Coconut Creek, FL
On Thursday (August 22), the Miami Northwestern Bulls traveled up to Broward County to take on the Coconut Creek Cougars to kick off Week 1 of high school football.
To start the first quarter, the Cougars received the ball and quickly went three and out.
In their first possession of the game, the Bulls didn’t air out the ball as most people had expected. Rather, they mixed in runs with some quick passes.
Following a big sack by Coconut Creek’s Nimari Brantley, the Bulls soon turned the ball over on downs after a failed fourth-down attempt.
On the ensuing drive, Creek mishandled the snap, a common occurrence in this game, and gave the ball right back to the Bulls.
Miami Northwestern took advantage of the opportunity, as QB Leon Strawder found WR Nicsaint Joseph Jr. for a wide-open touchdown, putting the Bulls up 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
The Cougars once again had to punt after another three and out.
On Miami Northwestern’s next drive, they really showed their explosive offense. Four-star WR Calvin Russell caught a 41-yard TD pass on a lovely deep ball from Strawder, helping to make the score 14-0.
The next drive for the Cougars also resulted in a punt.
On the punt return, electric returner J’Vari Flowers took it all the way to the end zone, but a penalty brought the touchdown back.
To start the 2nd quarter, the Bulls were held to a field goal, pushing the score to 17-0.
On the next drive for Coconut Creek, they managed to get a first down, but another bad snap sent them back, ultimately forcing them to punt.
With good field position, the Bulls went on to score with a touchdown catch from WR Calvin Russell, making the score 24-0.
We caught up with Miami North Western’s 4-Star Wr Calvin Russell(@14gump_ ) following the Bulls' 45-0 blowout win over Coconut Creek. pic.twitter.com/3xozYYk3z8
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) August 23, 2024
The second half of the game was much the same. The Bulls added to their lead with a touchdown run from RB King Davis and a 50-yard touchdown catch from WR Darius Johnson.
The final score was 45-0 in favor of the Bulls.
Coconut Creek was unable to get much going on offense throughout the game, and their defense did what they could to minimize the damage.
The Cougars’ defensive line played well despite the circumstances and will be a tough group to face for any team.
Last year, after finishing 4-6, the Bulls hired former alumni and NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in order to help bring back Miami Northwestern, a.k.a. “The West.”
In just his first year of coaching, things are off to a great start for the Miami Northwestern Bulls.
We caught up with Miami North Western’s new head coach Teddy Bridgewater following the Bulls' dominant week one performance. pic.twitter.com/UoZOw9my8j
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) August 23, 2024
What’s next?
Next week, the Miami Northwestern Bulls will travel to take on the Venice Indians on Friday, August 30. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.
The Coconut Creek Cougars will travel up to Tennessee to take on the Baylor Red Raiders on September 6, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m.
