Sophomore running back Jacob Baptiste rushed for 277 yards and four touchdowns to help Archbishop McCarthy clinch their second consecutive Gold Coast Conference championship with a 51-23 win over visiting North Broward Prep.

Archbishop McCarthy (10-1) beat North Broward Prep (9-3) for the second time this season and is undefeated in Gold Coast conference play the last two seasons.

“Well, it’s hard enough to win something once,” Archbishop McCarthy head coach Byron Walker said after the game. “To repeat it is double as hard. This is probably the toughest matchup for us all year – North Broward, and they were hurt by injuries in this game – but we came in here and competed hard.”

Baptiste – the leading rusher in Broward and Miami-Dade counties – entered play with 1,690 yards, and was on his game Thursday from start to finish. Baptiste rushed in for a one-yard score in the first half and then exploded for three touchdowns in the second half of 79, 26, and 55 yards to help the Mavericks pull away.

“Well, wasn’t that our good luck getting him in here,” Walker said of Baptiste, who transferred to Archbishop McCarthy from Dr. Krop. “I mean 277 yards and the way we luck to play offense, there’s no substitute for that. Our good luck getting him here.”

Junior quarterback Logan Shooster – who did not play in the two teams’ first meeting – found senior slot receiver Anthony Gomez for a 47-yard touchdown pass to cut North Broward Prep’s deficit to just 14-9 at halftime, but that’s as close as it would get.

Archbishop McCarthy came out of the second half locker room and scored three unanswered touchdowns to open up a 28-9 lead in the third quarter on scores by junior Denzel Simmon, a 40-yard pass from junior quarterback Quinn Dempsey to Jonathan Salaya, and Baptiste.

Dempsey, who also did not play earlier in the season when these teams met, had two touchdown passes, and Simmon had two total scores himself. Dempsey had split time with sophomore Jesse Rivera since returning, but handled almost all the snaps tonight and shined in the title game.

“It feels great,” Dempsey said. “It was all for the seniors. My offensive line did a great job, and I have a great receiving core surrounding me.”

Since losing to Key West in the conference semifinals in 2014, the Mavericks have won 20 out of their last 21 games, with the only loss coming to Barron Collier in Naples in the season opener this year.

“It’s amazing,” junior defensive end Eric Scott said of winning two straight championships. “It’s a great team, a whole bunch of great players, it really feels great to do this back to back.”

Archbishop McCarthy – up 7-3 at the time – blocked the North Broward Prep punt in the second quarter, which would eventually lead to a Baptiste touchdown to put the Mavericks up 11, and shift the momentum in the game.

After taking a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter, North Broward Prep was outscored 51-20 the rest of the way by the Mavericks.

Archbishop McCarthy’s 51 points scored is their highest total of the season, and they did not punt once the entire game. What has been a dominant offensive line all season for the Mavericks didn’t let up a sack all game, opened up various holes for Baptiste and the run game, and it seemed Dempsey had all day to throw, and lots of room to run if he wanted to take off, as well.

“We got some great field position, first of all,” Walker said of his team’s offensive success Thursday night. “We got some turnovers, just situations in the game, particularly in the first half. And then we came out in the second half and had some good drives. Once we go up a couple scores, we go to that tackle-to-tackle running game, and eat that clock and just frustrate their defense.”

The Archbishop McCarthy defensive line, too, outmatched North Broward’s offensive line, as Shooster didn’t have much time to throw the entire game and the Eagles only had one rush for over eight yards.

“Yes,” North Broward Prep head coach Rex Nottage said about whether he thought the size up front was a big difference in this one.

Gomez, who had a phenomenal season for North Broward, had two touchdowns – one rushing, one receiving – and played lockdown corner, allowing Mavericks’ top wideout Logan Giordano to just a few grabs.

North Broward Prep was without senior running back Dymitri McKenzie, who was only able to play a portion of the second half on defense, due to an ongoing ankle injury.

After Shooster had rushed in for a one-yard touchdown and did the same for the two-point conversion, North Broward Prep had cut the lead to two scores late in the third quarter. However, just two plays later, Baptiste ran right up to the gut for a 79-yard score to stretch it back to 20.

Baptiste finishes his sophomore campaign with 1,967 yards in 25 touchdowns in eleven games.

“There isn’t anything to say,” Baptiste said with a smile. “Just got to have faith. I got to give it to my offensive line. I just see green grass and run.”

Despite the loss, it was North Broward’s first championship appearance since 2008, and the Eagles finished with their best record since that year, as well.

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The Gold Coast Football Conference championship will be on the line Thursday night when North Broward Prep (9-2) travels to take on Archbishop McCarthy (9-1).

The Mavericks beat North Broward, 29-20, at North Broward Prep when the two teams met back on October 14th. Both teams were without their starting quarterbacks – Quinn Dempsey and Logan Shooster – that game but both have returned and are healthy for Thursday.

Shooster returned last week for the Eagles and was a huge boost, passing for 135 yards and a touchdown, and rushing for another 43 yards in a game where North Broward didn’t even score in regulation.

Dempsey has been healthy since Archbishop McCarthy faced Calvary Christian a few weeks back, but has since split time with sophomore Jessie Rivera, and it’s unsure who will start under center for the Mavericks on Thursday.

North Broward Prep took down Calvary Christian, 14-7, in double overtime in the GCFC semifinals to set up a rematch with Archbishop McCarthy, who defeated Key West, 49-20, in the championship.

Thursday would be the first time in school history North Broward Prep has beaten Archbishop McCarthy, who has been beating North Broward dating all the way back to the 90s.

The Mavericks – seeking their second consecutive Gold Coast title – have lost just one game since November 7th, 2014. Archbishop McCarthy went 11-0 last season and has rattled off nine straight this year since losing a tough road game to Barron Collier in their opener.

Jacob Baptiste, Broward County’s leading rusher, leads the Archbishop McCarthy to smash mouth offensive rushing attack. It’s been the identity for mostly all of legendary head coach Byron Walker’s teams, and it works. Baptiste has rushed for 1,690 yards and 21 touchdowns this year, including 117 yards and three scores against Key West in the semifinals last week. Baptiste – just a sophomore – is a transfer from Dr. Krop.

North Broward Prep is 7-0 with Logan Shooster at quarterback this season and is undefeated (6-0) on the road this season.

