Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} The 2011-2012 high school football season is now in the books, and its time to look back, and recap what went on in the final weekend of the state finals in Orlando, and at the season in a whole.

 

Class 8A State Final – Tampa Plant 31, Miramar 20.

 

The Panthers used a great running attack, and a few key defensive stops to hold off Miramar’s surge, and become champion of Class 8A. Tampa Plant deserves much credit for taking down a talented Patriot squad who no doubtfully will be back in the title mix again next season. It was Plant’s fourth state title in the past six seasons. “Plant had a great game plan for us,” Miramar coach Damon Cogdell said. “A lot of other teams put pressure on us, but they had stronger, faster guys. They did a good job.” It was the first time since October 1, 2010 that the Patriots allowed 30, or more points in a game, but Miramar understands that they will need to regroup to get back to Orlando in December. “We’ve got to regroup,” Cogdell said. “We’ll start things back up in the weight room in January, go from there.”

 

Class 6A State Final – Seffner Armwood 40, Miami Central 31

 

The Central Rockets, and Armwood Hawks came into this matchup undefeated while showcasing high-potent offenses, and talented defenses, but in the end it would be the Hawks who would prevail with a 40-31 win over Central thus ending the Rockets’ 27-game winning streak, and any hopes of becoming the fourth Miami-Dade team in history to win back-to-back state titles. “I just told them to stay positive,” Central coach Telly Lockette said. “But we just couldn’t overcome those mistakes. I told my kids, we were down 17-0 [last year] and we came back so just keep working. But we came up short.” The Rockets just fell short as they tried to rally back from a 16-0 deficit to come away with the win, but the Hawks were just a bit too much in the end.

 

Class 5A State Final – Miami Norland 38, Crawfordville Wakulla 0

 

After last year’s painful loss in the state final, the Vikings rebounded, and returned back to Orlando to get its chance at redemption, and succeeded with a 38-0 victory over the Wakulla War Eagles to win its school’s second football state championship.

 

Duke Johnson finished the game with four touchdowns on 130 rushing yards, and returned a kickoff for 69 yards for his fifth touchdown to seal the win, and putting a finishing cap on his high school career. The Vikings now join Northwestern, Carol City, Coral Gables, and Southridge as the only schools in Dade County to win multiple state titles. “I live in Miami Gardens and I went to Norland, so I know how much this means to that community,” Norland coach Daryle Heidelburg said. “The biggest thing has been getting the kids that are supposed to go to Norland to play for their school and believe they can succeed there.”

 

Looking ahead to next season, there is already a little buzz about the expectations for the teams going into the 12-13 season, but the excitement will be lots of fun when next August arrives.

 

There are only 3 teams left in the Broward, and Miami-Dade area that will be represented in the FHSAA football finals in Orlando, and the following week proves to be an exciting one ahead for the upcoming teams in the Citrus Bowl.

Class 8A State Semifinal – Miramar 14, Columbus 6.

In a tough defensive struggle that left both teams battered, and bruised, the Patriots emerged with a 14-6 win to punch a ticket to Orlando for the 8A state title game where they will meet Tampa Plant on December 17th. For the second season in three years, Miramar will be at the state finals vying for a chance at a second state title, but the win didn’t come easy as the Explorers held Miramar to no points in the first half, but the Patriots found a way to breakthrough with Cam Hudge completing a touchdown  pass to Devonte Mathis for Miramar’s first score, and D’vontis Arnold scoring from 10 yards out to give the Patriots an 14-0 lead, and in the end that would be enough for Miramar’s “Darkside Defense” to handle as they held the Explorer running attack in check to 90 yards, and six points.

Class 6A State Semifinal – Miami Central 17, Daytona Beach Mainland 7

Lead by their sophomore running back Joe Yearby who rushed for `160 yards, and two touchdowns, the Rockets escaped defeat once again, and clinched a berth into the Class 6A title game for the second straight season. Central was in need of a game-breaker to give them the lead, and that’s when Yearby stepped in to run for a 77-yard touchdown to give Rockets a 14-7 advantage.

The Rockets then went over to Emilo Nadelman who sealed the game with a 37-yard field goal with 2:40 left in the game. The Rockets will now prepare for the Armwood Hawks on December 17th in the Citrus Bowl to determine who will be the Class 6A champion.

