A deep playoff run will most likely mean an eventual long road trip to another part of the state and the Ponte Vedra Sharks proved that they have what it takes with a 27-14 victory over IMG Academy White on Oct. 24.
The Sharks (7-2) made the nearly four-hour road trip to Bradenton, which head coach Steve Price scheduled as a nice test and a dress rehearsal of sorts for what the Sharks could face in the postseason.
Well, the Sharks passed the test with flying colors as they jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead and never looked back.
The Ascenders (5-3) had no answer for Brian Case running the ball, which has been a common theme for Sharks’ opponents this season, as he finished with 139 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries for a whopping seven-yard average.
Drew Price added a pair of touchdowns passing to Caleb Stanton and Jack Berquist. He completed eight passes in the game to six different receivers, including sophomore Tucker Henderson joining the mix by hauling in a 38-yard pass, just his second reception of the season at the varsity level.
Junior defensive end Reece Beck continues to find his groove with the Sharks’ defense and has popped a lot in recent weeks and that was the case once again.
Beck had three of the Sharks’ six sacks on the night and was also credited with two more quarterback hurries, four tackles for a loss and recovered a fumble.
Also, part of the sack brigade were Talan Babin, Ryker Kemp and Martin Geary.
Babin’s big night did not stop there, as he also finished with seven tackles, three for a loss.
The Sharks will wrap up the regular season at home against the Creekside Knights (5-4) on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. The contest will be senior night with several festivities planned to honor the seniors in possibly their last game in the Shark Tank.
