Cypress Bay falls to American Heritage-Plantation in preseason opener

The Cypress Bay varsity football team took the field on Sunday for the first time since its crushing state championship loss to Apopka in last year’s title game. The Lightning surrendered a 38-14 loss to the American Heritage Patriots in a match-up that was nationally televised on ESPN.

The tone of the game was set in the very first play from scrimmage as Patriots quarterback Torrance Gibson launched an 80-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field to Dallas Perez.

The high point for the Lightning was junior Danny Thomas, a transfer from Piper High. He registered several tackles throughout the game as well as a one-handed interception for a touchdown. Thomas acknowledged the fact that he had an above average game, but was not too pleased with the overall result.

“We played a great team,” Thomas said. “We just need to work on our little miscues and go back onto the football field again so we can be perfect, so then we can win games, go undefeated and win states.”

Five-star senior running back and Georgia commit Sony Michel had 136 yards on 13 carries as well as two rushing touchdowns for the Patriots.

After senior RB/DB Marquese Dudley-Gordon suffered a high ankle sprain on a 55-yard run in the 1^st quarter, he was forced to sit the rest of the game. Dudley-Gordon, a three-star recruit, has 20+ offers and looks to contribute on both sides of the ball this year.

Cypress Bay head coach Mark Guandolo mentioned that it will take some time for his “new look” Lightning to gel together.

“We had a lot of mistakes and had a lot of new players out there,” Coach ‘G’ said. “I told them that we are going to go through some adversity here early and it is not where you start, it is where you finish.”

Coach Guandolo mentioned that he and the rest of the team will use this game as motivation for the rest of the season.

“This is going to push us to get better and we just have to get ready for district play,” he said. “That is what is going to get you to the playoffs.”

Cypress Bay will now rest on an unusual Week 1 bye before playing host to the Boyd Anderson Cobras on Friday, Sept. 6.