Fleming Island wins first-ever district title

Friday's final:

Fleming Island 28, Buchholz 21

The story is becoming quite a regular script.

Fleming Island High School's football team falls behind. Quarterback Ryan Aplin starts throwing footballs, and his receivers catch them. Running game pounds out yards. And before you know it, Fleming Island's band is energetically playing the school song to celebrate another win, and the Golden Eagles are swaying to the music right in front of the band.

Just don't call it boring.

The Golden Eagles, establishing a piece of school history with every game, overcame a 14-0 deficit Friday night and totaled 401 yards of offense in a 28-21 victory over Gainesville Buchholz that gave Fleming Island its first-ever district championship.

Celebration? Senior offensive linemen Zach Pierce and Justin Noles took great pleasure in grabbing the Gatorade bucket and splashing the stuff all over Fleming Island offensive coordinator Derek Chipoletti.

Two weeks ago, the Golden Eagles spotted Orange Park a 24-point lead, then rallied for a 35-31 win for Fleming Island's first-ever playoff berth and its first-ever win over the Raiders in football. And now this. The Golden Eagles, who have won four straight to win District 3-5A, will play host to Winter Park Lake Howell in the playoffs on Nov. 16 (they end the regular season next week by playing host to West Port in a non-district game).

Fleming Island head coach Neal Chipoletti could hardly find the words to describe the happy scene Friday night as a group of school cheerleaders danced across the field at Fleming Island Stadium, chanting, "District champs! District champs!"

"I still can't ... just unbelievable," said Chipoletti, describing the Golden Eagles as the best team he has ever been around.

Meanwhile, senior quarterback Ryan Aplin stood at midfield, his younger sister Carlie running over with a big smile to hold his hand.

"You can't describe this feeling," Aplin said.

After falling behind 14-0 less than four minutes into the second quarter, the Golden Eagles went to work. Aplin threw for 280 yards, including a 54-yard strike to Dee Friesen (6 catches, 133 yards) that set up a game-winning 6-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Montory Bellamy with 5:32 left in the game. After a slow start in which the Golden Eagles attempted to establish a running game against Buchholz, Aplin completed four of his last seven passes in the first half for 124 yards, including a 43-yard TD pass to Austin Sweatt. He completed four of his first five passes in the second half, as the Golden Eagles scored on their first two possessions to take a 21-14 lead.

"We didn't turn Ryan loose until we were two touchdowns down," Chipoletti said. "Ryan just ate them to pieces."

Meanwhile, Fleming Island's defense stepped up. After the Bobcats scored touchdowns on two of their first three possessions (their first possession ended in a lost fumble), the Golden Eagles put up a wall. Cornerback John Harrington prevented two Buchholz scores with pass-breakups near the end zone. Tommy Polk intercepted a pass. And in the third quarter, Fleming Island held Buchholz to a net 6 yards.

The only Buchholz touchdown in the second half was set up by a fumble. Antwan Hughes scored on a pair of 2-yard runs and Arnette Hughes rushed for 95 yards, but he was held to 39 yards on 11 carries in the second half.

After Bellamy's second TD of the night finished off a snappy 2-play, 60-yard game-winning scoring drive for the Golden Eagles, Buchholz marched down to the Fleming Island 45-yard line. But that was about it. Arnette Hughes was stopped for no gain on third down, then was slammed to the ground by Fleming Island's Addison Denny and Mike Patrick on fourth down after a 2-yard gain, far short of a first down.

All that was left to do for the Golden Eagles was to run out the next 1:28, and start swaying to the band music.

GAME SUMMARY

Buchholz 7 7 0 7 -- 21

Fleming Island 0 7 14 7 -- 28

B: Antwan Hughes 2 run (Brad Phillips kick)

B: Jameil McLeod 15 pass from Kevin Prindle (Phillips kick)

FI: Austin Sweatt 43 pass from Ryan Aplin (Nathan Branz kick)

FI: Aplin 1 run (Branz kick)

FI: Montory Bellamy 2 pass from Aplin (Branz kick)

B: Antwan Hughes 2 run (Phillips kick)

FI: Bellamy 6 run (Branz kick)