Football Season in the Den
By: Ava Smith
The 2021-22 Nease football team had a breakout year, going into the season as underdogs. Nease shocked the state with their season, winning many games a lot of people believed they would lose. The team made it all the way to the regional finals and made their school very proud. Let’s take a look back at some of the most prominent moments from the 2021-22 football season.
Perhaps the most anticipated game of the season was the season opener against Ponte Vedra High School. This longtime rivalry game was expected to go one way, with Ponte Vedra winning the last 11 games against Nease, but this time that wasn’t the case. Nease beat Ponte Vedra by a score of 14-7, and our students showed up to the game at Ponte Vedra High School ready to cheer on our Panther team. Notable players include quarterback Marcus Stokes who went 10/16, passing for 121 yards and 1 touchdown. Ben Bogle, a linebacker, also had a great game with 12 tackles, 2 tackles for losses and 1 interception. Even though it was an away game, both the team and fans showed up and it resulted in one of the best games of the season. 10th grader Jaden Patel, who is on the team, said that “It was really exciting to finally beat them after 11 years” and that the team “has a lot of chemistry and worked really hard.”
The Nease vs. Orange park game was a great game for Nease, on both offense and defense. The Panthers defeated the Raiders in a shutout game, winning 49-0. There were many players who stood out, one being Donavan Wilson. He had 7 solo tackles, 2 sacks and 1 interception return for a touchdown. Dom Henry also had a great game, with 3 receptions for 61 yards, a touchdown, and a punt return for a touchdown. Every player did their part in making the Nease vs. Orange Park game one of the most memorable of the season.
The homecoming game was also Senior Night, which was Nease vs. Westside, which had an electric crowd and a shutout win. Nease defeated the Westside Wolverines by a score of 39-0, which was Nease’s only shutout game of the season. The seniors were honored at the game and walked the field with their families while their future plans were announced after their graduation. Even though the game was moved at the last minute due to poor weather conditions, it didn’t faze the team and they put on a great performance against Westside.
The second to last game of the season was what put Nease in the regional finals. Nease defeated Niceville 24-19 after traveling a long way to play. Marcus Stokes went 20/37, passing for 233 yards and 1 touchdown. Running back Taliek Golphin had 8 carries and ran for 24 yards scoring 1 touchdown. Dom Henry was a standout player with 5 receptions for 67 yards and 1 touchdown. The win sent Nease into the regional finals, which they unfortunately fell short in, but overall it was a great game.
Overall, Nease went 9-4 for the season and 4-1 in the district, finishing 2nd in the district. Even though they lost in the regional finals, this was the first season in quite a few years where the Panthers put their name on the map. Pavi Sankar, a 10th grader at Nease, described the game’s environment as “electrifying and I could feel the energy radiating off the fans.” This breakthrough season brought a lot of attention to many players, some whom have now received offers to play Division 1 college football, along with some who have already committed. The Nease Panther’s Football Team had a remarkable season and returning and new players will help to continue this streak of success for years to come.
