Coral Shores is the only Keys football team to remain undefeated after clobbering Palmer Trinity last week, winning 22-7 against the Falcons. The game’s outcome was a bit iffy on the opening drive of the game, when Palmer marched down the field and scored to pull ahead 7-0. The ’Canes regrouped, keeping their composure until AJ Putetti scored on a 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Putetti struck again in the third with a 7-yard run. On the extra-point attempt, the snap was flubbed, but a quick-thinking Yemcel Moreno picked the ball up off the ground and tossed it to Putetti for an extra 2. Putetti struck for a third TD, a 47-yard run, to seal the win for the Hurricanes.
“We are truly blessed to have him,” coach Ed Holly said of his relentless running back. Putetti ended the game with 26 carries for 247 all-purpose yards, 3 touchdowns and a 2-point conversion.
Also playing well for Coral Shores was the defense, which secured the shutout with aggressive play and a bevy of sacks on the Palmer QB. At one point, Palmer was within range of a field goal, but Eddie Holly stepped in and put an end to any hopes the Falcons had of scoring. In addition to the blocked field goal, Holly had 7 solo tackles, 3 for a loss, an interception and a forced fumble.
Jarmoris Davis had 4 sacks, 4 pressures, an assisted tackle and a fumble recovery. Connor Dixon had 3 solo and 1 assisted tackle, a tackle for a loss and a forced fumble and Micah Carr had 3 sacks, a tackle for a loss, 3 pressures and an assisted tackle.
Whether the ’Canes can keep their perfect record is in the hands of Palm Glades Prep, in a game that will now be played in Tavernier. Palm Glades was scheduled to have a home game, but a lack of referees in Miami forced the game to the Keys. However, with a finite number of officials able to work Keys games and a crew already scheduled to work Marathon’s home game, the ’Canes are not entirely certain if their game will be Thursday or Friday night, Sept. 5 or 6. The official determination will occur after presstime.
Marathon fell to 1-1 after a lopsided loss to Florida Chirstian. The Patriots struck first offensively before the Fins answered back with a Fab Louis Jeune 6-yard run, but his extra-point attempt went wide left, and Marathon wouldn’t find the end zone again.
“We just failed to match their intensity, at the end of the day,” said coach Sean McDonald, who was understandably disappointed with the loss. The 49-6 score left the Fins reeling as they head into their week 3 opponent: Aubrey Rogers will travel from Naples to play the Dolphins in Marathon Friday, Sept. 6.
“Back to the drawing board,” McDonald said, adding, “we did have a bright spot with Shamar (Wright). He ran hard and he is really coming into his own. We need to get him the ball more.”
Fins fans will be able to catch Marathon in action at home for the next month as they enjoy a schedule nearly devoid of travel. They do not hit the road again until Oct. 4, when they take the short trip to Tavernier for the Battle of the Keys, played at Coral Shores this year.
The Conchs faced one of the most powerful teams in the country last week, taking on IMG Academy’s White team in Key West. The Conchs lost 28-0, but not because they could not match up with the Ascenders; Key West turned the ball over a record eight times in the game, handing the ball as well as the victory to IMG.
“I thought the defense played phenomenally, honestly,” said head coach Johnny Hughes. “I liked the effort they gave and that they didn’t hang their heads and give up.”
Despite facing a nose guard Hughes described as “an animal,” the Conchs defense held their own against the Syracuse commit as well as a full lineup of big, physical athletes who played only one side of the game. Key West did not have the luxury of resting their athletes, and as the season wears on, the injuries pile up, making for creative management of the depth chart.
Defensively, Jayden Gist had a strong night, reeling in two interceptions while Noah Mercer and Josh Johnson were able to give some good pressure for the rest of the defense, but the turnovers ultimately cost Key West the game. Also lost in the first half was the talent of Jaden Fox, who did not play after the second quarter. His return this week is iffy as he rehabs a sprained shoulder.
Fox and the rest of the Conchs’ offense were able to move the ball against IMG, with two of the turnovers occurring within 10 yards of a Conchs TD and a third around the 25-yard line.
“It was just one of those nights,” Hughes said, adding that he is relieved to move on to the next opponent. That will be Somerset Academy Canyons; the Conchs will travel to Boynton Beach to play on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. The Conchs will not play at home again until Sept. 20, when North Port pays them a visit.
