Jones High scored on three consecutive drives in the second quarter Saturday afternoon and never relented while capturing its third football regional title in four years.
The Tigers (11-2) forced 6 turnovers in front of a standing-room crowd during a 42-13 win at previously unbeaten Edgewater (12-1).
George Brown returned an interception for a touchdown with less than six minutes remaining to force a running clock based on Florida High School Athletic Association mercy rules.
“We actually felt very good [coming into] this game. Our kids are very confident,” Jones coach Elijah Williams said. “To have a running clock on the No. 1 team in the region, I’m just so proud of these kids.”
The Eagles, who defeated Jones 14-13 in September, ended the regular season ranked No. 1 in Class 3M (Metro) and No. 2 among all classifications in FHSAA power rankings.
Jones, ranked No. 13 in the state, hosts Homestead (11-2) in a 3M state semifinal at a date and time to be determined. The winner faces either St. Thomas Aquinas (12-0) or Tampa Jesuit (9-4) in a state final in two weeks at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
The Tigers played well in all phases Saturday while building a lead that was hardly contested.
A fake punt attempt early in the second quarter proved to be the spark as senior Dylan Wade took the snap and picked up a 19-yard gain.
Senior quarterback Chris Tooley, scrambling to his left while avoiding defenders, dumped a pass to Jaylen Williams five plays later for a 19-yard score. Williams also picked up 17 yards during the drive on a sweep around the left side.
The Tigers capped their next two possessions with touchdown runs by junior Jerrian Parker after forcing Edgewater to go three-and-out on each of its next two possessions.
“All year we’ve been practicing that play and we’ve never ran it,” Wade said of the fake punt. “Today, it was like 4th-and-4 and [Coach Williams] called a regular punt, but I was just staring at him because I knew we could get [a first down], and then he called it.”
Wade had plenty of room to run along the visiting sideline before being pushed out of bounds.
“They gave us the right look and I knew it was going to get us the first down. I thought he was going to score,” Williams said. “Some things you’ve got to hold until when you need it, and we needed that one. That was a crucial drive.”
Edgewater started to generate momentum on the opening drive of the second half. But after reaching the 20-yard line, the Eagles turned the ball over on downs when Jayden Gillens broke up a pass in the corner of the end zone.
The Tigers blew the game open five plays later when Tooley threw deep to Jaylen Williams for a 62-yard touchdown to make it 28-0.
Williams caught 5 passes for 109 yards. Tooley, who played much of the season as a defensive back before taking over at quarterback, later scored on a 61-yard run in the fourth quarter.
“We knew we had to come out fast and put up points,” Tooley said. “They’re a running team, so it would be hard for them to catch up. We just had to keep our foot on their necks the whole game.”
Edgewater senior running back Cedric Baxter Jr. was limited to 56 yards rushing on 15 carries for a team that entered averaging 248.5 yards on the ground. Baxter left the game with an apparent leg injury after chasing down Gillens during an interception return late in the third quarter.
Gillens and Brown each picked off two passes for Jones. Jamauri Sands also had an interception. Adrian Jackson recovered a fumble while Malik Bryant and Moses Ezechi finished with 1 sack apiece.
Jones joins Friday winners Apopka, Ocoee and Kissimmee Osceola as state semifinalists this season from the Orlando area.
“It’s always special,” Coach Williams said of advancing. “We made it last year and we made it in 2019, so it’s always special to do that and represent your city.”
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.
