By Rick Patrick
Riverbend News
“It was a great night for football,” said Suwannee High School Head Coach Kyler Hall after his Bulldogs opened their 2020 season with a resounding 41-10 win over an old rival, the Raiders of Santa Fe High School. It was also Senior Night for the Bulldogs as they paid tribute to the Class of 2021. There was also a very special guest in the house, Gov. Ron DeSantis, who made the trip to Live Oak to catch the game.
The Bulldogs wasted little time establishing their dominance on the field. Senior dual-threat quarterback, Jaquez Moore, opened the scoring for the Bulldogs when he reversed his direction and weaved his way into the endzone from five yards out. Later, Moore hit Brian Fuer on a 14-yard pass to set up first and goal at the two-yard line for the Bulldogs. Then Moore hit Wesley Jones, who drove across the goal line, putting the Bulldogs well in control. Moore was simply getting warmed up for the evening as he punched the ball into the endzone for another Bulldog score. When intermission rolled around, the Bulldogs were well in control with a 21-3 lead.
Early in the third quarter, Moore found Jones quarantined in the corner of the endzone with 10:30 remaining in the third quarter. Moore showed why he is such a threat, not only with his arm, but with his wheels as well when he found a hole and raced 64-yards to pay dirt for another Bulldogs touchdown. With two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Moore found Terrell Atkinson all by himself for a 28-yard touchdown toss and catch.
The Bulldogs amassed 174 total yards on offense, with 85 yards through the air and 89 yards on the ground. Moore was named the Offensive Player of the Game for his three touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns. The Defensive Player of the Game was Andrew Brown and Jeremy Wallace earned the Special Teams Player of the Game honor.
Next up for the Bulldogs is a trip north to Jasper for a contest with another rival, the Trojans of Hamilton High School. This will be the first game of the season for the Trojans. “We've been playing [Hamilton] for a long time,” said Coach Hall. “They have a new coach, Coach Kirkland, who is from Hamilton, so there should be a lot of excitement in the game.” The game against Hamilton High School is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. Hamilton High School is located at 5683 U.S. Hwy 129 South, in Jasper.