Ransom Everglades tops Gulliver for first playoff win in nearly three decades
Ransom Everglades is known as one of the best academic schools in the country.
The Raiders also have typically fielded one of the more successful athletic programs in Miami-Dade County.
But football success has been rare for decades.
Times are changing for the Raiders.
After advancing to the regional playoffs for the second consecutive year, Ransom Everglades took things up a notch on Friday afternoon following a resilient 20-13 victory over longtime rival Gulliver Prep at Sean Taylor Memorial Field at Gulliver.
Ransom’s victory in the Region 4-2A quarterfinal matchup was only the second regional playoff victory in its program’s history and the first since the Raiders beat West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman in an opening round game in 1996.
“Adversity, they’ve fought through it and never gave up,” Ransom Everglades coach Johan Betancourt said. “It’s a lot of feelings right now since I went to this school. They fought and believed and executed.”
Ransom senior linebacker and team captain Jack McCarron gave a rousing speech during his team’s postgame gathering that said it all.
“This just doesn’t happen,” McCarron shouted before talking about the way he and his teammates worked and believed they could achieve what they have so far this season.
The Raiders (7-4), who won’t have to travel far next Friday to take on unbeaten Immaculata-La Salle (11-0) next Friday in the regional semifinals in Coconut Grove, continue to believe with each new milestone for their program.
The Raiders didn’t stop believing even after losing a top-tier talent at quarterback like FBS-level prospect Neiman Lawrence, who transferred to Miami Northwestern after two years starting for Ransom.
And they believed again on Friday even when leading 20-6 in the fourth quarter and seeing their longtime rivals nearly rip their joyous moment away.
With 4:35 left in the game, Gulliver (6-4) cut the deficit to one score when Drez Leonard caught a slant over the middle from quarterback Brendan Beery and raced 90 yards to the end zone.
Ransom quarterback Matthew Guevara was then stripped of the ball by Jaylen Wilson and Carter Bonilla recovered just past midfield, giving Gulliver one last chance.
Gulliver drove into Ransom territory and appeared to convert a 4th down when Champ Smith took a lateral pass from Beery and fired a pass to the end zone to Leonard, which drew a pass interference penalty that would have brought the ball to the Ransom 31 and kept the drive alive with 1:11 left. But a holding call on Gulliver meant offsetting penalties and nullified the play.
On the ensuing play, Beery was sacked by multiple Ransom defenders turning the ball over on downs.
Ransom struck first after Tyler Grossfield blocked a field goal, which led to a 9-yard touchdown run by Hans Van de kreeke. Ransom then added to its lead on a 3-yard touchdown run by Noah Alce.
A muffed punt by Ransom could have led to a Gulliver score just before halftime. But Ransom’s defense forced a loss on downs, preserving a 13-0 halftime lead.
After Beery connected with Leonard on a 50-yard touchdown for Gulliver’s first points with 7:56 left in the third to cut Ransom’s lead to 13-6, Van der kreeke came up with a clutch interception to swing the momentum back to his team. Guevara’s 3-yard touchdown run with 8:42 left put Ransom back up by two scores.
Ransom will next try to advance to the regional finals for the first time against a team it nearly defeated on Sept. 26. Ransom led La Salle 17-7 in that game before the Royal Lions scored twice in the final 14 minutes to remain undefeated.
“I told them since day one that it starts with everyone believing in this,” Betancourt said. “The kids have bought into the system. They’ve had different coaching staffs last few years, but they believe in us. We just have to prepare (for La Salle), work hard and do the best we can.”
