Marcus Benjamin
Columbus (Miami) (12-0) came into their second round 8A playoff game at Tropical Park with an unblemished record, but seemed to have a chip on their shoulder. In recent years, Columbus advanced in the playoffs, but have yet to reach a championship game. Could this be their year? A 42-0 shellacking of Miami Palmetto (10-2) gives Columbus fans reason to believe that 2018 could be the year the Explorers travel to Orlando.
“I got a lot of faith in my teammates and I feel we can go to state,” said junior receiver Xzavier Henderson.
Henderson scored one of three offensive touchdowns in the game as his Explorers scored in all three phases. Columbus set the tone early when senior corner Demetrius Ford striped the ball and ran 70 yards toward the goal line for the Explorers first touchdown. Columbus caused another turnover on Palmetto’s next possession as Georgia Tech commit Kalani Norris intercepted a Palmetto pass and took it to the house for consecutive defensive touchdowns. Head Coach Chris Merritt could not have asked for a better start.
“That’s the fast start we wanted, we wanted to start fast,” said Coach Merritt. “Defense did a great job and they gift wrapped fourteen points before we touched the ball what else can you say.”
Norris wore the number 30 in honor of late teammate Ari Arteaga. Arteaga was tragically killed in a car crash in the summer just before the start of the 2018 season. Each week a new player wears the number in homage to their teammate.
HALFTIME: @ColumbusFtball lead @PantherPride305 42-0. Explorers get two defensive touchdowns and two blocked punts leading to scores. Kalani Norris wearing the number 30 to honor the late teammate Ari Arteaga. @FootballHotbed pic.twitter.com/yHX7A1y4rS
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminMoney) November 15, 2018
“We want to keep it as a special number,” said Merritt. “It keeps Ari’s memory alive.”
Columbus scored on their first offensive play as junior running back Henry Parrish Jr. took a screen play and made a mad 50-yard dash to the endzone.
On @ColumbusFtball first play from scrimmage Henry Parrish @DoubleTay_21 takes it the distance for the score. Explorers up 21-0 with just 8 minutes left in the first quarter! @FootballHotbed pic.twitter.com/luUPyvzAUG
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminMoney) November 15, 2018
Henderson would score on a 3-yard touchdown catch to increase the Columbus lead to 28 right before the start of the 2nd quarter. Starting senior quarterback Cairiq Rackley for Palmetto, seem to suffer a shoulder injury in the first quarter that would sideline him for the remainder of the game and significantly hurt the Panther offense.
“We wanted to force them into a one dimensional game,” said Merritt. “Our game plan was to get out and start fast and force them to be one dimensional on offense.”
Columbus would also block two punts in the game as Rudy Puig would score on special teams with the first, and after the second, Parrish would punch it in for his second score. The Explorers scored 42 first half points and preserved the shutout in the second half.
“These kids understood the challenge and stepped up to the challenge.”
Columbus came as the number one seed in a region that is considered one of the toughest in the nation let alone the state. They face the winner of Miami Southridge (9-2) versus South Dade (Homestead) (9-2) at Tropical Park next week.
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