“It’s all about these kids,” Lockette said. “We’re going back to the dance.”

Class 5A State Semifinal – Miami Norland 35, Palmetto 28

The Vikings’ chances of reaching Orlando were in jeopardy as they were down 20-0 late in the first half, but Norland’s running back Duke Johnson would ultimately have something to say about how the outcome would be decided in this one. He along with the rest of the Vikings, stormed back to steal the win on the road against a good Palmetto team that was seeking a chance at ending Norland’s season. The Vikings rallied back off of Johnson’s 68-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 20-7, then a 20-yard score off Duke to trim the lead to six. Then after a 8-play, 66-yard effort, Johnson would run it in from 32 yards out to give Norland a 21-20 lead, and score again from 71 yards out to increase the lead to 8, but Palmetto would answer back with a 8-yard touchdown thanks to Shaq Harris from Trent Miller, but the Vikings would put it away with a 18-yard score from Charles McCall, and stopping Palmetto at their own 1-yard line to seal the victory.

“I know nobody has traveled the miles we’ve had to travel to go to state. The long 3-hour bus Drives, going into the Muck. This was the road less traveled.”

Wakulla will be awaiting Norland on December 16th in the Citrus Bowl for the Class 5A state title.

Class 4A Championship – Jacksonville Bolles 33, Miami Booker T. 25

The Tornadoes’ dream season came to an abrupt end this past Saturday night as the Bolles Bulldogs erased a 13-point deficit by scoring 21 points in the final quarter to rally from behind, and capture the Class 4A state title over Miami Booker T. with a 33-25 win in the Citrus Bowl. The Bulldogs have now won its 11th state championship while head coach Corky Rogers has clinched his tenth title for Bolles in his tenure.

“I feel like I’ve been robbed without a pistol,” Booker T. junior linebacker Matthew Thomas said.

Thomas finished with a great performance by capturing 15 tackles, and two fumble recoveries, but it wasn’t enough as the Tornadoes fell short in its hopes to win their second state title. “I feel like I didn’t play well enough because we lost,” Thomas said. “We’ve got to get over it and start working to get back here next year.

The Tornadoes were looking at capturing the state title with a 25-12 lead heading into the final quarter, but their defense gave up two touchdowns to give Bolles a 26-25 lead, then the Tornadoes muffed a kickoff, and Bolles recovered it for a touchdown. Booker T. had one last shot, but was unable to convert on a fourth-and-2 as Bolles tipped two straight passes  in the endzone sending the Bulldogs into their celebration.

STATE SEMIFINALS PREVIEW: This week, It’s the state semifinals for classes 8A to 5A while the state finals will begin to take place for the classes 1A to 4A in Orlando’s Citrus Bowl.

For Miami-Dade County, there are four teams left, and it starts with Miami Booker T. as they face-off with state power Jacksonville Bolles for the Class 4A title on Saturday night, but Central, Norland, and Columbus have their own tough tests to get to Orlando as well. The Explorers look to get to the state final for the first time since 1982, Central is seeking a second straight state final appearance, and Norland must travel to Palmetto which is near St. Petersburg to face the Palmetto Tigers for a berth in the Class 5A state game.

Broward County’s hopes on having a football champion rests on the shoulder of the Miramar Patriots who will match-up with the Explorers on Friday night at FIU Stadium to determine who will be in the Class 8A title game after St. Thomas Aquinas fell to Palm Beach Dwyer 6-3 on the final play in the Class 7A playoffs. Class 8A State Semifinal – Columbus (10-2) vs. Miramar (12-0). The Explorers, and Patriots have held each of its first three playoff opponents to just seven points, or less, and now to will knock heads at FIU Stadium to see who will appear in the Class 8A championship game. Columbus is seeking their first state title appearance since 1982, but they must have big games from key players Brandon Radcliffe, Lorenzo Woodley, and Darryl Chestnut to derail Miramar’s chances of reaching Orlando on Friday. The Patriots will look to show off their “Darkside Defense” in an attempt to get back in the final game in mid December, and key players Tracy Howard, Cam Hudge, Malcolm Lewis, and company look to do that for Miramar.

