ORLANDO – It’s been 45 years since the Bishop Moore called themselves champions in football. Now they are your Class 5A State Champions after a heart-stoping 37-34 victory over Wakulla on Friday afternoon at the Citrus Bowl in front of their hometown crowd of over four-thousand patrons.
The Hornets hang their hat on a physically imposing run game with an active front seven, and that’s what the formula for success entailed for Bishop Moore on the afternoon–to a certain extent that is. The game actually featured two Hornets’ touchdowns via the pass from Collin Hartmann to Rayshad Lewis–both of whom took home Co-MVP’s of the game. Lewis–the son of ESPN’s Ray Lewis, was an absolute beast on the afternoon for B-Moore totaling 239 all-purpose yards out-dueling the nationally-heralded combo from Wakulla of QB Feleipe Franks and WR Keith Gavin.
Both teams’ QB’s thew for two touchdowns on the afternoon, with the UF-committ in Franks finishing with 179 yards on 12-of-18 passing. Hartmann ended the day with 128 yards passing completing 13-of-16, but it was his legs that took the toll on the War Eagles Defense as Hartmann lead the Hornets in rushing on the afternoon with 59 yards. Franks actually missed a 50-yard field goal at the end of regulation that would’ve tied the game, but the kick–with plenty of distance nonetheless–was wide left at the start and never corrected itself.
Bishop Moore (14-1) got the scoring started with a 31 yard pass from Hartmann to Lewis in which the wide receiver beat the coverage at the line and Hartmann led him perfectly to the corner of the end zone with the throw to cap a 9-play, 80-yard drive and take the lead 7-0. The War Eagles responded instantaneously with a 5-play, 59 yard drive that took less than two minutes off the clock when Keith Gavin hauled in a 37-yard pass from Franks to tie the game.
Wakulla (13-2) moved their noses ahead when Franks hit Gavin while the WR was doing his best Randy Moss impersonation on the fade route–Gavin beat two defenders at the high point and was able to get his body down in the end zone to help put the War Eagles in front 14-7 with just under four minutes to play in the first quarter. The touchdown was set up by the second of back-to-back fumbles by the Hornets.
Trilion Coles tied it up for the Hornets midway through the second quarter with a 1-yard rush to cap off a short field drive courtesy of a Zander Zimmer blocked punt that put the Hornets in perfect position to get points. The War Eagles responded yet again like a heavyweight fighter with a go-ahead touchdown from Brandon Berry to lead 21-14. Following a Jake McIntyre 21 yard field goal for Bishop Moore, the score was 21-17 heading into the break.
The points were at a premium in the third quarter with a safety and a scoop-and-score tallied. Feleipe Franks was called for intentional grounding while in the end zone which brought the Hornets to within a deuce at 21-19 with just over three minutes to play in the quarter. Less than two minutes later, Wakulla’s Jake McCarl picked up a Hartmann fumble and took it 44 yards to the house. What proved to be an important sequence, the War Eagles were unable to convert the two-point conversion and lead 27-19.
The Hornets went on their second 9-play, 80-yard drive of the game that was ended by a textbook corner fade thrown by Hartmann to Lewis from 25 yards out. The Hornets converted their two-point try and the game was back to where it started–tied, but at 27-27. Following a 48-yard field goal from B-Moore’s McIntyre, the Hornets were back in the lead for the first time since the opening drive. The War Eagles–you guessed it–responded with a touchdown–Berry’s second of the game from 21-yards out to put Wakulla ahead 34-30 with 4:55 remaining to play. Time for one more drive from the Hornets and following an 8-play 62 yard drive that ended with a Trey Page 18-yard run and McIntyre extra point to put the Hornets ahead 37-34.
After some tense moments, Bishop Moore’s Charlie Rask picked up a crucial sack on Franks and the War Eagles were able to matriculate the ball into position just inside the Bishop Moore 35, but that’s when Franks pulled the 50-yard field goal left and sent the Hornets into a championship celebration.