Miami Central Captures 2M Title, 38-31
FORT LAUDERDALE – They had passed every hurdle all season long, and while some national rankings had failed to give them respect, the Miami Central Rockets completed an unbeaten season on Friday night at DRV PNK Stadium.
Finishing 14-0, the Rockets blasted off for their ninth state title in school history, 38-31, over a feisty and talented Plantation American Heritage squad.
With California schools Mater Dei and John Bosco Prep ranked ahead of them, many who have watched all three schools play feel that first year head coach Jube Joseph and Central deserves a national title – and with Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna playing a tough road game at No. 5 Las Vegas Bishop Gorman on Saturday at 4 p.m., the win over the Patriots was certainly a step in that direction.
The Rockets jumped out in front on the first drive of the game when James London booted a 38-yard field with 8:42 left for a 3-0 advantage.
Central extended the lead to 10-0 when Auburn commit Keyone Jenkins found Anjuan Coleman from nine yards out with 4:57 left in the opening quarter.
When senior Wylie Shaw booted a 40-yard field goal with 2:48 left in the opening quarter, the lead was 10-3.
The Rockets continued their opening quarter dominance when Cataurus Hicks caught the second scoring pass from Jenkins from 41 yards out and a 17-3 advantage with 1:44 left.
American Heritage got back on the board when nationally rated running back Mark Fletcher took it in from the two at the 9:48 mark of the first half.
As the Rockets have done all season, they came right back when Jenkins found senior Corey Washington from 37 yards out and a 24-10 lead with 8:15 left in the second quarter.
The Rockets continued to pour it on when Jenkins ran it in from the eight with 2:33 left in the first half and a 31-10 advantage.
Right before the half, the Patriots got on the board when Shaw booted his second field goal of the game – from 27 yards out.
When sophomore Byron Louis took it in from the one and Blake Murphy’s two-point conversion to Brandon Inniss at the 1:51 mark of the third quarter made it 31-21.
The Rockets then extended the lead to 38-21 on a 73-yard scoring run by Jonathan Harris at the 1:51 mark of the third quarter.
The Patriots pulled within 10 (38-28) again with 10:54 left in the fourth quarter on a pass from Murphy to Inniss.
Shaw’s 25-yard field goal with 5:13 capped off the scoring.
STATISTICS TELL THE STORY
The game truly lived up to its billing.
On offense, American Heritage had 21 first down to Central’s 20. The Rockets ran for 333 and the Patriots finished with 179. American Heritage finished with 196 yards passing for a total of 357. Central had 154 yards and 487 total.
Individually, Jenkins was 11 of 21 for 154 yards and three scores for the Rockets. Hicks led the way with 3 receptions. Jonathan Harris ran for 136 yards, Nicholas McCall finished with 91 yards and Jenkins had 73.
For the Patriots Blake Murphy had 14 catches for 196 yards. Inniss caught four balls for 68 yards and freshman Malachi Toney had 40 yards. Fletcher led all runners with 111 yards and a TD. Murphy ran for 61 yards.
On the defensive side for the Rockets, Stanquan Clark and sophomore Ezekiel Marcelin had 13 tackles. Recent University of Miami commit Rueben Bain came up with a sack.
Bowen Drewes had six tackles for American Heritage and senior David Vadala – the school’s all-time leader in tackles had five.
ROCKETS (14-0)
Bradenton IMG Academy, W 20-14
MIAMI BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, W 36-19
Miami Carol City, W 34-0
FORT LAUDERDALE DILLARD, W 43-7
North Miami Beach, W 41-0
Miami Northwestern, W 42-7
MIAMI NORLAND, W 53-7
Miami Christopher Columbus, W 42-35
MIAMI GARDENS MONSIGNOR PACE, W 50-14
MIAMI ST. BRENDAN, W 60-0
MIAMI NORTHWESTERN, W 34-30
MIAMI NORLAND, W 34-20
ST. PETERSBURG LAKEWOOD, W 39-21
Plantation American Heritage, W 38-31
PATRIOTS (13-1)
Valdosta Lowndes County, Ga., W 38-20
Los Alamitos, California, W 56-27
LAKELAND LAKE GIBSON, W 42-14
BELLE GLADE GLADES CENTRAL, W 56-0
Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, L 42-34
Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons, W 21-2
DAVIE WESTERN, W 42-18
Fort Lauderdale Stranahan, W 24-0
Naples, W 35-17
HALLANDALE, W 63-0
RIVIERA BEACH INLET GROVE, W 43-7
BOYNTON BEACH, W 49-0
FORT LAUDERDALE CARDINAL GIBBONS, W 31-20
JACKSONVILLE BOLLES, W 14-7
Miami Central, L 38-31
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