Shooster left the game against Archbishop on October 14th in the first quarter with a handle injury while North Broward was up 6-0, and went on to miss three games afterward. To his disposal, he was of the top groups of athletes in Broward County on offense with four-star receiver Kevin Austin – who recently picked up offers from Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Notre Dame – slot receiver Anthony Gomez, running back Dymitri McKenzie, 6’3” tight end Kenny Henningsen, among others.

North Broward Prep leads the Gold Coast Conference in scoring, averaging 37 points per game, a number that is deflated by the games Shooster missed. The Eagles’ defense has allowed an average of just eight points per game on the road this season and caused three turnovers last week against Calvary Christian.

Archbishop McCarthy has omitted over 19 points just three times this season and has allowed seven or less in three out of the last four weeks. Opposing teams are averaging just 11.9 points against the Mavericks this year.

North Broward Prep football is seeking its first championship since 2008, which was a district title. The Eagles have never reached their ultimate goal: in FHSAA classification a state title and in the GCFC conference, the championship.

The title would be North Broward Prep head coach Rex Nottage’s first. The Eagles had fallen in the semifinals in each of their first two seasons in the Gold Coast conference.

The Mavericks are looking to finish undefeated in the Gold Coast Conference for the second straight season.

Kickoff is set for 7:00 P.M. on Thursday night from Archbishop McCarthy.

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Just one more yard, just one more play, just one more ounce of effort to get a victory, in just one more time. In the past two times, North Broward had fallen in this exact game – the GCFC semifinals – to end their season, last year against Key West, and the year before against Oxbridge Academy.

And after dropping two out of their last four games following a 6-0 start, hardly anyone was giving North Broward a chance in this year’s semifinal on the road against Calvary. It seemed, to many, that North Broward would fall again in the semifinals.

Not this time.

With one more win, they will take home the hardware.

North Broward Prep avenged a 31-14 loss two weeks ago at home to Calvary and clinched a spot in the Gold Coast Conference championship game with a thrilling 14-7 double overtime victory over Calvary Christian in the semis. The game went into overtime – which in High School Football is sudden death with each team getting a chance to score from the ten-yard – scoreless.

“It’s team effort,” Nottage said after the game. “They all work hard and they believe. It showed tonight that we’re not just individuals that are going to win the game. They went for the challenge, they fought their tails off, and I’m just so proud of them.”

In the second overtime, after Calvary (7-3) had struck first and North Broward Prep (9-2) answered right away when Anthony Gomez rushed in from ten yards out to send it to the second overtime, North Broward quarterback Logan Shooster hit four-star receiver Kevin Austin on a slant in the back of the end zone to give North Broward the lead.

Four plays later, senior Ivan Bronnikov sacked Calvary quarterback Skylar Pearcy on fourth down to clinch the North Broward double overtime win.

North Broward Prep junior quarterback Logan Shooster returned to action after he missed the last four weeks due to injury – including against Calvary Christian two weeks back – and was clearly a huge boost for North Broward in regulation and overtime. Shooster threw the game-winning touchdown and was good all night against Calvary’s top-ranked defense.

“He was huge,” Nottage said of Shooster. “His hard work, him believing in himself, and the kids believing in him, they know he can orchestrate the offense. He came up with some big runs when we needed it, some big runs when we needed it. I was hoping for a little bit more, but hey, I’ll take it.”

North Broward Prep had one field goal blocked and another missed in the first half, but Calvary Christian, too, had some field goal miscues.

With a second left in the first half, Calvary Christian had it 4th-and-goal from the six, was attempting a 23-yard field goal to give them a three-point lead heading into recess. However, Nottage called a timeout to ice the kicker – he made the first attempt shortly timeout was called – and it worked.

The 23-yarder was missed on the second attempt, after the timeout, and the game remained scoreless heading into halftime.

“You got to take your shots,” Nottage said of his timeout to ice the kicker. “We deal as a team, we deal as a team, and it was the right timing and we were fortunate. But, hey, we missed two [field goals] as well, so you have to look at it like that.”

And with 6:26 to play, Calvary Christian lined up for a 22-yard field goal to again take the lead. But this time, North Broward senior Anthony Gomez blocked the kick.

“Watch out for [Anthony] Gomez,” North Broward Offensive Coordinator Derrick Mays had said before the game. “He could have a big game tonight.”

And he did.

Along with the blocked kick, Gomez racked up over 50 yards in punt return yardage, was again lockdown at corner – dropping two near interceptions – was huge for the North Broward offense and had the game-tying ten-yard touchdown run in the first overtime.

North Broward Prep is undefeated (6-0) on the road this season.

Although Calvary Christian’s top-ranked defense gets all the spotlight, North Broward Prep’s unit went toe-to-toe with it tonight. Defensive Coordinator Akeem Cedeno’s group became the first team to shutout Calvary in regulation time all season. They also had five sacks, and three turnovers, including two interceptions by sophomore cornerback Justin Dolles.

“You just hit it on the nail; it was 0-0 at the end of the game,” Nottage said of the way his defense matched the standard of Calvary’s. “Coach Cedeno and that group did an excellent job with their hard work and constant film study. Our kids just stepped up, and they believed in what we were teaching them, and they really did an awesome job tonight.”

North Broward Prep will look to take home the school’s first Gold Coast title as they travel to Archbishop McCarthy next Thursday night for a championship clash with the Mavericks.

“Let’s enjoy this one tonight,” Nottage said. “We’ll deal with getting ready for [Archbishop McCarthy] tomorrow.”

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After meeting at Tom Marcy Field at North Broward Preparatory School just two weeks back, Calvary Christian (7-2) and North Broward Prep (8-2) will face off again in the Gold Coast Conference semifinals Thursday night – this time at Calvary Field – with a trip to the championship on the line.

Calvary Christian defeated North Broward, 31-14, in the first meeting, which guaranteed them home field in this game. In a game with Archbishop McCarthy to determine what the seeding would look like in the playoffs, Calvary fell, 21-7, on the road last week.

North Broward Prep junior quarterback Logan Shooster is expected to return Thursday after a four-game absence since an injury suffered very early in the game against Archbishop McCarthy back on October 14th.

North Broward is 6-0 when Shooster plays the entire game this season and led Archbishop McCarthy by six until he departed in that game. Sophomore backup Christian Paillet has struggled in Shooster’s place, as North Broward’s four lowest point totals of the season came in the games without Shooster under center.

The North Broward offense with Shooster shined, averaging close to 50 PPG, and is still the highest scoring in the Gold Coast Conference, with talented weapons Dymitri McKenzie, four-star Kevin Austin, Anthony Gomez, Kenny Henningsen, Dorian Cole, and Bradley Cooper, among others at offensive coordinator Derrick Mays’ disposal.

