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

2012 Game Recap #4 - @ West Broward

After an uneven start to the season, the Miramar Patriots got back on the winning side of things, defeating West Broward 48-3 in the first District game for both teams.

Without any further ado, let’s get to what happened

West Broward

It was clear from the start at the Bobcats were outmatched in this game. The team, buoyed with hope after Miramar’s loss to Northeast, came in with good intensity and hoped to pull off a major upset. Unfortunately for them, that would not happen on this night.

It was clear early on that West Broward just didn’t have the athletes to match up with the Patriots, and the hopes for a miracle upset were quickly dashed. Miramar sprinted out to a big halftime lead, and never looked back.

For the Bobcats, there were only a couple of players who stood out as positives for coach Chris Wagner. First of all, Senior WR/DB Keenan Thompson was clearly their best player. The 6’1” speedster wasn’t able to get the ball when he was split wide, so Wagner moved him to QB in a sort of Wildcat formation. It was here that Thompson found his success.

On his first snap at QB, Thompson found a seam on the right side of the offensive line, and raced down the sideline for a 68 yard gain. He showed vision, quickness, and speed, and would have scored if not for a great effort by Darren Wilcox to track him down. Thompson fumbled on the next play, and the one credible scoring chance went by the wayside for West Broward.

Junior K/P Anthony McGill was a busy man on this evening. He punted 8 times, and made a 25 yard field goal, which proved to be the only points the Bobcats would score. He has a decent leg, and very good technique. He should be proud of his effort from this game.

Senior QB Brandan Stedfelt did not have the game he hoped for. Completing less than 40% of his passes, Stedfelt was constantly harassed by the Miramar defense. He did display a decent arm on a couple downfield throws, but his accuracy (perhaps a result of the pressure he was facing) was less than stellar.

The West Broward defense played hard, but they could not stand up to the physicality, or speed, of the Patriots.

Overall, this team will have some hard times ahead as they continue to build towards being a competitive team in a very tough district and classification. Coach Wagner seems to have a plan, and hopefully he’ll have the time needed to continue the slow ascent to respectability.

Miramar

Miramar, looking to rebound after a tough loss at Northeast, came out with a vengeance, and left no doubt from the first snap of the game as to who the better team was.

The Patriots started out by going back to basics: running the ball with great success. The first 2 plays of the game were runs by Alex Lee that went for 21 and 48 yards, the second of which went for a touchdown. Lee would finish the game with 5 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown in just 1 half of work.

Adding in to the rushing attack were Cameron Rigby (20 yards and a TD), Eric Pittman (44 yards and a TD), Nick Jeanty (25 yards and a TD), Gernald Hawkins (14 yards and a TD), and Khalil Lewis (5 yards and a TD). All told, Miramar rushed 27 times for 196 yards (7.26 per carry) and 6 touchdowns.  Pretty efficient if you ask me.

The Quarterback play was solid complimenting the rushing attack. Nick Jeanty was 11/14 for 139 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions, and Gernald Hawkins was 2/3 for 35 yards. The overall numbers (combined QB efficiency rating of 181.86) were decent, but there is still room for improvement. The intermediate and vertical passing games are not fully polished yet, but they should continue to improve over time.

8 players caught passes on the night. Delano Whitehead (2/47 yards) made a nice move up the sideline on a quick screen that went for a big game, and Cameron Rigby (2/12 yards) had the only receiving touchdown, an 8 yarder midway through the 3^rd quarter.

On defense, the Darkside continued their strong play that has become standard operating procedure. Start players Jermain Grace and Telvin Arnold played so few snaps on the night that their white #2 and #53 jerseys were crisp and clean, even after a game played at the sloppy, muddy atrocity known as Everglades field.

Leading the way in their place were Junior LBs Kaywon Davis and Ryan Samuels, and Senior DL Ja’Quan Smith and Darius Young. Davis ended the game with 7 tackles (4 solo, 3 assist), a forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries. His best play was the defender trifecta: a solo tackle in space, forced fumble on a strip, and fumble recovery. The only thing that could have added to that play would have been a return for a touchdown, but it was still a great effort.

