Edison blows out Benjamin to open postseason and Northwestern survives scare in Key West
A traffic jam was the only thing to slow down Edison in the Region 4-3A quarterfinals Friday against Benjamin.
The Red Raiders were late arriving to Traz Powell Stadium for its postseason opener in Miami, and it meant Edison started slow after missing out on warm-ups and its typical pregame routine. Still, the Red Raiders were rolling by the end of the first half and cruised to a 54-14 win against the Buccaneers.
“We ended up coming in sluggish, but that still is no excuse,” coach Luther Campbell said. “For the most part, that’s the sign of a good team that will come out in the second half.”
Wide receiver Nathaniel Joseph, and running backs Darius Chester and Livingston Benoit all scored two touchdowns, largely off of explosive plays
Edison (3-1) took a 27-14 lead into halftime after Joseph returned a punt 48 yards for a touchdown with less than six minutes to go in the first half. On the Red Raiders’ first drive of the second half, Benoit ripped off a 45-yard touchdown run to push the lead on Benjamin (2-4) up to 34-14. Midway through the third, Chester busted an 80-yard touchdown run up the middle to stretch the lead all the way out to 48-14.
Edison advances to the Region 3-4A semifinals and will host St. John Paul II Academy next Friday.
Homestead 24, Naples Gulf Coast 13
Homestead jumped out to a 19-0 lead in Naples and held off a late push from Gulf Coast to win a Class 7A play-in game Friday. Adrian Harris, David Jester, Joseph Stevens and Daron Williams scored touchdowns for the Broncos, with Stevens returning an interception 80 yards for a score.
Homestead will host Doral Academy in the Region 4-7A quarterfinals next Friday.
Calvary Christian Academy 50, Palm Glades Prep Academy 6
Calvary Christian kept its perfect season intact with a blowout win against Palm Glades Prep on Friday in Fort Lauderdale.
The Eagles will get a rematch of the 2019 Region 4-Class 3A championship next Friday when they face Chaminade-Madonna in Hollywood for the Region 4-3A semifinals.
Fort Myers Dunbar 38, Belen Jesuit 0
Don Chaney Sr.’s first season as Belen Jesuit’s coach came to an end in a Class 6A play-in game with a shutout loss to Dunbar in Fort Myers.
The Wolverines finish Chaney’s first season at .500.
Northwestern 28, Key West 20
Northwestern got a scare Friday in Key West, but hung on to beat the Conchs to begin its quest for a fourth straight state championship.
The Bulls fumbled late in the fourth quarter to give Key West a chance to drive and tie the game. Northwestern, however, came up with a final stop to win a Class 5A play-in. The Bulls will face Plantation American Heritage next Friday in the Region 4-5A quarterfinals.
Plantation American Heritage 49, Melbourne Palm Bay 0
American Heritage handled its business in the 5A play-in round, shutting out Palm Bay in Plantation.
James Williams, who is orally committed to the Miami Hurricanes, blocked a punt in the Patriots’ blowout win. They’ll host Northwestern next Friday in Plantation in a rematch of the 2019 Region 4-5A championship.
Chaminade-Madonna 52, Somerset Academy Silver Palms 0
Chaminade-Madonna’s quest for a fourth straight state championship began Friday with a blowout win against Somerset Academy in the Region 4-3A quarterfinals in Miami.
The Lions will host Calvary Christian next Friday in Hollywood for the Region 4-3A semifinals.
Champagnat Catholic 42, Naples First Baptist Academy 0
Champagnat’s quest to repeat as Class 2A champion continued Friday with a blowout win in the Region 4-2A quarterfinals Naples.
Through two rounds of the 2A playoffs, Champagnat has allowed seven total points and outscored opponents by 100 points. Champagnat goes back on the road for the Region 4-2A semifinals next Friday against Moore Haven.
Westminster Academy wins by forfeit
Westminster is moving on to the Region 4-2A semifinals after Miami Christian forfeited its quarterfinal matchup.
Westminster will host Community School of Naples next Friday in Fort Lauderdale for the region semifinals.
Regular-season games
▪ St. Brendan (6-1) 47, Surge Academy 6: Damari Charlton 10 for 15 and 163 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 44 yards and one touchdown. Isaac Brown 123 all purpose yards and three touchdowns. Richard Dandridge 122 all purpose yards and two touchdowns. Terrell Franklin 6 Tackles. Christian Lowry 4 tackles 1 fumble recovery.
▪ Hialeah Gardens (2-1) 6, Westland (1-2) 2: Quarterback Marvin Machado had 15 carries for 61 yards and running back Leo Labarta had a crucial 10-yard touchdown run. Defensive end Anthony Hernandez recorded 2 sacks, Machado, as a free safety, contributed with a fourth-quarter interception and a goal line tackle in the final seconds on a 4th-down stop at the 1-yard line.
▪ Palmer Trinity Falcons (4-2) 41, Marathon (0-5) 6: The Falcons were led by senior Jose Corbo with 305 yards on 16 attempts. Corbo also had 6 rushing touchdowns. Sophomores Santana Wooten and Matthew Ehrenreich had 5 tackles each. Senior Caleb Young had 5 tackles 1 tfl. And 8th-grader Davion Dixon had 4 tackles with 2 tfl.
This story was originally published November 14, 2020 at 12:41 AM.
