Homestead upsets NW; Carroll wins district title
Propelled by its defense and special teams, and the return of starting quarterback Joshua Townsend, Homestead picked up an impressive 44-28 victory over Miami Northwestern at Traz Powell Stadium.
The Broncos (7-2) forced six turnovers and turned them into 28 points as they snapped a twogame skid during which they scored a combined 14 points in losses to Columbus and Southridge.
The slide coincided with the absence of Townsend, who suffered a foot injury on Sept. 30 against South Miami.
Townsend completed 11-of-15 passes for 232 yards and threw four touchdown passes as well as three two-point conversion passes to lead the Broncos offense.
“We felt like we were lost in the ocean and we just needed to find a paddle and find a direction,” Homestead coach Phillip Simpson said. “We needed this today, and it was a great program win.”
• Miami Archbishop Carroll 50, Miami Westminster Christian 15: The Bulldogs (7-1) continued their resurgence by crushing the previously unbeaten Warriors (7-1) and clinching the District 8-1M championship on Friday night at Tropical Park.
Carroll secured its first district championship and postseason berth since 2008 when the school made it to the Class 2A regional finals a year after advancing to the state semifinals.
The Bulldogs rushed for 353 yards on 37 carries and scored six touchdowns on the ground. Alejandro Isaza led the way with 185 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries. Manny Bynum and Sylus Villanueva each scored a touchdown.
• Miramar 21, Western 0: It was the Patriots’ third shutout over their current five-game win streak in which Miramar (6-1) has outscored opponents 200-14.
The first four games of this win streak — Pembroke Pines Flanagan, Coral Glades, Pembroke Pines Charter and Hialeah American — entered the week with a combined 8-20 record. The Patriots’ win came against a Western team that entered the season with state title aspirations in Class 4M but has struggled against top teams this season — the Wildcats’ other two losses this season were 38-0 to St. Thomas Aquinas and 42-18 to Plantation American Heritage.
It was a moment of validation Miramar was hoping for after losing its most recent big test of the season when it got beat by Dillard 35-7 n Sept. 9. — JORDAN MCPHERSON
• Miami Norland 35, Miami Palmetto 14: The Vikings (5-2) needed a signature win to help seal their postseason spot as a wild card in Region 4-2M, and the win over the Panthers (4-5) should do the trick.
“I didn’t want to have to count the points,” head coach Daryle Heidelberg said. “This was very important for us.”
After losing back-toback games to Booker T. Washington and Miami Central, Norland (5-2) took another punch early this week, only this time the Vikings didn’t fall.
Norland quarterback Ennio Yapoor ran 15 times for 106 yards and a touchdown, and also threw a pair of touchdowns to Vikings wide receiver Isaiah Scott, who finished with seven catches for 166 yards.
Star running back Javin Simpkins, a Georgia Tech commit, had 21 carries for 132 yards and a touchdown.
Norland piled up more than 400 yards of total offense — Yapoor went 11 of 16 for 199 yards as a passer — against one of Miami-Dade County’s most star-studded defenses. — DAVID WILSON
• Miami Booker T. Washington 35, Miami Southridge 14: Led by running back Antwan Smith’s 151 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, the Tornadoes (7-2) rebounded from a deflating loss to Miami Northwestern last week that cost them the District 14-2M title.
Booker T., which is still very much in good shape to reach the postseason as an at-large qualifier, ran for 250 yards overall and built a 28-7 lead before halftime on Gerald Modest’s 63-yard touchdown run.
Tornadoes quarterback Claudell Sherman threw a pair of touchdown passes to Xavier Irvin while Jaquentin Ford and Cordell Roberts each had two sacks on defense.
Ford also blocked a punt, which led to a firsthalf score.
Southridge quarterback Damari Charlton threw
Afor 200 yards and three touchdown passes, completing one to Jaquan
Reed and the other to Cameron Owens in the first half. Charlton’s 14yard touchdown pass to Joe Scott pulled the Spartans (4-4) within 14 points with six minutes left in the fourth. — ANDRE FERNANDEZ