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Golden Eagles Corral Mustangs, Move on to Second Round

Fleming Island 28, Wekiva 14

By Mike Zima, Correspondent
Posted 11/13/19

Tim Thomas ran for 186 yards and scored two touchdowns, leading Fleming Island to a 28-14 victory over visiting Wekiva in a soggy Region 1-7A quarterfinal on Friday, November 9.

The Golden Eagles, …

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Golden Eagles Corral Mustangs, Move on to Second Round

Fleming Island 28, Wekiva 14


Posted

Tim Thomas ran for 186 yards and scored two touchdowns, leading Fleming Island to a 28-14 victory over visiting Wekiva in a soggy Region 1-7A quarterfinal on Friday, November 9.

The Golden Eagles, now 10-0, move on to a regional semifinal next Friday, November 16 at Niceville, a 31-10 winner over Tallahassee Chiles Friday night.

“In bad weather, it is important to have a strong running game,” said Fleming Island head coach Damenyum Springs.

Thomas supplied that running game and more, also leading the Golden Eagles with 99 receiving yards. The junior scored Fleming Island’s first touchdown on a screen pass early in the second quarter. Quarterback Dean Hyams took the snap in the shotgun, faked a handoff to wideout Will Stephens running across the formation, and then lofted a short pass to Thomas on the right side. Receiving the only block he needed from tackle Thomas Waters, Thomas coasted 67 yards down the right sideline.

“That was a play we put in for this game,” Thomas explained. “We thought they [Wekiva] would bite on the jet sweep fake, so I would be wide open.”

Thomas made one of the game’s most critical plays early in the third quarter. The Mustangs’ Asaad Waseem had seized the momentum for the visitors at the end of the first half with a six yard touchdown catch, cutting a 14-point Fleming lead in half. On the Golden Eagles’ first drive of the third quarter, Thomas burst through a gaping hole up the middle and sprinted 52 yards to the end zone, giving the hosts a 27-14 lead.

“I saw the Red Sea parting, and I just ran,” said Thomas. “The offensive line and my fullback [T.K. Kocak] did a good job blocking, so I can’t take the credit.”

Including a 22 yard kickoff return, Thomas amassed 307 all-purpose yards, averaging 11.4 yards each time he touched the ball. The Virginia native seemed to get stronger in the second half, running for 137 yards in the final two quarters as the Golden Eagles sought to drain the clock and protect their lead.

“Everybody looks good in the first and second quarter,” said Springs. “Our guys, including Tim, are trained to get stronger in the third and fourth quarters.”

Thomas’ heroics were supported by steady play by quarterback Dean Hyams and an outstanding performance by the Golden Eagles’ defense. Hyams was efficient despite a drizzle that began before the game started and increased to a light rain by the intermission, completing seven of 13 throws for 189 yards and three touchdowns. He would have had a fourth scoring toss had Bryan Maddox held on to a perfect throw on a fly route in the first quarter.

After a scoreless first quarter, Hyams got the Golden Eagles untracked in the second. First, he completed the screen pass to Thomas, tying the game after Wekiva had struck first on a three yard option run by Larry Preston. Then he connected with fellow senior Broden Domenico on a 12 yard slant route to give the Golden Eagles a 13-7 lead. Domenico had taken a few steps forward, faked to the outside, and then cut back inside of a bewildered Mustangs defensive back. On the next Fleming Island possession, Hyams floated a pass to T.K. Kocak streaking up the seam from his wingback position. Kocak reeled in the throw to complete a 46 yard score, pushing Fleming Island’s advantage to 20-7.

The Golden Eagles defense was dominant, shutting down the Wekiva running game on early downs and then pressuring the Mustangs’ Brenden Cyr into quick and errant throws with a relentless pass rush in passing situations. The Fleming Island secondary played mostly press man-to-man coverage, gambling that they would not get beaten on a deep throw.

“We blitzed a lot, meaning that the ball has to come out quick and we do not have to cover their receivers for very long,” said Springs.

Defensive linemen Jeremiah Jackson, Zach Little and Elijah Montgomery each had two tackles for loss as the Golden Eagles held Wekiva to eight yards rushing on 24 attempts. Meanwhile, the heavy pressure and tight coverage forced Cyr into 32 incompletions and two turnovers on 46 passes. Cornerback Darius Harris turned the game in Fleming Island’s favor, picking off a second quarter pass at the Mustangs’ 19 yard line and returning it eight yards to the 11. The theft led to Domenico’s touchdown catch and the Golden Eagles’ first lead.

Blanket coverage by free safety Isiah Blair on Waseem ended the Mustangs’ last legitimate chance to win the game, stopping a drive that had reached the Golden Eagles 12 yard line with 8:30 remaining. Blair then sealed the game with 2:35 left, intercepting a long pass at the Golden Eagles’ 16 yard line and returning it 47 yards.

Waseem, a freshman, led all pass catchers with 11 receptions for 117 yards. Wekiva finishes its season with a 7-4 record