Class 6A State Semifinal – Miami Central (12-0) vs. Daytona Beach Mainland (12-1)

The Rockets took a trip to Daytona Beach two years ago to face the Bucs, and handled Mainland a 35-3 beating on their home field, but this time, the teams meet at Traz-Powell Stadium to decide who will meet in the Class 6A championship game to meet the winner between Armwood, and Bartram Trail.

Central was struggling to get its offense rolling, but the Rockets had just enough to get by Melbourne Palm Bay 17-7 to advance to this stage, but now here comes Mainland who have won twelve in a row after losing their season opener to DeLand, and now look to upset the Rockets to find their way into Orlando, but can Central be able to get a solid performance from their offense in a crucial matchup to appear in the Class 6A championship for the second straight year.

Class 5A State Semifinal – Miami Norland (13-0) vs. Palmetto (12-1)

The Vikings went to Belle Glade, and turned the lights off on Glades Central’s season as they defeated the Raiders 29-13 thanks to a solid performance from Duke Johnson, but the road trip to state continues as Norland will make its way to Palmetto High School which is near St. Petersburg as the Tigers present the next challenge for Norland in their quest to Orlando, but can the Vikings be able to duplicate another solid effort to reach state for the Class 5A championship game.

Class 4A State Championship – Jacksonville Bolles (12-1) vs. Miami Booker T. (12-1)

Thanks to a fake field-goal attempt to take out three-time state champion Cocoa in overtime, the Tornadoes are back in the state finals, but this time Booker T will now face-off with one of the storied programs from Florida as Jacksonville Bolles enters the Citrus Bowl to meet the Tornadoes. Bolles has won a state-record 10 state championships which includes five since 2002, but Booker T. has itself a very talented team that is capable of knocking off the Bulldogs, and walking away from Orlando with the Class 4A crown.

Regional Finals Recap:

On Friday night, the regional finals took place for the big classes while the small classes had the state semifinals as their next obstacle, and there was plenty of action from all the matchups involved.

Region 3-8A Final – Miramar 35, Palm Beach Gardens 7.

The Gators scored first in this contest then after that, the Patriots took full control till the end. Miramar got on the scoreboard thanks to their All-American cornerback Tracy Howard who ran a 58-yard punt return for a touchdown after Gardens found the endzone  on Alex Clark’s 23-yard touchdown run. Miramar eventually pulled the momentum to their side in the end with the 35-7 victory over the Gators to set up next week’s 8A semifinal showdown with Columbus. Alex Clark led the rushing attack for Gardens with 31 carries for 102 yards. For Miramar, Cam Hudge finished 14 for 27 for 246 passing yards while his teammate Malcolm Lewis, a University of Miami commitment, had six catches for 73 yards.

Region 4-8A Final – Columbus 28, Southridge 7

For the first time since 1982, the Columbus Explorers have punched a ticket to the final four of the state playoffs as the Explorers ousted Southridge 28-7. Columbus improved its record to 11-2, and will gear up for Miramar next week at Florida International Stadium for the 8A state semifinals where the winner gets to play in Orlando for the 8A state title. It was the third consecutive playoff game in which Columbus held its opponent to seven points or less, something Miramar must be weary of in the days to come. “Anybody who starts thinking about Orlando now is kidding themselves. “Columbus coach Chris Merritt said. “We still have a great team we have to beat next week. We’re going to have to get much better. Miramar is a great team, and another great, nationally ranked opponent like we’ve faced in the past. The only difference is this time it’s going to happen in Round 4 instead of Round 1 or 2."

Region 4-7A Final – Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer 6, St. Thomas Aquinas 3.

The Raiders’ chances of reaching Orlando for the 7A state championship came to an end as state power Dwyer put away St. Thomas thanks to a last quarter touchdown by Panther quarterback Faton Bauta to give the Panthers 6-3 win to advance to the next round where they will meet another state power in Bradenton Manatee who escaped with a 13-10 win over Fort Pierce Central. The Raiders hasn’t missed the state semifinals since 2003, but now their season comes to an end as they must regroup for next season while the Panthers continue their title chase with Manatee awaiting next week.

Region 4-6A Final – Miami Central 17, Palm Bay 7.

