Bowen’s 3 TDs propel Dillard to rout of Fort Lauderdale
FORT LAUDERDALE — Dillard scored on its first three possessions in the first quarter and never looked back as the Panthers drilled visiting Fort Lauderdale 44-0 in the Kickoff Classic on Friday night.
Patrick Bowen ran for 115 yards and three touchdowns, including a 70-yard dash on the second play of the third quarter, while Panthers quarterback Zamir Jones carried seven times for 102 yards and one TD. Jones completed 6 of 11 passes for 125 yards and one score in the first half. He also threw an interception.
“This all comes from practice,” said Bowen, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior running back. “We put the work in on Monday and it pays off on Friday. Just to be able to come out for four long quarters and 48 minutes, it shows a lot.
“We lost a little bit of tempo, but we picked it back up. There is still work to be done and we will get back in the lab Monday. It feels good.”
Dillard seized a 9-0 lead on a safety when Nyjalik Kelly tackled Teron Brooks in the end zone, and following the free kick, the Panthers drove 65 yards in four plays capped by a 30-yard scoring run by Patrick Bowen.
Bowen scored his second touchdown of the night on a 2-yard plunge with 4 minutes, 20 second remaining in the first quarter to up the lead to 16-0. The score finished off a 70-yard drive in 12 plays. Devaughn Mortimer started off the drive with a 26-yard run.
Dillard scored on its third straight possession as Jones connected with Raphael Williams on a 20-yard scoring toss with 57 seconds remaining in the first quarter for a 23-0 lead.
Fort Lauderdale, held without a first down until seven minutes remained in the second quarter, was short on a 47-yard field goal attempt by Cali Canaval-Ejern with 3:28 remaining in the first half. The Panthers padded the lead on a 3-yard quarterback keeper by Jones with 1:38 remaining in the first half for a 30-0 lead.
Navar Maine scored on a four yard run on the final play of the third quarter to push the lead to 44-0.
First-year Panthers coach Eddie Frasier was pleased with the win. He succeeded Toriano Morgan who stepped down at the end of last year after guiding the Panthers to a 7-4 season where they reached the Class 6A regional quarterfinals and fell 35-20 to Miami Central.
“I always tell the players I want them to be in tune of what Dillard was like when Otis Gray and Ken Scott coached,” Frasier said. “I want them to take that piece of history and also create their own.”
The Flying L’s finished the last season 9-3 and lost in the Class 7A regional semifinals against St. Thomas Aquinas, 51-0. Fort Lauderdale coach Richard Dunbar said his team needed to move past Friday’s loss.
“Every year there are expectations of getting better,” Dunbar said. “I told the kids last year’s team was last year. We haven’t done anything yet.”
Dillard, which is riding a 7-game regular season winning streak dating back to last year, opens the regular season at Piper next Friday, while Fort Lauderdale travels to Flanagan next Thursday night.