3 key takeaways: Javon Ross' late TD run lifts DeLand to district win at Spruce Creek

PORT ORANGE — Steak dinners might be out of his price range, but DeLand senior quarterback TJ Moore declared Friday night he would treat his offensive linemen to a feast.

"They did a hell of a job," Moore said. "I'm going to end up buying them donuts after this."

While center Zyon McRae is happy only to munch on a couple of Krispy Kremes, 6-foot-5, 260-pound sophomore tackle Stephone Ross can eat them by the boxload.

"Looking forward to it," Ross said. "Probably about 50."

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The Bulldogs' quintet of blockers, plus fullback Wyatt Darlington and tight end Jonathan Baker, opened holes as Moore and do-it-all weapon Javon Ross combined for 298 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a 28-27 comeback win over Spruce Creek.

Ross scored the game-tying touchdown, a 5-yard squeeze up the middle, and Christian Baez knocked through the decisive PAT with 2:44 remaining in regulation. BJ Campbell sacked Spruce Creek quarterback Luke Smith to seal the Bulldogs' victory on fourth-and-13 inside the final 90 seconds.

Smith threw for 205 yards, rushed for 26 and accounted for four touchdowns in the loss. Spruce Creek held the lead three times.

Here are three takeaways from a crucial game in the landscape of the Florida High School Athletic Association's Class 4S football playoff race.

DeLand joins University in the District 9-4S driver's seat

With the win, DeLand (4-1, 1-0) moved into a tie for first place in District 9-4S. In the FHSAA's initial set of playoff rankings, released Tuesday afternoon, the Bulldogs were situated on the wrong side of the bubble despite sitting eighth in rating points.

DeLand defeated Spruce Creek 23-15 last November at Spec Martin Stadium to clinch its first district championship in a decade, though the Bulldogs drew the No. 7 seed and lost a regional quarterfinal to Final Four-bound Osceola.

Joining DeLand in the district driver's seat is University, a 41-0 winner over New Smyrna Beach about 10 miles down the road to the south.

"They're like a steamroller right now," DeLand coach Rick Darlington said of University.

All is certainly not lost for Spruce Creek (4-2, 0-1), considering the possibility of a multi-team stalemate, in which case the FHSAA's rankings would serve as the tiebreaker.

DeLand marches 95 yards on night's defining drive

Spruce Creek regained a 20-14 lead with just over nine minutes left as Smith tossed a 31-yard touchdown down the left sideline to Kamron Chamble. DeLand could not respond immediately, turning the ball over on downs after attempting a fake punt.

DeLand's defense pushed the Hawks back out of field goal range, aided by a momentum-killing holding call, though Aiden Lanier pinned the 'Dogs inside their own 5-yard line.

That's when DeLand leaned on its big fellas to methodically wear down the Hawks' undersized front. The Bulldogs inflicted death by a thousand paper cuts, driving 95 yards in 10 plays — highlighted by a 24-yard shovel screen from Moore to Ross.

Each of DeLand's final three snaps resulted in a first down: a 9-yard run by Moore after the Hawks jumped offsides, a 10-yard run for Moore and Ross' second TD of the half.

"I knew they would have a tough game. I'm just proud of them," Darlington said of his players. "In crucial situations, it's players more than plays. Obviously, Javon made some plays. TJ made some plays running the ball. But the O-line really laid it down and made those big holes. Even when we had penalties, we overcame them. It was a great job overcoming adversity."

Missed PAT before halftime, celebration penalty haunt the Hawks

The margin of victory proved to be a solitary missed PAT after a stunning touchdown just before halftime. Anthony Hayden streaked past DeLand's linebackers for a 61-yard pass from Smith with 12 seconds left on the clock, but Lanier's kick was wide of the upright.

After Chamble's fourth-quarter TD grab, Hawks coach Andy Price intended to go for the two-point conversion. However, officials flagged the Hawks for excessive celebration as Smith and Chamble chestbumped near the goal line — a call with which he took exception.

"In a spirited game across the board, why is that a flag? I watched the entire game tonight and felt like there was celebration on every single one," Price said. "I thought it was a non-necessary flag, unless there was something I missed and I'll watch the film to find out. It was our guys celebrating with each other. It wasn't like we rushed the field."

As a result of the penalty, the ball was spotted at the 17-yard line instead of the 2. Price sent out the kicking unit, and Lanier made the 35-yard try. Still, it left the window open for DeLand to take the lead if it could drive the field.

"I even thought, 'Well, what's the difference between being up by five and being up by six?' Well, the difference is we might block an extra point if they score again," Price said. "I'm not going to just throw a Hail Mary from the 17-yard line. I just didn't feel like that was a good option for us, and I knew our kicker could hit if he hit it clean."

Hayden paced the Hawks with 83 receiving yards, and Tony Kinsler had a game-high five receptions for 72 yards.

Up next

DeLand looks to continue its dominance of the "Battle for the Bone" rivalry with Deltona at 7 p.m. next Friday. The Bulldogs are 22-3 all-time against the currently winless Wolves, including last year's 58-42 shootout.

Spruce Creek will travel to Jacksonville, aiming to break its two-game slide in a matchup with Atlantic Coast.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school football: DeLand defeats Spruce Creek in district opener