No. 2 St. Frances football dominates IMG Academy, 30-3

Playing an independent schedule mostly against nationally ranked opponents, St. Frances football doesn’t get the opportunity to play for a conference championship.

So largely in its place, always coming near the end of the season, is a growing rivalry against Florida’s perennial power IMG Academy.

Friday night at Morgan State University, the No. 2 Panthers came in ranked No. 17 in the country, according to MaxPreps, while the visiting Ascenders rolled in at No. 5.

Hold everything.

With a sensational first-half performance from quarterback Jae’Oyn Williams backed by a dominant, big-play defensive effort in the second half, St. Frances claimed an overwhelming 30-3 win at Hughes Stadium.

The Panthers (7-3) won their fifth straight this season, ending a two-game slide against the Ascenders and taking a 3-2 edge in the series that dates to 2019.

Williams ran for a score and then threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Damon Hall, a Maryland commit, with three seconds left in the half for a 17-3 advantage. The Panthers’ defense, which forced five turnovers, got an 81-yard fumble recovery for a score from defensive tackle Darrion Smith (Tennessee) and then a 78-yard pick six from Wayne Henry (Auburn) to cap the win.

With still over three minutes left in the game, plans for a Gatorade bath were in the works for coach Messay Hailemariam.

“In the second half of the season, after the gauntlet of a schedule at the beginning, I told them, ‘Let’s build up to this day, but more importantly execute all facets.’ I can’t ask for anything better tonight,” he said. “Those guys fought and put it all together, and tonight was a culmination of all their hard work.

“Playing the No. 5 team in the country and putting this type of performance on them, at home, it feels really good and these kids and the coaching staff is deserving.”

Last season, IMG claimed a 17-14 home win and another tight game was expected Friday. That was the case well into the second quarter, and then it all changed.

For St. Frances, Dwayne Kelly Jr. (Kent State) had a 29-yard punt return to set up the Panthers with the ball on the IMG 42-yard line with 3:52 to play.

Five players later — after Williams found Jeremiah Koger (South Florida) for a key 22-yard pass — the quarterback scored from 1 yard out for a 10-3 lead.

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After the defense caused a three-and-out, the Panthers got the ball back on their own 7 with 1:08 to play in the half.

Williams broke through up the middle for a 60-yard gain, and a pass-interference call against the Ascenders helped set up a first-and-goal at the 3 with seven seconds left. Williams found Hall on a play-action pass to give the Panthers the 17-3 lead.

“This one means so much. This is our hometown, our city, we’re right up the street like 15 minutes away — we can’t let them come in here and beat us,” Williams said. “In the beginning of the season, I was second string, third string. I worked my way up, waited for my opportunity and balled when I got it. Seized the opportunity.”