Samuels, the starting Middle Linebacker, had 5 tackles (2 solo, 3 assist) along with 2 tackles for loss. His steady play against opposing running games has been one of the keys to the success of the defense, and we should continue to see good things from him as we continue through this season.

Smith dominated the line of scrimmage all game long. His stats (6 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 QB pressures, and a forced fumble) are even more impressive when you consider he played only a little more than 1 half of football. He was an absolute terror on the interior of the defense, and his continued dominance will be a key as the Patriots move towards the meat of their schedule.

Teaming with Smith was Darius Young, whose stats (6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 QB pressure) were nearly as impressive. He must have taken a 5 hour energy before the game, because his motor was running on a level that we haven’t seen before. He was motivated and disciplined, and played a major role in stifling the West Broward offense. This performance is one he should be proud of.

In the secondary, Darren Wilcox made the most out of the few plays that he was involved with. He showed remarkable acceleration and recovery speed in chasing down Keenan Thompson late in the 2^nd quarter. Needing to make up some 25 yards, Wilcox turned on the jets and chased him down at the 4 yard line, saving a touchdown. Tackles aren’t ordinarily the highlight plays for cornerbacks, but this was no ordinary tackle.

The G-Unit of DKambui Greaves and Andre Godfrey had another strong game from their Safety positions. Greaves (3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and a forced fumble) was disciplined in his pursuit, and consistent in his tackling. It was he who forced Keenan Thompson to fumble on the play after Wilcox ran him down at the 4. Very nice play from #11.

Godfrey was arguably the defensive MVP of this game. He had 7 tackles (3 solo, 4 assist), 1 tackle for loss, and a sack. He hit anything that moved in his area, and hit it hard. After this performance, I think he’s primed for a signature game. Outstanding job.

Special teams were solid all around. Kick and punt returners seemed to find open lanes, and coverage units allowed minimum yardage against them. Shawn Stephens added in the Special Teams play of the day: a blocked punt that Kaywon Davis recovered and returned to the 5 yard line. It was a great move for Stephens to get by his blocker and block the kick, and hopefully something he, or another Patriot, can replicate in future games.

Overall, this was the most complete game that we have played this year, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. On the heels of the loss to Northeast, and before key games against Cypress Bay and St. Thomas Aquinas, the Patriots needed an effort such as this to steady their season, and give us momentum as we go to face our toughest opponents.

Co-Players of the Week

• Kaywon Davis - 7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumbles recovered
• Ja'Quan Smith - 6 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 3 QB pressures

Where do we go from here? - Review

Let’s look at how we did with the issues to address for this game.

Issues to address:

1. Offensive gameplans and efficiency: Grade: A-. We controlled the game from the very outset, and had very few issues. There were a couple of things (missed receiver down the seam, false starts, holding penalties) that we could clean up to get an A or A+, but this was a much better showing from the offense.
2. Quarterback-Center exchange. Grade: A. Only 1 bad exchange, and that was more on the QB missing the ball than on the Center not getting it there.
3. Details. Grade: B+. While penalties remain our biggest issue, the majority of the other issues were effectively addressed.
4. Protect the ball. Grade: B+. 1 turnover on the aforementioned QB-Center exchange. I would like to see 0 turnovers, but this was a great improvement.

Looking Ahead

Up next are 2 tough opponents: Cypress Bay and St. Thomas Aquinas. These are teams with whom we have a long history, and who both have an axe to grind after losing to the Patriots last season. There will be plenty of time for analysis and previewing both games, but suffice it to say that the next 2 weeks will go a long way to determining just how far this Miramar team can go.

Those are my thoughts. What are yours?

Until Next Time,

Cameron J. Underwood
Miramar Sports 

2012 Game #1 Recap - at Bradenton Manatee

The 2012 season opener featured the Miramar Patriots taking a trip to Bradenton to take on the Manatee Hurricanes on Labor Day Weekend.  After a hard fought first half, Manatee exploded in the 2^nd half for 35 points, and a 41-6 victory.

