ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – When running back Devonte Lyons was a freshman, he could not envision celebrating a trip to the state finals.
Four years later, St. Augustine’s running back and senior captain was able to see it play out.
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When the Yellow Jackets took their first knee in victory formation Friday night, the celebration spread throughout the sideline. The home fans roared their approval. It had set in for everyone.
After 16 seasons of not being in the finals, top-seed St. Augustine has returned.
The Yellow Jackets rode their usual assortment of big plays on offense along with a defense that was almost inflexible on its own side of the field to a 35-14 victory over Fort Myers Dunbar in the Class 3S state semifinals.
“Probably not, probably could not see it (as a freshman)” said Lyons, who rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns. “Years of working real hard. That’s what you get out of it — the results. It means a lot because it has been a long time since we have played for a state championship.”
The last time the team could celebrate like that, it was 2007. The last time — and only time —St. Augustine (13-0) could celebrate a state title was in 2005.
The results have been favorable all season for the Yellow Jackets, who now have the anticipated showdown with second-seed Daytona Beach Mainland (13-1), a 34-12 victor over Ocala Vanguard on Friday in the 3S final next week at Ken Riley Field in Tallahassee. Those teams will face off Thursday at 3 p.m.
“It’s really exciting, really gratifying for the kids, and we get to be together another week,” coach Brian Braddock said. “Our kids came into the season knowing this was a possibility. Just thrilled for them. We knew we had the capacity to maybe have a special team and just grateful the kids put in the work to have the opportunities they’ve had this year.”
Maybe four seasons back, it was difficult to see. But St. Augustine entered the season as one of the top teams in its classification and in the area and never strayed. They believed they belonged, and Lyons and his teammates realized it was a possibility.
“It’s amazing,” said senior captain Drake Lusk, a linebacker who had a game for the ages with four tackles for loss, a sack and an interception. “The work we put in during the offseason, during the season, the way we came together as a team, it’s just unbelievable. We know we’re supposed to be here, and we’re ready to win it all.”
In the way was Dunbar (11-3), a team that had allowed only 12 points a game since losing to Lowndes (Ga.) 31-7 in the middle of the season. But on nearly all five Yellow Jackets scores, there was a big play involved, whether from the offense or the defense.
Lyons and junior quarterback Locklan Hewlett have delivered all season and they didn’t falter against the Tigers. Lyons recorded his ninth 100-yard game of the season, while Hewlett passed for 285 yards, with 2,297 this season, and two touchdowns.
St. Augustine just needed to keep Dunbar from matching its offense. The Tigers started or entered Yellow Jackets territory on nine of their 12 possessions, including eight of their first nine. But they could only muster a touchdown pass in the waning minutes of the first half and a 50-yard scoring strike when the score was 35-6 in the fourth quarter.
Those other seven times? Two punts and five turnovers on downs.
“We were on our heels a lot,” Braddock said. “Just hold on. At this point, getting the job done is all that matters. Just grateful for how tough they were on defense, how hard they fought. Certainly, when we were backed up inside our own 40 and 30 and 20 multiple times (on offense), us holding them out of the end zone was the difference in the game. You saw their grit. That’s a lot of great kids with high character.”
Junior lineman Mike Wright had a hand in stopping the first two fourth-down attempts, hitting the arm of Dunbar quarterback Austin Price on a passing attempt on the Tigers’ second drive and then sacking him on fourth down on the third series.
Bryan Gardener had a hurry on the first failed attempt of the second half, while Lusk had two tackles for loss on Dunbar’s next drive, taking a second-and-goal from the 2 back to the 7 on fourth down, leading to an incomplete pass.
“If it wasn’t for my teammates, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do,” Lusk said. “With the D-line stopping them, giving us time (to make plays), and the DBs out back covering, I wouldn’t be able to make those plays.”
On the Tigers’ last unsuccessful drive into St. Augustine’s side of the field, Caleb Price broke up a pass on fourth down to end that threat.
The scoring came in quick bursts. Midway through the first quarter, Hewlett found Myles Simmons for a 23-yard scoring strike. A 43-yard pass from Hewlett to Somourian Wingo in the second quarter helped set up the first of two Lyons 2-yard scoring runs.
Trenton Jones took a short pass in the third quarter and raced 81 yards to set up Lyons’s next 2-yard score, and Hewlett had the perfect touch on a pass to an all-alone Carl Jenkins that turned into a 62-yard touchdown. Lusk’s pick set his team up on the Tigers 19 with less than six minutes remaining in the game, with Lyons taking it in for a score on the next play.
“If it doesn’t work, move on,” Lyons said of getting stopped but then striking for big gains. “Turn the page, next play, play harder.”
The Yellow Jackets will turn the page for one more game. The celebration was underway, but Lusk knows the work isn’t finished yet.
It’s not over until Tallahassee.
“Slight mistakes,” Lusk said of Dunbar’s ability to move the ball. “But we can come back Monday and we’re going to get them cleaned up.”
St. Augustine 35, Dunbar 14
Dunbar, 0, 6, 0, 8 —14
St. Augustine, 7, 7, 7, 14 —35
SA – Myles Simmons 27 pass from Locklan Hewlett (Logan Wandzilak kick)
SA – Devonte Lyons 2 run (Wandzilak kick)
D – Eric Fletcher 20 pass from Austin Price (kick blocked)
SA – Lyons 2 run (Wandzilak kick)
SA – Carl Jenkins 67 pass from Hewlett (Wandzilak kick)
SA – Lyons 19 run (Wandzilak kick)
D – Tawarski Abrams 50 pass from Price (Camden Rivera pass from Price)
Category: D — SA
First downs: 18 — 14
Rushes-yards: 34-70 — 33-133
Passing: 231 — 285
Comp-Att-Int: 16-37-1 — 11-17-0
Fumbles-lost: 2-0 — 2-1
Penalties-Yards: 10-80 — 12-96
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — D: Chris Singleton 16-77, Fletcher 2-2, Abrams 3-(-4), Price 13-(-5). SA: Lyons 26-157, Hewlett 2-(-6), Team 5-(-18).
PASSING — D: Price 16-37-1-231. SA: Hewlett 11-17-0-285.
RECEIVING — D: Fletcher 5-83, Abrams 3-65, Travaris Schley 4-55. Rivera 4-28. SA: Trenton Jones 3-105, Jenkins 3-79, Somourian Wingo 2-58, Simmons 3-43.