Middleton, Fla. — The Villages High School football team found itself a spark amid a historic victory Friday night in Middleton.

A quarterback change gave the Buffalo a big boost en route to a runaway victory over Citrus (Inverness), as Ja'dence Kennedy completed every pass he threw in relief — including four first-half touchdowns — to lead VHS to a 55-0 win at The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium.

The 55 points are the most VHS (3-1 overall) has scored since a 64-47 win over Crescent City in 2018, while the 55-point margin of victory is the largest for the Buffalo since another 55-0 win over Umatilla in 2017.

"Anytime you can go out and play defense like we did, put up points like we did and be productive like we were, it's all you can ask for as a football coach," said VHS head coach Richard Pettus. "I'm just really proud of the kids. We didn't get off to the start that we wanted, but we stayed focused and we did what we needed to do to get a big win."

That accomplishment came largely by way of a switch at quarterback with 3:41 remaining in the first quarter, as Kennedy took the place of starter Patrick Harding after a turnover on downs and a missed field goal on the opening two possessions. The sophomore came on in relief and went a perfect 8-for-8, throwing for 161 yards and four scores to energize VHS in its biggest win in seven seasons.

"It feels really good because Coach (Pettus) has told me to stay ready because you never know when your time will come, and it was my time tonight," Kennedy said after the win. "My receivers were able to get open and sit in some open spots against their defense, and I just have to say 'Thank You' to my offensive line for holding up and giving me all the time that I needed."

After VHS came up empty on its first two series, Kennedy trotted into the middle of the Buffalo huddle and immediately made an impact, tossing a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Harding on his first throw for a 7-0 lead.

Just two minutes after a punt by the visiting Hurricanes (0-4 overall), Kennedy lit up the scoreboard once again on a 9-yard slant to Omari Hill for a score and a 13-0 advantage through one quarter of action.

An 8-yard touchdown run by Maleek Williams extended the Buffalo lead to 20-0 early in the second period, before a pair of touchdown passes from Kennedy to Bradee Powell pushed VHS out in front at 34-0. The touchdown strikes of 29 and 24 yards, respectively, pulled Kennedy even with Chase Kelly (2011) for the most passing touchdowns (4) in a single game in program history.

"Tonight was a night that (Kennedy) came out and had an opportunity in front of him, and he really took advantage of it," Pettus said. "Sometimes when you come off the bench, you have a little bit of a feel (for things), because you've been able to watch and see how things develop. We feel like we've got two quarterbacks that can both get the job done for us, but tonight was his night, for sure."

The senior Williams found the end zone for the second time in the first half on a 1-yard plunge to make it 41-0 with 5:18 to play, before Mikeen Harrison returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown — just 10 seconds later — to give VHS a 48-0 lead at halftime. VHS had six scoring drives of three plays or less in the first half, while the 48 points are also the most in a single half in program history.

Freshman tailback Jonathan Williams added a 15-yard touchdown run just past the midway point of the third quarter for the night's final margin, as VHS won its fifth straight home game dating back to the 2023 campaign.

Maleek Williams finished with 138 yards rushing on nine carries in less than two full quarters of action and Powell led all receivers with three catches for 70 yards, as VHS rolled up 426 yards of offense in the lopsided victory. 

Not to be outdone, the Buffalo defense held Citrus to just 55 yards of offense — including just 10 rushing yards on 18 attempts — as the unit posted its first shutout since Sept. 25, 2020.

The Villages will now turn its attention to Tavares (2-1), who cruised to a 46-0 victory over Atlantic on Friday night, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. on Sept. 20 from The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium.

"We've got a little bit of a different test next week," Pettus said. "Tavares is a good football team, there's no doubt about it. We've got to prepare our best and get ready to play four quarters against a talented team."


SCORING SUMMARY
THE VILLAGES 55, CITRUS 0
Citrus    0    0    0    0 — 0
Villages    13    35    7    0 — 55
First Quarter
V: Jonathan Harding 22 pass from Ja'dence Kennedy (Bradee Powell kick), 3:12
V: Omari Hill 9 pass from Kennedy (kick missed), 1:00
Second Quarter
V: Maleek Williams 8 rush (Powell kick), 11:12
V: Powell 29 pass from Kennedy (Powell kick), 10:11
V: Powell 24 pass from Kennedy (Powell kick), 7:23
V: M. Williams 1 run (Owen Yassen kick), 5:18
V: Mikeen Harrison 27 interception return (Yassen kick), 5:08
Third Quarter
V: Jonathan Williams 15 rush (Yassen kick), 4:42
Fourth Quarter
No scoring



Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment at cody.hills@tvcs.org or by calling (352) 259-6890.