Buchholz Football Explodes Against St. Johns Bartram Trail
Buchholz finished off Class 6A-District 3 play Thursday night undefeated after beating St. Johns Bartram Trail 50-16 at Citizens Field.
This was the highest-scoring game for Buchholz this season.
The Bobcats (8-1) were led by four-star University of Florida commit Justin Williams, who already scored three touchdowns — two rushing and one receiving — 30 seconds into the second quarter and ended the night with four touchdowns and more than 200 total yards.
“It’s my senior year and it hit me when I was walking out and took a picture, so it was really special to have four touchdowns,” said Williams, whose senior night was Thursday. “We’re peaking at a really good point in the season.”
Williams, whose smile was as wide as the Bobcats’ margin of victory and who was wearing Florida Gators gloves, confirmed that his commitment to Florida has not wavered post the Billy Napier firing by UF.
“Everybody’s still locked in and sticking together,” Williams said. “It’s going to be really cool to just see my jersey and see my name on a Gator jersey.”
Buchholz led 30-3 at the half after a 5-yard rushing touchdown by Josh Menefee with six minutes left in the second quarter and a 42-yard field goal to end the quarter by kicker Jay Giunta.
The Bears’ (2-7) only score of the first half came on a 34-yard field goal five minutes into the second quarter by kicker Lucas Floyd.
In the second half, Giunta missed a 41-yard field goal attempt before Williams scored his fourth touchdown. The Bobcats were going to try for a two-point conversion after the score in order to take a 35-point lead and get a running clock, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty forced them to attempt the 35-yard extra point that Giunta missed.
The Bobcats held Bartram Trail to only a field goal, two punts and a turnover on downs in the first half. The defense had three interceptions, but it also racked up quite the number of penalties, including a roughing the kicker which allowed Bartram Trail’s Arthur Lewis to score a touchdown to cut the margin to 36-10 after the Bears were punting from their 49-yard-line on fourth down.
Buchholz quarterback Andrew Whittemore scored the Bobcats’ final two touchdowns , a passing score to Marquel Brooks and a 12-yard rushing TD.
“Practicing every day, getting better, it’s been really special to see our connection build,” said Williams, Whittemore’s top receiver.
Buchholz’s final game of the regular season is an away game next Friday against West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman (6-2). The Bobcats won the teams’ last matchup 14-7 last season at Citizens Field.
“It’s kind of a way to push your team right before the playoffs,” Buchholz coach Mark Whittemore said. “We have a week off after that and so it’s a great chance for us to face a quality opponent and the outcome of the game will not necessarily affect us adversely.”
Category: Buchholz High School, Football, High School Sports
