BRADENTON — Southeast’s fifth district title in six years did not come without some luck.
Bayshore erased a 27-point halftime deficit by early in the fourth quarter, but the Seminoles rallied with an impressive drive to seal a 34-27 win and the Class 3A-District 10 title Friday at John Kiker Memorial Stadium.
Facing a 3rd-and-1 on the 13th play of the possession, Waymon Bowden was spun down for a 2-yard gain and appeared to fumble the ball, which Bayshore recovered. An inadvertent whistle on the play allowed the Seminoles to retain possession, and two plays later, LeTray Fagins scored the go-ahead touchdown.
Bayshore countered with a strong drive that moved into Southeast territory. However, the Bruins’ rushing attack consumed the final four minutes, and a last-second Hail Mary was intercepted by Fagins at the 12-yard line and nearly returned for a touchdown to end the game.
“It kind of hurts because we should have come out on top, but we left it in the hands of the refs,” Bayshore senior Alex Jackson said.
The Bruins star tailback played a huge role in his team’s resurgence after Southeast threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter to build that big margin. Jackson scored all four Bayshore touchdowns and rushed for 290 yards on 24 carries.
“We lost focus up 27-0,” Southeast coach Paul Maechtle said. “We were worried who was going to get in in the second half.”
Jackson carried all four times in the first drive of the second half, scoring on a 62-yard touchdown run.
After a three-and-out by Southeast, Bayshore (4-5, 2-2) produced an eight-play scoring drive, capped on an option pitch to Jackson for a 6-yard touchdown run on 4th-and-5.
Southeast threatened to score on its next drive, but Fagins fumbled, and Jackson burst through the left side for a 79-yard touchdown run on the following play.
His 68-yard touchdown run 1:38 into the fourth quarter tied the score.
“I saw what I feared we might see,” Maechtle said. “He’s a good runner when he gets his shoulders squared up to the goal line.”
Southeast (6-3, 4-0) passed for 170 yards in the first half but had a more balanced attack on its critical last drive.
Seminoles quarterback Dyron Speight hit Adrian Richard for an 8-yard gain down to the 9-yard line. Bowden carried down to the 8 on the next play to force a 3rd-and-short.
The Seminoles went back to Bowden, and he tried to spin out of a defender’s grasp for extra yardage when the ball came loose. Two Bayshore defensive backs jumped on the loose ball as the line judge on the Southeast sideline marked Bowden down. The back judge marked the ball where Bayshore recovered it, and an officials huddle ensued. Eventually, it was ruled the line judge blew his whistle before the ball came loose, so possession was returned to Southeast at the 6-yard line, where the fumble occurred.
Fagins atoned for his earlier fumble by bursting through a hole off the right side. In the process, he assured Southeast would not have to play in a Monday night tiebreaker for the fourth year in a row.
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