By Greg Swiderski
Freshman Carlos Lezcano used all of his 6-foot-1-inch frame to intercept Palm Glades quarterback Michael Daniel’s pass in the end zone as time expired last Friday night. The host Dolphins were able to escape with a 7-0 win before a large homecoming crowd to improve to 2-5.
“That play won the game for our team,” said Lezcano, who had another interception earlier in the fourth quarter. “We played bend-but-don’t-break defense. We shut them down pretty well. With their speed we didn’t want them to get anything in the flat.”
The Dolphins intercepted four passes. Besides the two by Lezcano, Patrick Crews and quarterback Cole McDaniel each had a pick.
“I was super proud of our kids’ effort tonight,” said Marathon head coach Mac Childress. “They played with grit and a lot of passion. But, we made mistakes when we fumbled and it cost us points. We’re still a young team and that can happen. To win a game like this is huge for their confidence.”
Anthony McGuire set the stage for the only touchdown of the game by returning the opening kickoff 29 yards to the Dolphins’ 48-yard line. Marathon drove 52 yards in nine plays, consuming 5:25, to score. The Dolphins’ score came on a 5-yard run by junior running back Malachi Hawkins. Crews converted the point after.
Hawkins, who would rush 19 times for 124 yards, had a 25-yard run to the Eagles’ 26-yard line.
Palm Glades (0-7) committed a costly penalty on fourth down, giving Marathon a first down on the 2-yard line. “Penalties and turnovers have hurt us all year,” said Palm Gardens coach Mark Revere. “We’re still trying to get the confidence to get our first win.”
The Eagles’ first possession saw them get to the Dolphins’ 12-yard line, before a loss of three yards and a 10-yard holding call put the ball back on the 25. On the next play, Daniel was hit for a 7-yard loss back to the 32. Crews then intercepted Daniel at the 10-yard line to halt the drive.
Palm Glades moved the ball well in the second quarter to get to the Dolphins’ 9-yard line. A fumble by Trevail Carter at the 12-yard line was recovered by Jesus Gonzalez.
Marathon fumbled the ball away three times in the second half, costing them potential points. “In that first drive of the game,” said Childress, “we took care of the ball. We moved the ball well on other drives, then fumbled.”
Hawkins gave credit to the offensive line that helped Marathon gain 179 rushing yards. The Dolphins were missing guard Victor Segura, who should return next week against Palmer Trinity. Aaron Dolton, Tanner Ross, Alexander Cruz, Sean Hale and Brody Vandervoort did the job up front.
“Our coach told us before the game that we had to fight for each other,” said Hawkins. “We weren’t going to fail in front of our fans at our homecoming game. We weren’t going to let them down. We do have to clean up the fumbles for next week’s game.”
Palm Glades finished with 184 yards of offense. The Eagles picked up 66 rushing yards and 118 in the air. Daniel was 8 for 20 with three interceptions.
“This game meant a lot for us,” said Lezcano. “It’s a big confidence boost. We just want to go out and have fun.”
