MIAMI – Glades Central has finally gotten over the playoff hump.
It’s been a long time coming for the Raiders, who went on the road and took down Class 4A powerhouse Booker T. Washington in a 18-16 win last night at Traz Powell Stadium. It was their first-ever victory over the F-5 Tornadoes.
How did the Raiders get the job done in Miami?
Down 10-2 at halftime, the Raiders (No. 3 seed; 9-3 record) put together a complete effort on offense, defense, and special teams in the final two quarters of their 4A Region 4 semifinal slugfest against the favored Tornadoes (No. 2 seed; 5-6 final record).
The Raiders onslaught began with a field goal that cut the Tornadoes lead to 10-5 with 5:45 left in the third quarter. And almost immediately the Tornadoes got the ball back, Raiders defensive back Elie Fils-Aime picked off their quarterback’s pass and ran it in for a defensive score, which gave the Muck program a 11-10 lead at the 5:24 mark.
And later in the third, Glades Central’s offense went to work by finding the end zone on a 8-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Davius Richards to senior wide receiver Odieu Hilaire. The score, plus an extra point, extended Glades Central’s lead to 18-10 over Booker T. Washington with 2:16 left in the third quarter.
It proved to be enough for the Raiders, who put the clamps on defense for the remainder of last night’s playoff game.
“We’re coming,” Richards told Football Hotbead reporter Marcus Benjamin in a videotaped interview after the game. “We’re hungry.”
Glades Central senior defensive back Kenderlin Dort, who shut down opportunities for the opposition’s wide receivers last night, chimed in on Richard’s efforts against Booker T. Washington.
“It was a big game for him and a lot of pressure, of course being the quarterback, on him,” Dort said. “In the first half he was in a slump. But with us as his brothers and coaches helping him get calmed down, we let him know who he is and what’s he’s capable of doing in the second half. He was the Davius Richards that everyone knew him for.”
The fourth quarter was all about the defense for Glades Central, which withstood a furious late rally by Booker T. Washington.
With 3:40 left in the game, Tornadoes quarterback Torrey Morrison reached the end zone on a 2-yard run, which cut the Raiders lead to 18-16. But a two-point conversion attempt was foiled by senior athlete E.J. Jackson, who intercepted a pass in the end zone.
This would go down as perhaps the Raiders most important play of the game. It effectively saved their season, which goes on for at least another week.
“EJ is the quarterback of our defense,” Dort said. “He’s been great ever since he put the maroon and gold on. The pick just showed how great he was as an individual out there on the field. After that we knew we had the game in the bag. Big time players make big time plays in big time moments. It’s what I have to say about that final play.”
To officially secure the 18-16 victory, Glades Central needed one more series of stops on defense. It got just that as the Raiders struck down the season’s final drive for the Booker T. Washington Tornadoes on a fourth-down play with 1:12 left.
And from there, the road victors ran the clock out and extended their winning streak to seven games.
“Booker T. Washington has the history of being great, and they still have that greatness,” Dort said. “In the first half it was a dog fight, them being the big dog. In the second half, we just had to prove the underdog had that fight in them. We bit back with more force. But overall Booker T. Washington is a sound team with a good coaching scheme. They have everything you need in a championship team, but the turnovers helped us get the victory over them.”
Next game for Glades Central: Class 4A Region 4 final on Friday, Nov. 23 (7:30 p.m. kickoff).
Next opponent for Glades Central: Winner of tonight’s other 4A Region 4 semifinal game between No. 1 seed University School (9-1) and No. 5 seed Gulliver Prep (8-3).
