Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Miramar beats Western
Patriots get revenge, clinch district title in close game.
DAVIE — Miramar would not experience the same Week 10 letdown as last year against Western.
After dropping the same game last season at home for an elimination from postseason contention, Miramar got a little bit of revenge – and staked its claim to a return to district championship-caliber football. In A.J. Scott’s first full season at the helm at Miramar, the Patriots are District 12-8A champs.
With a 27-25 win at Western on Friday nigth, Miramar will make its first playoff appearance since 2013.
“Hunger. Me and the coaches, we were hungry,” said Scott, the longtime Patriots defensive coordinator who returned this season as head coach after a year coaching defense at McArthur. “We came back to Miramar for a reason. We came back to put Miramar back on the map.”
They had missed the playoffs by finishing third in the district each of the past two seasons, and in 2014, the Patriots qualified but had to self-impose a postseason ban.
Running back Ralph Hughey ran for a touchdown and threw for one to Dominick Watt. Terrence Horne also caught a touchdown.
“They got us last year. We had to get them back,” said quarterback Steve Williams, who threw for 130 yards and a touchdown and added 66 yards rushing. “They came to our house and beat us [7-6]. It left a bad taste in our mouth, so this whole summer, spring, all that, we just grinded. When it came, we finished.”
Hughey, who ended up with 85 rushing yards, gave the Patriots a 24-17 lead late in the third quarter, bolting through a gaping hole through the middle after surging off left tackle.
After Miramar kicker Thomas Zapata kicked his second field goal to make it a 10-point advantage, Western pulled within 2 after a Harrison Story touchdown pass to Jaeden Fagan and two-point conversion. The Patriots recovered the ensuing onside kick and were able to run out the clock.
Western pulled even at 17 midway through the third quarter on a short field goal from seldom-used sophomore Danny Panchookian.
Miramar took a 17-14 lead into halftime. Horne took a screen 55 yards down the left sideline to give the lead back to the Patriots on the first play from scrimmage after Western scored on a 7-yard plunge from senior running back Daniel Colon.
“We were down. When I caught the screen, I felt good because I know they can’t play me,” Horne said.
Miramar missed an opportunity to add to its lead before the half. Getting down to the Western 3-yard line after recovering a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to Horne’s touchdown, the Patriots went for it on fourth down and were stuffed on the inside run.
The Patriots took a 10-8 lead early in the second quarter when Hughey took a handoff and threw it deep to Watt, connecting with him for a 49-yard score.
Western opened the scoring with a 1-yard sneak from Harrison Story on its opening drive and added a two-point conversion. Story hit Fagan for a key 22-yard gain on the opening play after Miramar turned it over on downs on the Patriots’ opening drive.
Although the district title was settled on Friday, both teams are in good position to reach the postseason regardless. District 12-8A is likely to have two regional wild cards in Western and Plantation.