Piper rides big plays to district victory over Douglas

The defining difference between the Piper and Douglas football teams on Monday was the big play.

Piper had a few, Douglas didn’t.

Went it was over the Bengals were winners 16-7 in a key District 11-8A game at Douglas High in Parkland. It was the second straight year Piper defeated Douglas to essentially knocked the Eagles from playoff contention.

The game had been postponed from Friday due to the approaching threat of Hurricane Matthew.

The victory improved Piper to 6-0, 2-0 in district, while Douglas fell to 3-3, 1-1 in district. Piper and Deerfield Beach are the lone remaining teams in district play at 2-0.

Piper will host Deerfield Beach on Oct. 28.

“Getting into the playoffs will be a huge feat for us,” Piper coach Jerry Jones said. “This game was must-win game for both teams.”

“We were in this same situation last year when we played them and we lost 13-7,” Douglas coach Willis May said. “That loss knocked us out of the playoffs.”

Piper scored the clinching touchdown on a 35-yard scoring pass from Derohn King to Jaycob Williams with 7:45 left in the third quarter for the 16-7 lead.

Other key plays for the Bengals were an interception by Bryand Rincher on the game’s first play from scrimmage. It would lead to the Bengals’ first touchdown, a 17-yard pass from King to Ja’Quez Geffrard.

Piper added a 20-yard field goal by Zack Fifelski that was set up by a 45-yard pass from King to Geffrard for a 9-0 advantage

Douglas cut into the deficit with a 14-play, 76-yard drive capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by quarterback Tyler Goodman with 9:28 left in the first half.

This story was originally published October 10, 2016 at 10:16 PM with the headline "Piper rides big plays to district victory over Douglas."