Jenkins leads Central over Norland, keeps bid for four consecutive state titles on track

The Miami Central Rockets took another step toward securing their fourth consecutive state title, as they handled Miami Norland, 34-20, on Friday night in the Region 4-2M final at Traz Powell Stadium.

The Rockets (12-0) advanced to the state semifinals to take on St. Petersburg Lakewood on Friday night at Traz, seeking yet another a trip to a state championship game.

Central got off to a hot start, scoring on their first drive by way of a 2-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Keyone Jenkins. The Vikings (9-4) were able to tie things up at 7-7 with a 7-yard scoring rush of their own from running back Javin Simpkins, but Jenkins and Central began to pull away in the second quarter.

Jenkins led Central on four scoring drives in the game, finishing with 127 yards passing, 83 yards rushing, and two total touchdowns (1 pass, 1 rush). Rockets senior running back Jonathan Harris added a touchdown of his own, bursting through the first level and scorching Norland’s defense for a 65-yard scoring run. Harris totaled 91 rush yards on the night and added 15 receiving yards on a pair of catches.

Late in the first half, Central defensive back Amari Wallace blocked a Norland punt, which was recovered in the end zone for a Rockets touchdown. That play felt like it deflated just about any chance at a comeback that the Vikings had left. By halftime, the Rockets were up 31-13 and had shifted into cruise control.

Rockets kicker James London, who went 2 for 2 on field goals, tacked on a 37-yarder in the fourth quarter to give Central its final points.

To their credit, Norland never gave up, cutting the lead to just 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Had the Vikings mustered one more touchdown to close the gap late, the result may have been a bit different when the clock hit triple zeros. But the Rocket defense was unrelenting, led by Ruben Bain’s two-sack evening, and Norland was never able to convert those crucial scores.

For the Vikings, who hadn’t made it as far as the regional final in 11 seasons, it’s a tough end to an exciting year. They played the Rockets much tighter than their initial 53-7 blowout loss from the teams’ regular-season meeting.