Key West rolled the Raiders of Gulliver Prep on Sept. 19 in an exciting 32-15 win. The victory made it three in a row for the team, who will use the lessons learned from the win against Gulliver as they head into district matchups in their next two contests.
“It was our best game so far, as far as offense, defense and special teams go,” said head coach Johnny Hughes.
On offense, the team amassed 385 yards rushing and tacked on some rare passing yards to make it 402 in total. Walson Morin rushed for 194 yards on 25 carries for two Conch touchdowns. Jeff Dejean had 18 touches for 147 yards and one TD and Leo Batista bullied one into the end zone, as well.
“Jeff and Walson were just on fire,” said Hughes.
Defensively, Key West had to defend against a Gulliver offense that prefers to throw the ball. The Conchs did an exceptional job shutting the Raiders down, despite the speed advantage held by Gulliver. Special teams came up clutch, too, with a pair of onside kicks recovered by Key West.
Gulliver gave the Conchs a run for their money, though.
“They were a track team out there,” said Hughes, “They were so fast they were catching us from behind, and our guys are fast.”
To counter Gulliver’s speed, Hughes’ Conchs simply wore the Raiders down with hard runs and excessive force. “Overall, we were more physical than they were,” said Hughes. “They were faster, but we were stronger up front.”
Hughes credited his offensive line with excellent control at the line of scrimmage. The big line was another component of the overpowering force that Gulliver ultimately could not match.
Now 3-2 after an 0-2 start this season, the Conchs face St. Brendan School at home on Friday, Sept. 26 in their first district game of the season. Hughes is confident that if his team plays as aggressively as they did against Gulliver and can keep mistakes to a minimum, they can earn a big district win. “I like our chances against St. Brendan,” he said.
Coral Shores made the trip to Glades Day on Sept. 18 to take on the Gators. The Hurricanes were up 14-0 before halftime, fueled by a pair of David Beltran touchdowns. But the Gators chomped back, scoring once just before halftime, then piling on another three touchdowns in the final two quarters for a 27-14 final score. “I’m super proud of our kids,” said head coach Ed Holly. “They gave a great effort and played hard till the end.”
Holly went on to praise the phenomenal play of Austin Vogt on defense, also mentioning Nick Calderon and Glad Harrelson – a trio of seniors whose leadership has meant the team has stayed positive and focused, despite the loss. “They don’t give up, and that’s important,” said Holly.
The ’Canes have some stiff competition this week, playing the second half of their contest with Palmer Sept. 22 and then a full game Sept. 26 against a formidable Florida Christian school. The following week, it’s the 56th Battle of the Keys, held this year in Marathon. The Hurricanes have a 30-25 lead in the long-standing series.
Last week, Holly joked with Marathon’s Sean McDonald that it would be great if the Fins could beat up Palmer a little prior to the Hurricanes heading to Miami to conclude their unfinished business. Try as they might, the Dolphins were not able to do much against Palmer in a midday Miami matchup. The Fins could not get their offense going, and ultimately lost 43-0 to the Falcons.
“We’ve got to keep working, simple as that,” said McDonald. “Monday, we come back and watch film and correct our mistakes. We will keep working and getting better every day – that’s the goal.”
The Dolphins will extend their travels with a trip to Moore Haven to take on the Terriers. Like the Fins, Moore Haven is a Rural 1A team and will give Marathon a glimpse into what a school in their own classification looks like in action. On paper, the Terriers have a sizeable line and enough men over 6’3” to form their own basketball team. And just how will the Fins prepare for a team whose roster is nearly half seniors?
“We have to maximize everything we have,” said McDonald. “We can’t afford any mistakes and have to bring the intensity from the first play to the last.”
