MILTON, Ga. — Junior quarterback Caden Rose is a baseball guy. Sort of. Mostly. For now.
The Alabama-bound shortstop was once again dominant for the Bob Jones Football Patriots behind center, leading his squad to its second consecutive victory to begin the 2018 season—this one, a 36-33 thriller over Daytona Mainland (FL).
After Rose’s fourth touchdown of the game put Bob Jones up 29-14—and seemingly put them in command—the Bucs battled back, ultimately going ahead 36-32 with less than two minutes remaining.
But, when all seemed lost, it was Rose who delivered a trio of strikes—the first to rarely used but often lethal Jaydon Hill—to push his team inside its opponents five-yard line. From there, Rose handled the rest with his legs, stunning a Daytona Mainland team that must’ve felt like it had all but stolen the victory moments earlier.
Caden Rose scores again this time with only 39 seconds left and @BJHS_Football leads 39-36! pic.twitter.com/htwEtqanDI
— FloFootball (@FloFootball) August 31, 2018
The Pats got rolling early, marching 73 yards in seven plays on their opening possession. Rose capped the drive with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Brown, who ran free behind the defense and strode in for the first score of the game unimpeded.
.@BJHS_Football strikes first!
— FloFootball (@FloFootball) August 31, 2018
The Patriots lead 8-0 after this TD pass and a two-point conversion. pic.twitter.com/xuK1NhY18I
After a false start moved the point after attempt back, Bob Jones faked the extra point try and, instead, notched a two-point conversion courtesy of John Michael Riley to grab an 8-0 lead.
Unfazed, Daytona Mainland answered right back, grinding out an impressive 15-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 5:28 of clock and culminated in a one-yard touchdown run by De’Andre McMillian.
We have a tie ball game! @MAINLANDBUCS knots the game at 8 with 3 minutes to go in the first quarter. pic.twitter.com/yZWbadTUPx
— FloFootball (@FloFootball) August 31, 2018
Intent on re-tying the game, the Bucs went for two after the score and cashed in when Shawn Daffin made a fantastic catch in the corner on a pass from Taron Keith to knot the game, 8-8.
Bob Jones returned fire with another seven-play drive—this one covering 80 yards in three minutes—the grand finale for which was a 24-yard touchdown run up the Patriots’ sideline by Rose. The Jacob Fruehwald point after made it 15-8.
Two possessions later, Rose found his future Alabama baseball teammate, Dylan Ray, on a perfectly designed crossing route against the grain and Ray did the rest, outrunning the secondary and diving for the pylon to complete a 17-yard pitch, catch and run. Fruehwald’s extra point gave the Pats a 22-8 lead.
Caden Rose with his third touchdown of the first half to extend @BJHS_Football lead to 22-8 with 6 minutes to go in the 2nd quarter. pic.twitter.com/JLLmF3Cdwi
— FloFootball (@FloFootball) August 31, 2018
To the credit of Daytona Mainland and its quarterback, Taron Keith and the Bucs offense responded, capping a 4:05 drive with a 34-yard touchdown strike from Keith to Da’Onte Ireland to cut into the Patriot lead. The point after left the score at 22-14, where it would remain into the break.