So, before the teams meet on the field, let’s meet them on paper, and look at the keys to victory:
Palm Beach Gardens
Gators (9-2-1, 2-1 District 9-8A, District Runner-up)
Playoffs: Defeated Park Vista 35-21 in Regional Quarterfinals, Defeated Seminole Ridge 14-6 in Regional Semifinals
Playoffs: Defeated Park Vista 35-21 in Regional Quarterfinals, Defeated Seminole Ridge 14-6 in Regional Semifinals
The Palm Beach Gardens Gators are the third playoff opponent
for the Miramar Patriots. This is a team that has been very successful in the
past, reaching the playoffs many times under former coach Kevin Fluery. Recently,
they had fallen on hard times, missing the playoffs in the past 2 seasons.
After that disappointment, Fleury was replaced by a new coach, Chris Davis.
Davis has worked hard to return Gardens to its traditional roots: a demolishing
running game, and tough, solid defense.
In only his first season as Head Coach, Davis has turned this team around 180 degrees. After finishing 2-9 just last year, the Gators have gone 9-2 so far this year, and look to add a second State Championship trophy to their mantle to go with the one they earned in 2005 when they defeated Deerfield Beach 49-29.
The 2005 team was led by All-Star Running Back/Safety Emanuel Cook, who went on to star as a 4 year starter for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina. In a similar way, this team is led by its own star running back Roshard Burney. Burney, one of the top players in the nation and a recent commit to West Virginia, has punished and eluded defenses this season. He has rushed for 1966 yards and 19 touchdowns, and created a physical, attacking mentality for the Gator offense. He is a tough runner who usually does not go down on first contact, and will fight for yards on every carry.
Burney has not had to carry the offense singlehandedly by any means. Junior Alex Clark has had a fine season at Running Back as well, contributing 885 yards and 12 touchdowns to the Gator Offense. Clark is a great compliment to Burney, and has the look of a player who will shine when given the opportunity to be the feature back next year. The combination of Burney and Clark is a challenge for any defense, and Gardens will look to these 2 players to lead the team to victory.
While Gardens runs the ball plenty in their Wing-T attack (more on this later), they also have some playmakers in the passing game. Junior Receiver Frank Brown is an exciting athlete with tons of talent. He is the singular gamebreaker on the outside, leading the team with 794 yards and 14 touchdowns receiving. His long touchdown catch last week vs. Seminole Ridge put the game out of reach, and gave the Gators the right to advance to this week’s Regional Final. However, the passing game lacks balance outside of Brown, the 3rd leading receiver in Palm Beach County. No other player has more than 9 catches on the team, which speaks to how important Brown’s success is to balance the offense.
Gardens has employed a 2 quarterback system this year. At times they rotate a skill player under center, adding more options to the rushing attack. When faced with passing situations, Sophomore J.P. Caruso has been the man under center. He is a young player, but very talented. He has completed 65.4% of his passes this year, the vast majority to his #1 target Frank Brown. Caruso led a game-clinching 98 yard drive, capped by a 33 yard touchdown to Brown, and showed both his team and the opposition that he is capable of making plays and winning games.
Wing-T run-based offense (click here for more information) is predicated on a couple of things: discipline, effective use of misdirection, and a solid offensive line. In the case of Palm Beach Gardens, their line is anchored by one of the best lineman in the country: Senior Tackle Avery Young. Young, a 6’6’’ 285lb giant, has been offered scholarships to play college football at Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Auburn, just to name a few. He is without question the centerpiece of the offensive line, and it would not be shocking to see the Gators run to his side of the field many times during a game. Outside of Young, the line has done great work this year, opening holes for the running game, and protecting Caruso when he comes in to pass the ball.
On defense, the Gators have been solid. They are allowing 15.25 points per game on the season, and have shutout 2 of their opponents. The defense is led by Korey Wells, Denzel Reed, and Daryl Depas, with the occasional contribution from Alex Clark. This defensive team has players that are talented, and have the ability to make plays. No team has scored more than 28 points against them since Palm Beach Central back in the 3rd game of the year. They are playing some of their best football this season, and have been unsung heroes on this march to the Regional Finals.
Palm Beach Gardens has very good players and a very good coach. They are determined to recapture their greatness from earlier in the 2000s, and to do that, they will have to play their best game of the year against the Patriots.
Miramar Patriots (11-0, 5-0 District 12-8A, District Champion)
Playoff: Defeated South Plantation 38-0 in Regional Quarterfinals, Defeated Cypress Bay 23-7 in Regional Semifinals.
Miramar is in familiar territory in the late rounds of the
playoffs. For the 3rd time in 4 years, the Patriots have advanced to
the Regional Final round. This season is different than those past seasons
however: the Patriots are the #1 ranked team in the State of Florida (for the
first time in School History) and are a top 5 team in the National Polls (also,
a first in School History).
Leading this ascension is Coach Damon Cogdell. He has a career playoff record of 11-3, and looks to add to that record of success with a win on Friday. Cogdell, a Miramar graduate, also coordinates the Defense, and instills his vast knowledge to each one of his players.
