Hialeah Gardens defeats Goleman in penalty-laden game
Neither of these teams were headed to the postseason, but both of them played up to the heated rivalry that was both punishing and penalty-laden.
At the end, in a game called roughly 2 minutes 20 seconds early because of excessive unsportsmanlike penalties and a potentially dangerous brawl that never really developed, Hialeah Gardens beat Goleman 26-16 at Milander Park.
The teams combined for 286 yards in penalties, with 25 flags thrown and more that were unsettled when officials decided to end it early.
Andres Menahem’s 69-yard run with7:54 left in the second quarter set up Gabriel Almeidas’ 1-yard run that put Hialeah Gardens (4-6) ahead for good in a game that got exciting with a little less than nine minutes to play.
Frank Serna caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from John Correa with 8:51 to play to pull Goleman (2-8) within two at 18-16 after Tory Myers ran in the conversion.
But Menahem, who rushed for 116 yards, scored from 4 yards out after Gladiators quarterback Yhostin Diaz scampered 35 yards with less than four minutes to play.
Correa threw two touchdown passes for the Gators.
This story was originally published November 9, 2014 at 1:01 AM with the headline "Hialeah Gardens defeats Goleman in penalty-laden game."