Gulliver Prep dominates Booker T. Washington for shutout win in regional semifinal
It was the type of game Earl Sims wanted to see from his Gulliver Prep team.
The Raiders were explosive on offense, stifling on defense and strong on special teams.
The result: A blowout 43-0 win for No. 1 seed Gulliver Prep over fourth-seeded Booker T. Washington in a Region 4-4A semifinal Friday at Tropical Park. The Raiders improve to 8-1, while Booker T. Washington finished the season 5-7.
“Our guys fought hard,” Sims said.
Take your pick as to who made the biggest impact.
It could be Lamont Green Jr., the edge rusher and Florida State commit who lived in the Tornadoes’ backfield. Green had four sacks on Friday, including the final play of the game.
It could be Sedrick Irvin Jr., the running back who scored each of Gulliver Prep’s final three offensive touchdowns. His 2-yard run up the middle midway through the fourth quarter activated the running clock to close out the game. Irvin also scored on a 3-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter and a 20-yard catch and run from Carson Haggard to give Gulliver Prep a 26-0 halftime lead.
Haggard threw three first-half touchdowns.
It could be Antwaan Mays, who made his presence felt on both sides of the ball. He caught five passes for 103 yards and had an interception to close out the third quarter that gave the Raiders the short field for Irvin’s third touchdown.
Or maybe even Trey Lathan, who opened scoring with an 18-yard touchdown catch after he bobbled Haggard’s pass twice, fully gained possession and ran past the Booker T. Washington defense and then closed scoring with a pick-six in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Raiders will host Cardinal Gibbons next week for the regional final. The Chiefs also won in a shutout, 42-0 over Pine Crest.
It’s a rematch of last year’s regional semifinal, a game Cardinal Gibbons won 29-7 on its way to winning the Class 4A state title.
“It will be one worth watching,” Sims said. “They’re a good team, the defending state champions. You’ve got to give them the respect and the credit. It should be a good game.”
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