Sophomore wide receiver’s defensive debut ignites Central’s state championship victory
Sophomore wide receiver Joshisa Trader hadn’t played defense at all since transferring to Miami Central earlier this season.
But on Friday afternoon, Trader’s first play of the season on defense ignited another explosive Rockets’ state championship victory.
Trader’s late second quarter, 92-yard interception return for a touchdown swung the momentum for good in a 49-14 Central victory over Merritt Island in the Class 5A state final at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
With the Rockets ahead 14-7 with 3:28 left in the second quarter, and the Mustangs at the Central 6-yard line, Trader picked off a pass from quarterback Brady Denaburg, which was deflected by senior Qualyn McQueen, and proceeded to weave his way through Merritt Island’s offensive players-turned-defenders and raced down the sideline to the end zone.
“That’s all we needed, one little momentum push and nobody can stop us,” Trader said. “I waited and (McQueen) tipped the ball and I took it to the crib.”
The play ignited a run of 28 unanswered points including 21 before halftime which allowed Central to open up a 35-7 lead at the break.
In less than three minutes, Central went from going toe-to-toe with a team many expected it to handle early to securing what’s been a more customary result in recent years at the state finals.
The Rockets, who won their third consecutive state title and a Miami-Dade County-record eighth overall, have won their past four state championship games by an average margin of 37.8 points. Central has won its past seven appearances at state, winning five of those by 35 or more points.
Trader’s contributions to the blowout didn’t stop there though. He also caught four passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
Trader, who transferred from Monsignor Pace during the season, finished his first season at Central with 25 catches for 571 yards and six touchdowns.
Trader’s physical tools, speed and instincts, have already earned him 12 scholarship offers from top FBS teams including Georgia, Ohio State, Miami, Florida, FSU, UCF, South Carolina and Syracuse.
Trader, who said Ohio State has stood out the most to him so far, grew up a fan of L.A. Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and hopes he will also make it to the NFL in the coming years.
“He’s a helluva a football player. He’s a baby, just a sophomore but he’s a helluva football player and that’s why he’s highly recruited,” Central coach Roland Smith said. “He’s got two more years in this program and we’re really excited to have him be a part of this. He’s playing big-man football at a young age and that’s why he’s so special.”
Smith said it didn’t take Trader, a 6-1, 170-pound speedy wideout who runs a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, to acclimate to his new team and gradually earn an expanded role in Central’s offense.
“My coaching staff does a tremendous job on getting kids ready to play and they went to work to get him adjusted to our system, so hats off to them,” Smith said. “That’s why we have all the success that we do here because we have a coaching staff that knows how to teach these kids.”
Although Trader hadn’t played in the secondary since donning Central’s green and white, he said he had played as a defensive back during his youth playing Optimist football for the Miami Gardens Ravens.
After the game Trader had on Friday, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he continues to expand his role on both sides of the ball as Central’s dynasty aims to continue adding championships.
“The best decision I ever made,” Trader said about his decision to come to Central. “Every year, that’s the goal. Win a championship.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2021 at 7:37 PM.
