KEY WEST -- The message this week for the Key West High football team is as clear as possible: Win or go home.
The Conchs, who are coming off a bye week, will travel to Miami Jackson's Curtis Park tonight for their District 16-3A finale in what is essentially a "play-in" game for the state playoffs. Both teams are 1-1 in district play and the winner tonight will claim the second and final playoff berth from the district behind Booker T. Washington, which already clinched the district title with wins over both schools.
"It's do or die," Key West senior tailback Michel Sohi said after the Conchs wrapped up a rainy practice Thursday. "We've got to get it done."
The odds aren't exactly stacked in the Conchs' favor.
Key West (5-2) lost one of its top playmakers earlier in the week when senior and three-way starter Phillip Young was dismissed from the team for disciplinary reasons. The game will also mark the first time the Conchs have left the Keys all season, and Jackson (6-2) will be celebrating its homecoming. In addition to all that, the Generals are one of the tougher teams in the state, as evidenced by their No. 7 ranking in the state Class 3A poll.
Despite the surrounding factors, Key West coach Jerry Hughes said his team has been upbeat and is looking forward to the challenge.
"The spirits have been up," Hughes said. "We've had film on them for two weeks and we think on both sides of the ball we've scouted them pretty good. Now we just need to go out and execute."
The Conchs' offense will look to continue where it left off two weeks ago in a 31-10 win over Edison. In that game, Sohi rushed for a career-high 225 yards and two touchdowns to help the team rush for nearly 400 yards in the victory.
"That gave us some confidence just knowing what we can do and what we needed to work on," Sohi said.
Through the air, quarterback Stephen Jones will have big targets in sophomore receiver Clive Georges, who has a team-high 526 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and junior tight end Christian Stewart, who is averaging 13.5 yards per reception and has a touchdown catch in each of the last three games. Michael McFadden, who has seen limited action this season, will start out wide in place of Young.
Georges said he doesn't think the team will suffer too much due to Young's absence.
"Michael has hands," Georges said. "If he catches the ball, he can do something with it. I think Christian can do a lot with the kickoff returns. Phil is just one person. I'm not saying we don't need him because he's a heck of a guy, but we've got to go out and do what we've got to do so we can come back home and celebrate."
The Conchs are coming off their best week of practice on the defensive side of the ball.
"I just hope that's an indication that they're psyched as far as doing what they've been coached over the last two weeks," Hughes said.
Jackson, which averages 27 points per game, will have a full arsenal of speedy playmakers on offense, led by quarterback Demetrius Whitehead. One of his top targets is Deandre Jasper, who caught a 35-yard touchdown and had a pair of big kick returns in last week's 24-11 win over Ferguson, which will be Key West's final regular-season opponent next week in the Conchs' homecoming game.
"The intensity has been high," Sohi said. "All the seniors have been really stepping it up because we know it's our last chance. A lot of the younger guys have been stepping it up too with Phil gone."
Thanks to last week's bye, the Conchs got an extra week to prepare. Hughes and defensive coordinator Paul Davis went up to Miami to see Jackson's win over Ferguson in person, and they came away impressed with the Generals' athleticism. In the week since, Key West has focused on goal line offense and defense, red zone offense, which has been a problem, and pass protection against the attacking Jackson line.
"Hopefully it pays off," Hughes said of the extra work.
wjacobson@keysnews.com