Monsignor Pace had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat the Ransom Everglades Raiders 40-10. Given the Spartans' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 128th, while the Raiders are ranked 279th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Among those leading the charge was Sean Ponder, who threw for 181 yards and two touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes, and also rushed for 38 yards. Amare Whetsell was Ponder's top target, picking up 53 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Monsignor Pace's defense and their 4.5 sacks. In that department, Gabriel Cline was the leader with two. Another thorn in Ransom Everglades' side was Cleveland Gary III, who picked up a sack, made seven total tackles (2.0 for loss), and defended a pass.
Despite the defeat, Ransom Everglades saw an underclassman step up: freshman Neimann Lawrence threw for 329 yards and a touchdown. Those 329 passing yards set a new season-high mark for Lawrence. A healthy portion of Lawrence's aerial production (88 yards to be exact) went to Reid Rosenberg.
The win was the sixth in a row for Monsignor Pace, bringing their record for this year to 8-2. Those victories were due in large part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 13.0 points per game. As for Ransom Everglades, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-4 record this season.
Monsignor Pace wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next matchup, a 20-14 loss against Immaculata-La Salle on the 22nd. Ransom Everglades does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
