Key West’s Nov. 14 regional quarterfinal victory against Cypress Lake High School did more than avenge the loss they suffered last season, bumping them out of contention for a state championship. It marks the first time since the late ’80s in which the Conchs captured playoff wins in two consecutive seasons.
Key West racked up nearly 500 yards, all on the ground, to surpass the Panthers in a decisive 44-34 win that places the Conchs in the final 16 teams in FHSAA’s 4A.
“We played better than the score indicated,” said head coach Johnny Hughes. “We dominated more than what 10 points sounds like.”
Senior running back Walson Morin certainly dominated, racking up 341 yards and four touchdowns. Morin’s total was just 22 yards shy of Ran Carthon’s 1997 school records for most total yards in a game and most yards on the ground. Morin also rushed for a two-point conversion in the win.
Also dominating was Jeff Dejean, who ran for 111 yards, one touchdown and a pair of conversions. Leo Batista accounted for the final touchdown. Batista had two carries for 24 yards and ran one of those into the end zone. Roman Van Loon added a two-point conversion to make it 44 points for Key West.
The one-two punch of Morin and Dejean has been a deadly combination all season for Key West, and their efforts have placed both on top of the leaderboards for the district, class 3A, and, in Morin’s case, the state.
Morin leads FHSAA’s 3A District 16 in rushing yards with 1,802, total touchdowns with 21 and all-purpose yards with 1,890. Dejean is second in rushing yards with 1,110, second in touchdowns with 14 and third in all-purpose yards with 1,123. Morin is second in all of 3A and fourth in the entire state in rushing yards, and with another game to go, both could climb in their rankings.
But that next game is a challenge, to say the least.
In their regional semifinal game, Key West faces a familiar albeit formidable foe in the Miami Northwestern Bulls. An Oct. 11 matchup between the two teams ended in a 56-0 rout in Northwestern’s favor, which barely indicates just what a juggernaut the Bulls are this season. The Bulls have outscored their opponents 360-54 thus far, not including two forfeits, one of which was most likely to simply avoid playing them. Northwestern has not lost a game since mid-September of 2024, and last week they ran roughshod over Somerset Academy in a 70-0 win.
But if anyone can topple the defending state champs, it is Key West, with their punishing offense and gritty, hard-hitting line. Morin and Dejean are scoring threats every time the ball is in their hands, and Hughes likes nothing more than to feed his backs the ball. And unlike most pass-heavy teams Northwestern faces, Key West thrives in picking up yardage the hard way, in what Hughes has often described as “three yards and a cloud of dust.”
The season’s prior loss is not detrimental to their odds, according to Hughes. In fact, he believes it will play to their advantage.
“The sense of awe is gone now and that gives us a shot,” he said. “We know we will go in there, play our game, and come home and the intimidation factor is lower this time around.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 21 at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami.
Photos by MAICEY MALGRAT/Keys Weekly
