FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Tiger Sharks advance to SSAC final with blowout win
Port St. Joe had little trouble getting through its Sunshine State Athletic Conference semifinal game against Jefferson County on Friday night, scoring touchdowns on every possession en route to a 49-14 victory.
The Tiger Sharks (6-1) led 21-14 at halftime thanks to a pair of short touchdown runs by Jacob Hopper and Aiden Gainer and a 60-yard touchdown pass from Colin Amison to Dakota Quinn.
They outscored the Tigers (0-6) 28-0 after halftime starting with a 15-yard touchdown run by Amison followed by an interception return for a touchdown by Trey Dockery and a 5-yard scoring run by Jabar Pearson.
Port St. Joe will next travel to Baker on Friday for the SSAC title game to take on an undefeated Gators (8-0) team coming off of a dramatic 26-25 win over Sneads.
However, first-year Tiger Sharks coach Tanner Jones said his team is more concerned with staying sharp and staying healthy for the following week's 1A playoff opener against Blountstown.
"We're 6-1 and you hope you can be 7-1, but if not it really doesn't matter," he said. "The game that counts is Blountstown in two weeks. We just have to make sure we're healthy getting into that game.
"Truthfully (Baker) is just another game. If you win the conference and lose the first (playoff) game you're done, and if you lose the conference and win the next week you'll still be playing. This is just a regular season game. We want to win, but at the end of the day it's not the one that makes or breaks you."
Marianna 34, NBH 14
The Bulldogs (6-3) made it four victories in a row while sending the Buccaneers (1-6) to their fifth straight defeat at Bozeman on Friday.
Giovanni Womble scored a pair of touchdowns to lead Marianna, with Troy Medlin, Trey Hysmith, and Antwuan Watford adding rushing touchdowns as well.
Marianna will next play at Chipley on Friday. North Bay Haven is back in Sand Hills next week to take on Bozeman.
Wakulla 21, Vernon 8
The Yellowjackets (4-1) suffered their first defeat of the season in their first game in three weeks on Friday night in heartbreaking fashion.
The 5A War Eagles (6-1) jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter on a 3-yard touchdown run by Jakari Ervin, but Vernon answered with a touchdown and a two-point conversion to take an 8-7 lead into halftime.
Wakulla went ahead for good when Desmone Greene hit Ervin for a long touchdown pass followed by a two-point conversion to Denzel Miller to make it 15-8 with 1:26 to play.
Vernon drove back down the field looking to tie the game in the waning seconds, but Justin Kilpatrick intercepted a Markus Hammack pass and returned it 95 yards for a score with 14 seconds on the clock.
Hammack finished 16 of 25 for 222 yards, while K'wan Powell rushed eight times for 118 yards and a touchdown. Powell also had seven receptions for 84 yards.
Other area scores
Baker 26, Sneads 25
Wewahitchka 30, Graceville 14
Northview 45, Chipley 13
Rocky Bayou Christian 22, Franklin County 21 OT