Playoff Game Recap: Regional Semifinal vs. Cypress Bay

The second playoff game brought with it a unique challenge: teams from the same District matching up for a second time in the same season. That challenge is tough for both teams, and makes for some great, intense games.

Such was the case when Cypress Bay met Miramar in the Regional Semifinal game on Friday night. These teams fought hard, and played well, with Miramar eventually coming away with a 23-7 victory. Let’s look at some of the key factors from the game:

Cypress Bay:

• The Cypress Bay offense struggled to move the ball consistently in the first half.  They were held to -3 yards total offense in the first 24 minutes, and didn’t gain a first down until late in the 2^nd quarter. Matt Dayes and Deandre Brown  worked hard for the yardage they were able to gain, but it wasn’t much. Each player broke 1 run of more than 8 yards. It was enough to move the chains late, but not enough to put points on the board.
• Quarterback Jaranta Lewis struggled in this game. Facing constant pressure, he was frequently forced to rush his throws, and missed a couple open receivers down the field. He was able to make a couple nice plays in the 4^th quarter, but overall, he was unable to lead his team to any points on the night.
• WR/DB Alex Montgomery played like a man possessed.  After Miramar went up 7-0 in the first quarter, Montgomery returned the ensuing kickoff 61 yards for a touchdown, tying the game. He was held in check by Tracy Howard for most of the game on offense. That was until the Cypress Bay coaching staff moved him around in different places in their formations, and had him run different routes. Once they went to that switch, Montgomery was able to take advantage of open spaces in the Miramar Zone Defense. He also made spectacular efforts to catch passes while diving out of bound on the sideline, and also in the back of the end zone. Overall, his play was the highlight of the night on offense for Cypress Bay, and they should look forward to a huge season from him next year as a Senior
• On defense, the Lightning seemed a bit shocked by the Miramar offense early in the game. Once they were able to make some adjustments, Cypress Bay showed their mettle and made this game closer than the opening minutes would have led us to believe it would be.
• Seniors Daumantas Venckus and Josh Witt stepped up to make plays and help their team keep the game close. Witt forced an Alex Lee fumble on a huge hit, and Venckus recovered it. Witt had at least 8 tackles on the night by my count, and was involved in many plays. It was easy to see why he is such a highly touted recruit. Venckus was faced with double teams most of the night, and was largely neutralized by the Miramar Offensive line.
• A couple unheralded players made some huge contributions to the defense for Cypress Bay. Linebacker Jared Prinzo made a fair share of tackles on the night, and was a key in slowing down the Miramar offense after the first few drives of the game. Defensive Lineman Giovanni Santoro was a disruptive force at the point of attack, and his presence was key to the success that Cypress bay had on defense in the second half as they held Miramar scoreless.

Cypress Bay came into the game focused and looking to knock off Miramar in this re-match game. However, the Lightning we unable to capitalize on their opportunities in this game, and were again defeated by the Patriots.

Miramar:

• Unlike the previous 3 games, Miramar came out and scored early in the game. 3 first half touchdowns, and a safety, provided all the points the Patriots would need on this night to be victorious. I, along with many fans, had been calling for a fast start for weeks. This was a great time for the team to finally fulfill that request.
• Before looking at any individual players, I would like to look at the other main point that I’d been making for weeks: penalties and turnovers. Miramar had a much, MUCH cleaner game than they’d had in past weeks. By my count (unofficial though it may be), I can only remember about 5 or 6 Miramar penalties on the night. There were a couple, like an offsides when Cypress Bay had a 4^th and 2 near mid-field, that could have been detrimental to the team. They were ultimately non-factors, as the Darkside Defense held the Lightning offense in check for the game.
• Miramar did have the 1 turnover on the Alex Lee fumble (again, on a HUGE hit by Josh Witt), but other than that, there wasn’t anything to be concerned about in this area of our performance. When compared to previous games, when the team averaged 14 penalties and 3 turnovers a game, this performance was very efficient, and the Coaches and Players should be praised for their diligence to address these key issues.
• Quarterback Camren Hudge had one of his best games of the season. He accounted for 124 yards and 3 touchdowns in the first half alone. His passes were crisp, and his decisions were very good. He ran the read option incredibly well, and sliced 32 yards through the Cypress Bay defense for his first score of the night. Add that to a 2 yard sneak, and a 7 yard slant to Malcolm Lewis, and you have quite a night for the Patriot’s QB.
• Hudge’s numbers would have been even bigger if not for a couple untimely drops from his receiving corps. A couple of long passes directed towards Devonte Mathis and Malcolm Lewis weren’t able to be reeled in, but they did help to loosen up the Cypress Bay defense for the Miramar running game.
• Moving to the defensive side of the ball, Linebacker Jermaine “Country” Grace showed why he is considered one of the top recruits in the 2013 class. On the night, he had 11 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss, and 2 passes defended on the night. He was all over the field, and a constant foil to the Cypress Bay running game. Every time you looked up, Grace was making a play. He was the star of the night, and without a doubt the main factor for the defensive success that the Patriots enjoyed.
• Sometimes in life, you have to sit back and appreciate those things that you have. So, let’s just enjoy this season we’ve gotten from Tracy Howard. With another leaping interception (his 7^th of the year) and 3 passes broken up, and 2 nice tackles in run support, Howard showcased the complete game that has made him a 5 star recruit. I’ve been working in South Florida and following High School Football here for 8 years, and the only time I can remember seeing a defensive back with the kind of impact that Howard has on a game was Patrick Peterson (then Johnson) when he was at Blanche Ely. I say that to say this: players of this caliber are few and far between, and Patriots fans get a treat when they can see #3 on the field every Friday.
• Overall, the team played a very good game. I would have liked a couple more touchdowns in the second half (and the opportunities were there), but Cypress Bay fought hard to the end, and proved themselves a worthy adversary. Miramar worked out a lot of the kinks that had popped up over the previous month, and once again have the look of the dominant team we all expected them to be.

2 games are down on the Road to Orlando, and the season continues. With only 2 teams in Broward County still playing, this is something that not everyone can say.

Patriots advance, and that’s all that counts. Keep up the good work, gentlemen.

Those are my thoughts. What are yours?

Cameron J. Underwood
Miramar Sports