Sports Wrap

’CANES SQUEAK PAST PALM GLADES TO STAY UNDEFEATED

September 10, 2024

a football player running with the ball during a game — Coral Shores Hurricanes running back A.J. Putetti runs upfield for a touchdown to put the Canes in the lead against Palm Glades Prep Academy at home Thursday night, September 5, 2024. Canes went on to win 29-28. Photo by Doug Finger

The Eagles of Palm Glades Prep gave Coral Shores a run for their money on Sept. 5, keeping an undefeated record for the ’Canes in jeopardy until the final second of play.

Coral Shores struck first on a 2-yard run by senior running back A.J. Putetti. Palm Glades answered back moments later and added a 2-point conversion to take the lead 8-7. Coral Shores took the lead back when quarterback Yemcel Moreno connected with Andres Alvarado-Garcia for a 15-yard TD. The ’Canes added two instead of kicking to make it Coral Shores 15, Palm Glades 7. But Palm Glades found the end zone again and missed a PAT, allowing Coral Shores to cling to a 15-14 lead.

The Hurricanes marched down the field on a drive that looked like it would result in an expansion of their 1-point lead, but Palm Glades capitalized on a fumble, trotting it 75 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles converted on a 2-point conversion to steal back the lead, 22-15. Undaunted, Moreno carried one in for a 6-yard touchdown run and the extra point tied the game up 22-22. In the driving rain, the ’Canes kicked off and instantly regretted their decision to kick it deep; Palm Glades returned it 70 yards to score yet again. They missed their extra point, bringing the score to 28-22 in Palm Glades’ favor.

With just moments to go in the game, Putetti evened things up with a 47-yard touchdown run, and the extra point gave Coral Shores a one-point lead to the delight of a raucous crowd. But Palm Glades was not finished. The Eagles drove down the field as the clock ticked down. With one second left, on the 11-yard line, Palm Glades took their final snap, but the ’Canes came up with a colossal stop to secure the win and their perfect record in an epic battle during which they never wavered.

a group of young men playing a game of football — The Coral Shores Hurricanes football team takes on Palm Glades Prep Academy at home Thursday night, September 5, 2024. Canes went on to win 29-28. Photo by Doug Finger

a man in a green shirt and a man in a white hat — The Coral Shores Hurricanes football team takes on Palm Glades Prep Academy at home Thursday night, September 5, 2024. Canes went on to win 29-28. Photo by Doug Finger

Coach Ed Holly could not be prouder of his team’s ability to focus on the task at hand, particularly when things were iffy.

“The breaks didn’t go our way in the beginning. I’m proud of how the team handled it,” he said. “Palm Glades is a very athletic, well-coached team. They came ready to play.”

Coral Shores will defend its unblemished record on Friday, Sept. 13 at home against the Cowboys of ABF Academy Hialeah. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

“Missed opportunities” were the downfall of the Dolphins on Sept. 6, according to head coach Sean McDonald. Marathon faced the Patriots of Aubrey Rogers High School out of Naples. It looked like things were going to go well for the Fins at the start, as Marathon took advantage of the first possession and ate up the clock on a 10-minute march to their first touchdown of the game, a 7-yard Fab Louis Jeune run. He tacked on his own extra point, putting Marathon ahead 7-0 with less than two minutes to go in the first quarter.

Marathon scored twice more in the game, once on a Louis Jeune 78-yard run and again when defensive tackle Matthew Delgado stripped the ball from a shocked running back and rumbled 60 yards into the endzone. However, Marathon struggled with defending the Patriots’ pass game, and Aubrey Rogers took full advantage to win the game 35-21.

Marathon will need to take down the Cougars of Canterbury High, a team traveling from Fort Myers, to stay in the hunt for their first bid to the postseason in their new 1A Rural designation. Marathon will be honoring first responders and those who lost their lives in the 9/11 tragedy in their annual “Home of the Brave” halftime dedication. Kickoff on Friday, Sept. 13 is at 7 p.m.

a group of people playing a game of football

a group of football players playing a game of football

Key West’s trip to Boynton Beach to play the Cougars of Somerset Academy Canyons on Sept. 5 did not go according to plan. The Conchs could not find their groove, losing 20-14 in the first of a two-week road streak. Key West was without their workhorse running back, Jaden Fox, and had to rely on their other weapons against the Cougars. Walson Morin stepped up for the Conchs, scoring both touchdowns, one off a 43-yard run and the other a 46-yard interception he took to the house.

But a series of miscues cost the Conchs. The Cougars found a way into the Conchs’ offensive scheme and Key West struggled to change on the fly.

“We can’t beat another team and ourselves,” said head coach Johnny Hughes, who plans to work on the offense’s communication this week before heading to Belen Jesuit on Thursday, Sept. 12. A win for the Conchs would go a long way in keeping their hopes for postseason play in sight.