FORT WHITE – Six weeks ago, the game script seemed similar for Newberry football. On August 30, the Panthers fell behind 7-0 early to Hawthorne.
In an emotional rivalry game, the Panthers never recovered and lost 32-7.
Friday night, Fort White jumped out to a 7-0 lead over Newberry. Tempers flared. Emotions were high. This time, though, the Panthers rallied.
They rattled off 25 unanswered and defeated the Indians 25-7 in Fort White. The win is NHS’s fourth in five games and brings their record back to .500 after a loss to Bradford last week.
Jayden Jackson made it challenging for the Panthers. The dynamic Fort White QB/WR/DB, who holds five FBS offers, took some snaps behind center and an RPO tripped up Newberry.
“Our guys settled down,” coach Ed Johnson said. “They did everything we talked about during the week. They communicated well and tackled in space after that first drive.”
Fort White was just flat out of sync the rest of the game. It failed to reach 100 yards rushing or passing.
Anyone at the game, whether Newberry or Fort White supporters, knew penalties ruled the game. It was an ugly display on both sides. NHS accounted for 24 penalties and 215 yards. FWHS stood at 15 for 148. Many of the infractions were personal fouls, and it got so heated near the end that Columbia County Sheriff deputies decided to not allow the handshake line.
In the postgame huddle, Johnson emphasized to his squad the Panthers talent, but penalties can’t get in the way, especially with an impactful rivalry game next week vs. Williston.
“They’re teenage boys. The adrenalin gets going, and they start fighting each other a little bit,” Johnson said. “Thank god it didn’t get too bad, but we both got to control our emotions moving forward.”
A good number of Newberry’s top runs were called back due to holding, but the Panthers still rushed for over 300 yards. Kaleb Woods ran the show per usual, but Johnson released an X-factor in the form of Darius Debose. The coach knew the defensive end by nature could run, but he chose to withhold it due to his importance on defense. That embargo ended Friday, and it unleashed a new element to the Panther offense.
“Darius brings a totally different element to the game,” Woods said, “He can get physical and be more of a downhill back.”
Debose said he’s preached to Johnson all season to let him play.
“I used to always tell them, let me go in the block,” Debose said. Sometimes I wanted to be an offensive buffer.”
The two, along with Jamarcus Wimberly, offer three completely different styles.
“We all work together as a group. We all got our specialties and our different play styles,” Debose said.
Johnson thinks it could serve as the difference maker for Newberry as the playoffs approach.
“You got to play great defense and run the ball in the playoffs, so hopefully it helps us out as we move forward,” Johnson said.
The win itself moves the Panthers forward in a big direction. Newberry sits currently at No. 7 in Class 2A-Region 2. They’re 75 spots ahead of No. 9, and a win Friday night means the team likely needs to beat Williston or Trinity Catholic to earn a playoff bid.
It’s a mentality the Panthers haven’t faced in recent years, and one Johnson hopes to embrace.
“Every week is a playoff game, so hopefully we win these next two, and we’ve got a little experience going into the playoffs.”
Fort White is in greater trouble. It entered Friday at No. 15, 32 spots over No. 17 Port St. Joe. The Indians likely need to beat Hamilton County and Baker County to clinch a spot in the top 16.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Newberry football’s increased maturity shows as Panthers fend off early deficit to roll past Fort White
Reporting by Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
