In the FHSAA state semifinals on Friday night, Berkeley Prep stunned the American Heritage crowd in Plantation.
Thanks to Dallas Golden’s game-winning touchdown, the Buccaneers upset the Patriots 17-14 to advance to the state championship game against Miami Norland.
“I’m just excited man,” Golden said postgame. “We played a great team game. We fought mentally and physically. I’m proud of my guys. I can’t do anything without my guys.”
Down 14-9 with 10 minutes left, Golden recorded a game-winning touchdown on a read option. The junior also cashed in on the two point conversion thanks to a short slant across the middle of the endzone.
The four-star running back and safety has offers from Alabama, Georgia, FSU, LSU, and Michigan, among others. He now has 22 touchdowns on the season.
Down 17-14 with just under six minutes remaining, American Heritage missed what would be a game-tying field goal from about the 10 yard line.
Despite not scoring, the Patriots got the ball back quickly after Berkeley Prep had a three-and-out. American Heritage just needed to get back in field goal range to tie the game; and they had three minutes to do so. However, quarterback Dia Bell quickly threw an interception to avoid the sack, sealing the game for the Buccaneers.
“I want everybody to know that that is one hell of a football team,” American Heritage head coach Mike Smith said. “They did a good job. They came and they battled.”
Berkeley Prep’s defensive line dominated all game, wreaking havoc for the American Heritage offensive line and their quarterback. While the statline will show that Bell had a horrible game, he was under pressure almost every single play, making it hard for the sophomore to connect with his star receivers.
Because of the continuous pressure from the Berkeley Prep defense, American Heritage’s high-octane offense was shut down.
In the first quarter, Bell threw a pick-six while under pressure. Senior linebacker Dion Cooper took it to the house to make it 7-0.
American Heritage quickly bounced back after a short Byron Louis rushing touchdown to tie the game at seven, but in the second quarter, Berkeley Prep’s d-line proved to be the difference yet again.
Berkeley Prep was a few yards from scoring, but American Heritage forced a huge fumble in what should have been a momentum-changing play. Backed up on their own side of the field, American Heritage needed to avoid a safety, but of course, the Berkeley Prep defensive line jumped on Bell in the endzone, making it 9-7.
With 3:59 left in the first half, American Heritage regained the lead (14-9) after Louis’s second rushing touchdown of the day. The four-star running back, who has offers from Georgia, Ohio State, and Miami, among others, finished with 110 rushing yards in the first half.
In the third quarter, neither team got on the scoresheet. But in the fourth quarter, that’s when Berkeley Prep turned it on. A 16-play drive was capped off by Golden’s game-winning touchdown, as mentioned earlier.
“We need to prepare every day this week,” Golden said. “(Miami) Norland is a hard-fought team. It’s going to be hard to beat them but I think my guys got it.”
Miami Norland is absolutely a hard-fought team. The Vikings are led by star quarterback Ennio Yapoor (junior), who broke the Miami-Dade passing record this year with over 10,489 yards. Yapoor has led Miami Norland to a 14-0 season, as they look to make it 15-0 with a win in the state championship game.
One of Yapoor’s top targets is wide receiver Jade Card, a three-star with offers from Miami and FSU, among others.
Despite the lethal offense Miami Norland possesses, Berkeley Prep will surely be up for the test. The Buccaneers already managed to shut down American Heritage’s lethal offense, as we saw Friday night. Berkeley Prep shut down wide receiver Malachi Toney, a Miami commit, and running back Deandre Desinor, a four-star with offers from FSU and Miami, among others.
So, we shall see what happens in the 2M State Championship game. Kick-off is set for Saturday at 10:00 AM in Tallahassee.
Athletes in Attendance
- Nelson Agholor, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver, Berkeley Prep alumnus
- Sony Michel, retired NFL running back and two-time Super Bowl champ, American Heritage alumnus
- Daryl Porter Jr., Miami Hurricanes cornerback, American Heritage alumnus
- Daemon Fagan, NC State safety, American Heritage alumnus
- Brandon Inniss, Ohio State wide receiver, American Heritage alumnus
- Mark Fletcher, Miami Hurricanes running back, American Heritage alumnus
