By FRANCIS FEDOR
Sumner football made the nearly four-hour bus ride up to Bartram Trail HS to open its 2024 HS football season. The Stingrays had a tough night, losing 34-12 to the Bears. Bartram Trail is only 30 minutes outside of Jacksonville and is likely the furthest the program has traveled for a game. The Bears won a preseason game the previous week over Riverside, 39-35. The ’Rays return home on Aug. 30 to open their home schedule against Armwood HS. The Hawks opened their season with a 42-19 win at Gaither.
Sumner new head coach and former defensive coordinator, George Selvie (headset), works with his defensive players in game action during the 2023 season. He will lead the Stingrays into a new era of Sumner football.
Francis Fedor Photos
Stingray junior Ronald Wilson Jr. is seen in action in a playoff game vs. Durant. Wilson carried the ball for 80 yards in the season opener against Bartram Trail on Friday, Aug. 23.
The Bears were the first to crack the scoreboard. After a missed FG on their first drive, Bartram Trail capped a 55-yard drive with a 13-yard pass for the game’s first touchdown. The Stingrays answered on their next drive, starting from their own 35-yard line, capped their scoring drive with a 6-yard TD pass from Antonio Balaguer to WR Jonathan Rollins. The extra point failed, but the ’Rays were in the game, only down by a point at 7-6 early in the second quarter. Sumner looked to take the lead but missed on a field goal attempt midway through the second half. The Bears came back and added another TD on a 21-yard pass from Arthur Lewis to add to their lead. Sumner turned the ball over just before the end of the half and held Bartram Trail from tacking onto its lead with field position, a win for the Stingray defense.
The Stingray defense held on the Bears’ first drive of the second half and answered with a 42-yard touchdown run by Antonio Balaguer on its first possession of the second half. Sumner opted for a 2-point try to even the score, but the conversion failed. The Stingrays were still in the game and gave themselves a chance to compete on what was to be a very long day of school bus travel. It was the last time Sumner scored for the game, and on the ensuing kickoff, the Bears got a big 80-yard return that went for a touchdown by Arthur Lewis IV, not the QB but the teams RB and special teams player, to extend their lead to 21-12. Sumner drove down to the Bartram 15-yard line but turned the ball over on downs, having to take the chance to push for the touchdown, and the Bears added another TD after another long drive to push their lead out to 28-12. The Bears QB, Arthur Lewis, capped his big offensive game with a seven-yard touchdown run to end the scoring for the game and give Bartram Trail the 34-12 victory. Sumner sophomore QB Antonio Balaguer finished with 182 yards passing with 45 yards rushing, and junior RB Ronald Wilson Jr. finished with 80 yards on the ground.
The Stingrays will return home to play in front of the Tank crowd with their off-season changes taking the field for the first time at home for 2024. George Selvie will take the field as only the second head coach in the short program history. Much of the offense will be seeing consistent starting roles for the first time. The Bartram Trail game was a good chance for starters to see action in a complete game. The team will grow together and build its own identity. It faces tough competition on its schedule this season, and those that manage the schedules did the ’Rays no favors by having them spend over 13 hours to play at an opponent outside of the area. They will enjoy a chance to play at home in a fun atmosphere and come together as a team, adding another season to the books of Sumner HS football history. Game on!