The Rockets were in a familiar situation just like the one they were in with Homestead a good while ago as Central struggled to get its offense clicking, and the opponent not capitalizing on their mistakes, but Central’s defense didn’t have much trouble as they held the Pirates to 187 total yards, and escaped with a 17-7 win over Palm Bay to advance to the 6A state semifinals for the third season in a row as they will face Daytona Beach Mainland who the Rockets played before back in the 2009-10 season. “We came out, and sometimes if you wait to get slapped, then you act you want to play,” Central coach Telly Lockette said of Central’s performance. “I think that was the case today. We were a little sluggish.

Region 4-5A Final – Miami Norland 29, Glades Central 13.

The Vikings were in a close 10-7 matchup with the Raiders at halftime, and it seemed as if Glades Central was about to gain the momentum, but that’s until Duke Johnson stole the show as he carried to the Vikings to three key touchdowns as he finished with 265 yards to led Norland to a 29-13 victory over Glades Central. The Vikings, now at 13-0, will take on the Palmetto Tigers which is near St. Petersburg next week in the 5A state semifinals.

Class 4A State Semifinal – Miami Booker T. 20, Cocoa 14 F/OT

The Booker T. Tornadoes overcame another tough obstacle as they went into overtime to take out the three-time state champion Cocoa Tigers by a score of 20-14. Booker T.’s ticket to Orlando is punched as they will await state juggernaut Jacksonville Bolles in the 4A state title game on December 10. The Tornadoes will be back in the state championship game for the first time since the 2007-08 season, but they’re back, and looks to be ready for the Bulldogs next week at the Citrus Bowl.

Regional Semifinals Recap:

Last week, it was rivalry week around the Dade-Broward area, and even in Palm Beach County, as teams dueled with  each other once again to determine who reaches the regional final, but there were also some interesting matchups as well. Time to look back at round two in the playoffs.

Miramar 23, Cypress Bay 7-Region 3-8A Semifinal.

The Patriots “Dark Side” Defense were up to the challenge once again, but this time it was another impressive victory over district rival Cypress Bay to advance to round three where they will meet Palm Beach Gardens next week at home. The Gators defeated Seminole Ridge 14-6 to get to the next round, and will look to end Miramar’s dream season, but just like last week when the Patriots defended their turf against the Lightning, expect them to give another great effort next Friday at home.

Columbus 22, South Miami 7-Region 4-8A Semifinal.

The Explorers have not won two straight playoff games since the year of 1982, but last night that was the case as Columbus took advantage of key Cobra mistakes to walk away with a 22-7 win over South Miami. Columbus has had a few bumps along the way thanks to Central, and Northwestern, but they hope this playoff push makes them stronger in the weeks to come. South Miami’s season comes to an end, but not after reaching the postseason for the first time since 2005.

Southridge 21, Coral Reef 3-Region4-8A Semifinal.

Three times is a charm as the Spartans beat Coral Reef for the third straight time this season after wins in the regular season, and the district-tiebreaker, and will now move on to face Columbus in round three of the 8A playoffs. The 9-3 Cudas were seeking redemption after the two past losses to Southridge earlier, but the Spartans were having none of it as they held Coral Reef to just 39 rushing yards, and 154 total to seal the win.

“Stopping the run is all about pad level, getting off the ball, and being physical,” senior defensive endDonaldson Roosevelt said after the victory. “We did all that, and more.

Dwyer 45, Northeast 14-Region 4-7A Semifinal.

The Canes came in Friday’s contest with seven straight wins, but in Palm Beach, the streak, and the season came to a screeching halt as state power Dwyer showed their muscle as they ousted Northeast from the playoffs with a 45-14 win. Dwyer came in with a strong winning streak of their own as it now extends to eleven in a row, and now will knock heads with another state power in St. Thomas Aquinas next week at home.

St. Thomas Aquinas 27, Cooper City 10-Region 4-7A Semifinal.

The Raiders were on the verge of being ousted from the postseason when they were 3-0 down to Cooper City in the third quarter, but the Raiders proved their mettle once again as they eliminated the Cowboys 27-10 in front of a exciting crowd in Cooper City. The Cowboys defeated St. Thomas earlier in the season on November 4, and were looking to do it again in front of their home fans, but the Raiders slowly found a way to get through, and escape elimination for now as they will travel to Dwyer next week on the road.

Miami Central 42, Miami Belen 19-Region 4-6A Semifinal.

