Game preview - @ South Plantation

FOOTBALL SEASON IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!

2 a days, summer conditioning, and fall camp are all things of the past. Now, it's time for teams to write their chapter of history. And for your Miramar Patriots, this is a day that couldn't come fast enough. 

Before we look at the Patriots side of things, let's first examine their opponent.

South Plantation Paladins (0-0, 0-0 District 11-8A)

Over the past 2 years, this has been a playoff matchup. The first year in 2011, the Patriots (winners of their District) hosted and defeated the Paladins 38-0 in the Regional Quarterfinals of a playoff run that ended in the State Championship game. Read my recap of the 2011 game here.

Last year, the Paladins hosted, but the end result was the same: a 3-0 Miramar victory, and the end of the season for South Plantation. Read my recap of last year's game here.

As for this year, the Paladins figure to be in for a struggle. Over the past 2 years, South Plantation has lost some very good college level talents, including Broward County's leading rusher in 2011 RB Alex Collins (Arkansas) and QB John Frankline (Florida State). In all honesty, those 2 players were the ones who propelled South Plantation into the playoffs in these past seasons, and without them to create plays and score points, the Paladins will struggle to recreate their past success.

The Paladins lost their kickoff classic 39-7 to Everglades. While they have decent talent, losing by such a large margin to the Gators, who haven't made the playoffs 2005, is a warning sign. It doesn't figure to portend good things for the future prospects of the South Plantation season.

The Miami Herald and South Florida High School sports are calling for the Paladins to lost by 20+ points. Barring a bunch of turnovers from Miramar, I tend to agree with those predictions.

2 Reasons South Plantation might win:

The Paladins force turnovers and turn those takeaways into points.

The Patriots overlook a team without it's best 2 players from the last few seasons, and jump out to an early lead while Miramar tries to settle in and find a rhythm.

Miramar Patriots (0-0, 0-0 District 12-8A)

The Miramar Patriots have always played for Pride, but that mantra seems to be even stronger this year.

Last season, the Patriots couldn't find any consistency, earning the District runner-up spot in the last week of the season, and struggling to a 7-5 finish. While most teams would love to have a 7-5 season that included a playoff run, but Miramar isn't most teams. This is a program that has grown into one of the best in Florida, and anything short of contention for a State Championship is, in anyone's estimation, a failure.

But, that is in the past. This year brings a renewed focus and energy, and the Patriots will try to turn that focus and energy into on-field success.

Head Coach Damon Cogdell also serves as Defensive Coordinator of one of the best defenses in the State of Florida: the Darkside defense. This year's Darkside will be led by the back 7 (linebackers and defensive backs). For the linebackers, seniors Ryan Samuels, Kaywon Davis and David Lee figure to log most of the snaps, with junior Danzel King being the primary backup. There could also be occasions that see the Patriots using a 3-4 alignment where all of those players (as well as others) seeing time together.

In the secondary, there are many talented players. Led by senior Andre Godfrey and juniors Tyrek Cole, Jeff Hill Jr., and Josmar Diaz-Martinez, this unit is full of lockdown players who will make life difficult for opposing offenses.

On the Defensive line, senior Alex Trotman and junior William Crumpton will use quickness, agility, and technique to get to the quarterback. Other players on all levels of the defense will make names for themselves throughout the course of the season. 

As for the offense, it is no secret that last season was a struggle. In 6 of the 12 games, the offense scored 14 or fewer points, much to the chagrin of players, coaches, and fans alike. For a team as athletically talented as last year's Patriots were, that lack of production was puzzling, to say the least.

Enter new offensive Co-ordinator Travis Taylor. He joins the Miramar staff after spending time at Boyd Anderson, and brings a new spin to the spread offense. I can't tell you everything that I've seen in practice, but suffice it to say that you'll see some things you already know and love (multiple formations, multiple receivers on the field at a time), and some thing that are a bit different.

At the Quarterback position, seniors Gernald Hawkins and Nick Jeanty both have the talent to start and be very effective players. Hawkins, a dual threat player, can make plays with his arm or legs with equal success. Jeanty, a prototypical pocket passer, is most comfortable throwing the ball, but will run sporadically. The offense has unique packages for both players in addition to its base/staple plays. It will be interesting to see which player has won the starting job for the opener.

To say there is an embarrassment of talent at Running Back would be a gross understatement. Seniors Khalil Lewis, Eric Pittman, and Cameron Rigby all figure to play prominent roles, while junior Alex Anderson may be the most physically talented player of this group. There shouldn't be a play where the running back is tired. All of these players can play and make a big impact in games.

