Colerain snaps Cocoa's 38-game football win streak

Colerain (Cincinnati) coach Tom Bolden stood on his home field and was fired up after the Cardinals defeated Cocoa (Fla.) 17-7 Sunday afternoon in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown.

And for good reason.

Colerain snapped Cocoa's 38-game winning streak and the Cardinals extended their home winning streak to 60 consecutive games.

"What an awesome experience for the kids, the fans and the coaches," Bolden said.

Colerain (1-0) played well on both sides of the ball and on special teams. The Cardinals had 268 yards of offense to Cocoa's 201. The Cardinals earned 207 rushing yards to the Tigers' 96.

Cocoa's 38-game winning streak ended, as it was the first loss for the Tigers since October 2008 against Merritt Island (Fla.). Cocoa is the reigning 2A state champion in Florida and the Tigers have won three consecutive state titles overall.

Cocoa coach John Wilkinson was disappointed with the loss but he said it won't deter the Tigers from their ultimate goal – a Florida state title.

"We want to win a state championship," Wilkinson said. "That's the bottom line."

Cocoa junior running back Antwan Lee had a team-high 55 yards on 10 carries. Senior linebacker Mike Ferguson had 8½ tackles and two sacks while senior linebacker Grady Redding posted eight tackles. Cocoa (0-1) next plays Skyline (Dallas) Sept. 5 at Cowboys Stadium.

Bolden said he had a great deal of respect for Cocoa and added the Tigers were the fastest team he's ever coached against.

"I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't proud of what we did not only for Colerain High School and the Colerain community but for Cincinnati, southwest Ohio and the state of Ohio," Bolden said. "That was Ohio vs. Florida."

Junior fullback Jackson Sorn led the Cardinals with 72 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns. He was named the team's MVP. Defensively, the Cardinals were led by senior linebacker Joe Bolden (Michigan commit), who had a team-high eight tackles and threw a key pass on a fake punt.

"I have a ton of respect for Ohio football," Wilkinson said. "They are well-coached up there, their kids work hard 365 days a year. You can tell because they are strong and physical."

Colerain (1-0), ranked No. 2 in the Cincinnati Enquirer Division I area coaches' poll, next plays host to Ryle (Ky.) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Junior quarterback Alfred Ramsby, a Lakota West transfer, made his first start for Colerain. He rushed 17 times for 63 yards.

"I think he did a great job keeping his composure," Tom Bolden said.

Bolden, senior safety Andre Jones (Cincinnati commit) and senior linebacker Jake Blust are the only active Colerain players left from the the school's previous ESPN appearance in 2009 at Elder, according to Colerain coach Tom Bolden.

COLERAIN 17, COCOA (Fla.) 7
Cocoa 0-0-0-7--7
Colerain 7-0-3-7--17

Colerain-Sorn 14 run (Walker kick)
Colerain-FG Walker 37
Cocoa-Pratt 85 pass from Pugh (Louthan kick)
Colerain-Sorn 27 run (Walker kick)

Friendship Collegiate downs Taft
Friendship Collegiate Academy (Washington, D.C.) defeated Taft (Cincinnati) 12-6 in the first game of the doubleheader on Sunday at Colerain.

The Knights (1-0) scored two touchdowns in the first quarter and held onto the lead for good despite going scoreless in the final three quarters. Friendship next plays Mount St. Joseph at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Friendship junior quarterback Tim Brady threw two touchdown passes, including a 38-yard connection to senior wide receiver Antonio Huff with 27 seconds left in the first quarter. Brady was 14 of 22 passing for 77 yards.  Friendship senior running back Albert Reid, who has orally committed to West Virginia, rushed 25 times for 143 yards.

It was the first time Friendship played in Ohio in the school's seven-year history.

"It was a fun experience," Reid said. "There was a little more hype" because of the nationally televised game on ESPNU.

Defensively, Friendship was led by sophomore defensive back Jalen Tabor, who had a team-leading seven tackles and added two interceptions. Tabor, who was named the game MVP for the Knights, had a key interception late in the fourth quarter in the end zone to seal the game.

Friendship coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim said he was pleased to win, but believes the Knights have plenty of work to do to improve.

"I think it's a first class event," Abdul-Rahim said of the Showdown.

Abdul-Rahim said the Knights need to play more disciplined assignment football next week. Friendship had 15 penalties for 85 yards on Sunday.

Friendship senior defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, ranked the nation's No. 18 player overall by the MaxPreps Top 100, had two sacks to help lead the defense.

Taft (0-1) lost despite a strong performance from senior defensive end Adolphus Washington, who is considered one of the nation's top recruits. He had two sacks and several tackles.

"He never quits," Taft coach Mike Martin said. "He just doesn't stop running on plays. He's proven why he's one of the best defensive ends in the country."

Taft scored late in the fourth quarter when senior running back DeQuon Smith ran five yards for a touchdown to make it 12-6 with 4:51 left. Smith rushed for 1,190 yards last season and will be one of the Senators' top players again this season. Taft plays host to Badin at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

FRIENDSHIP 12, TAFT 6
Friendship 12-0-0-0--12
Taft 0-0-0-6--6
F - Reid 8 pass from Brady (kick failed)
F - Huff 38 pass from Brady (pass failed)
T - DeQuon Smith 5 run (run failed)