By Eugenio Torrens
The Carrollwood Day (CDS) football team took an early lead against Class 2A-District 5 rival Admiral Farragut (AFA), but the Bluejackets came back thanks to power running to win 49-41 on Sept. 30.
The Patriots (3-2) went ahead 22-0 after the first quarter behind all-purpose threat Robert Davis. The junior tallied 296 rushing yards on 19 carries, added a 98-yard kickoff return and finished with five total touchdowns.
AFA (4-1) started running the ball more after the first quarter and wore down CDS — whose players mainly play both offense and defense.
Leading the way for the Bluejackets was running back Todd Macon. The junior knew he had to step up his game when teammate Cortavious Green’s season ended after tearing his ACL.
“They always told me, you’re in somebody’s shadow,” said Macon. “I had to get out of that shadow.”
He got out of that shadow to the tune of 252 yards rushing yards and four touchdowns.
“When you get down that big, you just got to take it one play at a time,” AFA coach Chris Miller said. “We fought and clawed our way back into this game.”
CDS got on the board first when quarterback Deuce Gruden ran in from 10 yards out, and Davis busted loose on a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of its next possession.
The Bluejackets offense continued to stall, and a fumble recovered by Patirot Kalle Wilwant gave CDS great field position. Davis scored on a 1-yard run.
Things continued to get worse for the Bluejackets when Davis picked off a ball in the end zone.
“That’s probably my best play of the game,” Davis said. “It felt so good. Not many interceptions come my way.”
The Patriots were unable to capitalize and gave the ball back, punting from their own 5-yard line and setting up AFA with good field position.
Napoleon Maxwell carried the ball twice for 27 yards to breathe some life into the Bluejackets offense. He finished with 141 yards and two touchdowns.
Davis responded with a 55-yard run to put his team up 28-7.
With just more than five minutes left in the first half, AFA scored a string of three touchdowns.
Davis sandwiched halftime with a 98-yard kickoff return and a 73-yard touchdown run to start the third quarter.
“Their running back, Davis, is an absolute man,” Miller said. “I told him I can’t wait to watch him play football on Saturdays, because he’s going to have a special career.”
Macon continued to pound the ball, finishing with 145 yards after halftime. His last score was a 37-yard run that gave his team the winning cushion.
“We knew our season was on the line, and we didn’t want our season to be over, so we gave it our all,” Macon said.
Davis’ numbers served him no consolation in the loss.
“That’s the most heart-breaking thing you’ll ever go through playing football,” Davis said. “You have good games, you have horrible games, but when you’re up and you lose something like that, it takes a little part out of you. It makes you never want to lose again.”
CDS travels to Canterbury on Friday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.
