Preview: Miramar Patriots vs. Homestead Broncos
Miramar has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face off against the Homestead Broncos at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Miramar had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They put the hurt on Belen Jesuit with a sharp 31-7 victory on Friday. Miramar might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won seven matchups by 23 points or more this season.
Miramar got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Eric Nelson out in front who picked up 248 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Nelson's longest reception was for an incredible 85 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Kael Alexander, who threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 13.0 yards per attempt.
Meanwhile, Homestead entered their tilt with Southridge with eight consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with nine. Homestead came out on top in a nail-biter against Southridge on Friday and snuck past 35-33. Given Homestead's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 23rd, while Southridge is ranked 93rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Joshua Townsend was his usual excellent self, rushing for 33 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing for 187 yards and two touchdowns on only 17 passes.
Miramar is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-4 record this season. As for Homestead, they pushed their record up to 10-1 with that victory, which was their sixth straight at home.
Miramar suffered a grim 33-13 defeat to Homestead when the teams last played back in November of 2022. Can Miramar avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
