Just this week, Norland all-purpose threat Xavier Rhodes battled a nasty flu that kept him out of practice until Thursday -- a day before the season opener against Homestead on the road.

Against the Broncos on Friday, Rhodes didn't look like the player Vikings coach Nigel Dunn Jr. said had been vomiting all week. In fact, Rhodes looked like he could be one of the most explosive players in Miami-Dade this season in different spurts of the game as he helped Norland earn an important 12-7 road victory in front of 2,000 fans at Harris Field in Homestead.

It was a battle of two of Miami-Dade's preseason top 10 teams.

Norland opened the season ranked sixth in the county Class 6A-4A poll, and Homestead was ninth.

The Vikings are No. 16 in the South Florida top 20 poll, which included teams from Broward County.

The victory for Norland was marred, however, by an apparent injury to the ribs of Norland's Walter Walker, who was taken to Homestead Hospital in an ambulance after the game.

Rhodes, who rushed for 46 yards on 15 carries, scored on touchdown runs of 9 yards in the second quarter and 1 yard in the fourth to lead the Vikings (1-0).

Rhodes was the catalyst of a nine-play, 51-yard drive in the middle of the second quarter that gave the Vikings a 6-0 lead with 5:38 remaining.

He opened the drive by gaining 11 yards on a reverse that got the Vikings into Broncos territory.

Then, he ran the 23 yards of the drive, capping it off with a quick up the middle run from the Homestead nine for the score.

Rhodes scored his second TD with 11:28 left in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run into the left side of the end zone.

He set up his run with a 16-yard run from the Homestead 17 on the previous play.

''He really had a gutsy performance [Friday night],'' Dunn said. ``I'm proud of him.''

Homestead made it interesting after Norland's touchdown when Darren Kitchens ran the ensuing kickoff back for a 99-yard touchdown to help make the score 12-7 with 11:07 left in the fourth quarter.

Kitchens, who hesitated on picking up the ball, grabbed it once he realized it was live, found a seam up the middle, cut to the right and foiled an attempted tackle by Norland kicker Cherchen Aolema to score. Salvador Hernandez kicked the extra point.

Homestead came close to scoring but missed out on two chances late in the first and second halves.

Travell Dixon intercepted a Keahn Wallace pass inside the 20 with 11 seconds remaining in the first half to keep the Broncos from tying the game.

In the final 2:12 of the game, the Broncos had the ball at midfield but turned the ball over on downs.

• Ransom Everglades 28, Coral Shore 14: Javier Henriquez had three receptions for 40 yards and two touchdowns to lead Ransom Everglades. Quarterback Max Rappaport had 150 yards passing and two touchdowns. Roger Khouri had 15 tackles and two sacks. Kamal Daghistani had seven tackles and two sacks.

• Doral 42, Tenoroc 14: Quarterback Jermaine Kelson had 192 yards rushing, 184 yards passing and two rushing touchdowns to lead the Firebirds.

Running back Micha Shinholster had 12 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown.

Gianmarco Leri had six tackles, Anthony Flowers had eight tackles and Carleton Callendar had four tackles and one interception.

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