Mainland's late 2-point try fails in loss to Orange Park

DAYTONA BEACH — In the battle of pirates, Daytona Beach Mainland loaded its best cannon with the game on the line. A misfire on a gutsy 2-point try, though, sent the Buccaneers to a 21-20 loss Friday night against Orange Park at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium.

With 32 seconds to play, the Buccaneers scored on a 16-yard touchdown grab by Cortez Davis. Mainland, which lost kicker Anthony Fiore to injury on a punt in the first half, elected to go for the 2-point conversion rather than kick for the extra point with backup kicker Danny Carranza.

On the 2-point try, quarterback Greg Ross looked for Davis again, but the receiver was well-covered. The ball sailed over Davis’ head, and Orange Park recovered Mainland’s onside kick and ran out the clock in a Class 5A region semifinal.

"We lost our kicker, and our coaches thought we needed to go for it,’’ Mainland Coach John Maronto said. "So that’s what we did. We’ll live with it.’’

Mainland (11-1), first in the Sentinel Super 16, surged to a 14-0 lead in the first half. Ross connected with O.J. Ross for a 29-yard touchdown pass that capped an eight-play, 52-yard drive in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Chevin Davis made a juggling 21-yard catch for a key first down and then caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Ross to stretch it to 14-0.

Orange Park, which managed 107 yards in the first half, cut its deficit with five minutes to play in the second quarter when Andrew Denton hit Albrey Felder with a 39-yard touchdown pass.

A 1-yard touchdown plunge by Demetre Baker pulled Orange Park into a 14-14 tie in the third quarter.

Orange Park broke the tie with 3 minutes, 13 seconds to play in the fourth quarter when Denton threw on the run to Antonio Thomas for a 50-yard touchdown. On the play, Denton scrambled free of would-be tacklers and hit Thomas, who caught it on the left side at the 26-yard line. Two Mainland defenders went for the ball but came up empty as Thomas sprinted into the end zone untouched to make it 21-14.

Mainland drove to the Raiders’ 8-yard line early in the fourth quarter, but Orange Park stuffed a fourth-and-2 run play to thwart the Bucs’ effort.

Orange Park 21, Mainland 20

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FIRST — M: O.J. Ross 29 pass from G. Ross (Fiore kick). SECOND — M: Davis 17 pass from G. Ross (Fiore kick); O: A. Felder 39 pass from Denton (Henderson kick). THIRD — O: Baker 1 run (Henderson kick). FOURTH — O: Thomas 50 pass from Denton (Henderson kick); M: C. Davis 16 pass from G. Ross (pass failed).