Daytona Beach, FL — In 2014, Miami Booker T. Washington blew away the Bolles (Jacksonville) Bulldogs 54-35 for their fourth state title.
This game would be much different.
The Tornadoes would rally to score 15 points in the fourth quarter to defeat Bolles 25-21 at Daytona Stadium Wednesday night. Junior quarterback Torey “Scooter” Morrison would score the game-winner on a 15-yard scramble with 2:50 left to play to help the Tornadoes move into a tie with Miami Northwestern with six state titles in Dade County. Scooter led all rushers with 53 yards rushing and completed 27 of 42 passes for 275 yards and two touchdown passes.
“That’s a great feat,” said associate head coach Ben Hanks. “These guys will set the tone for the next generation of kids.”
Edward “Macho” Arza Jr. would make the biggest play of the year for Booker T. after Tramel Logan jarred the ball loose of a Bulldog ball carrier creating a fumble recovered by John Joachin Jr. with 4:17 left in the game. The 6’2” 187 WR/TE snagged a one-handed catch on fourth down and 18 to extend the Washington drive. Arza, who wears the number 13, was described as making an Odell Beckham Jr.-like catch.
“Macho dropped some balls early in the game and he was really down on himself,” said Hanks. “For him to come up big like that, go up like Odell and really make that catch and to finish his last year here, that was great.”
The most successful program in the state with 11 state championships came out playing like it as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 21-10 lead at the half. A fumble by Jacorey Brooks would lead to a Bolles recovery deep in Booket T. territory to set up the team from Jacksonville’s first score.
The Bulldogs would generate scores with screen passes to sophomore Kade Frew in the first half. Frew recovered a fumble and ran it in from nine-yards to give The Bolles school for an early 7-0 lead with 6:58 left in the first quarter.
Brooks would make up for the early blunder as Morrison would execute a methodical drive and find Brooks for a 22-yard touchdown to tie the game at seven. Brooks had 13 catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Booker T. Washington @MiamiBTW_FB is your @FHSAA 4A State Champion with a come from behind 25-21 win over Jacksonville Bolles @bolles_football #hotbedworld pic.twitter.com/5tKzBgnNXu
— Football Hotbed (@FootballHotbed) December 12, 2019
Frew would strike again catching a screen pass from senior Ben Netting scoring from 24 yards to make it a 14-7 game with 12 seconds left in the 1st quarter. Washington would score a field goal early in the second quarter to make it a 14-10 game, but Frew would not be denied in the first half. The 2022 playmaker made one of the most exciting plays of the game scoring a 46-yard touchdown on another screen pass.
After a scoreless 3rd quarter, Booker T. would convert on a 2nd and 31 on a roughing the passing penalty, but Booker T. would fail to convert on the drive on fourth down as Morrison’s pass to Tennard “TJ” Summerall was stopped at the Bulldog 43-yard line short of the first down marker.
After a Washington stop, Summerall would get a big chunk of yardage back with a 39-yard gain and with 5:32 left, Brooks was able to come down with the football on a fade route to the corner for a Tornado touchdown. Booker T. would convert on the 2-point conversion to Adam Moore to make it a 21-18 game with 5:25 left. The Washington defense held Bolles to 7 total yards in the second half.
“Once we scored that touchdown, I think we were able to relax,” said Hanks. “The defense did a great job of figuring out what they were doing. The kids did a great job adjusting in the second half.”
Washington would stop Bolles on fourth down at mid-field to stop the Bulldogs final attempt at a score with 1:14 left in the game. As time expired, the Booker T. sideline erupted and many players were in tears after a season that had plenty of change and adversity.
“Our system works at Booker T.,” said Hanks. “This showed the heart and character of the kids and the coaches that we prepare each and every week for these types of moments and we took advantage of it. Thank God we came out victorious.”
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