Daytona Beach, FL — The dominance of Dade County is well documented and more documentation took place Saturday afternoon at Daytona Stadium. The Miami Northwesten (13-2) Bulls completed the three-peat defeating Jones (Orlando) (13-2) 34-17 to win their seventh state title, which is the most in Dade County. Nathaniel Noel scored three touchdowns and rushed for 69 yards en route to the win.
“Bull nation, it’s seven for us,” said Head Coach Max Edwards. “We do it for the community, as long as the kids keep playing for the community and themselves, we will keep being here playing for the state championship.”
The stadium was at full capacity with both schools bringing plenty of fans for the 5A state championship. It was Jones’s first appearance in the state championship game.
The Bulls outscored the Tigers 20-3 in the second half to put a stranglehold on the game. Earnest Johnson came up with a big stop on 4th and 1 with 7:11 left in the game to set up the last Bulls score. Johnson would penetrate the line and bring down Jaden Robinson on a jet sweep for a loss of one at the Jones 40-yard line. Northwestern held Jones to 92 yards rushing.
“They’ve been trying to run that play a lot,” said Johnson. “I seen the jet before the play and I ran and made the play.”
Johnson explains that the Northwestern defensive gameplan was to shut down the Jones run attack led by senior running back Avarius Sparrow. Sparrow left the game with a concussion in the second half but still rushed for a net 111 yards on 23 carries scoring two touchdowns.
“We knew Jones liked to run the ball a lot, we knew the offense would run through him, so we game planned to stop him and that’s what he did.”
Avarius Sparrow, coming off back to back 200-yard rushing games picked up right where he left off busting loose on the right side gaining 61 yards. The senior finished off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers an early 7-0 lead.
The Bulls would tie this game up with a 6-yard rushing touchdown from running back Noel. The senior would muscle his way in reaching the ball over the goal line. The score was set up by a muffed punt by Jones that positioned the Bulls at the Tiger 19-yard line. Junior Romello Brinson recovered the football for the Bulls.
Northwestern would take the lead at the start of the second quarter. Freshman quarterback Taron “Tyga” Dickens fired the football over to senior Marcus Fleming in the corner of the end zone for a Northwestern touchdown.
Dickson completed 18 of 24 for 234 yards and two touchdown passes. Dickson took over the starting job mid-season and grew in efficiency in his first year as a starter.
“My coach preached to me every day trust the process, let the game come to you,” said Dickson. “I just stuck with that plan throughout the whole season. The game slowed down for me. At the beginning, it was a little fast I just trust the process throughout the whole season and it slowed down.”
This marks the third different starting quarterback to win the state championship for Miami Northwestern in as many years.
Jones would continue to keep up with the Bulls with a nine-play 66-yard drive that would end with another Sparrow touchdown, this one from six yards out to help tie the game at 14.
The “West” would attempt to take the lead once again just before the half as Fleming broke out for a 38-yard catch and run but later in the drive, Fleming would fumble the football at the Jones 14-yard line recovered by Darrian Hawkins.
Sparrow rushed 21 times and gained 121 yards and scored two touchdowns in the first half.
The second half started with an impressive 10-play 61-yard drive ending with an 8-yard touchdown run by Noel to give the Bulls a 21-14 lead. Also running the ball well for the Bulls was junior Siddiq Jackson who rushed for 11 carries for 64 yards. Jackson credits Noel for his success.
“Nate pushes me every year to be better back,” said Jackson. “We saw that they were getting tired and me and Nate said let’s go.”
At the 5:13 mark in the 3rd quarter, Jones was gifted a first down after a running into the kicker penalty and an illegal substitution penalty. The drive continued and the Tigers were able to convert on a 27-yard field goal by Jeffrey Saint to make it 21-17 game in the 3rd quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Bulls would extend the lead as Noel would go in for his third touchdown of the game on a one-yard touchdown on third and goal. After the Johnson stop causing the turnover on downs. Noel would rush for his longest gain of the afternoon with a 23-yard run setting up a Dickson touchdown pass to Brinson. Dickson lofted the ball to the corner and Brinson came down with the football outdueling the defender for the football for a seven-yard touchdown. The score put the game completely out of reach making the score 34-17.
“We knew we had it in us we just had to keep fighting,” said Noel. “South Florida has the best talent. I couldn’t have done it without my O-Line or Siddiq Jackson setting me up for those touchdowns.”
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