A Florida high school football game had a frighteningly unusual interruption just six minutes in Friday night. But the bizarre chain-gang situation in one Jacksonville-area matchup was only part of an evening that eventually featured a disputed timeout, clock confusion and a haunting overtime finish along the First Coast.
The matchup between Mandarin and St. Augustine delivered one of the night's wildest finishes Friday, Oct. 30, as Mandarin rallied for a 32-31 overtime victory.
With 13 seconds remaining in regulation, St. Augustine appeared to take a 27-24 lead on a 25-yard field goal by Jake Fischer. However, an offsides penalty against Mandarin wiped the kick off the scoreboard, giving the Yellow Jackets another set of downs.
St. Augustine coach
Brian Braddock said he believed his team had a timeout remaining after a line judge told him the Yellow Jackets had two timeouts earlier in the drive.
When Braddock attempted to call a timeout following a run by Chance Carter, he said the referee informed him that St. Augustine had exhausted its timeouts. The officiating crew was the same crew that also handled a chaotic finish to University Christian-Trinity Christian in Week 2 and huddled as one second was restored to the clock, then 12, then three.
The ensuing confusion over the clock and remaining timeouts led officials to declare regulation over, sending the game into overtime.
![Mandarin players huddle after defeating St. Augustine 32-31 in overtime on Oct. 30, 2026. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2026/10/31/NFTU/92525838007-53315.jpg)
St. Augustine scored first in overtime on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Cash Downey to Kaleb Stehr, taking a 31-24 lead.
Mandarin answered with a touchdown by Shaunqueze Foster, who then scored the decisive two-point conversion to give the Mustangs a 32-31 victory.
Foster finished with 99 rushing yards on 26 carries, while five-star receiver Brysen Wright caught nine passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns.
The loss ended St. Augustine's perfect regular season, while Mandarin improved to 9-1 heading into the postseason.
Meanwhile, the Clay-Jackson game provided another bizarre moment in Jacksonville-area football.
The game has been halted as we look for a replacement chain gang crew. Whoever ran it the first 6 minutes of the game apparently lied on their resumes or somehow do not meet the qualifications to operate the chains.
— Stuart Webber (@StuartASJax) October 30, 2026
This is absurd. @LocalTVSPXPrbs https://t.co/VIZzZjQCQP pic.twitter.com/RDbjQlmWcY
The matchup was briefly halted approximately six minutes into the contest as officials searched for a replacement chain gang crew after questions arose about whether the original members were qualified to operate the sideline chains.
Action Sports Jax reporter Stuart Webber, who was covering the game, described the unusual stoppage in a post on X.
"The game has been halted as we look for a replacement chain gang crew," Webber wrote. "Whoever ran it the first 6 minutes of the game apparently lied on their resumes or somehow do not meet the qualifications to operate the chains."
The chains are used to mark the line of scrimmage and measure the 10 yards needed for a first down. Officials searched for a replacement crew before play could continue.
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X at @AlexMartinUSAT or via email: amartin@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow USA TODAY High School Sports on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida football games deliver OT thriller, bizarre chain gang stoppage