While the final score may seem like this game was a blowout, the contest was actually much closer than the score may have indicated. Let’s take a look at what happened:

Bradenton Manatee:

Cord Sandberg played a good game. He’s not an explosive player who just does things you can’t comprehend (think Duke Johnson last year). What he is is a very good player, with above average skills across the board, and a phenomenal understanding of his abilities and the Manatee offense.

Sandberg’s performance was not flawless, however. He had 3 fumbles in the  game. He was ruled down on the last 2 (both recovered by Miramar) by what can only be classified as questionable calls.

Throughout the game Sandberg operated the Manatee offense with controlled excellence, making all the right reads in the option running game and the controlled passing game. And, in the end, he led his team to victory. Can’t ask for much more than that.

RB/WR Anthony Lauro was billed as the other top offensive playmaker for Manatee. He had a solid game and showcased good skills, but he wasn’t the player who really hurt the Patriots.

RB Trevon Walters made a name for himself based off his stellar performance. He ran for nearly 100 yards, showed good hands as a receiver (his wheel routes were positively destructive), and scored 2 touchdowns, 1 rushing and 1 receiving. Only a Junior, Walters is sure to garner many accolades and college attention. It was he, not Sandberg, who was the difference marker for the Hurricanes.

Apart from Sandberg, Lauro, and Walters on offense, the Manatee Defense made timely stops, and caused turnovers when they had the chance. Free Safety Willie Smith had 2 interceptions, and provided solid coverage in the secondary. The linebackers and defensive backs played solidly throughout the game, but left plenty of open space for Miramar Running Backs (more on this later).

The vaunted Manatee Defensive Line played well at times. Marquis Dawsey had a solid if unspectacular game. Derrick Calloway had ½ a sack, and made a few plays behind the line. DeMarcus Christmas had a sack, and disrupted a couple inside running plays. But nothing they did can compare to the game that Blake Keller had.

Keller, a 3 star recruit committed to UCF, was the best player on the field. He blocked 2 punts (returning the 2^nd for a touchdown), had 2.5 sacks, 8 tackles (4 for loss), and provided constant pressure when the Patriots looked to pass. Without a doubt, he was the MVP of this game. His big plays, especially the blocked punts, turned the momentum of the game, and gave Manatee short fields, which they converted into touchdowns in the 2^nd half.

Lastly, the wrinkles employed by Coach Joe Kinnan and his staff were great. Particularly, sending an outside receiver deep down the field, and replacing that open space on the field with Walters (and Lauro a couple of times) was something that gave Manatee an advantage on the edge of the Patriot defense. That one strategic move made the rest of the Manatee playbook come alive, and enabled them to put points on the board quickly, and repeatedly, in the second half of the game.

Miramar:

Even in the face of defeat, there were some bright spots for Miramar. The running game, led by Alex Lee and Cameron Rigby, continually gashed the Manatee defense. Lee finished with 133 yards on just 13 carries, and showcased his top level speed. Rigby had somewhere in the neighborhood of 85 yards, and routinely made guys miss with his open-field shiftiness.  Rigby was about 2 steps away from breaking a long touchdown in the first quarter, but stumbled as he crossed the Manatee 45. Huge opportunity missed there.

Alex Lee running away from Manatee's Derrick Calloway

In the past, Miramar has employed a running game we named “Thunder and Lightning”. This year, it’s more like Lightning-squared. And, when you add in Khalil Lewis and Alex Anderson,  you have a formidable group of running backs who will pose problems for every opponent Miramar faces this season.

Nick Jeanty started strong in his Patriot debut. He opened the game 5/5, and hit Sean Avant with a perfectly thrown fade for Miramar’s only touchdown on the opening drive of the game. After that strong start, Jeanty wasn’t as successful as he or the team, would have hoped. He threw 3 interceptions on the day, but let’s look at them each individually:

1. The first one was an under-thrown ball where his receiver, Tyler Williams, was open by 3 steps up the sideline. If properly thrown, Williams walks into the end zone. Since the ball was short, the defender was able to get a hand on it, and it was intercepted on the deflection.
2. The second one was a desperation heave on the last play of the first half, kind of a throw and pray play. No bearing on the outcome. Almost like a punt.
3. The third one came on a play with a low snap. Jeanty did well to get the ball off the ground, and throw cleanly. He threw to a spot, based on his pre-snap read, and didn’t see that the DBs all jumped their coverages once the ball was on the ground. Yes, he threw it, but the snap played heavily into that last pick.

