Coral Shores celebrated Senior Night in style on Sept. 18, shutting out visiting Glades Day on the football field 35-0 in a game that gave the Hurricanes plenty to celebrate on both sides of the ball.
Quarterback Sterling Keefe was nearly perfect through the air, completing five of six passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns. Keefe connected with David Beltran for a 20-yard score and found Alex Radovanovic and John Oughton for two more touchdowns. Oughton added a pair of scores on the ground as the Hurricanes amassed 325 all-purpose yards.
Coral Shores steadily built momentum, scoring once in the opening quarter before erupting for four touchdowns in the second. The Hurricanes added their final score early in the third quarter, triggering a running clock and presenting head coach Ed Holly with an unusual challenge.
On Senior Night, Holly wanted to make sure every eligible Hurricane had an opportunity to take the field. With the clock suddenly disappearing much faster than anticipated, the coaching staff worked quickly to make it happen. By the final whistle, every eligible player had seen action.
Photos by DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly
Among those making the most of their time on the field were senior Andy Connolly and his younger brother Sean, who delivered a memorable night together on defense. Andy Connolly registered four solo tackles, two assists and a sack, while Sean added four solo stops, two assists and two pressures while forcing a turnover.
For Holly, seeing the brothers make an impact together was one of the highlights of the night. “It made my heart feel really good as a dad and a coach to watch Andy and Sean,” he said.
The brothers were part of a Hurricane defense that kept the Gators off the scoreboard entirely. Ekon Edwards recorded three solo tackles, four assists and a pressure, while Billy Holly added two solo tackles, an assist and a pressure while forcing a fumble.
The 35-0 win sends Coral Shores back on the road this week, where the Hurricanes will face Oxbridge Academy and the ThunderWolves on Sept. 25.
MARATHON
Marathon welcomed unbeaten John I. Leonard High School to the Middle Keys on Sept. 18, taking on a Lancers program whose enrollment of roughly 3,300 students dwarfs Marathon’s 400.
The Dolphins were not intimidated by the disparity.
Before the game could develop into an offensive shootout, however, Mother Nature had her say. Halftime was scheduled to feature the dedication and official naming of the Michael H. Puto Stadium, but multiple lightning warnings brought play to a halt with four minutes still remaining in the second quarter. The Dolphins headed to the gym to wait out the delay, and with players, coaches and fans gathered inside, the stadium naming ceremony was held a little earlier than planned.
When the lightning finally cleared, the rain arrived. The Dolphins’ offense did not cool off with the weather.
Marathon amassed 509 yards of total offense, including 438 on the ground, and put 35 points on the board against the undefeated Lancers.
Leading the charge was Jesus Gonzalez, who accounted for 345 yards of offense and all five Dolphin touchdowns. Gonzalez rushed for 280 yards and four scores, then completed three of four passes for another 65 yards. One of those throws found Kase Daughtry for a 38-yard touchdown.
With Aiden Lezcano sidelined by injury, Gonzalez’s performance drew high praise from the Marathon coaching staff.
“With Aiden injured, Jesus stepped up with a phenomenal effort,” Marathon head coach Sean McDonald said.
Israel Gonzalez added 72 rushing yards and contributed on the other side of the ball with three tackles, including two for loss and a sack.
Photos by SEAN WESTERBAND/Keys Weekly
Much of Marathon’s success on the ground came behind junior Garrett Ruddy, who helped clear the way for Gonzalez and the Dolphin rushing attack. Ruddy made his presence felt defensively as well, bringing down a Lancer behind the line of scrimmage.
Elliott Greenmaki and Jeremy Thiboutot led Marathon with seven tackles apiece. Alnier Mendez added six, while Maverick McDonald registered five.
But in a game where both offenses found ways to score, John I. Leonard ultimately managed just enough to stay in front. The Lancers escaped the just-renamed stadium with a 45-35 victory, handing Marathon the loss despite the Dolphins’ blistering offensive performance.
“Everyone’s effort was there; we just need to consistently do our jobs, play in and play out,” McDonald said. “We’re getting better. This team will continue to work hard and will continue to improve.”
Marathon hits the road this week, traveling to Punta Gorda to take on the Babcock Trailblazers.
KEY WEST
Key West experienced a tale of two games last week, playing a pair of matchups just days apart with vastly different results.
A Sept. 14 district contest against the Jackson Generals was delayed in the opening minutes by weather, and the teams were unable to retake the field at Miami’s Traz Powell Stadium that night. Some creative scheduling by both schools shifted the game to Key West, giving the Conchs an unexpected home-field advantage for the unusual Monday night matchup.
An early defensive stop on Jackson’s opening possession gave every indication the Conchs were ready to take advantage of the change in venue. But a turnover on Key West’s first offensive series halted the momentum, and four more giveaways over the course of the game ultimately proved too much to overcome.
The teams went into halftime scoreless before both found the end zone in the third quarter. Key West’s touchdown came on a Jayson Michel pass to Javier Perez, and a missed Jackson kick left the Conchs holding a 7-6 advantage deep into the fourth.
Photos by ROCKY GONET/Keys Weekly
