Marion County football highlights: Dunnellon gives new coach Tommy Sutton a Week 1 victory
New coach. New quarterback. Same result.
The Dunnellon football team’s first game with coach Tommy Sutton leading on the sidelines and Dylan Curry leading in the huddle was a 20-7 victory against visiting West Port on Friday night.
Winners of at least eight games in every season since 2014, the Tigers (1-0) got the first points of the Sutton era on special teams. After the DHS defense forced a three-and-out on WPHS’s opening series, Maxwell Valcius blocked a punt that Gavyn Leinenbach scooped and took 30 yards for the touchdown.
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Dunnellon added a second touchdown in the second quarter on a 7-yard pass from Curry to Chris Henry. A freshman, Curry is replacing three-and-a-half-year starter Trent Townsend, who was a two-time Star-Banner offensive player of the year and is now at Valdosta State.
The Tigers’ scoring concluded with a 65-yard touchdown run from Amari Francois with three-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game.
“I told them I was super-proud,” said Sutton, a longtime DHS assistant who replaced Price Harris, now the coach at Madison County. “Whatever it takes, whoever it takes.”
Sutton also said he was happy with the play of Curry.
“He did really, really well,” Sutton said. “He’s a young kid who has come a long way, and I’m proud of what he was able to do. There are some things we need to continue to work on, but I like the start.”
The Wolf Pack (0-1) got a touchdown in the second quarter and will look to rebound next Friday at home against Winter Springs, while the Tigers will host North Marion.
Belleview 21, Lecanto 15: The visiting Rattlers scored 21 unanswered points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, to earn a win in BHS alum Brian Lane’s first game as coach. The winning score came with about a minute-and-a-half left when quarterback Ernest Flythe, an all-county first-teamer last season, found Jermaine White for a 35-yard touchdown. That was their second scoring connection of the night (Flythe also threw a TD pass to Drew Lanctot).
Lane praised the defense for keeping the Rattlers, 8-3 in 2021, in it when the offense struggled early.
“I thought we were very resilient,” Lane said. “The defense got us the ball a bunch of times, but we were unable to put it in. But when you have (Flythe) in the game, you know there is a chance for something special.”
Flythe (7-for-14, 86 yards with three TDs and 11 rushes for 30 yards, an INT on defense) had a good night, but the contest’s biggest standout may have been junior middle linebacker Jacob Dyer, who finished with 14 tackles, including six for-loss.
“The whole defensive line was getting in the backfield and stuffing the run,” said Lane, who also got two interceptions from cornerback Kareem Walker in his first career start. “They also took up blockers, allowing our linebackers to make plays.”
Lane added praise for Aiden Kaczmarski, who averaged 41.75 yards on four punts and booted two kickoffs into the end zone, allowing for no returns.
BHS (1-0) will host Crystal River next Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Interlachen 38, Lake Weir 14: The visiting Hurricanes held a 14-6 lead in the second quarter but fell to IHS in a game called with 1:30 remaining in the third due to lightning. Scores for LWHS came from Jeremiah Smith on a 57-yard run and Jamari Morales on a 16-yard interception return.
Lake Weir (0-1) will visit Brooksville Central next Friday at 7:30 p.m.
St. John Lutheran 30, Land O’Lakes Academy at the Lakes 0: After a scoreless first quarter, the visiting Saints poured it on to earn their first victory of the season. St. John had a very strong night defensively, limiting the Wildcats to 2.4 yards-a-carry on 22 attempts. The Saints also recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass. Triston Dunlap (11 tackles, three sacks) had a big game for Academy at the Lakes.
St. John (1-1) will visit St. Augustine Florida School for the Deaf & Blind on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Winter Haven All Saints Academy 48, OCA 0: The visiting Crusaders dropped to 1-1 and will look to bounce back next Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Jacksonville Old Plank Christian Academy.
Vanguard 68, Gainesville 0: Scheduled for Friday night at Citizens Field in Gainesville, weather did not allow for play and the contest was moved to Booster Stadium on Saturday morning. The Knights dominated the host school. They travel next week to face Niceville in the Panhandle at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Florida High vs. Trinity Catholic rematch
Florida High 22, Trinity Catholic 19: It's not every day that the first game of the season feels like deja vu from a game nine months ago. However, at Mike Hickman Stadium in Tallahassee Friday night, that was the case.
Florida High welcomed Trinity Catholic in a rematch of last season's 3A-1 regional title game. While the Seminoles got off to a shaky start, they were able to find their way, besting the Celtics in a thrilling opening-season matchup.
"This isn't your ordinary Week 1 game. These guys are awfully good and have a chance to win the whole thing," Seminoles head coach Jarrod Hickman said. "What an incredible effort by our defense and defensive staff. ...We just battled through a lot of things."
TC picked off sophomore quarterback Jeremy Johnston late in the first quarter, and then again in the early second half off a lateral deep in the Seminoles' zone by Brice Summerall for a pick-six and a 10-0 lead.
However, senior defensive back DJ Barnes on special teams that gave Florida High the jump it needed. Barnes returned a punt from around the Florida High 25 all the way to the house in a highlight reel run. The next Celtics punt, Barnes returned the ball to the Trinity one-yard line before senior running back Rhyder Poppell scored in the scrum. In the fourth quarter, the Seminoles' defense shut out Trinity Catholic. — Jack Williams, Tallahassee Democrat
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: High school football: Dunnellon, Belleview among Week 1 winners
