Eastside Football Routs South Sumter To Reach Region Semifinals
When Eastside and Bushnell South Sumter last met on Oct. 10 at Citizens Field, they battled in an overtime thriller for the district title won by the Rams 27-21. In a game where Eastside had five key players out, it felt it could’ve done better and would proved it.
In Friday’s rematch at Citizens Field for a spot in the FHSAA Class 3A-Region 2 semifinals, it was the same outcome but a different story.
The four seed Rams (9-2) blew out the five seed Raiders 42-15 in the regional quarterfinals.
In that first meeting, the Rams were down 13-0 at halftime, so they knew this time they could not let that happen.
In their first drive they proved it was not going to be like last game. The Raiders (6-5) tried to catch Eastside sleeping with an onside kick to start the game, but the Rams recovered and went down the field using running backs Javaris Gardner and Kamariyon Mack. Gardner got the Rams on the board with an 11-yard rushing touchdown.
Gardner ended the game with 18 carries for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
The early lead gave the Rams defense the momentum it needed to show up. The defense has proved crucial to Eastside, coming off a shutout to city rivals Gainesville High.
“Hey, we’re up 7-0, all we’ve got to do is stop them,” Eastside coach Harold “Gator” Hoskins said.
Eastside senior quarterback Nelson Tambling was electric. He scored four touchdowns, two rushing and two passing.
“It’s actually my first playoff game and win of my high school career as a football player,” Tambling said.
After the Rams defense forced the Raiders to punt, Tambling got to work quickly, connecting with senior wide receiver Kaleb Mckinnon for a 40-yard gain to put them in the red zone. Mckinnon four catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns.
WATCH: NELSON TAMBLING TOUCHDOWN PASS TO KALEB MCKINNON
Gardner scored his second touchdown, a 12-yard rush, to give the Rams a two-touchdown lead with 31 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Raiders still could not get any offense going, allowing the Rams to get another touchdown, Tambling’s first, to go up 21-0 with 7:35 left in the first half.
South Sumter finally came alive after blocking senior kicker Elijah Dressler’s 27-yard field goal attempt. The Raiders drove down the field and junior quarterback Milo Patterson completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Louis Brown with the clock winding down to make the score 21-7 at the half.
The Raiders received the ball to start the second half, but an interception by Eastside senior outside linebacker Tramayne Montague halted all their momentum.
South Sumter’s hopes of making it to the regional semifinals faded there when a 55-yard rush by Gardner put the Rams at the 1. Tambling punched it in for his second touchdown to make it 28-7 with nine minutes left.
Tambling notched two more touchdowns, both passes to Mckinnon, to give the Rams their sixth consecutive win.
Eastside now travels to top-seeded Orlando Bishop Moore on Friday to try and upset the Hornets for a spot in the regional finals. The Hornets (10-1) defeated No. 8 seed Hernando 61-6 in the night’s other quarterfinal
Category: Eastside High School, Football, High School Sports
