BAKER — Baker School’s football team will have to wait another year for the elusive fifth state championship.
The Gators hosted defending 1A state champs Port St. Joe at Doug Griffith Memorial Stadium on Friday in Class 1A semifinals. The championship form of the Sharks was on display as Port St. Joe romped to a 42-13 win.
The Gators finished the season with a 9-4 record. They enjoyed their most successful season since playing in the state semifinals in 1999.
Gator Coach Matt Brunson was quick to credit his senior class on helping lead Baker back to prominence in Class 1A.
“This senior class has three district championships,” he said. “Last year we made it to the second round (of the playoffs). This year we won the region and got to the semis.
“I’m proud of the work these guys put in. Now we’ve seen what we have to match up with to get past the semis and get to Orlando (where the championship game is played). I’m excited about the future of this program.”
A Baker team that, for the most part, found a way to keep things close throughout the season, could never find a way to slow down a talented Shark offense.
Port St. Joe had eight plays that went for 20 or more yards, five plays that went for at least 30 yards and four plays that went for more than 40 yards. The two longest plays of the night for Baker were 21 yards each.
Trey Sanders was a one-man wrecking crew for the Sharks. Sanders finished the night with 277 yards in total offense and scored three touchdowns on runs of 93, 79 and 41 yards. Sanders finished the game with 228 yards rushing on nine carries and had three catches for 49 yards.
The Gators struggled to match Sanders’ total yards. Baker finished the night with 295 yards in total offense. Port St. Joe held the Gators to 168 yards rushing on 47 carries.
Baker gained another 127 yards through the air.
“I knew they were going to be tough to block,” Brunson said. “Our guys battled and scratched out some yards and scored twice.
“They’ve got some great backs and I knew if they got loose we were going to have trouble. Overall, I’m very proud of these guys. To come back from being 2-2 when we started out and to get to the semis is pretty special.”
The Sharks (11-1) wasted no time in showing their big-play abilities. Quarterback Ethan Sander hit Matt Simpson with a 66-yard touchdown pass on Port St. Joe’s second play of the game. The extra point was wide right, but with 8:50 left in the first quarter the Sharks were off and running.
Baker answered with a six-play drive covering 63 yards. Montae Barto had a 17-yard reception from quarterback Jon Beck and Jalen Ciurleo had a 21-yard catch.
Barto finished the quick drive with a 4-yard run. When Josh Springle added the extra point the Gators led 7-6 with 7:34 left in the opening stanza.
The Gator lead lasted 96 seconds.
Aided by a Baker offsides penalty, and a very questionable pass interference call against the Gators, the Sharks covered 63 yards in five plays. Khayyon Zaccaro capped the drive with a 5-yard scoring run. Sander added the 2-point conversion to put Port St. Joe in front 14-7 with 5:58 left in the first quarter.
The Sharks led the rest of the way.
Port St. Joe scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter. The first came on a 12-yard pass from Sander to Troy Williams Jr. with 8:22 left in the half
The last three Shark scores
belonged to Sanders.
His 93-yard run came with 4:53 left in the half.
Sanders’ last two scores came in the fourth quarter.
Beck scored Baker’s only touchdown of the second half on a 12-yard run with l0:39 left in the period.
The six-play, 43-yard drive was set up when Austin Oglesby covered Baker’s pooch kick to open the second half.
Beck hit Barto with passes covering 16 and eight yards in the drive.
Baker fought to get back into the game but three interceptions by Port St. Joe turned back whatever chances the Gators had of climbing back into the game.
Sanders finished off his big night with his final two scores in the fourth quarter.
Beck led the Gators with 59 rushing yards on 15 carries. He was 12-of-26 passing good for 127 and threw three interceptions.
Barto had 53 yards rushing and three catches for 52 yards. Austin Davis gained 37 yards on the ground, caught two passes for 27 yards and threw an interception on an option pass.
“It’s incredible what we’ve done,” Barto, one of the Gator seniors said. “No senior class has done that in 16 years. So hopefully, this program will keep growing and get over that hump (win in the semis) and go to state next year and win it.
Port St. Joe will face Trenton on Friday for the Class 1A state championship. Trenton is the only team that beat the Sharks this season.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker falls to Port St. Joe (PHOTOS)