Both sides are rolling with some momentum ahead of the Keys’ most storied football showdown.
MARATHON
The Dolphins of Marathon traveled to Punta Gorda on Sept. 25 to take on the Trailblazers of Babcock. The Fins’ defense came up big on the Blazers’ first drive, then Marathon made a statement with a quick score to take an early lead it would hold for the duration.
Marathon had five athletes reach the end zone, beginning with senior Mathew Machado, who broke free for a 38-yard run. With a little more than a minute left in the first quarter, classmate Israel Gonzalez carried the ball 49 yards for a touchdown, followed by his twin brother Jesus, whose 64-yard score sent the Fins into halftime with a 21-0 lead.
Junior Mel Val scored back-to-back touchdowns, the first from 33 yards and the second from 23. Then, with the end of the game quickly approaching, freshman Maverick McDonald broke loose for a 46-yard score. McDonald followed that up with an interception on defense to end the Trailblazers’ hopes for another score of their own.
The Fins racked up 477 total yards.
Defensively, McDonald added seven tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass defense to his interception. Colton Huff had eight tackles and a fumble recovery, while two of Israel Gonzalez’s six tackles were for a loss. Jeremy Thiboutot added seven tackles and a pass defense, and Ray Lackey, a newcomer to the team, had four tackles, including one for a loss, and a sack.
The win, Marathon’s first of the regular season, gives the Fins some momentum as they head into a contest with their closest neighbor and longest-standing rival, Coral Shores.
CORAL SHORES
The Hurricanes created plenty of confidence of their own the same night, defeating the ThunderWolves of Oxbridge Academy in Miami, 29-14.
Coral Shores amassed 327 yards on 35 carries, scoring twice on the ground and once through the air. Dominik Jimenez rushed three times for 25 yards and hauled in three catches for 48 more, including a touchdown reception from Sterling Keefe. Keefe added 34 yards on the ground.
Charles Royal led the Hurricanes’ rushing attack with 109 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Kevin Williams Jr. added 48 yards and a score on six carries, David Beltran rushed seven times for 42 yards and John Oughton picked up 69 yards on just four attempts.
The Hurricane defense made life difficult for the ThunderWolves all night. Senior Andrew Connolly registered three solo tackles and five assists, including three tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Billy Holly added three solo tackles and a quarterback pressure, while Ekon Edwards was in on nine tackles, including one for a loss.
Jack Brown delivered one of the defense’s biggest performances, finishing with two solo tackles, six assists, three quarterback pressures, two sacks and a safety.
“Coming off an emotional win at home, I thought they played well on the road,” head coach Ed Holly said. “We were able to eliminate their big plays.”
With both Marathon and Coral Shores coming off victories, attention now turns to the 57th Battle of the Keys. The Dolphins make the short trip north on Friday, Oct. 2 for a 7 p.m. kickoff in Tavernier, where Coral Shores will attempt to extend its seven-game winning streak in the rivalry and Marathon will look to end it.
As for Holly’s thoughts on the annual showdown, he kept it simple: “We’re looking forward to it!”
KEY WEST
For Key West, it was a tale of two halves Sept. 25 against visiting True North Classical Academy.
The Titans got on the board first, but the undeterred Conchs struck back, capitalizing on a recovered fumble to put three points on the board with a field goal. Soon after, Key West took the lead when Roman VanLoon connected with Cain Hughes, then Reef Guyet punched one in from six yards out to give the Conchs a 17-7 lead at the half.
The Conchs came out of the locker room with the lead, but their offense hit roadblocks on each of its possessions in the third and fourth quarters. VanLoon was sidelined with an injury early in the second half, and the bad luck kept coming. Three fumbles, a safety, a stalled drive and an interception kept Key West off the scoreboard while the Titans took advantage, piling up 23 unanswered points to come away with a 30-17 win.
Despite the score, head coach Johnny Hughes was proud of his team.
“We made a couple mistakes that cost us dearly, but the guys put out a great effort,” he said. “It was a physical game. I’m proud of their effort.”
Key West remains home Oct. 2, when the Conchs host North Miami Beach in a district matchup.
Hurricanes chase a record eighth straight as Dolphins look to turn the tide in the Battle of the Keys
When Marathon and Coral Shores meet on Friday, Oct. 2, more than one number will be at stake. The 57th Battle of the Keys gives the Dolphins an opportunity to halt Coral Shores’ seven-game run and gives the Hurricanes a chance to establish the longest winning streak in the rivalry’s storied history.
Coral Shores enters the 7 p.m. contest on their home turf holding a 31-25 advantage in a series dating back to 1970, making it the longest-standing rivalry in Keys sports. The Hurricanes have won every meeting since Marathon’s 14-0 victory in 2018, matching the Dolphins’ seven-game streak from 2003 through 2010. An eighth consecutive Coral Shores victory would establish a new series record.
The Hurricanes will have history and home field on their side, along with several advantages on paper. Ed Holly’s squad enters the matchup fresh off a 29-14 victory over Oxbridge Academy, a team Sean McDonald’s Dolphins fell to in week 2. The Hurricanes also have the deeper roster, dressing 46 athletes to Marathon’s 26, and their 13 seniors give Coral Shores a significant edge in experience.
“We’ve had this one circled on the calendar all year. It’s exciting to be part of something bigger than us.” – Sean McDonald
But Marathon has been making the most of its young roster. Despite having just five seniors and a thinner look on the sidelines, the Dolphin underclassmen have been making waves in recent weeks. If the Fins can stay healthy heading into the matchup, their record may not tell the whole story.
Marathon’s single-wing offense is well suited to smaller rosters and undersized athletes, relying on the whole-team approach the Fins have been showing in recent weeks. When each player executes his assignment, the offense can be remarkably difficult to contain. Its punishing ground game can steadily wear down opponents — provided the Fins, many of whom rarely leave the field while playing offense, defense and special teams, don’t wear down first. Despite having just one win on the books, Marathon is averaging more than 25 points per game.
The Dolphin arsenal includes seniors Jesus and Israel Gonzalez, twins whose running styles could hardly be more different. Jesus relies on speed and elusiveness to evade defenders, while Israel is more inclined to lower his shoulder and power through them. Classmate Mathew Machado provides the Fins with a do-it-all option, willing and able to fill whatever role is needed to keep the offense moving.
Coral Shores brings a different offensive look to the rivalry.
Holly has been airing things out more this season, showing confidence in senior quarterback Sterling Keefe, who has connected with multiple receivers. But the Hurricanes have hardly abandoned the ground game. Coral Shores remains a scrappy, physical team willing to grind out yards and fight through contact, giving its offense balance and multiple ways to move the chains.
Few players embody that toughness better than senior David Beltran. Keefe’s favorite target is also a versatile running back with the speed and elusiveness to break free, but Beltran can be just as effective when there is nowhere to run. When opponents do manage to get their hands on him, he often takes them along for the ride, fighting through contact and squeezing extra yards out of seemingly finished plays.
That same tenacity runs throughout the Hurricane offense, where backs and blockers have made the running game a formidable complement to Keefe’s increasingly productive passing attack.
Both programs also appear to be trending in the right direction as they head toward the annual rivalry game. In the most recent rankings released Sept. 24, Coral Shores stood at No. 386 statewide after climbing 61 spots following its shutout of Glades Day. Marathon was ranked No. 538, moving up 15 spots despite its loss to unbeaten Evangelical Christian the previous week. Both teams have since added wins.
And while records, rankings, roster sizes and winning streaks provide plenty to measure heading into the 57th meeting, rivalry games have a way of making the numbers matter a little less once the ball is kicked off.