Shooster also plays cornerback for North Broward but is expected to only play offense in the playoffs with sophomore cornerback Justin Dolles doing a fine job opposite of lockdown senior Anthony Gomez in North Broward’s secondary.

Calvary Christian senior running back and cornerback Robbie Evans had three of Calvary’s four total touchdowns when the two teams met back on October 28th. Evans had a pick six, and two rushing touchdowns in the win.

Calvary Christian has had just two home games this season with their stadium bleachers under construction; both were wins over Pembroke Pines Charter, and Key West, respectively. Calvary – which is in the midst of its first season in the Gold Coast conference – has lost to Westminster Academy and Archbishop McCarthy as their lone losses this year. Calvary had previously been in the Southeastern Football Conference, where they won the championship two seasons ago.

Calvary Christian head coach Kirk Hoza, who was previously the defensive coordinator at FAU, has led a dominant defensive team this year. Calvary has the top-ranked defense in the conference by a wide margin, allowing just 8.4 points per game. A strong linebacker core of three-star senior Diego Fagot – who is committed to Navy – and 6’0”, 200-pound senior Jordan Jackson anchor a unit that has not let up more than 21 points all season, and that came last week.

North Broward Prep scored just one offensive touchdown off Calvary’s defense two weeks back.

However, Calvary Christian’s offense has struggled this season, and as of late, with just seven points last week, and 24 against North Broward, with three coming off a fumbled snap in which Calvary took over at the four and was held to a field goal, and another seven off of a rushing touchdown with under a minute to go when the game was already out of reach.

Sophomore quarterback Skylar Pearcy and senior running backs Massi Gamble and Robbie Evans lead the attack.

North Broward Prep’s defense, meanwhile, has been on a skid as of late, giving up at least 27 points in five of their last six games, including 28 last week in a win over John Carroll Catholic. However, North Broward’s defense has let up just 9.8 points per game to opponents on the road this season.

The winner will face either Archbishop McCarthy or Key West, who face off in the other Gold Coast Conference semifinal.

Kickoff is set for 7:00 P.M. from Calvary Field on Thursday night.

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North Broward Prep’s defense came up with two huge stops in the final two minutes of play to clinch a 35-28 win on senior night for the Eagles. John Carroll Catholic (5-5) had driven the length of the field and had a 4th-and-6 from the Eagles’ eight with just over a minute to play, but North Broward’s secondary batted away the pass to give North Broward Prep (8-2) the ball back, up seven with 1:14 to play.

However, after stuffing three North Broward on three straight runs – and taking their three remaining timeouts – John Carroll got the ball back and found themselves with 4th-and-3 at the Eagles’ 14. But North Broward’s defense prospered again, sacking Golden Rams’ quarterback Nick Celidonio to seal the Eagles’ win.

“It’s definitely a nice win for us,” North Broward Prep head coach Rex Nottage said after the game. “Injuries have taken a toll on us these last couple of weeks, and we’ve had some younger guys stepping up and getting some experience, and their confidence is getting better and better each week. I’m proud of the younger guys for stepping up.”

After senior four-year starting running back Dymitri McKenzie broke off a 47-yard touchdown run to stretch North Broward’s lead to 28-7 with just over 10 minutes left in the third quarter, it seemed like the Eagles would run to a blowout victory Thursday night.

Instead, John Carroll Catholic answered with three straight scores to tie the game after Golden Rams’ sophomore quarterback Nick Celidonio hit senior receiver Jamal Polk for a score, Joey LeClaire for another, and sophomore running back Brayden Bytheway rushed in to even it up.

With 9:41 to play, sophomore Christian Paillet found four-star receiver Kevin Austin on a 28-yard strike to put the Eagles up 35-28 and would wind up being the game-winning score.

Austin had well over 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns on the night, including a 50-yard slant pass Austin – displaying his electric speed – took to the house to put North Broward up 7-0 in the first.

Paillet threw an early interception but bounced back nicely with three touchdown passes in what could be his final start of the season at quarterback, with starter Logan Shooster on track to return next week from a hand injury that has sidelined him since October 14th.

“Christian’s confidence has definitely improved,” Nottage said. “He threw some really nice balls. He made one mistake early in the game, but he came back and we capitalized on it.”

The Eagles had 15 penalties on the night – and they were costly – which was their largest total of the season, although there were a few questionable calls by the officiating crew.

“I think the penalties are getting way out of hand,” Nottage said. “I think some of them are not going our way, I have to watch the film, but unfortunately we took the wrong end of it. Hopefully, we can improve upon it because it really hurt us the last couple of weeks.”

Senior Anthony Gomez again stepped up in the spotlight, with lockdown play at cornerback, and a 61-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter, which sent the Eagles into the locker room up 21-7. Gomez has had a handful of punt return touchdowns called back due to penalties and has been stellar for North Broward all season.

North Broward has now let up at least 28 points in five of their past six games and finishes the regular season 3-2 at home.

Thursday was a playoff tune-up for both teams, as John Carroll Catholic will face Clearwater Central Catholic next Friday in the 3A regional quarterfinals, while North Broward Prep will travel to the loser of Friday’s Archbishop McCarthy-Calvary Christian game in the first round of the Gold Coast Conference playoffs next Friday.

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The Eagles (7-2) will either travel to play Calvary Christian or Archbishop McCarthy in the semifinals, a result of dropping two out of their last three games after starting the season 6-0. Both losses came without starting quarterback Logan Shooster, who is expected to be ready for playoffs.

John Carroll (5-4), meanwhile, will also be looking for a tune up before their regional quarterfinal game against Clearwater Central Catholic next week. The Rams, a member of district six in 3A, clinched a playoff spot with a 60-42 win over Holy Trinity Episcopal last Friday.

Thursday night marks the first matchup between North Broward and John Carroll.

North Broward Prep looked prime to have at least one home Gold Coast Conference playoff game three weeks ago before losing to Archbishop McCarthy at home and losing Shooster in the process. The loss of Shooster has forced the Eagles to start sophomore backup Christian Paillet, who has struggled, and in turn, North Broward has dropped two out of their last three and had a scare on the road against 3-6 Coral Glades.

With Paillet at quarterback, the Eagles’ offense has to put together three straight games with their three lowest point totals of the season (20, 27, 14, respectively). However, despite the recent funk, North Broward still averages north of 39 points per game, tops in their conference.

