Battle of the Paddle: Jasiah Powell powers Santa Fe past Fort White

FORT WHITE — The “Battle of the Paddle” lived up to its name Friday night.

In a physical, back-and-forth high school football rivalry game between Santa Fe and Fort White, senior running back Jasiah Powell delivered a performance that the Santa Fe faithful may not soon forget.

Powell ran for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns by repeatedly breaking through the Fort White defense to help Santa Fe remain undefeated with a 41-28 win. For Santa Fe coach Earnest Graham, Powell’s performance was unlike anything he had seen from a high school running back during his coaching career.

“He’s a man-child,” Graham said. “I’m probably sleeping on just how awesome a back he is. I mean, he ran his butt off tonight. He ran with authority, and nobody wanted any part of him.”

Powell wasted little time making his presence felt.

On Santa Fe’s first play from scrimmage, Powell ripped off a 35-yard run, setting the tone for what would become a dominant night.

The Raiders (4-0) eventually settled for a 50-yard field goal from senior kicker Mayer Stein to take a 3-0 lead.

Fort White answered immediately, though, as senior running back John Lawson broke through the Santa Fe defense and raced 80 yards for a touchdown on the Indians’ first play from scrimmage.

Santa Fe responded with Powell.

He carried the ball for 60 yards on the ensuing drive, capping it on a 39-yard touchdown run in which he dragged three Fort White defenders into the end zone to give Santa Fe a 10-7 lead.

The Raiders continued to lean on their rushing attack, with Powell and junior quarterback Gavin Peterson producing big runs to move the offense into field-goal range. Stein added his second field goal to extend the lead to 13-7.

Fort White (3-1) continued to threaten with explosive plays. Junior wide receiver Brandon Robinson took a screen pass 64 yards to the Santa Fe 14-yard line, but the Indians were unable to finish the drive. A bad snap on a field-goal attempt gave Santa Fe possession at its own 38.

The Raiders appeared to find the end zone twice on their next drive, but both touchdown runs, a 45-yard run from Powell and a 53-yard run from Peterson, were erased by holding penalties. Santa Fe eventually punted.

Fort White took advantage, returning to its ground game before sophomore quarterback Chance Johnson connected with senior wide receiver Xzaevion Gibson for a 35-yard touchdown. Gibson was left uncovered on the outside, giving the Indians a 14-13 lead.

Santa Fe had an opportunity to retake the lead before halftime, but Stein’s third field-goal attempt came up short, sending the game into halftime with Fort White ahead by one.

Powell came out of halftime with the same physicality he had shown throughout the first half.

On one early second-half run, Powell lowered his shoulder and ran over a Fort White linebacker, looking akin to former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch.

And the Raiders kept feeding him.

After another Santa Fe rushing touchdown was called back because of holding, Powell eventually punched the ball into the end zone from one yard out to put Santa Fe back in front 20-14.

Fort White tried to answer, but sophomore quarterback Carter Wheeler threw an interception into the middle of the field. Senior strong safety Christian Barjon grabbed the pass and returned it for a touchdown to extend the Raiders’ lead to 27-14.

But the Indians refused to go away.

A fake punt on fourth down moved Fort White to the Santa Fe 40-yard line. On the next play, sophomore running back Jeremiah Taylor broke through the defense and sprinted for a touchdown of more than 40 yards.

Suddenly, the Indians were within six points at 27-21.

But every time Fort White made a push, Santa Fe found another answer.

Powell broke another long run by fighting through multiple tackles before reaching the Fort White 30-yard line. After another Powell run moved the Raiders inside the 10, Peterson took the ball himself and juked multiple defenders on his way into the end zone to give Santa Fe a 34-21 lead

Fort White answered again, using a long completion down the sideline to set up a touchdown run by junior running back Ezekiel Powell. The score cut the deficit to 34-28.

With the game still in doubt, Santa Fe went back to the player who had carried the offense all night.

After Peterson brought the ball to the Fort White 16-yard line on a quarterback option, Jasiah Powell broke through the defense for an 11-yard touchdown.

The touchdown was his third of the night and pushed his rushing total beyond 300 yards.

Santa Fe’s offense had been productive , but its offensive line also endured a frustrating evening with three touchdowns wiped away by holding penalties.

Graham said he wants his linemen to clean up the mistakes without sacrificing the physical style that helped the Raiders control the game.

“When you’re playing hard and you’re blocking and stuff like that, it’s gonna happen,” Graham said. “I don’t want my guys to lose an ounce of aggression.”

The Raiders’ defense also had to withstand an explosive Fort White offense that consistently produced big plays.

The Indians had multiple long touchdown runs and completions, but Santa Fe made enough plays to keep answering.

“I thought they did great,” Graham said. “They were getting explosives on film all year. They’ve got a really good skill group, and those guys can break tackles and go the distance. So we knew they were going to make some plays.”

Ultimately, Santa Fe’s ability to stay composed helped it close out the victory.

Graham said the next step is turning Santa Fe into a more complete team.

“I think every week you tinker a little bit,” he said “You tinker with personnel and lineup. You try to find the things that you can get done and execute.”

For Santa Fe, Friday night was about more than simply keeping an undefeated record.

It was the return of the “Battle of the Paddle,” a rivalry that carries extra significance for both communities.

“It felt great,” Graham said. “This is a great rivalry. I think the kids know now, because it was discontinued. So now that we’ve been playing again, I think the kids kind of appreciate what a great game this is.”

On Friday night, the rivalry produced exactly the type of game Santa Fe wanted.

And at the center of it all was Powell, who turned the “Battle of the Paddle” into his own showcase.

For Graham, the former University of Florida star running back, it was more than just another great performance.

“Since I’ve been coaching, that was the best performance I’ve seen,” he said.

Category: Football, High School Sports, Santa Fe, Santa Fe High School