The anticipated matchup that many were expecting was far from the one that took four overtimes to determine a winner, but credit goes to the Rockets as they were up to the test as they took out Belen Jesuit 42-19 to move on to round three where they will await Palm Bay in the next round. The defending 6A champion were not looking to have the game be decided in the final minutes so they put the ball in the hands of their running back Joe Yearby to lead the way for Central as he racked up 244 yards on 18 carries, and received help from Davin Cooke who ran for 113 yards on 11 carries while Austin Stock passed for 114 yards, and a touchdown. “You always want to be mindful of the expectations of the game,” Central coach Telly Lockette said. "There’s been a lot of adversity the past couple of weeks, but these kids keep fighting back.”

Miami Norland 59, Miami Jackson 40-Region 4-5A Semifinal.

Just like they been doing all season long, the Vikings racked up points left, and right, and on Fridaynight, they hung up another big score on a district foe as Norland needed to put 59 on the board to put away a pesky Jackson team that refused to give in, but the Vikings emerged with the victory 59-40. Norland was struggling at first with the Generals, but that’s when Duke Johnson entered in, and after that, it was fireworks to the end. The Generals fought valiantly after fighting back from a 45-18 deficit, but the outcome was too much for Jackson as the Vikings move on, and will now gear up for an anticipated matchup with state power Glades Central who is 12-0 just like Norland.

Booker T. 48, Gulliver Prep 13-Region 4-4A Final.

The Tornadoes continue to be one of the state’s hottest teams, and last week, the Tornadoes ripped apart Gulliver Prep 48-13 to advance to the next round where they will meet with state power Cocoa who has won three state titles in a row, but expect this matchup to be extremely tough as Booker T. brings in an explosive offensive with much speed on its defense as well.

Delray Beach American Heritage 31, University School 20-Region 4-3A Final.

The Suns came in with high hopes, and their heads held high expecting to move on against state power American Heritage, but the Stallions put a quick stop to any chance of the Suns reaching Orlando again for the state final as Heritage’s Greg Bryant ran for 175 yards on 28 carries to lead the Stallions to a 31-20 win over the U-School. The loss ends the Suns’ dream season, but Coach Harriott didn’t put his head down after the defeat, instead he praised his players on a great season, and looks forward to next year.

“That was the killer drive right there,” said Harriott. “We came out with a great drive to open the second half and felt we were right there to get back in it and they just came right back and answered with that long drive. I’m still proud of our kids. It was a great season, and we’re still a young program. We’ll be back.”

Regional Quarterfinals Recap:

Last week, the state playoffs arrived, and there were some interesting matchups in round one, but almost all of the games were decided at the end of the third quarter. Miramar, and Cypress Bay cruised to their playoff victories in the top half of Class 8A’s south region with the Patriots taking down South Plantation 38-0, and the Lightning pounding Taravella 33-3. The Patriots, and Lightning will now square off in a playoff rematch from week 5 in the regular season to determine who moves on to face the winner between Palm Beach Gardens, and Seminole Ridge in Palm Beach County.

In the bottom half of the bracket, Columbus, and South Miami both rolled over their playoff opponents in Hialeah, and Dr. Krop, and will face one another to play the winner of Coral Reef, and Southridge. Southridge defeated Southwest last Thursday night while Coral Reef took care of Braddock.

In Class 7A, the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders made quick work of American, and will now get their revenge game with Cooper City who defeated Miami Beach 28-8. The Raiders have been eager at getting their chance with the Cowboys to avenge their 21-16 defeat, and next week they will have get the opportunity to prove it against Cooper City.

In the top half of the south’s Class 7A bracket, Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer shut-out Blanche Ely 28-0 to advance to the second round where they will meet Northeast who escaped with a 14-13 win over Royal Palm Beach as the winner of that matchup will face-off with Cooper City, or St. Thomas.

Class 6A featured two of Dade County’s best teams as Miami Central, and Miami Belen both passed their opening-round games, and will clash with one another again after Central’s thrilling 59-56 overtime victory over the Wolverines just a few weeks ago, but the stakes are now much higher in this playoff rematch.

Central pummeled Pembroke Pines Charter 71-0 behind nice performances by Joe Yearby, and Austin Stock who earlier in the week was being investigated by the FHSAA on whether he was legally able to play after some sources noted that he found living in a motel in Hollywood, but so far, Miami-Dade Public Schools officials has said he has not broken any rules.