John Carroll’s defense – which has omitted 145 points in its last three games – will be forced with the tough task of slowing down the talented athletes North Broward has in four-star Kevin Austin, senior running back Dymitri McKenzie, senior receiver and talented punt returner Anthony Gomez, and tight end Kenny Henningsen, among others.

The Rams, too, have dropped two out of their last three, and their defense has been a big part of that. Their 242 points allowed is just 22 points less than their points forward, and have let up 1,364 yards in their last three games alone.

Fortunately, however, their offense has picked up the slack with a 60-point performance last week, and 48-point showing on the road two weeks ago. The Rams offensive unit averages just over 29 points per game and is led by senior 6’3” receiver Jamal Polk, senior 6’2” receiver Umah Miller Jr., and sophomore quarterback Nick Celidonio.

The Eagles’ special teams continue to struggle, missing a field goal, and having another big return by Anthony Gomez on a punt return called back due to a penalty last week versus Calvary Christian. Gomez has five touchdowns called back on punt returns this season, and this one would’ve set up North Broward at the Calvary 10.

North Broward has also omitted the most yards on kickoff returns this season in the Gold Coast Conference.

But North Broward Prep’s defense has let up just over 17 points per game this year and had another strong showing last week. The final score showed 31 points for Calvary, but seven came off of a pick six, and three more came after North Broward fumbled the snap on the punt, and the defense held Calvary to a field goal after taking over at the 10. Furthermore, the last Calvary Christian touchdown was a run with under a minute left in which North Broward had waved the white flag and was expected a kneel down. Take away that 17, and it was just 14 given up.

Thursday will be North Broward’s last home game of the season, barring an upset by Key West over the top seed in the GCFC playoffs in the semifinals. The Eagles went 5-0 on the road, but are just a pedestrian 2-2 at home this season.

Kickoff Thursday is at 7:00 P.M. from Tom Marcy Field.

PREDICTION: North Broward Prep 42, John Carroll Catholic 21.

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After North Broward pulled within three and had the ball early in the third quarter, Calvary cornerback Robbie Evans picked off Christian Paillet’s pass and ran it right into the end zone to give Calvary a 17-7 lead – and take all the momentum away from North Broward – early in the second half.

Calvary rallied off Evans’ play and didn’t look back en route to a big 31-14 road win over North Broward Prep. The win clinches home field advantage in the semifinals of the Gold Coast Conference for Calvary (7-1), and they can hold the number one seed in the playoffs with a win over Archbishop McCarthy next week.

“They’re a really good football team so anytime you beat a really good football team you’ve got to feel like you’ve done some things right,” Calvary Christian head coach Kirk Hoza said after the game. “We’re certainly proud of our kids, and it’s certainly a big win.”

Evans – also a running back – broke off a 47-yard touchdown run up the middle to again stretch Calvary’s lead to ten with just over eleven minutes to play. Calvary’s defense would then come up with a couple more stops to seal the deal.

“He’s a heck of a player,” Hoza said.

That defensive unit – which has four shutouts in seven games for Calvary – was huge all night, causing two turnovers, and holding North Broward (7-2), the highest scoring team in the Gold Coast Conference, to just one offensive touchdown, a 17-yard pass from Paillet to Anthony Gomez.

“Obviously we created some adversity for them,” Hoza said about his defense’s effort. “I saw them keep fighting and they’ve done that all year. They’re not real pretty, but they line up and play, and they continue to play well.”

Down 10-0 with under a minute to go until half, North Broward kicker Andres Del Castillo missed a 42-yard field goal, and it appeared Calvary Christian would head into halftime with a ten-point lead. However, Calvary decided to run the ball with 30 seconds left in the half from their own 17, opposed to taking a knee, and North Broward four-star Kevin Austin ripped the ball out of the hands of Massi Gamble and ran it into the house to make it just a three-point Calvary lead heading into halftime.

But Calvary didn’t let that break their momentum and came out strong in the third quarter.

“We talk about process and how you respond in the moment,” Hoza said. “At halftime we felt we wanted to have a ten-point cushion and we didn’t so at that point you could either dwell on that or you can worry about what we’re going to do with the opening kickoff, how we’re going to incorporate the adjustments the coaches make at halftime, and I think these kids are maturing. Sometimes that’s a challenge at their age, but I think they responded well in the second half.”

Friday was the first game all season where North Broward Prep didn’t lead at some point.

North Broward finished the game with over 150 yards in penalties, lost 81 yards snap deficiencies (three dropped by Paillet), and turned the ball over twice. It’s always hard to win playing that way, but especially hard against a fundamentally sound team such as Calvary.

With Calvary up 10 with just over two minutes to go, sophomore quarterback Skylar Pearcy kept it for a large gain on a keeper which would eventually lead to an Evans touchdown run and a Calvary win.

Paillet threw a touchdown, but was picked off, dropped three snaps, and was mainly inefficient at quarterback in place of Shooster, who as of now is still slated to return for North Broward in the semifinals of the Gold Coast Conference playoffs.

North Broward Prep will host John Carroll Catholic on senior night next week, while Calvary Christian heads to Archbishop McCarthy for a huge showdown with the Mavericks to determine who will hold the top seed in the GCFC playoffs.

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When: Friday October 28th, 7:00 P.M.

Where: North Broward Preparatory School

There will be an Eagle clash at Tom Marcy Field on Friday, and it’s a big one. Calvary Christian and North Broward Prep will battle it out, with the winner hosting the first round game of the Gold Coast Conference semifinals. With a win, North Broward will be the two seed, which would make it a must win game for Calvary Christian next Friday against Archbishop McCarthy in order to even make the playoffs (Calvary has one conference loss, if it has three and Westminster also has three, Westminster gets into the playoffs because they own tiebreaker with Calvary).

However, if Calvary wins Friday, North Broward will travel to Calvary for the first round of the playoffs.

Calvary Christian

WHAT TO KNOW: The Eagles are entering their sixth season under head coach Kirk Hoza, who has turned this program around. Calvary is 43-16 under Hoza, including a Southern Football Conference championship in 2014, and a trip to the championship last season. Hoza came to Calvary after coaching at FAU, and took over a 5-5 team and improved it to 7-3 in his first season. They are in the midst of its first season in the Gold Coast Football Conference.

Calvary Christian has had five road games – with two left – and just three home games this season.

