Mount Dora Christian falls to Jupiter Christian 41-19 in SSAA championship
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WILDWOOD — A series of punt exchanges pretty much summed up the evening for Mount Dora Christian in the Sunshine State Athletic Association championship game Saturday night.
With about 12 minutes left in the third quarter, MDCA had finally stopped Jupiter Christian and forced the Eagles first punt of the game. Trailing 35-7, MDCA needed something positive to happen. It appeared the Bulldogs had their chance after a bad snap on the punt sent punter Cayden Alula scrambling. Somehow, however, Alula avoided tacklers and then booted the ball while on the run. It took a crazy Jupiter hop, then rolled and ended up going 69 yards to pin MDCA at the 6-yard line.
Unable to move the ball on three plays, MDCA was force to punt, but the ball only went 21 yards. Three plays later, Alula scored on a 13-yard run and that pretty much sewed up the game as Jupiter Christian took the title 41-19.
“We picked a bad night to have a bad night, but credit to them. They were awesome,” MDCA coach Kolby Tacket said of JCS.
Three big defensive breakdowns proved costly early for Mount Dora. JPS quarterback Dorian Fauntleroy got around the end on the first series and bolted 57 yards to start the scoring. MDCA answered with a TJ McCormick 2-yard run, but the Bulldogs would not see the end zone again until late in the game.
On Jupiter’s second and third series, Luke Beach got behind the defense twice to score on a pair of 36-yard touchdown passes from Fauntleroy, and MDCA was playing catch-up the rest of the way.
“Yeah, the defensive breakdowns and the turn over on downs [first quarter] when we had it open, just … ” Tacket said. “Yeah, we’ll look back and say, ‘Man, I wish we had a few more of those plays back,’ but that’s football … part of it.”
Pictures: SSAA championship, Mount Dora Christian vs. Jupiter Christian
MDCA came into the game averaging 47 points and 349 yards on the ground per contest, but the Bulldogs could never get going. Leading rusher Isaac Farling could not get loose all night, and he battled for the yardage he did get. He ended the game with 26 carries for 167 yards and a touchdown. That gave him a 1,730 yards for the season, just 23 yards behind area leader Amar’e Johnson of Bishop Moore.
MDCA nearly had three players rush for 1,000-plus yards on the season. McCormick alsoeclipsed the mark, but Noah Slegers’ 47 yards on Saturday left him 8 yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark at 992.
It was a tough ending to a special season for MDCA, which had won 12 straight games up to Saturday night. The Bulldogs finished 12-2.
“These guys, 12 wins, they’re awesome. I love Mount Dora. This place is awesome,” Tackett said.
Chris Hays can be found on X.com@OS-ChrisHays.
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