In Class 5A, Norland eliminated Cardinal Gibbons 55-0, while Jackson Defeated American Heritage 35-18. The Vikings, and Generals will knock heads in the second round with the winner having the chance to travel to Belle Glade to take on state contender Glades Central.

Class 4A featured perennial power Booker T. as the Tornadoes crushed Inlet Grove 55-8 which sets up an second round matchup with Gulliver Prep, and in Class 3A, the University School Suns overwhelmed another opponent in Cardinal Newman 37-15, and will face Delray Beach American Heritage who took down Chaminade-Madonna 48-7.

Next Week, there will plenty of rematches on the horizon as the playoffs get deeper, and many teams continuing their quest to Orlando.

Regional Quarterfinals Preview:

After a roller coaster season filled with delays, thrilling games, and district tiebreakers, we’re finally at  the postseason for the state playoffs of classes 1A to 8A. In Class 8A, Taravella matches up with Cypress Bay in the opening round, and the Trojans look to continue their nice season after finishing the mark at 9-1, and becoming district champion of 11-8A.

Cypress Bay came into the season as one of the key favorites to win a state title, but after defeats by Manatee, Miramar, and St. Thomas Aquinas, the Lightning looked a bit sluggish, but have played well in the past few weeks, and now are seeking a deep playoff run in the south part of 8A.

In other 8A games across the area, you have Columbus facing Hialeah as the Explorers look to make a serious playoff run in hopes of reaching Orlando, Seminole Ridge plays Palm Beach Central in Palm Beach County, and Miramar opens the playoffs versus South Plantation as Broward’s rushing leader Alex Collins faces his toughest defense to date in the Patriots Defense.

Class 7A features 15-7A district champion Cooper City hosting Miami Beach as the Cowboys look to cool off All-American standout Ricardo Louis, and the 16-7A runner-up Hi-Tides.

Down in Hialeah, the St. Thomas Aquinas will make an unfamiliar trip to Dade County as they battle American in hopes of getting a rematch with Cooper City in the second round as well as Northeast taking on Royal Palm Beach, and state contender Palm Beach Gardens facing off with Blanche Ely.

Down the way in Class 6A, Miami Central, and Belen Jesuit  have first round playoff opponents from Broward as the Rockets face Pembroke Pines Charter, and Belen faces Stranahan.

The Rockets, and Wolverines played in a classic regular season matchup in overtime as the Rockets prevailed over Belen 59-56 in four overtimes, but assuming that they win their first round playoff games, we could see an encore between those two top teams in the area.

Miami Norland, and Glades Central could be on a collision course to meet in the third round of the 5A State playoffs, but first, the Vikings must take care of Cardinal Gibbons, and the winner of American Heritage, and Miami Jackson while the Raiders face up with Astronaut, and the winner of the matchup b between Boynton Beach, and Meritt Island, but if Norland, and Glades play the way they been playing all season then that matchup will most likely take place.

In the classes of 4A, and 3A, University School, and Miami Booker T. are now primed favorites to win their class state title, but will the Suns have enough defense to get to Orlando, and become champion, and who can stop Booker T. on their way to the Citrus Bowl.

Gulliver Prep has played well this season, but after a loss to the Tornadoes earlier this season, they must be on all cylinders to knock off Booker T., and the same goes for Delray Beach American Heritage who could see University in round two of Class 3A.

Week 11 Recap: Northwestern-Jackson

Last week in Broward County, there were a few interesting matchups as the regular season winded down to its final hour.

In Pembroke Pines, the Flanagan Falcons ended the undefeated mark for Cooper City as they beat the Cowboys 38-27 to end the season on a high note at 6-4, but the Cowboys will still make the playoffs, and we’ll be at home against Miami Beach in round 1 of the 7A state playoffs. Cypress Bay, and Taravella were both impressive in their final season tune-ups as the Lightning defeated Boyd Anderson, and the Trojans defeated Pembroke Pines Charter. Cypress Bay, and Taravella will match up in round 1 of the 8A state playoffs.

