Usually when a team knocks off a top 100 team in the country, they come in to their next game flying high. Miramar (3-4, 1-1) defeated St. Thomas Aquinas last week and if they defeated Boyd Anderson this week they could have put their season back on track and work towards making a playoff run. However, the Boyd Anderson Cobras (4-1, 1-1) had other plans waiting for the Patriots.
Instant Analysis: Miramar RB Alex Lee, who had the game winning touchdown last week, is part of a trio of running backs that Miramar likes to use. The group normally contributes 4.2 yards a carry and is the heart of the offense, struggled to get going and only had 77 rushing yards on the night.
The smaller and quicker Boyd Anderson defense was disruptive in the backfield the entire game. Led by Senior linebacker Derrell Young they closed the gaps and got to the ball quickly. When they shut down the running game it kept Miramar from playing their brand of football.
Both teams had trouble crossing midfield during the game, but when Boyd Anderson did they made sure that they made the most out of it. With 7:03 left in the first half, Cobras quarterback Gregory Hankerson hit receiver Eddie Jackson on a 27 yard touchdown pass giving Boyd Anderson a 6-0 lead after failed extra point attempt. With 1:55 left in the first half, Hankerson hit Jackson again on a 5 yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 13-0.
Special teams mistakes have held Miramar back so far this season after seeing them twice this so far. They lost both games because of bad decisions on special teams, most of it coming from punt returning. Punt returner Eric Pittman was looking to help give his team the lead with 4:20 left in the game when Boyd Anderson punted the ball back to Miramar. The Cobras came fast approaching down the field when the ball took a bad bounce. Pittman touched it, but couldn’t secure it making it a live ball and the Cobras recovered to seal the deal to give Miramar its fourth loss of the season.
Key stat: 9. The speedy Cobras front 7 were disruptive all night sacking Miramar quarterback Nick Jeanty a total of 9 times. 3 of those sacks came from senior linebacker Derrell Young. Young is someone who will definitely be making plays on the next level in my opinion after seeing his performance.
Post game quotes: Boyd Anderson Head Coach Wayne Blair: “Discipline got us where we need to be.”
Miramar Head Coach Damon Cogdell: “We didn’t play all four quarters.”
Miramar heads home next week to take on Everglades (3-4, 0-2) in an important District 12-8A matchup. Boyd Anderson stays at home to take on Monarch (5-1, 2-0) in a huge District 14-7A showdown.
