Carol City beats Central in all three phases and on the scoreboard, 27-10
Carol City running back Bryn Davenport raced for 75 yards on 10 carries and caught two key passes for 41 yards as the Chiefs whipped Central 27-10 at Nathaniel Traz Powell Stadium on Friday night.
Both teams end the regular season 7-3.
Two things made this a feelgood win for Carol City: it’s a triumph over one of its North Miami-Dade rivals and everybody — offense, defense, special teams — can claim a piece of the victory pie.
The Chiefs’ defense swarmed Central for nine tackles for loss, including two sacks. On special teams, a perfectly dying Alex Lima punt and a punt return by scintillating Santana Blount set up the Carol City score that restored a two-score lead in the third quarter. Za’kari Johnson’s fourth quarter punt return fumble recovery returned possession to Carol City when the Rockets desperately needed the ball, down 20-10. Instead, Carol City drained the clock while moseying downfield to Davenport’s second touchdown.
Carol City quarterback Malik Leonard completed nine of 15 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. His counterpart most of the game, Central backup quarterback Mekhi Underwood, completed 10 of 18 for 180 yards and a touchdown after being forced into action.
The defenses dominated during a scoreless first quarter, providing the two most significant plays. Carol City middle linebacker Robert Sanford and Semaj Robinson came together on and over Central quarterback James Perrone on a sack that ended Perrone’s night and started Underwood’s.
Three plays later, from the Central 48-yard line, Davenport burst through the right side and was 5 yards from a touchdown when Central defensive back Tari Miller reenacted George Teague-on-Lamar Thomas in the 1993 Sugar Bowl — Miller chased Davenport down, stripped the ball and skedaddled with it 55 yards the other way.
But, Davenport opened the scoring 2:31 into the second quarter with a 1-yard run that ended a 67-yard drive. Davenport accounted for 47 yards with a tough 22-yard catch over the middle from Leonard; a 24-yard run; and the touchdown. Leonard also hit Marquel Brooks for 18 yards on the drive.
The next time Carol City had the ball, an illegal procedure penalty and a smashing tackle for loss by Miller left the Chiefs with third and 17 from the Rockets’ 47. Leonard got the first down and everything else with a hurl up the left sideline that Blunt ran under for a touchdown.
With Carol City up 13-0 and 4:11 left in the half, the Chiefs seemed en route to a rout. But, Underwood and running back Willington Jackson quickly got the Rockets back into the game.
Jackson opened the 65-yard drive with an 11-yard run; Underwood hit Malachi Mayes for 10 yards; Jackson burst for 7 yards to get the Rockets to the Carol City 37. On fourth down from the 42, Underwood floated to the right away from the Carol City pass rush and launched a hopeful bomb for which King Leite laid out and kept the Rockets’ hope alive with a 42-yard touchdown.
A 27-yard field goal by Cole Rodriguez cut the Carol City lead to 13-10 with 4:07 left in the third quarter. The Chiefs made it a two-score game again with a Leonard to Nicholas Lennear 12-yard touchdown pass set up by their special teams. The defense sat on the Central offense after a Lima punt was downed on the Central 2 and, when Central punted out of its end zone, Blunt returned the punt for 30 yards to the Rockets’ 12.
The Lennear touchdown sent Carol City into the final quarter up 20-10.
This story was originally published October 30, 2026 at 10:38 PM with the headline "Carol City beats Central in all three phases and on the scoreboard, 27-10."