And at Lockhart Stadium in Broward’s Soul Bowl, Blanche Ely defeated Dillard 41-13 thanks in most part to a fantastic performance by Avery Johnson who had 130 yards receiving, and three touchdowns as the Tigers rolled to an easy victory over their arch-rival, and will match up with one of the best teams not only in Palm Beach County, but in the state in Dwyer next week on the road.

In Dade County, the Northwestern Bulls gave the Jackson Generals a friendly reminder that they still own the Soul Bowl rivalry in Dade as they rolled to a 22-0 shut-out victory over Jackson to end the season at 7-3.  The Generals will play at American Heritage next week in the 5A state playoffs while the Bulls will regroup, and get ready for a shot at the playoffs next season, but Northwestern is sure to be right back in the thick of things come next September.

The last three undefeated teams in Dade County all won their last regular season games in preparation for the postseason next week. Central cruised past North Miami Beach 42-0 to send the Chargers to an 0-10 season while the Vikings took down Dr. Krop 58-21, and Booker T. defeated Southridge 45-7 at Curtis Park. The Rockets will host Pembroke Pines Charter in the first round of 6A, Norland will be awaiting Cardinal Gibbons in the 5A playoffs, and the Tornadoes will entertain Inlet Grove in the first round of class 4A.

Week 11 Preview- Boyd Anderson @ Cypress Bay

As we enter the final week of the regular season, the playoff-bound teams are gearing up for their quest to reach Orlando for the state championship, but many still have one more regular season test in preparation for the playoffs  next week while the other teams suit up for one more game before their student-athletes get ready for the start of basketball, and baseball season at the end of November.

In Broward County, our highlight game features Cypress Bay hosting Boyd Anderson, but there are a few other games to keep watch of in the final week of the season. Head coach Art Taylor will lead his Cooper City Cowboys into an interesting matchup in Pembroke Pines on Thursday when they knock heads with Flanagan who had Miramar on the ropes last week before falling 20-16 last Saturday afternoon.

After Boyd Anderson was forced to forfeit six of their wins due to their players using false addresses to play on the field, the Ely Tigers were granted new life, and now should have some motivation as they prepare for arch-rival Dillard in Broward’s annual classic known as the Soul Bowl, but can Dillard gain the upper hand in this fierce rivalry, and send Ely on a bad note as they travel to Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer the week after in round one of the 7A state playoffs.

The South Plantation Paladins are also playoff-bound, but before they enter Miramar to face off with the Patriots in the opening round of class 8A, they have a meeting with rival Plantation to settle in their final regular season matchup. As the Lighting gear up for Boyd Anderson, they should also keep track of district 11-8A championTaravella who they will match up with in the first round, but before that the Trojans will deal with Pembroke Pines Charter who will make their first round appearance next week when they face the defending 6A champion in Miami Central.

Speaking of those Rockets, they had plenty of fire-power last week in their 59-56 win over tough Belen Jesuit, but before the playoffs, they have a matchup with North Miami Beach this upcoming Friday.

After clinching a district title in a hard-fought tiebreaker at Harris Field, the Southridge Spartans are back in the class 8A playoff mix, but don’t expect the Spartans to throw all of their weapons against undefeated Booker T. who will also stay safe before round 1 of the playoffs as well as 5A state title contender Norland who will be pitted against the Krop Lighting in North Miami.

And at Traz-Powell Stadium, the Dade County’s version of the Soul Bowl will have Jackson looking to take down those Northwestern Bulls who for the first time since 1991 won’t be apart of the playoffs this season, but don’t except the Bulls to lie down, instead expect them to show pride in their final game of the year as they seek to continue their dominance over the Generals.

Week 10 Recap

The Cooper City Cowboys did what almost everyone in the state said they couldn’t do last Friday night, and that’s defeat St. Thomas Aquinas on their home turf, but the Cowboys proved them wrong, and escaped with an impressive 21-16 victory over the Raiders, and succeeded in winning its district again which makes them district champions for two years in a row, and also beat the Raiders for the first time since 1972.

Much of Cooper’s success in their win goes to Cowboy coach Art Taylor who was previously at Deerfield Beach, and was the last coach before Damon Codgell of Miramar to defeat the Raiders back in the 2007-08 season when Taylor led the Bucks who had Denard Robinson at the time to a 43-41 victory.

