Led by versatile Reed, Monarch rallies to secure victory in Broward Showcase opener
Samari Reed isn’t afraid to do whatever Monarch High needs him to do on the football field.
“I can play everywhere. I can do it all. I’m not scared to do anything. You could put me at d-end and I’ll go get the quarterback. You need me to get those yards to win the game, I’ll do that,” Reed said.
Reed, a senior wide receiver and Ole Miss commit, didn’t blitz any quarterbacks on Thursday night.
What he did do was score three rushing touchdowns, a pair of two-point conversions and play blanket defense at cornerback to help the Knights erase a 14-point deficit in the second half and beat Georgia’s Peachtree Ridge 30-29 in their season opener at Coconut Creek High.
The contest was the opening game of the Broward County High School National Football Showcase, and marked the second consecutive season that Monarch won its game in the event in comeback fashion.
“Just don’t quit. Keep going. Keep going,” Reed said. “This is just the start for us. We have a bunch of good teams this season. We have to get back in the lab and clean stuff up and we’ll be back.”
With Monarch’s offense and quarterback Jack Spaeder struggling in the first half, the Knights (1-0) adjusted their offensive game plan to run Reed out of a Wildcat formation.
The strategy worked as he finished with 106 yards on 16 carries and gave Monarch’s offense some much-needed rhythm.
Reed’s 9-yard touchdown run and subsequent two-point conversion run with 6:01 left in the second quarter gave Monarch its first points after Peachtree Ridge (0-2) had jumped out to a 15-0 lead.
Just before halftime though, Peachtree Ridge struck quickly when receiver Kobe Hokes took a screen pass from quarterback Darnell Kelly and took off for an 87-yard touchdown catch and run to put the Lions ahead 22-8 at halftime.
Spaeder opened the game with a beautiful 50-yard completion down the sideline to Tulane commit Antwaun Parham. But three plays later, Spaeder was intercepted by safety KJ Talakai who returned the ball into Monarch territory.
Spaeder went 16 of 22 for 191 yards for the game, but was intercepted twice.
Reed ignited the running game and, after a 1-yard touchdown by Bre’Lan Mareus late in the third quarter, helped tie the game on a 7-yard score that was followed by a two-point conversion run by Spaeder.
After Peachtree Ridge retook the lead again on a 24-yard touchdown run by Sedric Addison, Reed paced another drive and finished it with a 3-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion run to give Monarch the lead for good.
“This is what we do. We had a great camp and pushed those guys,” Monarch coach Calvin Davis said. “We always tell them it will take four quarters. Good teams find a way. (Reed) is our best player and he’s always said with the game on the line, ‘Give me the ball.’”
The Knights will look to establish some momentum next Thursday hosting Deerfield Beach before taking on a tough challenge on the road against Class 7A state title contender Sanford Seminole.