OFFENSE: The Eagles’ offense has been sluggish this season, but it’s because their outstanding defense takes care of business for them. Since scoring 82 against lowly Inlet Grove, Calvary has averaged 29.6 points per game in their last five, although inflated by the 49 against Pembroke Pines Charter and 42 against Coral Glades. Calvary is led by sophomore quarterback Skylar Pearcy, who has thrown for 567 yards and six touchdowns on the season, and senior running back Massimo Gamble, who has rushed for 439 yards and seven touchdowns on the year.

DEFENSE: This is where Calvary wins its games. Calvary has arguably the best defense in the Gold Coast Conference by a good margin. The Eagles’ defense has allowed an average of just 5.8 points per game, and has had four shutouts out of seven games this season. The unit is led by 6’3”, 230-pound senior linebacker Diego Fagot – rated a three-star prospect by 247 Sports – who is committed to Navy. Fagot’s presence in the defense makes the rest of it better, including what is a great rest of the linebacker core and strong defensive line that has proven to shut down opposing rushing attacks and get to the passer all season.

GAME OUTLOOK: To win this game, Calvary needs to get locked into a defensive battle: the games they thrive in. If the defense stacks the box against the run, and puts pressure on North Broward sophomore backup quarterback Christian Paillet to make the perfect throw, it could shut down an injury-plagued North Broward offense. Offensively, long possessions with the run game and screen passes could chew up clock, get points on the board, and keep the ball out of North Broward’s playmakers’ hands. When Calvary is able to get Gamble in space, his speed takes care of the rest and he can take it to the house. Calvary should also look to exploit a struggling North Broward Prep special teams, which has been vulnerable to long kickoff returns.

North Broward Prep

WHAT TO KNOW: North Broward’s quest for an undefeated season ended two weeks ago at home to Archbishop McCarthy, and the Eagles have been struggling lately with key members of their team injured and banged up. Junior starting quarterback Logan Shooster is out for the rest of the regular season after injuring his throwing hand against Archbishop McCarthy, while star running back Dymitri McKenzie also played just a few snaps last week against Coral Glades.

North Broward is off to its best start (7-1) since 2008 when current Dolphin Brandon Doughty was the quarterback.

OFFENSE: Without Shooster and McKenzie, offensive coordinator Derrick Mays had to get creative last week. We have seen the wildcat formation, jet sweeps, and other plays from the North Broward offense, but at the end of the day the Eagles’ offense goes as far as McKenzie and sophomore backup quarterback Christian Paillet will take it. Paillet bounced back after a rough first half against and threw for four touchdowns without an interception last week against Coral Glades. It should be a huge boost to have McKenzie back this week – arguably the best running back in the conference – which should jumpstart the running game and potentially open things up for Paillet in the pass game. However, the Eagles’ offense has had their lowest point totals of the season, 20 and 27, in their last two weeks without Shooster at quarterback.

DEFENSE: A dominant effort by this unit last week kept North Broward from a scare against Coral Glades. Defensive Coordinator Akeem Cedeno’s group has let up just over 17 points per game this season, and it was even well less than that before coughing up 28, 28, and 29 points in consecutive weeks to Pompano Beach, Westminster Academy, and Archbishop McCarthy. Running attacks haven’t been very successful against North Broward, with the forces of Kallen Jennings, Ivan Bronnikov, Kenny Henningsen, and company clogging up the middle. The Eagles’ secondary has also been able to feed off that and cause turnovers, with senior Anthony Gomez racking up three interceptions on the season.

GAME OUTLOOK: For North Broward to be successful, the game plan defensively should be to stack the box against the run and press the receivers in man coverage. Most of Calvary’s offense is running the ball and screen and bubble passes. In the Westminster game, the Lions were able to defeat Calvary because they were stout defensively against the run and short passes, and forced Calvary into 3rd-and-long. Skyler Pearcy – Calvary’s QB – is just a sophomore, so forcing 3rd and longs could lead to mistakes and put pressure on the Calvary passing game, which isn’t too good. Against the run, keep Gamble out of space, because his speed could lead to huge plays if he gets out in space. Offensively, it’s going to be tough against this Calvary defense, but if North Broward gets creative to jumpstart the running game – wildcat with Kevin Austin and McKenzie, jet sweeps, screen passes – it could lead to success and open things up for Paillet and the passing game. North Broward’s receivers’ talent is far superior to Calvary’s defensive backs, which could be an area to exploit. But in each of North Broward’s wins this season, Dymitri McKenzie has had a big day; his success on Friday is vital.

PREDICTION: North Broward Prep 14, Calvary Christian 13.

This one could go either way. It can come down to a missed extra point, so special teams could be key.

The post GAME PREVIEW: Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian at North Broward Prep appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

After being favored by 33 on the road, injury-plagued North Broward Prep squeaked away with a 27-7 conference win over Coral Glades on Thursday night.

The Eagles – playing without starting quarterback Logan Shooster and star running back Dymitri McKenzie had just five touches the entire game, all in the second half – scored with under 10 seconds left in the first half when sophomore backup quarterback Christian Paillet hit four-star receiver Kevin Austin for a 21-yard touchdown to give North Broward (7-1) a 7-0 lead heading into the half.

“We were flat,” North Broward Prep head coach Rex Nottage said after the game. “I was hoping last week’s loss would motivate these guys but unfortunately our success in the past against [Coral Glades] made us complacent. But hats off to [Coral Glades], they’re much improved, and they gave us a real challenge tonight.”

Up 13-0 late in the third quarter, North Broward linebacker Kirby Burns stripped Jaguars’ wide receiver Donovan Samuels and recovered the ball at the Coral Glades’ 40. Four plays later, Paillet hit tight end Kenny Henningsen for a 22-yard touchdown, which stretched the North Broward lead to 20-0.

Coral Glades (2-6) missed two field goals in the first half, one from 30 yards out, and the other from 37.

Despite pitiful offensive play from North Broward, their defense was dominant. Akeem Cedeno’s group forced two turnovers and held Coral Glades to just a touchdown, which was a 60-yard screen pass from Cameron Brooks to Dion Gonzalez-Laporte early in the third quarter.

The Eagles’ defense has held opponents to just 9.8 points per game on the road this season.

“We saw a lot of things that we saw on film and were prepared for, and the guys just went out there and executed,” North Broward Prep Defensive Coordinator Akeem Cedeno said after the game. “It was tough to give up that one touchdown but I think everything was kind of as we saw it, and we just went out and stuck to our game plan and did our job.”

