Homecoming court dressed in formal attire sits on a white parade float decorated like an ice castle, smiling for the camera.

Jaguars secure first win despite losing starting quarterback

Leo Torres
Gadsden County News Service

Football player in a blue uniform runs toward the end zone under stadium lights during a night game while defenders chase behind.

Photo caption: Running back Ashton Callahan punches in the score on Friday. 

Gadsden County High School won its first game of the season Friday, taking down Florida State University High School 20-19. Though the program is still 1-5, the win was a relief to the players and fans who have stood by their team after so much offseason turmoil. The win also provided a morale booster for the school, as it was also their homecoming night. 

Associate head coach Travis Gordon said the win feels good. 

“I’m glad they got that behind them and feel what it’s like to be victorious after all they’ve been through,” Gordon said. “We got some stuff we gotta clean up, we’ll finish strong for the senior group and move forward. 

The win wasn’t handed to them either. Florida High (4-3) played a full four quarters of tough football and even had the upper hand as the Jaguars lost their starting quarterback early in the game. Backup quarterback Breyland King bravely stepped up to fill in, and the rest was history — King led multiple scoring drives and threw a bomb to receiver Darrius Simmons late in the fourth to capitalize on a huge interception from junior Mike Mitchell. 

“At first — I was shook — but once the coaches told me to just do what I trusted, I just took the game from there,” King said. 

In addition to the big night for King, seniors Kaliah Stevenson and Daylen Green also had a memorable evening when they were crowned Homecoming King and Queen by their peers. There’s still a lot for the school to figure out as they venture further into the future — but for just one night, everything was all right in Gadsden County.


About

Mark Pettus is Publisher of The Chattahoochee News-Herald & Sneads Sentinel. He can be reached at mark.pettus@prioritynews.net


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