Overall, I liked the poise and pocket presence I saw from Jeanty. He displayed good arm strength, and even overthrew a couple of open receivers. He showed flashes of greatness early, and also areas where he can improve. Let’s see what he does from here on out.

Gernald Hawkins got some quality work in this game, playing 3 complete drives. He was not able to put points on the board, but neither was Jeanty after the first drive of the game. Hawkins only completed one pass, a short completion to Khalil Webster. He showed good athleticism, and a live arm. I still like Jeanty as our starter, but am confident that Hawkins can be a valued asset to this team.

Wide receivers didn’t get to show too much in this game, as our passing attack is clearly still under construction. I did like what I saw from Sean Avant, who scored the only touchdown of the day for the Patriots. Additionally, Tyler Williams ran good routes and was open a few times (including on the first interception), and Dellano Whitehead also found open space in the Manatee defense. Overall, this group wasn’t really able to showcase their many talents, but they should be able to bounce back as this season progresses.

The offensive line was an ever-shifting unit, with 9 players getting snaps on the day. Guard Delvin Arnold missed a few series while icing an ankle, and others were shifted in his absence. Also, Mike Miranda and Devaughn Thomas had their struggles with shotgun snaps, especially in the second half. It’s hard to run our offense, or any offense, if you can’t get the quarterback-center exchange cleanly. This is something that will need to be worked on and fixed in practice.

Moving to defense, there were 4 players who really stood out for their stellar play: Linebackers Jermaine Grace, Ryan Samuels, and Sanka Harris, and Defensive End Shawn Stephens.

Grace, a 4 star recruit and the only returning starter on the Dark Side defense, played a great game. He had 11 tackles, 2 for loss, and was all over the field. He was a constant presence on defense, and will continue to be the leader of the team.

Samuels and Harris are both new starters, but played like veterans.  Samuels had 12 tackles, and Harris had 8, along with multiple pressures to Cord Sandberg, Manatee’s QB. While they had positives, Samuels and Harris were the particular victims exploited the aforementioned wheel route adjustment from the Manatee offense. Their run defense is incredible, but their pass coverage is not to the level where they, or the coaches, would like it to be.

Stephens supplied constant pressure from the edge, and was very disciplined when faced with the option game. He had some hard tackles, and was very consistent. I liked what I saw from the 6'1" Senior.

Up front, Telvin Arnold, Ja’Quan Smith, and Darius Young played well on the inside of the defensive line. They were able to get penetration and disrupt the Manatee offense early on. In the second half, they, like many, were unable to maintain their high level of play.

Andre Godfrey and D’Kambui Greaves played alright in the secondary. They blew a couple coverages, but weren’t hurt by them thanks to a dropped touchdown pass. Coaches told them they need to be leaders in the secondary, especially with the youth at corner. While they weren’t 100% lockdown, I liked what I saw from the G-unit (Godfrey and Greaves) at safety.

At corner, Terence Gaskins played a good game, while he was out there. Gaskins provided solid coverage, good speed, and recovered a Manatee Fumble in the 2^nd quarter. Gaskins was hurt on the play, unintentionally kicked in the mouth by a Manatee player during the scramble to recover the fumble. He stayed in Bradenton overnight before being able to have minor oral surgery. Administration and Coaches told me he’ll be fine, and should be returning to Miramar Monday or Tuesday. As for how long his injuries might keep him out, I have no new information as of the writing of this article.

The other corners, Darren Wilcox, Tyrek Cole, and Jeff Hill played average at best. Wilcox got caught peeking in the backfield and was beat for a 52 yard touchdown on the first play of the 4^th quarter. Cole, who replaced Gaskins after his injury, played well, only allowing 2 completions to his side. He also came up to make a couple tackles in run support. Hill got good reps in the game, and should continue to play a large role this year.

