Under a thick blanket of humidity and spotty rain showers Thursday night, Santa Fe defeated Eastside 44-14 at Citizens Field.
After dropping its first game of the season last week against Buchholz in Alachua, the Raiders (6-1) returned in a dominant fashion to beat the Rams (1-7) for the first time in five years.
The win is especially meaningful for Santa Fe coach Earnest Graham.
“A lot of these kids grow up together. They play together. If you’re going to play against Eastside, they’re going to come out and they’re going to fight,” Graham said.
The football game opened with a steady rain that proved to be a challenge, as both teams struggled to get anything going early in the first quarter of the 3A-District 5 contest.
With 2:18 left in the quarter, it was the Raiders who struck first. Junior quarterback Gavin Peterson connected with senior Tyson Thomas for a 19-yard pass completion to the 1. Senior Jasiah Powell was able to punch it in to put the Raiders up 7-0.
As the rain slowed to a drizzle, the Rams found some momentum.
After a 45-yard pass to junior Jadathun Bryant ended in a Santa Fe fumble, Eastside seized the opportunity. Sophomore Jayce Starke rushed for 26 yards on the first play before junior quarterback Andrew Sutherland connected with junior Malicah Williams for a 43-yard gain.
The Rams’ drive culminated with senior Braeden Brockington rushing 9 yards for a touchdown to tie the game 7-7.
Sante Fe quickly responded with a rushing drive of its own behind Peterson. Senior Jayvin Williams scrambled 6 yards for the touchdown to put the Raiders back on top 14-7.
The Raiders’ defense held firm on the Rams’ next possession, with senior Mason Nipper recording two first-half sacks to help keep Eastside out of the end zone.
With time winding down in the second quarter, Peterson found Bryant on a 33-yard touchdown pass off a slot fade to extend the Raiders’ lead to 21-7.
But Eastside was not done, yet.
With 13 seconds remaining in the half, Brockington rushed 67 yards for a Rams touchdown to bring the score to 21-14 at the half.
As the rain came to a stop just in time to open second-half play, the Raiders came out ready for action and scored 23 unanswered points to roll.
Powell drove it over the line from one yard out to earn his second touchdown of the night and boost the score to 28-14 with 5:11 remaining in the third.
Eastside struggled to find an answer against Santa Fe’s defense, which forced a turnover on downs at the Raiders’ 42-yard line.
With 9:19 left to play, all hope began to fizzle out for the Rams. The Raiders’ defense brought down Sutherland in the end zone for the safety to make it 30-14.
Santa Fe continued to score when Peterson kept the ball on an option and rushed for a touchdown just two minutes after the safety to extend its lead to 37-14.
Eastside was unable to mount a response, as Santa Fe maintained control.
With 2:53 left to play, the Raiders added to their lead with a 26-yard rush by Bryant, who followed it up with a 30-yard run into the end zone.
This victory allows Santa Fe to turn its attention to next Thursday’s home matchup against Dunnellon for its first district title in more than a decade.
“We want our community to really be a part of and witness our turnaround,” Graham said. “We get to play at home in front of a home crowd, get a chance to take a shot at the district title and there’s a lot of meaning in that.”
For Graham, winning the title would be more than just an honor — it will impact all of Alachua.
“Our football program is the heart and soul of our community,” he said.
Graham hopes the team can serve as a broader representation of the progress Santa Fe is making as a school and community, giving everyone something to rally behind.
“This is the place to be,” he said. “We want kids in elementary school and up to start coming back and loving going to school at Santa Fe High School.”
