NewsBreak Original

The Clay High Blue Devils finished the 2022 football season with a 3-7 record. Clay finished third in the 3S District 4 with a 2-2 district record, a 1-4 home record and a 2-3 record on the road.

The Clay High Blue Devils lost their homecoming game after leading for the first three quarters against the Pedro Menendez Falcons Friday night, 22-18. The first half of the game was a defensive struggle with only three points scored in the first half. Clay High had a steady drive in the second quarter that got them up 3-0.

The Clay High Blue Devils rebound from a week one loss by beating the Ridgeview Panthers at Ridgeview’s home opener Friday night, 33-22. Clay High’s Dwonya Williams recovered a fumble on Ridgeview’s first offensive drive. From there, Clay marched down the field where Clay High quarterback Merrick Rapoza rolled out to his right to hit wide receiver Payton Dykas in the corner of the endzone for the first score of the game.

The Fleming Island Golden Eagles football team traveled to Green Cove Springs Friday night and dominated the Clay High Blue Devils in the opening game of the season, 49-7. After a brief 15-minute weather delay due to lightning, Clay High held its own for the first half of the first quarter. However, the speed, strength and experience of the Fleming Island roster were too much for a young Clay High team who lost many of their experienced players to graduation or transfer.

The much-anticipated 2022 high school football season for Clay County is just around the corner. The FHSAA has released the schedule for each team in the county for the 2022 season.

With the start of the 2022 high school football season being a month away, three schools in Clay County have the best chance to make a significant run in the FHSAA playoffs. Fleming Island finished last season with a 6-5 record and 3-2 7A District 3 record, according to MaxPreps. Even though Fleming Island finished the season a game above .500 and plays in one of Florida’s toughest classifications, they have the necessary pieces to make a significant run for the 2022 season. Sophomore quarterback Cibastian Broughton started as a freshman last season and will continue to develop. Broughton has a senior-heavy team to help him win games this season. Four-star running back Sam Singleton and three-star Darion Domineck are explosive weapons on offense that are wanted by some of the top college programs in the country. Fleming Island also has explosive defensive players in three-star linebacker Abram Wright and Jhace Edwards who combined for 143 total tackles. If Broughton improves his sophomore year and key players on both sides of the ball stay healthy, the sky is the limit for Fleming Island. Fleming Island’s first matchup is against Clay High on August 26.

Former Super Bowl champion Cliff Avril will return to Clay High School on July 9 to host his 10th annual free youth football camp. Through the Cliff Avril Family Foundation, Avril will return to his former high school along with other NFL players to provide one-on-one instruction for the campers, according to Eventbrite. The event has a limit of 250 campers from ages 12 to 18. The campers must be pre-registered on the Eventbrite website. The campers will receive a T-shirt, a photo with Avril, a goody bag, and a lunch. The campers are encouraged to wear athletic clothing and will wear shirts provided by Avril.