Ponte Vedra throttles Clay: 3 takeaways from the Sharks' spring football finale

GREEN COVE SPRINGS — As cool as ever, the Ponte Vedra Sharks football team waltzed into the end zone for a touchdown within the first 1:30 of their spring matchup against Clay.

The 7-0 lead would soon blossom into 21-0 by halftime and 35-14 by game’s end, putting an exclamation mark on their spring season.

Here are three takeaways from the Sharks’ win over the Blue Devils.

The Check In: 5 SPRING FOOTBALL QUESTIONS: Is 'versatile' Ponte Vedra ready to contend?

Flash forward: 5 SPRING FOOTBALL QUESTIONS: Is young St. Joseph Academy ready to be tested?

The QB battle is on

The Sharks got productive minutes from quarterbacks Ben Burk and Bryce Frick, who led each of the Sharks' drives.  Both guys saw the field last year, but not more than star Nathan Bunkosky.

Burk threw for 280 yards and two scores in 2021 while Frick also had two scores and tallied 115 yards.

Bunkosky will play more receiver this year so those guys will have more time under center.

Burk threw early interceptions Thursday but weathered the blunders to lead the team to the convincing victory.

"I'm thrilled that they were both very successful tonight," head coach Steve Price said. "They both deserve success."

The defense looks solid

The Sharks shut out two teams last season and were poised to do the same against Clay after taking a 35-0 lead in the fourth quarter. A big punt return by Clay's Jarvis lee and a late score derailed that opportunity.

Price thought his team did a good job of containing Clay's power run game. The Blue Devils were able to break through a few times, though.

Bunkosky, who also plays corner, said they've got to keep their foot on the the pedal.

"Until that clock hits zero, you can't be satisfied," Bunkosky said.

The offense is flowing

The Sharks got contributions from several guys including WR Griffin Owen, who scored two touchdowns. Bunkosky gave the Sharks two more scores while sophomore Brian Case and WR Wyatt Rogers also were huge for the Sharks.

“We blocked well on the perimeter," Price said. "We made right decisions, the running backs ran the ball hard. Excellence is the standard."

Although it was just a spring football game, it was a flash of how dominant the Sharks could be next fall.

“This game is only a fraction of what we can accomplish in the future,” Bunkosky said.

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: High school football: Ponte Vedra closes spring with win over Clay