MARATHON EDGES FLORIDA CHRISTIAN WITH GOAL-LINE INTERCEPTION AHEAD OF 54TH ‘BATTLE OF THE KEYS’

Marathon earned its second win of the season in front of a packed house on Sept. 29, defeating the Patriots of Florida Christian in a game that had fans from both sides on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer. Florida Christian came out strong, scoring 6 in the first quarter and keeping the Fins off the scoreboard. Alejandro “Astro” Gonzalez managed to get a hand on the point-after attempt, making the score 6-0 at the end of quarter one. 

Marathon found its groove in the second quarter, scoring a pair of rushing TDs, both from Braulio Garcia. Fab Louis Jeune was perfect in his PATs, putting the Fins ahead 14-6. Florida Christian scored one more before halftime, but was unable to complete their two-point conversion attempt making the score 14-12 at the half.

A second-half defensive battle ended with the Patriots on the five-yard line with less than a minute to go in the game. A series of incredible defensive plays and a few penalties pushed Florida Christian back a bit, but with 20 seconds left in the game, it looked as if a TD was inevitable. Florida Christian’s QB tossed a ball into the end zone, intended for a receiver whose hands were within inches of the game-ending score, but Marathon’s Louis Jeune leaped with an outstretched hand and intercepted the ball, turning it over to the Fins and sealing the win. 

Key West knew what they faced last Friday against Fort Myers’ Bishop Verot. The team is ranked third in its class in the state, remains undefeated and has yet to end a game without scoring at least 40 points. 

Prior to the contest, head coach Johnny Hughes said, “We will have to be perfect if we want a win against Verot.” Unfortunately for the Conchs, the upset win was not in the stars, but what they did have going for them was a long Walson Morin touchdown run. The sophomore running back has been coming into his own the past few games, adding a spark to Key West’s offensive game. Morin used his speed and evasiveness to take one to the house, adding 6 points on the kick return to the Conchs’ score. Despite Walson’s spectacular running, Key West was unable to overtake the Vikings. “They were as advertised,” Hughes said. “I’m pleased with the effort of our team against a team like that.” 

Key West will continue its road trip series Friday, Oct. 6 against South Fork High School. Though Hughes has not seen film of the Bulldogs in action, they are ranked similarly to the Conchs.

“It’s a must-win,” Hughes said of the South Fork game. Key West will need to add a few more wins to its record to earn a playoff spot. The Conchs definitely have the strength of schedule factor covered in FHSAA rankings, and a few wins at the end of their season should secure a coveted invite to postseason play. 

Coral Shores faced Ransom Everglades at home last week. The undefeated Raiders made short work of Marathon the week prior and have been doing the same to teams across Miami-Dade all season. The Hurricanes fed off the energy of a lively, spirited crowd and came as close as any team has to taking down Ransom all season. 

“There’s a reason they’re the number one offense in Dade County,” head coach Ed Holly said of Ransom. 

The plan was to hold the ball and keep it out of the hands of nationally-ranked Ransom quarterback Niemann Lawrence. Though the ’Canes held the Raiders to their lowest offensive output of the season en route to Ransom’s smallest margin of victory thus far, Coral Shores fell just short of the win. 

Offensively, Dantay Diorio put up two rushing touchdowns and had 144 all-purpose yards for the ’Canes, with AJ Putetti adding some hard-earned runs. Holly had high praise for center Hugh Connolly and tackle Xico Reynoso for making some big blocks in the middle. But for now, all eyes are on the next game.

On Thursday, Oct. 5, Coral Shores and Marathon will continue the longest-standing rivalry in Monroe County sports when they face off in Marathon for the 54th time. The ’Canes have the slight edge in the series, with 28 wins to Marathon’s 25, including a five-game win streak against the Fins. Coral Shores has also put more points on the board against shared opponents. Adding to Coral Shores’ advantage is a larger school, bigger roster and older, more experienced squad. But don’t count the Dolphins out just yet – their scrappy, never-say-die play is just the type of thing which inspires people to root for an underdog. The Fins will also enjoy home-field advantage and the momentum of a last-second interception to win their latest game. Regardless of which team they cheer for, this is a game anyone residing from Big Pine to Key Largo will not want to miss. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

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