Tornadoes overpower Tiger Sharks

The final tally on the scoreboard indicated a Bay High blowout to open the 2010 regular-season.

The play on the turf of Shark Field told an entirely different story.

The young Class 1A Tiger Sharks showed grit in staying in Friday night’s game for three quarters but the Class 3A Tornadoes, deeper and more experienced, ultimately wore down Port St. Joe with a flurry of four touchdowns over the final 14 minutes en route to a 47-6 victory.

“I felt like for three quarters we played hard, but we ran out of bodies,” said Port St. Joe coach Vern Barth. “The players gave everything they had, even the guys who did not expect to play, but we ran out gas.

“Give credit to Bay High. They came in here and executed. Our youth showed. We have to get more physical, get tougher.”

Two plays were of critical importance to making a relatively close game a lopsided win for Bay.

With Bay up 14-0 with two minutes gone in the second quarter following a Demetrius Barnes 41-yard touchdown off a pass from quarterback Kevin Husum (8 for 10 for 108 yards with no interceptions), Calvin Pryor pumped life into the Tiger Sharks with an electrifying 71-yard kickoff return to the Tornado 23.

But on the next play Trevor Lang’s short pass over the middle slid through the hands of Ramello Zaccarro and into those of Bay linebacker Jakarri Edwards, who bolted 82 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown and a 20-0 lead after the extra point kick failed.

The Tiger Sharks had closed to 20-6 as they launched their most sustained offensive series early in the third quarter.

The Tiger Sharks marched from their 34 to the Bay 1 in 13 plays, spanning nearly seven minutes, but could not punch it over on fourth-and-goal, failing by inches.

Bay immediately covered the 99 yards – and two-and-a-half feet – to the Port St. Joe end zone in a mere three plays, the final two a twisting 44-yard run by Terrance Lowder (80 yards on eight carries) followed by a 52-yard touchdown dash off right tackle by Telvion Malone-Boyd (70 yards on four carries) with 1:40 left in the period.

The Tornadoes, who had problems running the ball in a Kickoff Classic against Vernon last week, rushed for 265 yards.

“We sputtered around a bit but we made some big plays,” said Bay coach Frank Sorrells. “On defense, we had an interception and a blocked punt and we stopped them at the goal line. On offense, we’ve been trying to find a running game all year but we still have some work to do.

“I understand that Port St. Joe is in a kind of rebuilding year. We are glad to get the win but we have a lot of work to do to get ready for Mosley next week.”

After Malone-Boyd’s score – which was followed by a two-point conversion pass from Husum to Deonte Dunklin to build a 28-6 margin – the wheels came off for the Tiger Sharks, who had to play much of the final quarter without Pryor (133 all-purpose yards) due to cramps.

Bay stopped the Tiger Sharks on downs in the early moments of the fourth quarter and Edwards blocked Daniel May’s punt, picked up the ball in stride at the Port St. Joe 20 and dashed untouched for the touchdown.

Running back Farriel Moore scored from the 2 with 4:33 to go to cap a 28-yard drive set up by a short punt by May and Carlos Wells provided the final points when he sprinted 85 yards down the left sideline to pay dirt as the clock ticked off the final seconds and the horn sounded.

The teams played on even terms in the first 11 minutes – a Port St. Joe stop on fourth-and-two was critical – until Lowder got Bay on the board with a 2-yard run capping a six-play, 41-yard drive.

After Barnes, Husum and Edwards combined to make it 20-0 the Tiger Sharks turned a fumbled punt by Lowder to set up a 26-yard drive capped by Jacobie Chambers’ sweep right from the Bay 6. May’s extra point kick was blocked.