By James Oyola
MaxPreps.com
MIRAMAR, Fla. – Led by running backs Craig Dee and Jason Douglas, Cypress Bay literally ran through Everglades 27-0 Friday night to capture the District 11-6A title.
Cypress Bay’s rushing attack – with much thanks to Dee and Douglas – has amassed 1,955 yards and 26 touchdowns in nine games this season.
Dee, who entered the game averaging 7.7 yards per carry with nine touchdowns, finished with 81 yards on 13 carries and two scores. Douglas, who leads the team with 602 rushing yards and six scores, finished with 85 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns.
Dee scored his first touchdown of the night from 20 yards out, helping the Lightning take a 7-0 lead with 5:02 left in the first quarter. Then, he extended the lead to 14 with a 5-yard run early in the second.
After Dee got Cypress off to a great start, Douglas, a University of Pittsburgh verbal, grabbed the baton and finished the race. He helped his team take a 20-0 edge over Everglades by halftime after capping an 8-play, 60-yard drive with a 37-yard touchdown run.
Everglades (7-2), whose defense entered the contest allowing only 153 yards per game, gave up 236 total yards to Cypress Bay (8-1).
With 7:42 left in regulation, the Lightning capitalized off a fumbled snap by Everglades’ quarterback Courtney Thompson with a 15-yard run by Douglas to seal the win.
With one game left in the regular season, the victory has kept Everglades out of the playoffs allowing Miramar, who finished 8-1, to join Cypress Bay in the postseason.
“We knew what we had to do heading into this game,” Cypress Bay coach Mark Guandolo said. “Our season isn’t over yet, the main goal is still to win a state championship.”
Week 10 Top Performers (Miami-Dade)
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Northwestern – Bridgewater, a sophomore, led the Bulls to a 50-22 win over Hialeah by completing 24-of-30 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns. Bridgewater broke the single-game school record for passing yards previously set by former Bull and University of Miami freshman Jacory Harris who threw for 342 yards in a game.
Lamar Miller, RB, Killian – Miller, a senior, led Killian to a 29-0 win over Palmetto by rushing for 166 yards and two touchdowns. The win helped Killian capture the District 16-6A title and snapped a two-year playoff drought.
Darrian Mallary, RB, Gulliver Prep – Mallary, a senior, helped Gulliver Prep to a 40-14 win over LaSalle by rushing for 213 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns. Mallary also completed 2-of-3 passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
Brandon Oliver, RB, Southridge – Oliver, a senior, led Southridge to 31-0 win over Coral Reef by rushing for 193 yards on 19 carries and four touchdowns.
Jeffrey Godfrey, QB, Central – Godfrey, a junior, led the Rockets to a 48-30 win over North Miami Beach by completing 12-of-18 passes for 194 yards. The outstanding junior also rushed for 187 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown.
Garrett Colao, QB, Columbus – Colao, a junior, led the Explorers to a 42-0 win over South Miami by completing 7-of-7 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns. At 8-0, Columbus still remains as the only unbeaten team in Dade County.
Jakhari Gore, RB, Columbus – Gore, a junior, aided the Explorer win by rushing for 125 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns. Gore’s performance leaves him nine yards shy of totaling 1,000 yards on the season.
Week 10 Top Performers (Broward)
Frainy Alfrena, RB, Sheridan Hills – Alfrena, a senior, helped Sheridan Hills to a 20-12 win over Hollywood Christian by rushing for 132 yards on 23 carries. The performance has given him a total of 2,067 yards breaking the Broward County single-season rushing record.
Donte Dotson, RB, Deerfield Beach – Dotson, a junior, helped the Bucks to a 28-21 win over Coral Springs. The standout junior started on both sides of the ball rushing for 68 yards on nine carries with three touchdowns, while also grabbing two interceptions from the cornerback position.
Chris Schirippa, QB, Cardinal Gibbons – Schirippa, a senior, led the Chiefs to a 56-14 win over Archbishop McCarthy and a total of 510 yards on offense by completing 15-of-19 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns.
Orwin Etkins, RB, Miramar – Etkins, a junior, led the Patriots to a 14-13 win over Taravella by rushing for a career-high 249 yards on 27 carries.
Herve Coby, WR, Douglas – Coby, a sophomore, led the Eagles to a 49-28 win over Coral Springs Charter by catching 4 passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns. The sensational sophomore set the tone early with 123 yards and two scores in the first quarter alone.
Future Phenom: Kelvin Taylor
Taylor, an eighth grader, has led Glades Day to a 5-4 record and the top spot in District 7-1A. Taylor, son of Pro Bowl running back Fred Taylor, has amassed 1,215 of the team’s 1,758 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns this season, while averaging an amazing 8.87 yards per carry. Look for Taylor to increase his repertoire among the top running backs in south Florida within the years to come.
Commitments: Eugene Smith and Stedman Bailey
Miramar quarterback Eugene Smith, Broward County's top recruit, has verbally committed to play football for West Virginia University next fall. Smith has completed 119-of-194 passes for 1,840 yards with 21 touchdowns and five interceptions, leading the Patriots to an 8-1 record and second place in the District 11-6A standings.
Stedman Bailey, Smith's favorite target and best friend, has also verbally committed to play for the Mountaineers. Bailey ranks second in Broward County among large-school receivers totaling 32 catches for 566 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging a remarkable 17.6 yards per catch.
Record Breaking: Frainy Alfrena
Alfrena, a senior, has led Sheridan Hills to a 7-2 record and the top spot in the District 8-1B rankings totaling 2,067 yards and 22 touchdowns. As a result of his 132-yard performance against Hollywood Christian, Alfrena became Broward County’s single-season rushing leader breaking the previous mark of 2,031 yards set by Michael Barasch of University School last season. Look for Alfrena to raise the bar even higher when the Sharks host Palmer Trinity on Friday, Nov. 14.