At receiver, seniors Kwasim West and Tyler Williams lead an impressive group. Junior Kahlil Lewis (no relation to the running back of the same name) might be the most coveted recruit of this group with his combination of size, speed, and skill. Watch out for manchild sophmore Kevin Purlette. He was a featured target in the summer 7-on-7 circuit, and continues to make plays in practice. He will make an impact through this season.

On the line, seniors Stewart Boyd, Yodny Cajuste, Damone Thompson and junior Leeward Brown are tasked with protecting the quarterbacks, and opening holes for the running backs. This group once again won the OLine challenge at the Dolphins 7-on-7 tournament, and will be integral to Miramar's offensive success this year.

For the Patriots, this season comes down to 2 things: can the offense consistently score points, and is this team going to be disciplined enough to eliminate the mental mistakes that plagued them a year ago?

While I don't have South Plantation's full roster (it is a new season afterall), I can't see the Paladins having much of a chance against the Patriots. A running clock in the 4th quarter wouldn't surprise me at all.

Why Miramar might win:
The Darkside defense comes out fast and strong, forces turnovers, and stifles the rebuilding South Plantation offense.

The offense finds its stride and replicates the chunk plays (20+ yards) and points that Everglades was able to achieve against South Plantation in the kickoff classic.

What to watch for:

South Plantation
Who are the playmakers?
Can the defense shore up the holes that were present last week?
Is there any home-field magic?

Miramar
Does the Darkside defense control the game?
Which QB runs the offense most effectively?
Which RB has the standout game?
Can the Patriots eliminate the mental errors (turnovers, penalties) that curtailed their 2012 season?

Kickoff for the 2013 season will be at 7pm on Friday night. For address information and customizable directions to South Plantation for the game, CLICK THIS LINK

Summer is over, and football season is BACK.

Is it time for kickoff yet?

Until Next Time,


Cameron J. Underwood
Miramar Sports

All-County Football

Hey there, Patriots!! It's been a while, but welcome back to the Blog!!!

Patriots take the field against St. Thomas Aquinas (Miami Herald)

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has released their All-County teams for the fall season, and YOUR Miramar Patriots had a few players honored for their stellar play during the 2012 Football season.

Without any further ado, the All-County players are:

6A-8A Defensive Player of the Year
#2 Jermaine Grace - Senior Linebacker

First Team Offense
#72 Michael Miranda - Senior Offensive Lineman

First Team Defense
#50 Ja'Quan Smith - Senior Defensive Tackle

Second Team Offense
#8 Alex Lee - Senior Running Back

Second Team Defense
#53 Telvin Arnold - Senior Defensive Tackle
#58 Alex Trotman - Junior Defensive End
#1 Tyrek Cole - Sophomore Cornerback

Honorable Mention (Offense and Defense)
#4 Eric Pittman - Junior Running Back
#10 Andre Godfrey, Jr. - Junior Strong Safety
#15 Sean Avant - Senior Wide Receiver
#45 Shawn Stephens - Senior Defensive End
#55 Sanka Harris - Senior Linebacker
#71 Leeward Brown - Sophomore Offensive Lineman

Congratulations gentlemen!! You earned it!!


Until Next Time,


Cameron J. Underwood
Miramar Sports

Playoff Game Recap - Regional Quarterfinal at South Plantation

After a long, intense, and interesting regular season, the Miramar Patriots began the Road to Orlando by travelling to face the South Plantation Paladins.

This was a rematch of the Regional Quarterfinal from last year. Last year, the Patriots demolished the Paladins 38-0. This year, the game was tightly contested, and very contentious at times. In the end, Miramar advanced with a 3-0 victory.

• You can read the Miami Herald recap by Manny Navarro here
• You can read the Sun-Sentinel recap here

Let's take a look at some of the key factors from this game:

South Plantation:

• Much has been made of the talents of senior RB Alex Collins. In this game Collins, Broward County's leading rusher, was contained and shut down by the Darkside defense. Collins, who sustained a shoulder injury last week (which I saw him get wrapped before the game), was unable to shake Miramar LB Jermaine Grace, who shadowed him all over the field. Collins grew frustrated to the point that he earned a personal foul penalty for grabbing Grace's facemask after the LB pushed Collins out of bounds. Collins, beaten and bruised, left the game for good due to a wrist injury (which I'm pretty sure occurred on the personal foul play) in the 4th quarter. He only played 3 snaps in the 2nd half. Collins ended the game with 9 carries for 13 yards, and 1 catch for -1 yard.
• Recent FSU Commit QB John Franklin was pressured and ran for his life most of the game. The senior was sacked by the Miramar Defense 7 times, pressured many others, and pretty well contained  on the night. He finished 6/17 for 42 yards passing and 1 interception. Much had been made about his progression since we saw him play last year. His performance on the night did not bear that to be true.
• The South Plantation defense played some good football. After allowing the Patriots into the red zone 6 times, they only allowed 1 field goal on the night. They played quick, smart, strong football, and should be applauded for their effort. They kept their team in the game, and kept this from being a much larger margin of victory for the Patriots.
• Overall, South Plantation just didn't have enough talent to win this game. Their star players, Collins and Franklin, were held in check, and without them playing amazing games, the Paladins weren't able to make much happen against the Patriots.

