Columbus defeats American 33-16 behind aerial attack to move on in playoffs

Columbus advanced past American 33-16 in a Region 4-8A quarterfinal at Tropical Park behind an outstanding passing attack.

Columbus was led by senior quarterback Marcelo Rodriguez, who had 180 yards passing and a touchdown.

It was Rodriguez’s first playoff victory, which came in the third playoff game of his career and the first since his sophomore year.

“This is a great feeling because it’s my senior year,” Rodriguez said. “We’re prepared to go deep into the playoffs.”

Rodriguez is currently committed to the University of Southern Mississippi.

Columbus will play a rematch against division rival Coral Gables in the next round of the playoffs. The Explorers defeated the Cavaliers 14-7 in their final game of the regular season.

“We learned a lot from are last game — I think we can beat them,” Rodriguez said about Coral Gables.

This story was originally published November 11, 2016 at 10:46 PM with the headline "Columbus defeats American 33-16 behind aerial attack to move on in playoffs."