This week, let’s start by looking at the Darkside defense. Faced by another challenging Wing-T team last week in Cypress Bay, the defense stood up to the task, holding the Lightning to only 69 yards rushing on the game. Leading the charge was Junior Linebacker Jermaine Grace, who finished with 11 tackles and 2 passes broken up on the evening. Grace is one of the leaders of this defensive unit, a player whose talents have gone largely unnoticed on a team filled with playmakers, including U.S. Army All-American Tracy Howard. However, after his remarkable game last week, people are now aware of Grace’s talents.
Grace and the rest of the Front 7 (defensive line and linebackers) have caused problems for opposing teams all year long. They are strong, fast, and athletic, and can play any style they like. They have so many different looks, and so many different players, that teams who score on the defense even once have truly accomplished a tough task. On the year, the Darkside defense has only allowed 5 touchdowns, with the other 3 coming on special teams. Overall, opposing teams average 145 yards and 6.8 points per game against the Patriots.
The secondary has been incredibly tough to pass on. Tracy Howard added to his statistics last week with his 8th interception of the season. He is the top Cornerback recruit in the country, and has allowed only 5 completions on balls thrown his way all season. He will again draw the opposition’s top receiver, Frank Brown, and that battle will be worth watching as the game progresses.
On offense, the Patriots have started clicking, but are still looking for a breakout game in the playoffs. Quarterback Camren Hudge led the charge last week, accounting for almost 200 yards and 3 touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 passing) on the evening. He is cool, calm, and collected in the pocket, and his above average athleticism allows him to be a threat running the ball in the read-option game.
Speaking of running the ball, D’Vontis Arnold and Alex Lee continue to drive the offense. These backs have combined for almost 1500 yards on the season, and were key players in the first half onslaught the Patriots enjoyed against Cypress Bay. They will need to maintain their high level of play this week, as the Patriots will look to advance to the State Semifinals once again.
The receivers have been solid, but not as spectacular as they were earlier in the season. Stepping up recently has been Sean Avant. He had several big catches against Cypress Bay, and has benefitted from the wealth of attention defenses give to star receiver and University of Miami recruit Malcolm Lewis. Add into the mix West Virginia recruit Devonte Mathis, Charleston Jenkins, Tanares Robinson, and Reggie Lennon, and the Patriots have the ability to move the ball through the air that few teams can match. This unit has been shaky recently, and this would be a great time for them to recapture the explosiveness they displayed earlier in the season, and give Palm Beach Gardens the unenviable choice of trying to defend the run or the pass on any given play.
The Patriots have passed their first 2 tests on the Road to Orlando. Palm Beach Gardens is a unique test, however: a team that Miramar has never faced, and one who has top Division 1 level talent at many positions. Both teams will need to work hard to continue their march towards a Championship.
Why Palm Beach Gardens might win: Roshard Burney and Alex Clark play like Roshard Burney and Alex Clark. This tandem has accounted for nearly 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns rushing the ball this season. They have controlled the clock, and imposed their will on their opponent through their physical play. If they can combine for decent numbers (150+ yards, 2 touchdowns between them) against a stingy Darkside defense, the Gators would be in a great position to win the game.
The defense stifles the Miramar running game, and forces turnovers. Takeaways had been a thorn in the side of the Patriots until the playoffs. The Gators need to find a way to create a turnover or 3, swing the momentum of the game, and capitalize on their opportunities.
Why Miramar might win: Speed. The Patriots have more speed on this team than they have had since the Championship season of 2009. If they can find a way to get their speedsters (Malcolm Lewis, Alex Lee, Tanares Robinson, even Cam Hudge) in open space, there could be big plays, and quick points, available for Miramar. Also, if the offense can start out fast, build a 2 or 3 touchdown lead early and force Gardens to abandon their running game, that would definitely be an advantage for the Patriots.
The Darkside defense continues to play at the level we have come to expect from them, particularily when it comes to stopping the run. They allowed only 92 yards to Broward County’s leading rusher Alex Collins in round 1, and 69 yards total to Cypress Bay last week. If the defense can step up to the challenge again, and keep the Smash and Dash combo of Burney and Clark from finding yards, the Patriots will be in a good position to emerge victorious.
What to Watch For:
Palm Beach Gardens
- Can Roshard Burney and Alex Clark running the ball, and moving the chains for Gardens?
- What impact will Avery Young have against Trevon Coley in passing situations?
- Can Frank Brown win his individual matchup against Tracy Howard to help take pressure off the Gator Running game?
- Who on defense steps up to make plays against the Miramar Spread offense?
Miramar
- Can Miramar continue their success from last week and start fast?
- What will Tracy Howard do to impact the game this week?
- Can the receiving corps erase the drops from last week and make plays down the field?
- Can Camren Hudge continue his hot streak from the earlier rounds of the playoffs?
Region 3 for class 8A Football comes down to these 2 teams.
They will fight for the right to play against the winner of Southridge and
Columbus for the right to go to the State Championship game. With the goal so
near, both teams will give everything they have to keep their season alive.
So come out to watch a fantastic game this Friday. The game will be played at Branca Stadium on the Campus of Miramar High School, with kickoff coming at 7:30pm. Win or lose, this is the last home game of the season, so be sure to come out and support your Patriots. As the only team hosting a game in Broward County (St. Thomas Aquinas is on the road), this game figures to be packed with fans looking for a good game.
One team’s season is ending, and one team will live to play another day. You gotta be there to see all the action for yourself!
I’ll be there on Friday, and I hope to see you as well.
Until Next time,
Cameron J. Underwood
Miramar Sports
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