Austin, who has multiple Division I offers including Notre Dame and Michigan State among many others, made a ridiculous touchdown catch over a Jaguars’ defender to put North Broward up 27-7 on Coral Glades late into the second half.

Austin had three out of the four Eagles’ touchdowns, each a catch from Paillet.

“I don’t think Kevin played his best game tonight, but just the playmaking ability he has really helped us tonight,” Nottage said. “We’re thankful to have him on our team.”

Paillet finished the game strong in the second half with three touchdown passes after going just 3-for-13 in the first half. Paillet seemed to grow more confidence as the game went on, his second half play was a big reason for North Broward pulling away with the win. He finished with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

“He settled down a lot,” Nottage said of Paillet. “We have to give a little more time in the pocket, but his first half stats compared to his second half stats are a major difference, so that was a huge confidence builder for him.”

The Coral Glades’ defense did their part throughout the night, holding the Eagles to what was tied for their lowest scoring total of the season, forcing a turnover, and holding North Broward’s prolific offense to seven points at the half, and rushing attack to under 100 yards and no touchdowns.

Questionably, Coral Glades strayed away from their passing game with junior quarterback Cameron Brooks, and elected to rely on their rushing attack, which was shut down the whole way; the Jaguars rushed for under 30 yards.

Coral Glades will try to snap a six game losing streak as they travel to Westminster Academy next Friday, while North Broward Prep will host Calvary Christian next Friday in a big conference showdown.

The post North Broward Prep holds off Coral Glades on the road appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

When: Thursday, October 20th, 7:00 P.M.

Where: Coral Springs Sportsplex

North Broward Prep will seek to avoid an Archbishop McCarthy hangover on Thursday night as the Eagles visit Coral Glades High School to take on the Jaguars in a road conference showdown. Thursday marks the second time North Broward travels to Coral Glades this year, as Coral Springs Charter’s home field is also there. The Eagles won that game against the Panthers, 33-0.

North Broward and Coral Glades have met in each of the last two seasons with the Eagles coming out on top 54-0 and 35-12, respectively.

North Broward Prep

WHAT TO KNOW: Eagles’ starting quarterback Logan Shooster is out for at least this week and is expected to be the rest of the regular season after suffering a hand – his throwing hand – injury in last week’s loss to Archbishop McCarthy. Sophomore quarterback Christian Paillet will make his first career start. Paillet threw two interceptions in just five pass attempts in relief of Shooster, but did have an 80-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Austin late in the fourth quarter and should be able to perform better with a full week of practice to prepare.

Along with Shooster, North Broward is pretty banged up entering a short week with a game Thursday. 6’3” Defense end and tight end Kenny Henningsen and bruising linebacker and fullback Dorian Coles’ statuses are uncertain at the moment with injuries.

OFFENSE: It will be interesting to see the changes head coach Rex Nottage and offensive coordinator Derrick Mays make on offense with the injury to Shooster. Presumably, Paillet will start at quarterback, but the Eagles could also use the wildcat formation with four-star receiver Kevin Austin and star senior running back Dymitri McKenzie, which worked effectively last week. One aspect is for sure: There will be a lot of rushes, as the Eagles are averaging 226.3 yards per game on the ground. A lot of credit can be given to the offensive line that has had an excellent season, led by senior center Justin Bentayou, senior Hunter Greggs, Kallen Jennings, and a younger group of guards and tackles.

DEFENSE: North Broward’s defense will look to rebound after being on a bit of a skid the last few weeks. After letting up just 32 points through their first four games, the Eagles have omitted 28, 28, and 29 points the last three games. Defensive Coordinator Akeem Cedeño will also have a thin secondary with Shooster out at cornerback, but Anthony Gomez returns after a one-game absence and sophomore Justin Dolles looked sharp in the start last week. Aside from a few big runs last week, the North Broward run defense has been sharp highlighted by a strong defensive line with seniors Kallen Jennings, Henningsen, and Ivan Bronnikov. Against teams under .500, the North Broward defense has let up an average of just 11.8 points per contest.

GAME OUTLOOK: Simply put – even with injuries – the Eagles are a much better team than Coral Glades and should walk with a win if they don’t make mistakes to hurt them. The Jaguars have a strong return game on kickoffs, so North Broward’s kickoff game will need to be ready this week to not let the Jaguars return any kicks or have favorable field position. I believe we will see a lot of wildcat offense Thursday, which should be beneficial with the lack of size or talent on the Coral Glades’ defense to match the Eagles’ offensive line or talent level of Austin or McKenzie. Expect Mays and Nottage to look to pound the ball with the young Paillet not looking sharp last Friday. Defensively, the Eagles should look to pressure junior quarterback Cameron Brooks and have sharp play against the Jaguars’ passing game, the main source of their offense.

Coral Glades

WHAT TO KNOW: The Jaguars are a team in transition. In their second year under head coach Chris Baldwin, Coral Glades has made impressive strides and improved, but are still long ways away from being a conference contender. The Jaguars are nursing a five-game losing streak after winning their first two against Inlet Grove and Pembroke Pines Charter.

OFFENSE: The Jaguars throw the ball a lot, and don’t run much. Coral Glades relies on junior quarterback Cameron Brooks, who has thrown for 707 yards and six touchdowns this season, although also throwing five picks. Coral Glades has rushed for just 327 yards on the year, led by senior running back Dion Gonzalez-Laporte. Coral Glades is averaging just over 21 points per game, 106.9 passing yards per game, and 49.6 rushing yards per contest.

DEFENSE: Defensively, Coral Glades has not been great. Against a Coral Springs Charter team that had been averaging just over 10 points per game, the Jaguars allowed 24 points, and have given up 42 points to Calvary Christian, 35 to Archbishop McCarthy, and 24 to Pompano Beach. Coral Springs Charter running back Michael Carrion rushed for 149 yards on just 18 carries against the Jaguars last week, which should mean good news for McKenzie, Austin, and Dorian Cole carrying the ball.

GAME OUTLOOK: A miracle will need to happen for Coral Glades to pull off an upset over one of the top two teams in the Gold Coast Conference, North Broward, but it’s a little likelier than before with Shooster out and the other injuries the Eagles are dealing with. Coral Glades’ defense will need to stack the box against the run and not let McKenzie beat them, if Paillet is in, pressure him and force him to make the throws to win. North Broward shouldn’t put up the same amount of points it would if Shooster was in, so take advantage of that. Coral Glades should try to exploit an area of weakness for North Broward – special teams, and offensively hope Cameron Brooks is on his game at quarterback. Gomez should be lockdown at corner, and Justin Dolles played well last week, but trying to run slant routes and pick up yardage may be the way to go for Coral Glades. Forcing the Eagles to make mistakes is the best – if any – shot for the Jaguars to pull off an upset at home Thursday.

