PAHOKEE – In last weekend’s Muck Bowl, the Pahokee Blue Devils dominated the Glades Central Raiders on both defense and offense.
En route to an easy 28-0 win at home on Nov. 6, the Blue Devils scored once in each of the game’s four quarters. Three of those four touchdowns were by our co-MVP’s of Week 11, junior defensive end Deejay Holmes and senior running back Micah Steele.
Truth be told, both Pahokee players made their scores look easy. This is how lopsided the Muck Bowl actually was.
Let us start with Holmes.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive end finished the game with three tackles (two tackles for loss), two quarterback hurries that directly to interceptions, one sack, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.
The Holmes quarterback hurry and fumble recovery for a score happened at the 5:32 mark of the third quarter. This game-changing play – along with an extra point – gave Pahokee a 21-0 lead over Glades Central.
“We studied that screen play all day in film, so me and my d-line was ready for that,” Holmes said. “Soon as he threw it, I tipped the ball, O’tavious Allen caught it and fumbled, and I finished it all by scooping it up for a touchdown.”
Allen, who was nominated for our Breakthrough Player of Week 11 honor, spoke of the play and Holmes level of impact on the field.
“Deejay got the fastest get off I ever seen,” Allen said. “It’s crazy how fast he get off the ball, and it’s good playing beside someone like that. Deejay is a beast. He played really good. He’s always around the ball and goes 100 percent every play.”
Allen caught two interceptions in the Muck Bowl. The second one, which came at the 4:44 mark of the fourth quarter, had some Holmes flavor on it as well.
“The second pick he got back there so fast, the quarterback ended up throwing it,” Allen said. “I was there to catch that one too.”
The Holmes score was preceded by Steele’s first end zone appearance, which happened at the 9:31 mark of the second quarter.
Steele’s 11-yard touchdown run – along with an extra point – gave Pahokee a 14-0 lead over Glades Central.
“We can talk about Micah Steele for years to come,” Holmes said. “That’s my brother. Micah Steele, running with the ball, is something all defensive players should fear.”
It was Steele’s second touchdown at the 11:41 mark of the fourth quarter – one which saw his cut through the middle of the field en route to the end zone – that sealed Pahokee’s 28-0 win over Glades Central.
“Micah scoring in the fourth quarter is what ended the game,” Holmes said. “After that touchdown it was ball game. That happened because of his speed, vision, strength, and our o-line, who are straight dogs.”
Steele, who started his high school football career at Hoover (Ala.) before transferring to Pahokee last year, spoke on his Muck Bowl experience.
“Coming back home to Pahokee from Alabama, winning Muck Bowl was always on my mind,” Steele said. “I’m proud of the whole team for executing the win. I’m also proud of myself coming into my first Muck bowl and it being my best regular season game.”
