Oct. 13, 2025
Reported by Alfredo Muente
In a Class 4A-11 district showdown on Friday night, the St. Petersburg High School Green Devils secured a 31-21 victory over Northeast High School. Both teams' records are 1-1, adding more intrigue to the playoff race.
The Green Devils (2-5) struck early and never trailed, fueled by a standout performance from junior quarterback Cole Underwood and senior wide receiver Thomas Grizzard. The win keeps St. Pete’s postseason hopes alive as all four teams in the district now sit at 1-1 after Week 8.
St. Pete opened the scoring with a 43-yard field goal by kicker John Pericles, then quickly capitalized on a Northeast fumble. Underwood connected with Grizzard for the first of three touchdown passes, giving the Green Devils a 10-0 lead just minutes into the game. Northeast (3-4) responded with a 17-yard touchdown run from fullback David McGruder, narrowing the gap to 10-7 by the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, linebacker Parker Smith’s fumble recovery at the Viking 34-yard line set up another short touchdown pass from Underwood to Grizzard, extending the St. Pete lead to 17-7 at halftime.
The Vikings came out strong in the third quarter with a 40-yard trick play touchdown pass from Tyler Arnold to junior tight end Gavin Wright. However, St. Pete answered quickly with a 23-yard scoring strike to Grizzard—his third touchdown catch of the night—to push the lead to 24-14.
Northeast kept the game close with a 9-yard touchdown run by Wayne Walters Jr., who led the Viking offense with 154 rushing yards on 15 carries. Fellow running back Tyson Drummond added 98 yards on 21 carries. But a short kickoff gave the Green Devils favorable field position, and Jayden Shelby Cobbs capitalized with a 16-yard touchdown run to make it 31-21.
Northeast’s comeback hopes faded when St. Pete’s Hilton Johnson recovered a late-game fumble, allowing the Green Devils to run out the clock and secure the win.
With all four teams in Class 4A-11 now tied at 1-1, the playoff picture remains wide open. St. Pete will host Osceola on Oct. 24, while Northeast travels to face the Southeast Seminoles.