“These kids are such fighters. No one believe this except for us,” Taylor said. “These kids, man, we have starters out but we play hard. What do you say about a game like this?”

It marks the first time since 1996 that the Raiders are not district champion, but the Cowboys, and Raiders could meet again, and if that’s the case then it would be in Cooper City.

"You have to give credit to Art Taylor and his staff," said first-year St. Thomas coach Rocco Casullo. "We didn't execute and that's a good football team. They're real. Maybe people will believe they're for real now."

"This proves everyone wrong. Kids at our school, people around the county, everyone,” Cooper City running back Camden Krohn said. “We earned some respect. We made the big plays and our defense played phenomenal. That’s one of the great teams in the nation and we stopped them. We’ll see them again, but we stopped them.”

Down in Dade County, the defending 6A champion Central Rockets, and Belen Jesuit Wolverines entertained over 6,000 fans at Traz-Powell Stadium to an instant regular season classic as the Rockets escaped with the 16-6A crown with a 59-56 victory in quadruple overtime over Belen, and sets up a first-round matchup with Pembroke Pines Charter while Belen will match up with Stranahan.

Central’s Joe Yearby, and Belen’s Imani Davis, were in an exciting running game duel with both helping the running attack for both teams,  but it was Yearby who gave the Rockets an early 14-7 midway through the 1st quarter, but Chica knotted it back at 14 for Belen with just under 10 minutes left to go in the half, but the teams would eventually be tied at 21 at halftime.

The defending 6A champions would fight back however after being down 35-21, and get back in the game. The Rockets tied the game with a 20-yard touchdown run by Yearby to knot it back at 35, and set the contest for overtime.

The teams would trade scores till the game was tied at 56, and it was Belen’s chance to take the lead in the fourth session, but a costly interception gave the Rockets possession, and Central would take advantage by ending it thanks to a 27-yard field goal by Emilo Nadelman.

Week 9 Recap

Last week, the University Suns ran through another regular season opponent in blow-out fashion. The Suns defeated Chaminade-Madonna 45-16, and won the 8-3A district crown, and will put them at home for at least its first playoff game. 

University (9-0, 6-0), ranked first in the state in the Class 3A poll, flexed its muscles with not only its offensive firepower, but their defense as well.  “We have some exceptional kids on our team,” University coach Roger Harriott said. “We challenge them as players and as students so it makes life a lot easier when they focus on what they need to do.”

In a game that was supposed to be a high-scoring matchup with two explosive offenses, it was University’s defense that maintained dominance in the second half, and took over the game.  University forced two costly turnovers, and put heavy pressure on Chaminade quarterback Sean White who was sacked five times in the second half. 

Chaminade was tested early, and often by the Suns as University scored 28 unanswered points to break open a close game. Macgarrett Kings, and Jordan Scarlett both scored twice for the visiting Suns while quarterback Gunnar Holcombe completed 12 of 23 passes for 140 yards, and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile in Dade County, the Central Rockets defeated Northwestern 37-18, thus snapping their 20-year long playoff streak, and clinching a playoff berth for the Class 6A playoffs. The Rockets, and Bulls were in a closely knit match throughout the game until the final quarter when Central began to run away after taking a 24-18 lead thanks to a touchdown pass of Austin Stock to Devontae Phillips.

The Rockets’ defense came alive when the Bulls tried to tie the game when Errol Clark forced a fumble, and later in the quarter set up a game-clinching running touchdown by Joseph Yearby.  Clark was named the game’s defensive Most Valuable Player and Yearby was the Offensive MVP as the Rockets beat the Bulls for the fourth consecutive time. “Our motto tonight was to put the nail in the coffin,” Clark said. “We came out here and just played ourkind of football.”

Yearby ran for 126 yards on 16 carries, and put the game away with a 12-yard touchdown run. “Northwestern fought hard to the end, but I’m very proud of the way my kids executed and stuck to our game plan,” Central coach Telly Lockette said. “It’s all about the young guys and those kids made great plays. I needed every one of those backs tonight.” For the Bulls, they will miss the playoffs for the first time since 1991, ending the longest active playoff streak by a Miami-Dade County football team. 

Next week, we’ll have a first look at Art Taylor’s Cooper City Cowboys when they take on the St. Thomas Raiders in a matchup that will determine the district in 15-7A.