Cypress Bay earns first district win of season against Everglades

MIRAMAR – The Cypress Bay Lightning picked up its first district win of the season on Friday, Sept. 27 as it defeated the Everglades Gators by a score of 25-13.

The running game was again the high point for the Lightning, as senior RB Dylan Rupert totaled 137 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. RB/DB Marquese Dudley-Gordon also ran in for six points as well in the third quarter.

“Dylan [Rupert] is just one of our hardest workers,” Cypress Bay head coach Mark Guandolo said. “He is a real team player and wants to win bad.”

Cypress Bay snapped its two game losing streak, as it was the first time the team lost back-to-back games since the 2011 season.

“It is good to have a win,” coach Guandolo said. “Especially in the district. Sloppy field, sloppy play, there are a lot of things we have to correct.”

One of the only positives that came out of the game for Everglades was running back Xavier Love, who scored two touchdowns on 91 yards on 12 carries. The Gators (3-2) will travel to face undefeated Flanagan next week.

The Lightning offense performed a bit of trickery in the fourth quarter, as QB Lucas Tellefsen would toss the ball to Rupert, who then threw it to a wide-open Elie Ackermann in the right side of the end zone. This was Ackermann’s first career touchdown.

Coach Guandolo reiterated the fact that this win was very important for he and his team.

“It is something positive. We have had a lot of negative and tough goes,” he said. “We can build on this now, and come back to work with a win under our belt, and we have got to win. We have to win the next game, and keep going.”

Cypress Bay will take on the Cooper City Cowboys next week for its third consecutive away game before the team faces an important three games against rivals Western, Miramar, and the always powerful St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders.