No. 4 Central survives upset scare, gets character-building win vs. Booker T. Washington

Miami Central’s season-opening stunner against Bradenton IMG Academy was a long distant memory by the time halftime rolled around of its first showdown with a South Florida opponent this season. Booker T. Washington, far from the national rankings and just starting to try to get back to its once-standard place among the top teams in Miami, had Central on the ropes with a flurry of takeaways and a half of mostly mistake-free play.

It was a challenge Jube Joseph knew his Rockets would get eventually and he was eager to see how they’d respond.

With a two-minute drill and one crucial fourth-down conversion, Central gave it to him to tie the game right before halftime and set itself up for a 36-19 win at Traz Powell Stadium.

“I saw my kids fight through adversity,” Joseph said. “You need some types of game like that.”

From there, the Rockets (2-0) never trailed again. They started the second half with a stop and a score, and then another one and it was enough to keep the Tornadoes (2-1) at bay. Central outscored Booker T. Washington, 23-6, in the second half, surviving an upset scare from a program seemingly back on the rise.

The Rockets needed more than a full quarter to finally spring to life on offense and even then it was only a temporary awakening. The Tornadoes threw all they had at Central and it had the Rockets actually trailing until the final moments of the second quarter.

After Central running back Jonathan Harris broke loose for a 42-yard touchdown run with 10:13 left in the second quarter, Booker T. Washington responded with 13 straight points, scoring one touchdown after a fumble by Rockets quarterback Dylan Tulloch and then another after Tornadoes coach Tim “Ice” Harris sprung a surprise onside kick on Central.

Booker T. Washington quarterback Claudel Sherman tossed a go-ahead touchdown pass to Tornadoes wide receiver Xavier Irvin with 2:03 left in the first half and Booker T. Washington took a 13-7 lead.

The Tornadoes’ next kickoff went out of bounds, so Central needed to go just 60 yards on its two-minute drill and Rockets quarterback Keyone Jenkins delivered, shaking off a first-quarter interception with a clutch second-quarter drive.

“That’s why we call him ‘Lyghtz Out.’ He’s going to play lights out,” Joseph said. “That’s like Steph Curry missing a three-pointer. It happens.”

Jenkins, who’s orally committed to the FIU Panthers, went 3 of 4 for 54 yards on the drive — including a 19-yard pass on fourth-and-10 — and capped it by throwing a touchdown to Central wide receiver Cataurus Hicks with 7.7 seconds left in the half.

Hicks scored two touchdowns. Jenkins threw three. Once the Rockets started to take care of the ball, they seized control, as is expected of the No. 4 team in MaxPreps’ national rankings.

“Once we got things together for ourselves, we were unstoppable,” Joseph said. “We’re our biggest threat. We’re our biggest enemies.”

Jenkins and Hicks linked up again on Central’s first drive, but the Rockets settled for a field goal on the second and Booker T. Washington got the lead down to 22-19 with 9:35 left.

Once more, Jenkins and Central strung together a clutch drive in response. The Rockets again started at their own 40-yard line and Jenkins led them 60 yards on just seven plays, scrambling twice for 8 and 9 yards, converting on fourth-and-4 with a 9-yard pass and finishing the drive by throwing a 30-yard touchdown to Central wide receiver Anjuan Coleman on a screen pass to go back up 29-19 with 6:15 remaining.

On the Rockets’ final drive, Harris sealed the win with his second 42-yard touchdown.

“It’s going to build character,” Joseph said. “At the end of the day, it’s not about what you do when you’re up 32. It’s about what you do when you’re down 14 and it’s crunch time against a quality opponent.”

MORE SCORES

Saturday: No. 2 Chaminade 42, No. 5 Northwestern 14; Westminster Christian 40, True North 28; Friday: No. 3. St. Thomas Aquinas 42, Cocoa 14; No. 4 American Heritage 56, Belle Glade Glades Central 0; No. 6 Columbus 32, Tampa Jesuit 15; No. 7 Cardinal Gibbons 31, No. 16 Gulliver 14; No. 8 Western 10, No. 12 Coconut Creek 3 (OT); No. 9 Homestead 24, St. Pete Lakewood 14; No. 11 Dillard 35, 14. Miramar 7; No. 15 Palmetto 33, Killian 13; No. 17 Monsignor Pace 35, Naples Lely 7; No. 18 Edison 35, North Miami 24; Archbishop Carroll 41, Palmer Trinity 0; Avant Garde 62, Delray American Heritage 16; Belen Jesuit 15, Fairfield Prep 14; Braddock 48, Southwest 6; Coral Reef 34, Hialeah Gardens 8; Coral Park 34, Varela 0; Coral Shores 48, Palm Glades Prep 0; Coral Springs 10, Hollywood Hills 6; Coral Springs Charter 26, Archbishop McCarthy 14; Cypress Bay 31, Flanagan 8; Doral 49, Mater Academy 14; Everglades 27, Cooper City 0; Fort Lauderdale 38, Tallahassee Leon 0; Hialeah 46, HML 0; Lake Placid 21, Nova 16; Miami Beach 36, Ferguson 6; Jackson 8, Krop 6; McCallie (TN) 62, West Broward 27; Miami High 27, Miami Springs 12; Monarch 6, Hallandale 0; North Broward Prep 20, Pembroke Pines Charter 13; Somerset Academy 60, Ransom Everglades 21; Somerset Academy South Homestead 43, Somerset North Lauderdale 12; South Plantation 41, Northeast 6; Stranahan 22, Deerfield Beach 18; Sunset 29, Everglades Prep 16; Westminster Academy 21, St. Brendan 13; Thursday: No. 18 Plantation 40, Stoneman Douglas 26; Delray Atlantic 30, North Miami Beach 28; American 14, Goleman 13; Calvary Christian 28, Pine Crest 14; Pompano Beach 21, Miami Country Day 3; Somerset Silver Palms 33, Florida Christian 0; Marathon 22, University School 19.

This story was originally published September 10, 2022 at 12:17 AM with the headline "No. 4 Central survives upset scare, gets character-building win vs. Booker T. Washington."