming Island High Golden Eagles overcame a 13-3 Clay lead at halftime to win a thrilling 30-20 season opener over the host Blue Devils. Broughton, though, in a bit of frustration on one and a bit of showmanship, was hit with two unsportsmanlike flags and ejected in the fourth quarter.

According to Fleming Island athletic director Travis Cunningham, the school will appeal so Broughton will not miss action next week against Riverside High.
Broughton may have been a bit frustrated also because Clay came out and built a 13-3 halftime lead with the Blue Devil front line of Omar Goosby and Aaron Stacy keeping Broughton stuck in his passing pocket for most of the first half.
"It was a little bit of nervousness coming out in the first half, you know, this is a tough place to play in and the weather wasn't helping," said Broughton, a senior who recently committed to play at Akron next fall. "We wanted to put up 30 points here and it took us into the second half to get it done. We got lots of speed."
For Clay coach Kyle Kennard, who saw his team blast away in the first half, the second half was a bit of a grind as his two-way players started to feel the game.
"I feel bad because this game came down to stupid penalties on third down and we got a lot of kids going both ways getting a little gassed in the second half," said Kennard. "It's an emotional game and we didn't respond to their mishaps when they scored and got their flags in the second half."
For Fleming Island football, with a tumultuous few final weeks of deciding who would be head coach with Chad Parker being removed and interim head coach Derek Chipoletti in Ireland on a planned vacation, it was long-time defensive coach Chris Otero who stepped in to lead the Golden Eagles into the Clay High tiger's den.
"We started slow in the first half, but the kickoff after halftime (Trace Burney 85 yard return to Clay 28) got us amped up and a play like that helps to get a team going," said Otero. "They stepped up on us in the first half, but we adjusted. I love a game like this for the kids because both sides have been friends and teammates on Pop Warner for a long time."
For Otero, a question of taking over the program in the future seemed appropriate for the nature of the position thus far.
"I got a lot to learn before I decided to be a head coach of football," said Otero, who is head track coach for Fleming Island. "I did for the team this time. We have plenty of good people on the sideline."
Broughton used his speed weapons; Sebastian Cruz and Trace Burney, part of the Golden Eagles' fourth place 4 x 100 track relay team, to exorcise the demons of the Blue Devil first half with explosive plays throughout the second half including a third period opening kickoff from Burney that put Fleming Island in the Clay red zone right out of the lockers and a 50 yard dash to paydirt by Cruz.
"I wanted a second shot after my run, but we went the opposite direction," said Cruz, who had his 50-yarder in the third period negated by a penalty flag. "I got mine a little later though."
From the opening quarter, Clay looked like a giant killer behind the quarterbacking of junior Landon Chadwick, selected just hours before kickoff to be the starter, who efficiently kept the Blue Devil offense on the field for nearly the entire first quarter.
"I found out today; just before pregame, that I would be the starter for this game," said Chadwick, competing with sophomore Landon Martin all summer for the quarterback slot. "I was confident just coming in, executing my game and using my teammates."
Clay opened with some up-front strength added to the offensive line scheme with defensive line stalwarts Omar Goosby and Aaron Stacy lining up as tight end/wing positions to aid them in the blocking and the move opened some pathways for running back Lavaris Roberts to break into the Golden Eagle secondary early.
"We were mixing up quick passes to Antonio (Thomas) and runs from Lavaris through the tackles in that first drive," said Chadwick. "Our line was moving their guys out."
Clay struck first with a defensive stop at the Fleming Island 34-yard line with 1:14 left in the quarter.
On first down, though, Cruz nearly picked off a Chadwick to Thomas pass, but after three plays Thomas got the catch but short of a first down to give Fleming Island the ball at their 31.
A fumble recovery by Clay's Derek Martin put the Blue Devils' offense back on the field at the Fleming Island six-yard line as the second quarter began.
On first down, Javaris Roberts, Clay's 235-pound linebacker, got a push from behind by Goosby to land in the end zone and put Clay up 6-0 with Cruz blocking the point after a kick by Ethan Bellamare.
With Goosby and Stacy keeping Broughton in his passing pocket, the Golden Eagles were slow to move on offense with a sack by Dominic Swilley giving Broughton a third and 26 from midfield and a fourth and 16 for Fleming Island.
Starting at their own six with seven minutes to halftime, Lavaris Roberts broke away for a 62-yard scamper to the 35-yard line where Cruz tracked him down to prevent a quick touchdown.
The next play, Thomas caught a swing pass from Chadwick and hoisted his touchdown pass to a wide-open Daylen Brown at the Fleming Island 10 Brown walked into the end zone for a 13-0 score.
"We just put that in this week," said Kennard. "A game like this, you have to have a play like that in the playbook."
Surdivan would hit a 35-yard field goal to leave the half at 13-3.
In the third period, after Burney ripped his kickoff return to the Clay 28, Fleming Island quickly got on the board with Cruz going left to paydirt to 13-10 with Surdivan's kick with 10:46 still in the third.
On Fleming Island's next series, Cruz would rip a 50-yard scoring scamper, but the touchdown was negated by a penalty flag and Fleming Island would restart at the Clay 42.
On the next play, Burney would be wrestled away from a Broughton pass by Mekeise Battle at the Clay 10 with fans looking for a pass interference flag, but officials hit Fleming Island with an ineligible receiver flag instead. A Goosby sack made a third and 11 for Broughton who evaded a near-sack from Swilley to hit Burney downfield but Burney bobbled the ball away.
On Clay's next series, Bellamare shanked a punt from a hard rush from Fleming Island's 6'-5" Jarius Rodgers to put the Golden Eagles at the Clay 33. Clay held to a third and seven before Broughton fumbled the center snap amidst three more penalty flags; two against Clay: facemask and unsportsmanlike, to put Fleming Island at Clay's eight-yard line.
Cruz would follow Kevin Reyes to paydirt and a 17-13 Fleming Island lead with 2:27 left in the third.
Fleming Island kept running the ball behind fullback Demhir Jackson and Broughton with both scoring. Broughton would score and celebrate and get charged with a second unsportsmanlike flag and get ejected from the game.