East Lake’s Artavis Scott flys high like an Eagle
This Big County Preps Contributor last week covered the Steinbrenner Jamboree where Kezio Snelling 2015 WR/KR put his team on his back after trailing 14-0 by scoring on two kickoff returns and added a rushing TD to lead Steinbrenner to a 22-21 comeback win over Alonso. “Who Knew?”, when I selected the Osceola at East Lake game that 2014 ATH Artavis ‘Tay’ Scott would top Kezio Snelling’s spring performance.
With the Eagles down 13-0 with 4:52 left in 1st Quarter, Scott got right to work on the comeback with an untouched 90-yard kickoff return TD of his own, then after a quick 3-and-out by Osceola, Tay went untouched on a 55-yard punt return TD which put East Lake up 14-13 at the 2:00 mark of 1st Quarter. Tay was far from done, in the 2nd Quarter he scored on a 66-yard TD reception from 2015 QB Jake Hudson then on the last play of the half scored on an 89-yard TD pass from 2015 QB Brandon Swift for an East Lake 28-13 lead. In only 4 touches in 1st half, Scott had 4 TDs, 155 receiving yards and 145 return yards; that’s 300 All-Purpose Yards in a half!
Since I seem to be a Returner’s lucky charm, I am officially taking requests to cover the fall kickoff classic for any Returner who thinks they can top Scott’s and Snelling’s performances.
Osceola built the 1st Quarter 13-0 lead on a solid 80-yard opening drive that featured a 25-yard punishing run by 2014 RB/LB Quadarius Patterson and capped off by a 10-yard keeper by 2016 QB Ryan Allan then on East Lake’s 1st drive 2015 ATH Wilan Harvey intercepted Jake Hudson’s pass and returned it 24-yards for a TD. Wilan Harvey would also go on to run the ball 10 times for 64 yards and add a 24 yard kickoff return. Patterson would finish the game with 16 carries for 104 yards breaking many East Lake tackles along the way.
Besides Scott heroics, East Lake had contributions from 2014 RB Weston Fordham with 7 carries for 60 yards, 2014 DE Hunter Snyder’s 2 sacks, 2015 RB/LB Dylan Renaker’s fumble recovery, 2014 OT Mason Cole lead run blocking even 20 yards down the field and 2015 QB Brandon Swift who went 3-5 with 106 Yds Passing including that near perfect 89-yard TD strike that hit Tay Scott in stride on the last play of 1st half.
All three East Lake Sophomore QBs, Jordan Leston, Brandon Swift, and Jake Hudson, battling for the Eagles starting QB job saw playing time, with Swift having the better game on this night.
Osceola’s 2014 RB Jamil Morris did not play, still recovering from shoulder injury, but is expected to be back by the fall.
East Lakes’s 2014 LB Brendan Goettel was also held out with injury, Goettel is one of the top returning tackles leader in the state.
JV squads played the 4th Quarter with a final score of 39-29 East Lake win.
Article by Don Haggard