Led by versatile quarterback, Braddock upends rival Ferguson in thrilling finish

Neighborhood and district rivals Braddock and Ferguson did what rival teams do sometimes - turn in an instant classic.

Close to 2,000 fans packed in to Tropical Park Stadium were treated to one Saturday night as the lead changed hands four times in the fourth quarter before Braddock quarterback David Garcia snuck over from a half-yard out on fourth-and-goal with 18 seconds left to give Braddock a dramatic 35-33 victory over Ferguson.

But if anybody thought that’s all Garcia did in the final two minutes of the game, guess again.

After his team fell behind 33-28 when Ferguson running back Manuel Rodriguez scored on a six yard touchdown run with 1:27 to play, Garcia took the ensuing kickoff as the team’s kick returner and bolted 54 yards down the far sideline to set his offense up at the Ferguson 38.

Now back at quarterback, two plays later he lofted a perfectly thrown pass to wide receiver Brian Martinez down the sideline for a 31 yard gain to the Ferguson 7.

Three plays later, facing a fourth-and-goal at the half yard line, he followed a nice block by his center and pushed forward over the goal line for the go-ahead touchdown.

“We were trying to get them (Ferguson defense) with the jet motion again because we had run that on the previous play to see if they would bite on it,” said Garcia of the winning score. “It was a quarterback sneak all the way and I just followed my center through the A gap because I trusted that he would deliver a block and that’s exactly what he did.”

Following his score, Garcia still wasn’t done.

Following the ensuing kickoff, he took the field as the team’s free safety and picked off a desperation Ferguson pass to seal a very important win for the Bulldogs (4-1) as this was a showdown for first place in the southern division of the GMAC Independent Conference. Ferguson fell to 3-2.

“When it’s crosstown rivals going at it, it’s all about keeping your head up and staying determined,” Garcia said. “This was big tonight because we knew the winner would be on top in the district so we had to do our job. Not once did me or my teammates drop our heads after we fell behind. I was just trying to do everything I could to help my team win and I was blessed to be in a position to do so.”

Garcia came through at the end of the first half as well when he scrambled up the middle and scored from 12 yards out just nine seconds before halftime to snap a 14-14 tie and put his team in front 21-14 at the break.

Trailing by six, Braddock took a 28-27 lead with 10:02 left in the game when running back Cesareo Beruvides scored from 11 yards out. The Falcons then went on a marathon 16 play drive, converting twice on third down and once on fourth down, that ate up over eight minutes of the clock before Rodriguez scored setting the stage for Garcia’s late heroics.

MORE SCORES

Monday: Calvary Christian 36, Coral Springs Charter 14; Cooper City 14, Flanagan 6; Doral 30, Goleman 14; Edison 45, La Salle 8; Everglades 21, American 13; Gulliver 44, Killian 6; Monarch 62, Olympic Heights 0; McArthur 30, Hollywood Hills 0; Palmer Trinity 26, Somerset Charter Homestead 6; St. Brendan 21, Miami Springs 14; Stoneman Douglas 49, Coral Springs 0; Stranahan 48, Hallandale 12; West Boca Raton 21, Deerfield Beach 17; Saturday: University School 48, West Palm Beach SLAM 6; Cypress Bay 35, Coral Glades 8; Berean Christian 14, Miami Country Day 10; Mater Academy 32, Hialeah 29.

This story was originally published October 2, 2022 at 8:13 AM.