Edgewater holds off Boone in 70th Battle for the Barrel
Senior linebacker Thomas Anderson intercepted a pass in the final seconds Friday night to help visiting Edgewater defeat Boone for the fourth consecutive year in the annual “Battle for the Barrel” rivalry game.
Edgewater (9-1), which benefitted from 4 fumble recoveries, held off a late rally by the Braves (7-3) in a thrilling 35-28 win. The Eagles lead the all-time series 48-20-2 since the schools opened in place of old Orlando High in 1952.
“To be able to keep the Barrel for four years and be able to go 9-1 against a tough schedule, we feel very fortunate,” Edgewater coach Cameron Duke said. “But we’re going to take this game and learn from it, and dive into [making] corrections, and getting ready for our next opponent.”
Both teams host region quarterfinal playoff games on Friday. Boone’s opponent in Class 8A Region 2 and Edgewater’s opponent in 7A-2 will be revealed when postseason brackets are released by the Florida High School Athletic Association on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Anderson’s game-clincher took place at Edgewater’s 18-yard line on a throw over the middle with 14 seconds remaining. He also recovered a Boone fumble early in the fourth quarter.
“It was the most slow-motion thing in my life,” Anderson said of the interception. “The ball came to me, I came to the ball; I see ball, I got ball, and returned it. We just knew we had to trust each other and do our jobs.”
Edgewater entered at No. 2 in the Sentinel Super 16 area rankings. Boone was ranked No. 9. The teams combined for nearly 800 total yards of offense while playing through steady rainfall.
Players had to be separated at midfield by administrators during the postgame handshake, which was followed by Edgewater’s student section knocking down fencing and spilling onto the track along the visiting sideline while celebrating.
The contest shifted in Edgewater’s favor shortly after the Braves took a 21-20 lead on a 27-yard touchdown run by Lagarrius Marshell with 6:35 to go in the third quarter.
The Eagles quickly countered when freshman Semaj Fleming returned the kickoff 99 yards for a score to reclaim the advantage.
The Braves fumbled the ball away two plays later deep in their own territory. The turnover set up a short TD run by junior standout Cedric “CJ” Baxter for what proved to be all the Eagles would need the rest of the way.
“We had to make a play, and I wanted to be the one to make it,” Fleming said of the kick return. “I just wanted to play my role and not try to overdo it. It was a big moment for me and for my family, to get to see my first touchdown on varsity.”
Baxter carried the ball 33 times for a game-high 256 yards and 2 TDs. He scored on an 80-yard run on the first play from scrimmage after Boone’s JaCorey Thomas took a short pass and broke multiple tackles en route to a 73-yard score in the first quarter.
The Braves got within one score with four minutes to go when senior quarterback Casey St. John found sophomore Harrison White on a pass in the end zone. The TD was set up by a 57-yard toss from wide receiver Aidan Mizell to Marshell one play earlier.
Marshell led the Braves with 87 yards rushing on 15 carries and St. John passed for 300 yards and 3 TDs. Edgewater’s Chase Carter tossed TD passes to Jeremiah Connelly and Camp Magee.
After forcing Edgewater to turn the ball over on downs, Boone took over with 57 second left and reached the 32 on two receptions by Exavian Westbrook and a pass interference penalty.
Anderson’s interception sent the visiting sideline into a frenzy.
“This is always such a high-intensity game. That’s what makes it so sweet,” Duke said. “Hats off to Boone. That was a hard-fought game. They were resilient all night, and we thought they would be coming in. To find a way to get a win on the road feels good.”
No. 2 Edgewater 35, No. 9 Boone 28
FIRST QUARTER
B: JaCorey Thomas 72pass from Casey St. John (Brady Myers kick).
E: CJ Baxter 80run (Alex Ferenec kick).
B: Aidan Mizell 46pass from St. John (Myers kick).
SECOND QUARTER
E: Jeremiah Connelly 48pass from Chase Carter (Ferenec kick).
E: Camp Magee 25pass from Carter (kick blocked).
THIRD QUARTER
B: Lagarrius Marshell 27run (Myers kick).
E: Semaj Fleming 99kickoff return (Baxter run). E: Baxter 3run (Ferenec kick).
FOURTH QUARTER
B: Harrison White 11pass from St. John (Myers kick).