Miramar:

• Any recap of this game has to start by talking about the Darkside Defense. This group played outstanding football, and limited the Paladins to 83 total yards and 7 first downs on the night. Collins and Franklin were unable to shake the defense, and the Paladins were held scoreless for the 2nd time in 3 games. It was also the 2nd shutout for the Patriots on the year, and the 3rd time they held an opposing offense scoreless (Northeast's scores came on defensive returns). Great job by the Darkside!
• Leading the defense were Seniors Jermaine Grace, Sanka Harris, Ja'Quan Smith, and Junior Ryan Samuels. Grace and Smith had 8 tackles each, while Harris and Samuels had 7 tackles a piece. They were physical , ferocious, and determined not to let South Plantation find space for their players to operate.
• The defense sacked South Plantation quarterbacks 8 times. Ja'Quan Smith led the team with 3 sacks, while Alex Trotman and Shawn Stephens had 2 each. David Lee had 1 sack on the night.
• Andre Godfrey Jr. had a great interception, which he returned 34 yards. That's his 2nd pick in the last 2 games, and clear evidence that he's elevating his level of play at the perfect time of the year.
• There were a couple HUGE hits in this game, most notably delivered by Jermaine Grace, Telvin Arnold, and Tyrek Cole. I want to see more of that, gentlemen.
• Against our offense, South Plantation clearly had 1 goal: Don't let Eric Pittman get loose. They upped their intensity every time #4 came on the field, and it showed in their performance. Pittman, who had rushed for 227 yards and 5 touchdowns in the last 2 regular season games, found little room to operate, and was held to just 35 yards on 18 carries. He also dropped a pass on the game's opening play that, if caught, would have gone for a touchdown. I'm anxious to see how he bounces back next week.
• Nick Jeanty started hot, going 6/9 in the first half. His seam route pass to Tanares Robinson almost went for a touchdown, but Robinson was caught by the back of his jersey. Jeanty showed good touch, and nice velocity on his throws through the game. He struggled in the 2nd half after the rain started. I'd still like to see more decisive throws from him.
• Jeanty showed something that he hasn't very much this season: an ability to run. He kept the ball on the read option a few times, and stepped up out of pressure to find good yardage available. This might  prove to be a valuable weapon for the offense in the future.
• Wide receivers only got 6 receptions, but we only called about 16 passing plays on the night. With Jeanty running on a couple, the opportunities outside weren't many. There are still elite playmakers at this position, and they will make an impact for this team before long.
• Kicking has been an up and down proposition for the Patriots this season. Michael Allinder's 25 yard field goal, the only scoring in the game, was a pure kick and would have been good from 45 yards. I liked his confidence in taking and making that kick. His performance will be needed throughout the playoffs.

An Underwood Rant:

I hate to do this, but I can't let this slide anymore: the referees clearly have an agenda against Miramar. 

In this game, where BOTH teams were getting chippy, hitting after the whistle, and talking back and forth, the crew only cited Miramar for fouls. Miramar had 17 penalites. South Plantation had 5 (3 of which were false starts). 

This cannot continue. 

Over the years, the referees have repeatedly looked at Miramar as the only team who has infractions. There have been many games in the past and this year where the difference in the penalties for us versus the opponent is 4 to 1 or 5 to 1. The ONLY game where you could argue that we got the benefit of calls in the last 5 years would be this year's game against St. Thomas Aquinas. 

Let me be clear: I'm not asking for extra calls. I'm not asking for the referees to give us an advantage. I'm asking that they STOP giving the opponent the extra advantage, and call the game fairly. Offsides is offsides. I have no problem with that. But when you have a 5 yard penalty, then talk as a group of officials, and all of a sudden change that to 2 personal fouls, something has to be said. 

In short, Referees need to stop playing for the other team, and go back to being impartial arbitrators of the game action. Because, when it comes to Miramar games, they're playing for the opponent.

Those are my thoughts. What are yours?

Until Next Time,

Cameron J. Underwood
Miramar Sports