Tuesday high school football roundup: University Christian's Orel Gray runs for 235 yards

The tally for Orel Gray: 96 hours. Two states. Two wins. 708 all-purpose yards.

"That's pretty amazing. He's dynamic," University Christian head football coach David Penland III said. "He just does stuff where you just wonder how he gets out of [tackles] that he gets out of."

University Christian's running back led the charge once more for the Florida High School Athletic Association's third-ranked team, rushing for four more touchdowns in UC's 49-7 Tuesday night District 1-1M high school football victory over Providence at Selman Field. The teams agreed to move the game forward by three days to avoid interference from Hurricane Ian.

Gray took the third snap of the game for a 64-yard touchdown and added scoring runs of 59, 5 and 31 yards to help make UC the first Northeast Florida team to reach 6-0.

He finished with 14 carries for 235 yards, further pulling ahead of the competition as Northeast Florida's leading rusher at the halfway point.

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UC's Gray stays red-hot

Only four days ago, Gray accumulated 473 all-purpose yards for UC in a romp at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee near the Georgia-North Carolina line.

Fatigue? Not on this night for the senior, who repeatedly blasted through tackles to turn short gains into game-breakers.

"He does a really good job getting downfield, making people miss," Penland said. "He's just a special player when he has the ball in his hands."

Also a game-breaker was sophomore receiver Jenoa Alford, fast staking a claim among Jacksonville's premier deep threats. He outleaped the Providence secondary for a 29-yard touchdown from Dwayne Stuckey, and turned a second-quarter jump ball into a 59-yard completion to the end zone.

UC pass rush ferocious

Gray led the charge on offense, and University Christian's defense proved more than up to the test. The unit has held opponents to 150 yards per game this season, and restricted the Stallions to 148 on Tuesday.

Providence senior quarterback Brooks Hicken spent the night under siege from a stampede of pass rushers. University Christian ended with seven sacks, three of them by senior defensive end Kaydrick Robinson.

UC's pressure also hurried Providence into a pair of picks at the line, the first by Desirrio Riles and the second carried back to the end zone by Shawn Robinson shortly before halftime.

Long score sparks Providence

The Stallions (2-3) played from behind all night, but still brightened the night with one highlight.

Backed up nearly to his goal line, Hicken passed to Sam Hayward over the middle, and the receiver broke two UC tackles on his way to a 92-yard touchdown pass.

Until the game's final drive, that was the only gain of more than 14 yards for Providence.

At 2-3 and 0-1 in the district, Providence returns to action Oct. 7 against Hilliard, followed by an Oct. 14 game against Christ's Church as the Stallions press to lift their ranking for an at-large playoff berth in Region 1-1M.

MENENDEZ 23, GAINESVILLE 14

Cason Blanco rushed for one touchdown and passed to Jevon Welch for another to lead the host Falcons (3-3, 1-1) in Tuesday's District 4-3S football. ... Tyshaun Thames and Mark Harvey forced a safety in the final minute to seal the Falcons' win. ... Donteau Jenkins rushed for both touchdowns for the Purple Hurricanes (0-6, 0-2).

St. Augustine Record

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school football: Orel Gray, University Christian defeat Providence