



With two squads getting eliminated from playoff contention on the road and another wrapping up a winless season at home, it was a weekend of frustration and disappointment for the remaining prep football teams in the Keys.
Key West and Marathon each travelled north for must-win games to stay alive in the postseason race and each returned with a loss. The Conchs dropped a 35-0 decision in their District 16-4A finale at Miami Jackson and the Dolphins fell, 28-7, at Westminster Christian to wrap up their District 8-1A schedule. The losses kept both teams out of the state playoffs. Coral Shores, the lone team to play at home for the weekend, was topped 42-7 by Archbishop Carroll to finish the season 0-10.
At Curtis Park in Miami, early miscues proved costly for Key West (5-3, 1-2) against Jackson, the No. 7 Class 3A team in the state. The Conchs moved the ball well between the 20s, but were kept off the scoreboard and fell in an early hole due in large part to four turnovers
-- two interceptions and two fumbles -- two missed field goals and a blocked punt that led to an easy Generals touchdown.
Key West's six first-half possessions against Jackson ended with a blocked punt, a fumble, another fumble, a missed field goal, an interception, and the clock running out to end the half with the Generals ahead, 21-0. The second half wasn't much better as the Conchs got the ball just three times and the possessions ended with another missed field goal, a turnover on downs following an unsuccessful punt fake, and the running clock expiring to end the game with Key West threatening in the red zone.
The shutout was the first of the year for Key West, which will look to close the season on a high note Friday night in its homecoming game against visiting Miami Ferguson.
The Conchs had their chances against Jackson, but were unable to capitalize. Midway through the second quarter, trailing just 14-0 at the Generals' 6-yard line, Key West quarterback Stephen Jones tossed a strike over the middle to tight end Christian Stewart, who leapt in the air and got his right hand on the ball but couldn't come down with the catch as a pair of defenders closed in. The Conchs were forced to settle for a field goal attempt, but Cale Hartle's 22-yard try was wide left with strong winds wreaking havoc.
With time running out in the fourth, Key West again reached the red zone, and Jones found Jycorae Mason open for a 13-yard touchdown. The play was called back, however, due to a clipping penalty. The Conchs got one more chance to get on the scoreboard with no time left on the clock following a defensive pass interference call, but Jones was picked off in the end zone to end the game.
Jones finished with 101 passing yards and 90 rushing yards, but was also picked off twice. Tailback Michel Sohi was limited to 56 yards on the ground, and also fumbled twice.
Key West coach Jerry Hughes said special teams will be a big point of emphasis for Key West this week heading into the season finale against Class 6A Ferguson, which is coming off a 24-22 win over Varela.
• • •
For Marathon (4-5, 3-3) Saturday's 28-7 loss to Westminster Christian combined with a victory for Dade Christian -- which beat Marathon 42-21 earlier this year -- officially ended the Dolphins' playoff run for this season. If Marathon had been victorious or Dade Christian would have lost to Archbishop Curley, the Dolphins would have set up a situation similar to Key West's last season where a play-in game would have been necessary, leaving the Dolphins, Crusaders and possibly Westminster with an even amount of District losses and not enough room for all three team to make the postseason.
Instead, Westminster clinched a 1A playoffs spot with the triumph over Marathon, and Dade Christian could possibly be looking toward the postseason, if high school regulation against current undefeated Parkway Academy are carried through, which has not been ruled on yet.
Now, what looked to be a promising season for Marathon, with several seniors hoping to move on to play at the college level, the Dolphins instead have just one game left on the schedule, a home matchup against LaSalle High. Both teams enter the matchup having scored 64 points against Coral Shores in game earlier this season. However, it was the Dolphins that blanked the Hurricanes, while LaSalle allowed the 'Canes to kick its only field goal of the season.
• • •
Coral Shores' first season under the reign of Kelly Clark came to a merciful end on Friday night as the Hurricanes ended the season winless, at 0-10, but the coaching staff and players from this season are still positive that things are on the way up in the future.
With only six seniors on the team this season, Clark said he is proud of the players for not giving up all year and continuing to play hard all the way though the final buzzer on Friday night.
Despite every game ending with a running clock this year and the Hurricanes' closest loss coming against Key West, 28-0, Clark said he is positive thing were done properly this year and that all the players learned a lot this season.
An emotional senior captain Dylan Mats echoed his coaches thoughts following Friday night's loss to Archbishop Carroll as he said that what he learned about leadership, hard work and dedication this season will stick with him forever. Mats also said the future is bright for the 'Canes and he is proud to have been the cornerstone of the building blocks that will be a solid Coral Shores program in the years to come and knows they will be able to compete with anybody in the future.