The Rockets' victory secured their fourth straight state title and ninth since 2010. There was a moment in the fourth quarter where the stadium lights went out — fitting as
Keyone Jenkins, nicknamed "Lights Out," tossed three touchdown passes and ran for a third in the first half.
But American Heritage went down swinging after falling behind 38-21 toward the end of the third quarter. Quarterback
Blake Murphy hit five-star wideout and Ohio State commit
Brandon Inniss just inside the start of the fourth quarter that cut the Miami Central edge to 10, 38-28.
No. 3 Miami Central quarterback scores a rushing touchdown in the second quarter of the Rockets' win over No.10 American Heritage in the Florida 3M finals. Jenkins also tossed three TD passes in the first half. (Photo: Laura Martin)
After a Miami Central punt, a wide receiver pass by Inniss that was intercepted but drew a Miami Central pass interference kept the Patriots drive alive. They busted off a chunk play to set up a 25-yard
Wylie Shaw field goal that pulled American Heritage within a touchdown at 38-31.
But Central came up with a play when it mattered most as University of Miami commit
Rueben Bain swallowed up a Patriots fumble with less than three minutes to play and the Rockets were able to run out the clock.
Following 27-yard James London field goal on the opening drive, Central (14-0) found the end zone on its next four possessions. The Rockets scored on drives of five plays, five plays, six plays and six plays.
American Heritage, which was looking for its sixth title in 10 seasons, twice was held to field goals in the first half as the Central defense led by Bain forced the Patriots to play from behind the sticks. Nearly 10 penalties in the first 24 minutes didn't help American Heritage's cause either.
Miami Central defensive end Rueben Bain swallows up American Heritage quarterback Blake Murphy in the first half of the 3M title game. Miami Central led by 18 at the half and held on for the Rockets' fourth straight state title. (Photo: Laura Martin)
Jenkins got the Rockets into the end zone on their second possession, capping a 61-yard drive with a 9-yard scoring strike to
Anjuan Coleman Jr. on a slant route at the goal line. On the following Miami Central possession, Jenkins wasted little time boosting the edge to 17-3 after finding
Cataurus Hicks on a 41-yard TD pass.
The Patriots found the end zone on a drive that straddled the first and second quarters capped by a 2-yard Mark Fletcher run, but Miami Central needed 90 seconds to answer as Jenkins and
Corey Washington hooked up for a 37-yard touchdown. On the Rockets' next possession, Jenkins scored from 8-yards out on the keeper and a 31-10 lead with 2:26 left in the half.
The Rockets held on American Heritage's first possession of the second half, turning the Patriots away on fourth-and-goal inside the five after a six-minute, 13-play drive, but got a break when Miami Central went to punt. The snap went over the punter's head and set America Heritage up with first-and-goal and
Byron Louis scored from 1-yard out.
But the Rockets quickly forgot the miscue as
Jonathan Harris answered with a 73-yard TD run to build the lead back to 38-21 with less than two minutes left in the third quarter.
Miami Central's Jonathan Harris busts up the middle for a big-time TD run that gave the Rockets cushion in their 38-31 win over American Heritage in the Florida 2M finals. (Photo: Laura Martin)
American Heritage's Byron Louis scores in the third quarter as the Patriots fought back from an 18-point halftime deficit to Miami Central, which won the 2M final 38-31. (Photo: Laura Martin)
