Quarterback Ben Tyner was the first to admit he threw a bad throw early in the second quarter, resulting in an interception for Oviedo.

So, the Lions took over at the Patriots’ 20-yard line with about nine minutes left in the half. Pace was narrowly leading, 14-7, at that point, and needed a stop. After a handful of plays for Oviedo, the Lions found themselves around the 4-yard line following a run for a loss. Looking to keep things close, the Lions went for a field goal.

Defensive back Cameron Beaudreaux had other plans, however, hovering around the offensive line and getting his hands on the ball, deflecting it just enough for the kick to fail. The Patriots got the ball back with 6:18 left in the half.

And one play later, Tyner, making up for the earlier mistake, took an incredible 80-yard run for a drive that lasted just 13 seconds. You’re talking about a change in momentum.

Pace capitalized on the energy of everything that happened in just a few minutes and beat Oviedo, 49-14, Friday in the Region 1-6A quarterfinals at Pace Patriot Stadium. Pace will now travel to second-seeded Buchholz next week for the regional semifinals.

“It was closer than the score showed. … We had a few short pitches that gave us an advantage and were able to get a little lead over (Oviedo),” said the head coach of Pace, Kent Smith. “We made a lot of big plays, which we don’t really do. We usually drive the ball. But when (Oviedo) stacks the box like that, you’re going to break a big one every once in a while.”

Big plays mean a big win for Pace, who was shut out of the 2023 playoffs with an 8-2 record, and now the Patriots’ season extends at least another week. Those big plays didn’t just come from Tyner, but also from a host of players like Joeseph Skipworth, Brooks Washington, Alijah Lavender and Makael Williams – at least on the offensive side of the ball.

Beaudreaux, who also had an interception late in the game to really ice the game, was also important on defense, with several members of the linebacker core and defensive line interrupting Oviedo’s running game. Pace’s Tylon Lee and Keegan Dickerson, among others, had some fun in the backfield with a handful of sacks and a few tackles for losses against the Lions running backs.

Tyner opened the scoring on Pace’s first drive of the game on a 1-yard run, capping a 71-yard drive that took just over four minutes. He scored again a few drives later on a short field situation from the 7-yard line, finding the end zone one play after the drive to go up by two touchdowns with 4:05 left in the first quarter .

Oviedo got one back, then after the aforementioned blocked field goal and Tyner’s 80-yarder, Pace kept his foot on the gas pedal. Tyner connected with Lavender, a few yards behind the defense at midcourt, for a 28-7 lead with 4:50 left in the half. This touchdown also happened on a one-play drive.

This essentially put the game out of reach for the Lions.

With Oviedo scoring just before halftime, Pace continued to score with an 85-yard pass to Brooks Washington from Tyner, a 43-yard pass from Tyner to Skipworth, and a 65-yard run from Williams to enforce the stopwatch.

Pace (10-1) will travel to Buchholz next Friday, which beat Evans in similar fashion, 48-21, in the regional quarterfinals to advance. The Bobcats (8-3) were victorious a few years ago in 2022 in the Region 1-4S quarterfinals, 35-34.

Tyner, after the game, said the Patriots now carry the banner of two senior classes, trying to avenge the 2022 loss while also pushing for the 2023 seniors who missed the playoffs despite having a good season.

“It’s revenge for these seniors. We’re already excited,” Tyner said. “We carry the banner of all these seniors.”

“We had a barn burner with them a few years ago. They’re a good football team and we know it,” Smith said. “I wish we could get them here. But we can’t. … We have to beat Buchholz and they have a very good football team.”

This article was originally published in the Pensacola News Journal: Speed ​​Football defeats Oviedo in Region 1-6A quarterfinals, will face Buchholz