Homestead capitalizes on six turnovers to rout Northwestern and snap losing skid
A shocking loss to rival Southridge which cost them the championship of their district left the Homestead football team feeling like a ship lost at sea.
A week later, the Broncos made a major course correction to their season.
Propelled by its defense and special teams, and the return of starting quarterback Joshua Townsend, Homestead picked up an impressive 44-28 victory over Miami Northwestern on Thursday night at Traz Powell Stadium.
The Broncos (7-2) forced six turnovers and turned them into 28 points as they snapped a two-game skid during which they scored a combined 14 points in losses to Columbus and Southridge.
The slide coincided with the absence of Townsend, who suffered a foot injury on Sept. 30 against South Miami.
Townsend completed 11 of 15 passes for 232 yards and threw four touchdown passes as well as three two-point conversion passes to lead the Broncos offense.
“We felt like we were lost in the ocean and we just needed to find a paddle and find a direction,” Homestead coach Phillip Simpson said. “Ever since Monday, we talked about (needing a) bounce back game. We were down a few guys, but we know what we can do. We needed this today and it was a great program win.”
A week ago, Northwestern (4-4) saw what kind of positive effect the return of an injured starting quarterback could have when Bulls starter Taron Dickens came back to lead them to a critical win over Booker T. Washington.
They saw it happen for their opponents on Thursday as Townsend ignited Homestead’s recently-dormant offense with a perfectly-timed 53-yard touchdown pass down the sideline to Richard Dandridge.
“After we lost to Southridge, Townsend sent us all an extremely long text message about how he was going to put this team on his back,” Townsend said. “He is by far the most special player I’ve ever coached.”
Dickens ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns. He also completed 16 of 23 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown, but lost three fumbles and threw two interceptions. Junior defensive back Sir Robertgeau picked off Dickens and returned it 63 yards to the Northwestern 1 to set up the Broncos’ second score.
Homestead built a 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter following a 49-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Robertgeau, who also had a sack. Sophomore Joshua McDowell also recovered two fumbles and Lance Grant and David Jester each had one.
Northwestern wrested the momentum back from Homestead before halftime by taking advantage of a special teams miscue when the Broncos failed to field a kickoff and allowed the Bulls to recover at their 15. Dickens hit Adam Moore for a 1-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 28-14. Marlon Cochran’s 1-yard touchdown run on Northwestern’s opening drive of the second half cut Homestead’s lead to 28-20.
But a 68-yard return on the ensuing kickoff by Trimaine Brown proved crucial as it set up Townsend’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Cortez Mills. It was the first of two touchdown connections between the two, which provided the decisive counter punch for Homestead to hang on for the victory.
“We came off a loss and the school was down, but we came together as a team and did what we had to do,” Jester said.
MORE SCORES
▪ North Broward Prep 54, Coral Springs Charter 32: DeAndre Desinor set a school record with seven touchdowns to lead the Eagles.
No. 10 Blanche Ely 38, Piper 14
No. 11 Miramar 21, No. 12 Davie Western 0
No. 13 Miami Norland 35, No. 19 Miami Palmetto 14
No. 16 Carol City 25, South Miami 18
American 36, Ferguson 7
Coral Reef 30, Westland Hialeah 8
Edison 21, South Dade 14
Hialeah-Miami Lakes 20, Varela 0
Krop 32, Braddock 14
Miami Springs 14, Reagan 13
Plantation 14, Deerfield Beach 7
Pompano Beach 35, Berean Christian 0
Somerset Academy 47, Somerset Canyons 14
Stoneman Douglas 54, South Broward 27
University School 47, Deerfield Somerset Key 0
West Boca Raton 35, Northeast 0
West Broward 33, Flanagan 0
This story was originally published October 21, 2022 at 12:01 AM.
