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Deerfield Defense Dominates Tru Prep In First True Test

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Deerfield Beach, FL – Competition against teammates can only go so far.  The true test of the quality of a football team is to line up against another team.  Deerfield Beach, once again an 8A state title contender, got its first true test against Tru Prep Academy (Miami Gardens, FL) in a preseason kickoff classic Thursday night.  

The Deerfield defense was suffocating in a 23-7 victory, but the offense, stacked with playmakers, lacked the offensive firepower most were expecting.  

“There’s more work to be done,” said edge rusher Deshawn Willoughby.  “But we’re all dogs on defense.”

The Bucks were on upset alert as Tru Prep jumped out to an early lead.  The former Buck Jamarion McDougle was able to fight his way open and beat the defender down the sideline to score the opening touchdown.  

The following drive by the home team evened the score quickly.  Jaziun Patterson, the Iowa commit muscled his way through tackles throughout the game and helped the Bucks get inside the 10-yard line.  Sophomore quarterback Michael Merdinger tossed a jump ball to the corner to where the (6-3, 200) junior receiver Arthur “AJ” Jenkins (Featured Photo) would come down with the football for the score.  


The corner route would continue to work against the Tru Prep defense as Merdinger found junior receiver Tastean Reddicks for his second touchdown.


Joseph “JoJo” Kennerly, fresh from his Youngstown State commitment earlier in the week, made his impact on the game in the second quarter. Kennerly streaking near the sideline wrestled the football away from the defender to set up the Bucks at the three yard-line. JoJo would finish the drive with an impressive toe dragging catch in the back of the end zone.


That would be the last touchdown of the game for both sides.

Two interceptions on consecutive drives would ultimately end the half. Senior defensive back Stephen Landers located a deep errant pass in Bucks territory and would return the football to about the 20 yard-line of the Saints.  Attempting to score seconds before the half, Merdinger lofted the ball to the goal line but the 2021 DB Omar Simpson Jr. would make a spectacular one-handed interception to deny Reddicks his second score.

MVPs

The Deerfield defense controlled this game with relentless pressure. The defensive attack of Willoughby, Jayvont Brown, and Daterius Lee was constantly in the backfield causing disruption.  Willoughby by his account had three sacks, five tackles for loss, and several tackles.  

Tru Prep quarterback Furman Livingston was injured in the second quarter on a sack from Lee and did not return with an apparent shoulder injury.   The Florida A&M commit Lee helped put two more points on the board with a safety in the second half.


Brown unofficially had two sacks in the game along with several pressures and tackles for losses. 

The second half, like much of the game, was riddled with penalties stalling drives on both sides of the ball.  

“We’re winning the 8A state championship,” said Willoughby.  “As a team we could have lessened on the penalties, but overall I think we did good.”

Deerfield hosts 3A state title contender Miami Edison next week. 

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Marcus Benjamin works as the senior writer and editor for FootballHotbed.com. He attended Florida A&M and Florida Memorial University completing a bachelors degree in communications in 2010. He's covered high school football in the South Florida area since 2010 for the Miami Herald, Miami Sports Tribune and ShawSports.net. He is married and lives in Fort, Lauderdale, FL.

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