September 7, 2012

Corey Davis
FlaVarsity.com

SOCIAL: Follow on Twitter | Friend on Facebook

Follow @FlaVarsity

Not a FlaVarsity Premium subscriber? FlaVarsity costs just 27 cents a day and you get access to the entire Rivals.com network! To get a free seven-day trial, click here..

PONTE VEDRA-Chances are Cole Mazza won't likely forget his 18th birthday.

The senior tailback from Ponte Vedra broke two school records on his way to leading host Ponte Vedra to its first ever win over county rival Bartram Trail with a 32-31 win at the Shark Tank.

Billed as the County Road 210 Clash, the annual game lived up to its billing as a game to watch this week.

Trailing 31-25 with under two minutes remaining in the game, senior quarterback Matt Deegan guided his team to a game winning drive in the final seconds.

Deegan found junior tailback Sam Fielder wide open in the end zone on a inside slant play as the clock expired to give the Sharks a come from behind 32-31 win on the game's final play.

"We just put that play in two days ago," Ponte Vedra coach Mike Lloyd stated. "The play called was H-X, a designed swirl option read route play. It was designed to go to 18 (Eric Smith) but he saw 7 (Fielder) wide open."

The play almost didn't happen though as Deegan scrambled for a 5-yard run to the 3-yard line with the clock ticking and failed to get out of bounds.

Deegan hurried his team to the line and spiked the ball with two seconds left. Officials gathered around to discuss the play allowing the Sharks one final play.

Officials had numerous problems with the clock throughout the drive and the last four minutes of the game.

On the final drive, Mazza - who has offers from Western Kentucky, Georgia Southern, Elon, Western Carolina, Wofford, Colgate, Stetson and Bethune Cookman - gained 19 of his school record 150 yards on a school and career record 34 carries.

. The historic nearly didn't happen as the Sharks saw an early 9-0 lead quickly turn into a 17-9 halftime deficit and 31-19 third quarter deficit.

Both times though the Sharks rallied back as they scored on the first possession of the second half on a Connor Federico 26-yard field goal cutting the lead to 17-12 and again on Deegan 10-yard run late in the fourth cutting the lead to 31-25.

Deegan, who finished 17 of 30 for 254 yards in just his second start, teamed up with Smith 10 times for 109 yards, was a lethal combination on the night along with Mazza carries.