In the end, although the Eagles won’t score as much because Shooster is out, which will force North Broward to stick to the run game and use up a lot of the clock, I expect a dominant defensive effort from the Eagles Thursday.

PREDICTION: North Broward Prep 24, Coral Glades 3.

The post GAME PREVIEW: North Broward Prep at Coral Glades appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

Archbishop McCarthy running back Jacob Baptiste went untouched through the middle of the Eagles’ defense for a 47-yard touchdown with three minutes to play that clinched a 29-20 Mavericks win.

“It’s never hard to get these guys ready to play North Broward,” Archbishop McCarthy head coach Byron Walker said after the game. “We anticipated a tough game and we got one but we able to come out on top. It’s a big win for us.”

Eagles’ quarterback Logan Shooster went down with a hand injury in the first quarter, and the North Broward (6-1) offense was not the same without him. The Eagles finished with 20 points, but with two scores off big plays, and had been looking pretty good in the first quarter with Shooster in the game. He had connected with Kevin Austin and Kenny Henningsen on three different long passes before departing.

Archbishop McCarthy (5-1) running back Jacob Baptiste rushed for close to 200 yards and three touchdowns. He entered with 796 rushing yards in just five games and leads the Gold Coast Conference in rushing. Baptiste, a sophomore, is in his first year at Archbishop McCarthy after transferring from Dr. Krop.

“It’s a great opportunity here,” Baptiste said after the game. “I thank god first of all, and my offensive line. Without my offensive line, I wouldn’t be able to do it. When I see the holes they open up, I just run.”

Like Baptiste noted, a big part of that success is the Archbishop McCarthy offensive line, which has been a staple of greatness for the last few years.

“Our offensive line is above average size, fortunately,” Walker said. “Our plan coming is was that North Broward Prep is a little small up front so we wanted to just run it between the tackles. We run the ball, that’s our philosophy.”

The Mavericks have won nine straight Gold Coast Conference games dating back to November 7th of 2014.

Archbishop McCarthy’s defense – which entered omitting just over 12 points per game in conference play – shut down a North Broward Prep offense that was averaging just over 49 points per game Aside from Shooster’s injury that limited the passing game, senior running back Dymitri McKenzie was in-and-out of the game with a knee injury, and although had two rushing touchdowns, was held to under 50 yards rushing by what was a dominant effort by a strong Mavericks’ defense.

“We count on this defense,” Walker said. “Coach Wilder – our defensive coordinator – gets kids to do things a lot of high school coaches can’t get their kids to do so we confuse offenses a lot. We’ve got a lot of multiplicity on defense.”

After North Broward Prep scored on a two-yard McKenzie touchdown to make it 21-12 with just over eight minutes to play, the Eagles were unsuccessful on a big two-point conversion that would’ve made it just a one score game. On the next North Broward possession, Eagles’ backup quarterback Christian Paillet was picked off after North Broward had driven the ball into Mavericks’ territory with under three minutes to play, which all but sealed the deal.

“The little things hurt us tonight,” North Broward Prep head coach Rex Nottage said. “Special teams was a big factor, and we didn’t make plays. We didn’t capitalize. It was a physical game, one vs. one, and they came out on top.”

The Eagles took an early 6-0 lead before Archbishop McCarthy quickly answered on the following drive which made it 8-6 after a two-point conversion by the Mavericks. North Broward had their first three kicks off the game – two field goals and extra point – missed or blocked, which would’ve given the Eagles a chance towards the end of the game, being that it would’ve been a one possession game.

Archbishop McCarthy led 15-6 at the half on two Baptiste touchdown runs and extended its lead to 21-6 in the third quarter after tight end Zach Messer was wide open in the end zone on a pass from sophomore Jesse Rivera.

Along with Shooster, McKenzie was also hobbled, and senior running back and linebacker Dorian Cole was out for a portion of the game late into the second half.

“The injuries really affected us,” Nottage said. “When your starting quarterback is out, your starting running back – Dymitri – was hobbled the whole game, so it kind of limited us so we were really trying to find ways to make plays and get points on the board. It was a dogfight, but I think at the end of the day the injuries did affect us.”

Mavericks’ sophomore quarterback Jesse Rivera played well in the absence of starter Quinn Dempsey, who is out for the season. Rivera didn’t throw much but made all the key throws when he needed to.

Christian Paillet hit Kevin Austin on a 70-yard touchdown with three minutes left when Austin leaped over and missed a defender in what could be a nominee for a catch of the year. Other than that touchdown, Paillet was not great in relief of Shooster, throwing two interceptions and completing just four passes.

With the win, Archbishop McCarthy takes control of first place in the conference and looks likely to be set up to have home field throughout the Gold Coast Football Conference playoffs for the second straight season.

If both teams do their part, it’s likely we could see a rematch of these two powerhouses in the championship.

“I think if we prepare a little harder and we learn from what we did here and get better at what we do, I think the outcome could be better for us the next time we play them,” Nottage said. “Because we do want to play them in the playoffs.”

The post Archbishop McCarthy pounds its way past North Broward Prep appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

When: Friday, October 14, 7:00 P.M.

Where: North Broward Preparatory School

It will be a clash of Gold Coast Conference titans on Friday when Archbishop McCarthy and North Broward Prep face off. South Florida High School Sports’ Larry Bluestein called this “a marquee matchup” on the WQAM radio show Monday night, and it’s sure setting up to be one. Friday’s winner will claim first place in the conference and could be set up for home field throughout the playoffs.

Archbishop McCarthy has defeated North Broward in the two games the teams have faced off in since joining the conference, including a 56-18 bashing on the Eagles’ home field last season.

Archbishop McCarthy

WHAT TO KNOW: Some could say Archbishop McCarthy did last season what North Broward Prep is trying to do this season. The Mavericks are coming off of an 11-0 season, including a Gold Coast Conference championship. Led by Byron Walker, Archbishop McCarthy is an extremely well coached, defensive minded team. Walker is 31-23 since re-taking over the Mavericks in 2011, but has had stints as the McCarthy coach since 1977, with a record of 292-146. Walker has also coached at American Heritage- Plantation, where he led the Patriots to a state title game.

The Mavericks are undefeated in conference play, with their only loss of the season coming to Barron Collier in a 22-19 road loss back on August 26th.

