CITRA — Tevin Drake had one final kick to end his high school career.
The Nature Coast senior broke free as he had so many times. He weaved in and out of missed tackles, making his way 55 yards for a touchdown on his final high school run.
Yes, in retrospect he'll carry the moment of personal satisfaction for the rest of his life. For Sharks fans, it was one final glimpse of the once-dominant Nature Coast team that bulldozed its way through the North Suncoast for four seasons.
The end came Friday for more than a dozen Sharks seniors on North Marion's home turf, just where it had ended two years ago.
And in similar fashion, the Colts galloped to a 34-22 victory.
"I'm going to miss these boys," Drake said of his teammates. "I'm going to miss Nature Coast."
Drake finished with 107 yards and a touchdown. He was 19 yards shy of reaching 5,000 for his career.
Battling tears the way he fought off tackles, Drake couldn't help but let one or two fall as coaches grabbed him close and thanked him for a terrific career.
"He's had an outstanding career," Nature Coast coach Mark Lee said. "…I'm looking forward to watching him on Saturdays. He's a guy you can build an offense around."
The Colts' (10-1) game plan on defense was clear — stop Drake at all costs. And for the first half, Drake was frustrated, being held to minus-1 yard on 10 carries before halftime.
Nature Coast (7-4) still managed to find an edge early thanks to C.J. Baker's pass to Ja'Juan Story that went 45 yards for a touchdown, then a 33-yard field goal by Tyler Callaghan to make it 9-0.
Nature Coast had North Marion pinned third and 12 on the Colts' 7 when a pass interference call extended the drive. Four plays later, Colts sophomore Jamie Gilmore (18 carries, 185 yards, two touchdowns) scored on an 18-yard run to pull within two. Then a Baker interception led to a Colts' 13-yard touchdown run by C.J. Richardson for a 13-9 lead North Marion never relinquished.
The Colts went up 20-9 after Gilmore's second touchdown run on the opening drive of the second half. The Sharks answered on the next drive, a fumble recovery Jamel Byrd returned 12 yards.
The Colts forced a pair of turnover in the fourth quarter, each resulting in North Marion touchdowns.
"No one in the state can understand what these kids have been through the last year," Lee said. "I'm proud of them. They had a great season."
Izzy Gould can be reached at igould@tampabay.com or (813) 421-3886.
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