Defense carries Goleman to crucial win as it aims to end prolonged playoff drought
There is still much work to be done. But Saturday night was big for Goleman.
Having only been to the FHSAA state playoffs once in program history in 2004, the Gators moved one step closer to breaking their long playoff drought.
Sitting in the eighth and final qualifying spot in Region 4-4M (232nd overall) per the latest FHSAA power rankings and entering the week and facing Miami High, which was nipping at their heels in 10th place (264), the Gators found a way to knock off the Stingarees 16-6 at Milander Stadium.
With Columbus having virtually locked up the District 15-4M championship, this matchup between two other teams from that district was more about securing valuable playoff power points. Goleman, a team decimated by injuries all season, improved to 5-2 overall on the season and 1-1 in district play while the Stings dropped to 3-4, 0-2.
“We dug down and found a way,” Goleman coach Ariel Cribeiro said. “We’re down 13 starters from week one and we’re still finding ways to win football games. Miami High is a good football team and it took everything we had to get this thing done tonight.”
With the offensive line particularly hit hard with injuries, Cribeiro was forced to rely on his defense and that unit did not disappoint.
After giving up a touchdown on Miami High’s very first play from scrimmage when quarterback Jayden Romulus found wide receiver Zion Chery for a 54-yard scoring strike to put the Stings ahead 6-0, the Gator defense dominated the rest of the night.
A 40-yard touchdown run by running back Jason Francois on a fourth-and-one play on Goleman’s ensuing drive squared the game at 6-6 which is where it would remain until late in the third quarter.
That’s when Goleman’s Matthew Martin picked off a Romulus pass at midfield. A 38-yard deep pass from Goleman quarterback Eric Mejia to Francois, about the only other positive offensive play the Gators had other than the Francois TD run, set Goleman up at the MHS 10. Three plays later, Michael Rocco connected on a 28-yard field goal to put the Gators up 9-6.
Then came time for the biggest play of the night when, on the following possession, Miami High was in punt formation on a fourth-and-five at its own 45. The Stings tried a fake and it backfired when the upback could not handle the direct snap. Gator defensive end Brando Gudino emerged from the wild scramble for the ball and took off running for the end zone. The 32-yard scoop-and-score put Goleman up 16-6 with 1:04 left in the third.
The Gator defense finished things off in the fourth quarter with a Brandon Berry interception and Gudino himself wrapped things up with a crushing sack of Romulus that jarred the ball loose and he recovered with 3:23 left in the game.
Goleman hosts Killian at its school next Friday at 3:30 p.m. in the GMAC series. A win over the Cougars might further cement the Gators into that No. 8 slot which will be important because then they finish with two tough ones against Columbus and Monsignor Pace over the final two weeks.
“Our team philosophy is defense wins championships,” Cribeiro said. “That’s what we do and you saw that out there tonight. Our defense is going to give us a shot in the fourth quarter to win every single game and that’s all we preach to our guys week in and week out. It got us the win tonight. Every week is its own season and a new challenge so we’re looking forward to Killian next week.”