And now, the pink elephant in the room.

Special Teams.

When you miss an extra point, and have 2 punts blocked, and 2 more ALMOST blocked, there are obviously problems. I know there are a lot of new players on the special teams units, but I would like to see more starters playing in this vital 3^rd phase of the game.

Little details, single plays/calls/non-calls in a game like this, against a top opponent, can turn the tide of the game. In this game, there was 1 call that I look to as being THE MOMENT the game turned from being a tough, tightly contested game into Manatee’s favor.

Tied as 6 to start the 2^nd half, Manatee was facing 3^rd and 6 on their own 45. Sanka Harris tackled Trevon Walters  for a short gain, and was called for a personal foul for a “late hit”, although he was already bringing Walters to the ground before crossing the sideline. That call allowed Manatee’s offense to stay on the field, and that drive resulted in the first touchdown Manatee scored on the day.

While that call was not the reason Manatee won, or Miramar lost, it was a huge turning point in the game. 

Take that for what you will.

Where do we go from here?

Last year, when I started this blog, we won every game until the State Championship game. I wrote recaps for all games but the State Championship game. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it with all the emotions I felt. 

But now, after a loss, we have to look at what we can do to change the game, and return to the winning side of things.

1. Address special teams. 1 missed Extra point. 1 Kickoff out of bounds. 2 blocked punts. 2 more punts that were THISCLOSE to being blocked. This MUST be priority #1 for Coach Cogdell and the staff.
2. Center-Quarterback exchange. Under center, we’re fine. Shotgun or Pistol formations? Not so much. Can’t run offense if you can’t start the play properly.
3. Consistency and execution. Jermaine Grace said it best when interviewed by Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald: “We’re a first- and second-quarter team right now. We have to focus on learning how to finish all four quarters.”  Couldn’t have said it better myself.
4. Stay with the Run Game. Look. We have 5 quality running backs (Alex Lee, Cameron Rigby, Khalil Lewis, Alex Anderson, and #32 E [don’t know his full name….they just call him E]). 6 if you count FB Malik Mapps. Our running game gashed Manatee’s defense time and time again. Running the ball has many ancillary benefits for the team. What's that mean? RUN. THE. BALL.
5. Stop cheating on Defense. Every team has tendencies that you can start to identify. If you OVERREACT (or cheat) to stop something, that leaves you vulnerable for a counter or constraint play (plays that are designed to work when the defense cheats). We got caught cheating on the last 3 Manatee touchdowns. I think that says it all.

Obviously, nobody likes to lose. It highlights your errors, and puts pressure on your team to recover. Manatee is the first team to score 40+ points against the Patriots since DeSoto (TX) in the 2010 season opener, a game Miramar lost on the road 42-41. 

This game is very similar to games we've played recently vs. St. Thomas Aquinas. Once you make a mistake, the opposition is deadly at making you play. If you spoke to me about the game, then you know that's what I'd been saying for the longest time. And, true to form, we made mistakes and Manatee made us pay. 

I know the final score is ugly. I know that there are a lot of people (Miramar fans, Miramar haters, and journalists) who are writing us off, and have only negative things to say. Multiple journalists (who shall remain nameless) made snarky comments to what I'm about to say: 

This game was not as lopsided as the score indicated. 

After that personal foul call which led to Manatee's first touchdown, every single Miramar mistake ended with the same 2 words: Touchdown Manatee. They only drove the field on our defense 2 times. They hit a long pass when the DB was caught cheating. They had multiple short fields to drive for points. When you put it together, this game was really only a few plays from being a very different one than it ended up being.

Overall, there were positives and negatives. And while we may be left looking at all the negatives (of which, there are plenty), I believe that with a little focused attention in the 5 areas I outlined above, we'll be just fine.

Those are my (long-winded) thoughts. What are yours?

Until Next Time,

Cameron J. Underwood
Miramar Sports