Coral Shores traveled to Harris Field to play Archbishop Carroll on Oct. 11 in what head coach Ed Holly described as “an unusual night.” Archbishop Carroll’s home contests are held in the afternoon, as they do not have adequate field lighting, but to accommodate their homecoming event, they scheduled their game to be played across town with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. Referees are easy to come by for afternoon games, but not so much for evening contests. The crew was late to the start, pushing back the kickoff more than half an hour.
Once the game was underway, down came the rain, which started and stopped intermittently throughout the night, causing some unpredictable conditions. Holly described the event as “a tale of two halves.” In the first two quarters, everything went right for the ’Canes. Yemcel Moreno hit A.J. Putetti with a 60-yard touchdown pass early in the game, giving the Hurricanes a quick 7-0 lead over the Bulldogs.
While Archbishop Carroll was attempting to kick the ball away on a fourth-and-long situation, the slippery ball and sloppy field caused the punter to step out of bounds, resulting in a safety for Coral Shores.
“The rain definitely worked to our advantage,” Holly said. The ’Canes’ defense was strong, allowing a grand total of just 3 rushing yards the entire first half. Putetti punched in another TD late in the second quarter to give Coral Shores a 15-0 lead over the Bulldogs.
The second half would not go quite so well for the ’Canes. Right at the start, the lights went out. Stadium lighting is scheduled, often offsite, and lights must warm up properly, making for a long wait. Thirty-five minutes later, the half was finally underway with both teams wet, muddy and weary. The Bulldogs chipped away at Coral Shores’ lead and the ’Canes’ offense was no longer hot. Archbishop Carroll had narrowed the gap to just 2 points and tried for an onside kick with 3:35 left in the game. Connor Dixon decided enough was enough and recovered the ball to give the ’Canes possession. Coral Shores managed to eke out a first down, allowing the clock to run down and preserving the win.
The victory meant not just spoiling the Bulldogs’ homecoming, but also guaranteed the Hurricanes at minimum a shared conference championship. Coach Holly said that his team set several goals early this season. One was to have a winning record, which the now 7-1 ’Canes secured several wins ago. The second was to win the conference championship, making last week’s game even sweeter.
The Hurricanes are off this week, then return to action the following week against St. John Neumann, who will head to Tavernier from Naples. Their final game is at Key West on Nov. 1.
Marathon enjoyed a week of rest and recuperation last week. They play Gateway Charter at home on Oct. 18, then host John Carroll Catholic the following week. The Dolphins’ final regular-season contest will be at Pinecrest on Nov. 1. Marathon’s postseason prospects will come down to their win-loss record and strength of schedule. They hope to make the FHSAA 1A Rural playoffs in their first year in the classification.
Key West suffered a loss at home Oct. 11 at the hands of Miami Northwestern. The Bulls were heavily favored in the matchup, and their online roster includes 145 players. A quick glance at the Bulls’ sidelines made it clear their coaching staff likely needed its own bus. They traveled with 22 coaches, but the Conchs were up to the challenge.
In the first half, Key West held its own, heading into the locker room down 28-14. Coach Johnny Hughes knew that in order to upset the Bulls, his team would need to be perfect, and would need a little luck. Fortune was not with the Conchs, though, and quarterback Teak Guyet went down with a broken collarbone. The Conchs’ backup QB was already out with an injury, putting the snaps into the hands of Jaden Fox. With Fox moved from running back to quarterback, the Conchs running game lost some of its power, and against a team like Northwestern, that meant a rough half. The final score was 50-14, making the final two games for Key West vital if they hope to make the playoffs.
Key West will recuperate with a bye this week before facing Miami Jackson the following Friday. Jackson, like Northwestern, is in the Conchs’ district, making the game an important one.
“It’s a good week for a bye week,” Hughes said. Key West closes out the regular season against Coral Shores in the Southernmost City on Nov. 1. After that, they will need to see where their record and strength of schedule place them in FHSAA’s 1A District 16, with the hopes of a wild card bid to the postseason.
