Miramar football rallies for dramatic overtime win over Edison in preseason classic
The familiar chants of “Dark Side” didn’t come from the Miramar High fans until the final series of Friday night’s game.
The longtime nickname is one the Patriots dubbed for many of their elite defensive units over the years.
This year’s younger Miramar squad has a way to go before it can be regarded among them.
But in the closing moments of regulation and ensuing overtime tiebreaker, these Patriots made the plays necessary to pull off a dramatic 36-28 comeback win over Miami Edison that would have made their defensive predecessors proud.
“It’s just resilience and knowing our guys would work hard to come back,” Miramar assistant coach Andre Brennan said. “I told them just keep doing what you’re doing and make sure you stick to your assignment. The Dark Side defense shuts it down when we need to.”
The game was part of the Miami Super Showdown Classic - an inaugural six-game series of preseason games featuring some of the top teams in South Florida on Friday and Saturday at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami.
When Edison running back Sterling Joseph scored the last of his three rushing touchdowns with a little over four minutes left, it put Miramar in a seemingly-insurmountable 28-14 hole.
Patriots receiver Carlos Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 28-20 with 59 seconds left.
Although Miramar missed the two-pointer, its defense would hold Edison and regain possession with under a minute left.
Miramar quarterback Jayvin Smart, who earned MVP honors, threw the last of his three touchdown passes to pull the Patriots within two points. Smart then connected with wide receiver Nehemiah Pittman, who made a spectacular one-handed catch and hauled in another touchdown pass earlier in the game, for the game-tying conversion.
Miramar took the first possession of overtime and scored again when Smart powered his way up the middle for 5 yards into the end zone. He then found Pittman in the corner of the end zone for the two-point conversion.
Miramar’s defense did the rest.
With their band playing the backdrop for their “Dark Side” chants, senior Lavon Moss shot through and took down Edison quarterback Rudolph Jones in the backfield on fourth down to seal the win.
Brennan felt the Patriots, who have been eliminated in the regional finals each of the past two seasons, should gain confidence from a win like Friday’s - albeit in an exhibition game.
“We have a lot of young guys coming in, but we are all focused and locked in and these kids are accountable,” Brennan said. “They’ve been building this all summer and trusting each other.”
Miramar faces a tough task in its regular season opener next Friday at home against 2023 Class 2M state runner-up Miami Norland.
Edison will try to rebound when it faces American at 3:30 p.m. at Traz on Thursday.
The Super Showdown continues on Saturday with four games - Homestead vs. West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman, 10 a.m.; Norland vs. Seffner Armwood, 1; Miami Carol City vs. Miami Jackson, 5:30 and Miami Northwestern vs. Miami Palmetto, 8:30.
▪ Super Showdown Series - Miami Central 32, Ocala Vanguard 0: Rockets quarterback Bekkem Kritza threw a pair of touchdown passes - one to Sekou Smith Jr. and the other to Nae’shaun Montgomery.
MORE SCORES
Friday: Chaminade-Madonna 56, Archbishop Carroll 0; American Heritage 37, Blanche Ely 26; Somerset Academy 24, Miami High 20; Dillard 21, Booker T. Washington 14; Miami La Salle 28, Gulliver 7; Delray American Heritage 46, Coral Springs Charter 6; Miami Springs 35, Braddock 0; NSU University School 14, Jupiter Christian 6; Naples Golden Gate 28, Everglades 26; Monarch 34, Coconut Creek 12; Florida Christian 28, Southwest 0; Boyd Anderson 24, Calvary Christian 21.
Thursday: St. Thomas Aquinas 37, Fort Myers Bishop Verot 14; Cardinal Gibbons 35, Piper 6; Hollywood Hills 36, Northeast 15.
This story was originally published August 17, 2024 at 12:01 AM.