OFFENSE: Although this isn’t where the Mavericks beat you, they have a very strong running game. After losing senior running back Anthony Rey and Willie Davis – who transferred to start at Miami Central – Archbishop McCarthy was able to bring in sophomore Jacob Baptiste from Dr. Krop, who has had a phenomenal year as the workhouse. He’s rushed for 756 yards and 10 touchdowns on 99 carries this season so far. Archbishop McCarthy averages just 75 yards per game through the air this season, led by junior receiver Logan Giordano. Junior quarterback Quinn Dempsey is out Friday with an injury, and sophomore Jesse Rivera is expected to start. Rivera is 10-for-20 this season for 195 yards and four touchdowns. The Mavericks are averaging 36.6 points per contest entering Friday.

DEFENSE: The strong suit of Archbishop McCarthy; always has been. The Mavericks are in the midst of another dominant defensive year, allowing just 14 points per game on the season, and 12.5 per game in conference play. A strong defensive line, coupled with a tough secondary which includes junior cornerback Logan Giordano, who has offers from Miami (OH) and Ohio. The Mavericks’ defense has omitted just 24 points in their last two road games and held Coral Springs Charter to 67 passing yards in their last game. Opponent passing games have been flustered, but running games have been at least ambling to find space against Archbishop McCarthy, as the Panthers rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown.

GAME OUTLOOK: Archbishop McCarthy’s game plan in this game will be to play their game, run the ball effectively and play tough defense. However, it won’t be easy against a North Broward Prep defense that held a prolific Key West running game to under 100 yards, and a North Broward Prep offense that features four-star receiver Kevin Austin and star senior running back Dymitri McKenzie, who’s insane 98-yard touchdown run last Saturday was featured in the USA Today, and Max Preps. The Mavericks will need to limit North Broward – no matter what, the Eagles will have their share of points – stack the box against the run and rush the passer often to prevent deep throws to Austin. If the Mavericks are able to run the ball effectively, control the clock, and keep the Eagles’ stellar offense off the field as much as they can, Archbishop McCarthy could have success.

North Broward Prep

WHAT TO KNOW: The Eagles enter this game in the midst of their first 6-0 start since back in 2008, when current Dolphin Brandon Doughty was the starting quarterback. It’s the best start to a season in the tenure of head coach Rex Nottage, who has done phenomenal job continuing building this high academic school’s football program into an excellent one. The Eagles have dominated every game this season, with their shortest margin of victory being 15, which was last week against Westminster Academy.

The Eagles have established themselves as a second half team. North Broward was up 12-0 on Coral Springs Charter in the first half before winning 33-0, up 14-7 on Key West before winning 49-14, and up 14-13 on Westminster Academy at the half last week before running away to a 43-28 win.

OFFENSE: North Broward has been – as expected – stellar offensively. The Eagles are averaging 49.5 points per game, led electric athletes Kevin Austin, Dymitri McKenzie, 6’4” tight end Kenny Henningsen, versatile Anthony Gomez, and of course, junior quarterback Logan Shooster, who has been everything and more than the Eagles have hoped out of him. North Broward is hard to stop because they come at you in both ways. On the ground, McKenzie has become one of the most underrated running backs in South Florida, with 568 yards on just 45 carries, and 12 rushing scores. Big back Dorian Cole also bulldozes defensive in short yardage situations. But stopping the pass is just as hard because of the athleticism and size of the Eagles’ receivers. To go along with the 6’3” Austin – who also has blazing speed – Henningsen and receiver Bradley Cooper are big targets, and McKenzie and Gomez are great pass catchers out of the backfield. North Broward’s offense – which lowest point total is 33 – should give Archbishop McCarthy its hands full Friday.

DEFENSE: Powered by excellent coaching from defensive coordinator Akeem Cedeño, the Eagles’ defensive unit has been tough to beat this season, especially on the ground. However, the last two weeks they have stumbled a bit. A couple of big plays led to North Broward Prep omitted 28 points for the second straight game last week against Westminster Academy, after only letting up 32 in the previous four games. The loss of Anthony Gomez this week will force sophomore Justin Dolles to make his first career start at cornerback, which could hurt the Eagles’ secondary. But the unit should shape up well in defending Archbishop McCarthy’s running game. Key West’s stellar rushing attack went for just 89 yards against the North Broward defense, and teams have scarcely been successful rushing against them all season long, with a strong defensive front led by Henningsen, Kallen Jennings, Ivan Bronnikov, and others. Westminster Academy was successful at times in the passing game last week, but Archbishop McCarthy has just 65 passing attempts on the season.

GAME OUTLOOK: North Broward’s game plan in this game offensively should be simple: Play their game. They are more talented skill wise and should feed Dymitri McKenzie often against a defensive front from McCarthy that is solid, but not as good as last season, and get the ball to their best playmaker, Austin as often as possible. Defensively, the Eagles need to formulate a plan to at least limit Jacob Baptiste and the running game just like they stopped the Key West running game. Forcing the Mavericks into third and longs could be crucial, being that the offense doesn’t throw much as is and is starting backup sophomore quarterback Jesse Rivera due to Dempsey’s injury. Letting McCarthy beat them by forcing Rivera to make tough throws on third and long – which he’ll have to prove he can make – would be easier to swallow than Baptiste burning the Eagles on the ground and force McCarthy to play a game they’re not comfortable playing. And Coach Nottage and company can’t overlook the special teams, specifically a kickoff unit that has been horrendous for North Broward. Enabling the Mavericks to get big returns on kickoffs and punts to have great field position could prove costly in this close matched game.

PREDICTION: North Broward Prep 21, Archbishop McCarthy 17.

The post GAME PREVIEW: Archbishop McCarthy at North Broward Prep appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

This is the video that has been going viral and has already been featured by USA TODAY High School Sports, MaxPreps and Scout.

2017 RB Dymitri McKenzie who has been having a spectacular season already for North Broward Prep, likely has captured one of the Top 10 plays of the year.

The play, which came during North Broward Prep’s 43-28 road win over Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy that delayed by a day due to Hurricane Matthew, saw McKenize break free from several big tackles from a wall of defenders that allowed McKenize to go in for the score.

North Broward Prep is 6-0 on the season will host defending Gold Coast Football Conference champion Archbishop McCarthy on Friday night in Coconut Creek.

The post VIDEO: North Broward Prep’s Dymitri McKenzie breaks free from wall of defenders for TD appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.