Marcus Benjamin @_benjaminmoney
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Broward County versus Dade County games mean more than just bragging rights in South Florida. Miami Central emerged victorious for Dade County with a dominating 48-21 victory over Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) Saturday night. After the win, Head Coach Roland Smith was presented with the Dade vs. Broward Championship Trophy.
“We got our first championship right here and in sixteen weeks we plan on holding the state championship trophy and the national championship,” said Coach Smith addressing his team after the win. “We came out a little sluggish, they jumped out on us. Once we scored we settled down and started playing Rocket football.”
Cardinal Gibbons indeed jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Senior quarterback Nik Scalzo scored in the air and on the ground to put his team up at home on Bud Tight Field. The first of his touchdowns came from a deflected pass that caromed into the waiting arms of Chris Benestad for a 7-0 lead. Scalzo, committed to Kentucky, weaved his way through traffic for the Chiefs second touchdown diving over the goal line to put his team up 14-0 with 7:18 to go in the 2nd quarter.
At the 3:07 mark in the 2nd is when this Rocket team really began to take flight. Senior quarterback Maurice Underwood was able to command a drive for this team that would end with him getting the left edge for a two-yard touchdown run. On Central’s next drive, Underwood would connect with Anthony Frederick on a deep ball for a 58-yard touchdown pass that would tie the game at 14 at the half.
“It’s my guys versus their guys and I like my guys over their guys,” said Underwood about the one on one match ups between his receivers against Cardinal Gibbons defenders. “That’s how I feel with any team so whoever come at us is going to get it.”
In the second half, the Rocket fire power would continue. The 2019 Marshall commit would connect on another deep ball, this time to 2019 receiver Anthony Colonel for a 52-yard touchdown pass. On their following possession Underwood would connect with 2019 Jaylin Young for a 30-yard touchdown pass that would put the road team up 28-14 with about seven minutes left in the third quarter. Central would add another touchdown in the quarter as senior running back Lexington Joseph burrowed into the end zone to put the Rockets up 35-14.
Miami Central can rightfully be known as “RB High.” Within the passed twenty-five years, the program has produced elite backs like Willis McGahee, Devontae Freeman, Dalvin Cook and James Cook to name a few. Also apart of that family of backs was Najeh Davenport who was at tonight’s game and walked with the team captains for the coin toss. Which brings us to 2018. Central wore down the Cardinal Gibbons defense with the constant onslaught of the running game from several different tailbacks. Senior “Flex” Joseph lead the way scoring two touchdowns and 2020 running back Kejon Owens added another. Also getting in the mix was 2020 Doral Academy transfer Shemar Paul. The relentless attack demoralized the Chief defense as Gibbons could not counter enough to keep up.
.@shemar_paul, Doral transfer changes direction and picks up first down here for @Roc__Nation. @FootballHotbed pic.twitter.com/7TCi8zgHNv
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminMoney) August 26, 2018
“This is Miami Central,” said Coach Smith. “If you want to run the ball, you want to be great and you want to be seen, come to Miami Central. Most of those guys have been in our program since their ninth grade year and they’ve been doing a tremendous job for us. They played behind James Cook last year and they played with him. We expect big things from that position. In order for us to be successful we have to run the football year in year out.”
Miami Central will take on rival Miami Booker T. Washington next week. Central defeated Booker T. 19-17 last season. Washington defeated Dillard (Fort Lauderdale) in their week one game 36-20.
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