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Five-star RB Derrek Cooper commits to Texas over Miami, others

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Five-star RB Derrek Cooper commits to Texas over Miami, others


The Texas Longhorns continued their recruiting hot streak on Sunday, adding a commitment at a position of need with the addition of Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna running back Derrek Cooper over the Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes, and Ohio State Buckeyes.

Cooper was long considered to be a Miami lean coming out of the summer visit season with the hometown Hurricanes looking to add their second five-star player in the class. However, with the Longhorns’ high-profile misses on KJ Edwards and Ezavier Crowell, position coach Chad Scott and the recruiting staff turned up the heat on the elite back to fill one of the major holes in the recruiting class.

The No. 29 player in the country and the No. 2 player in Florida, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Cooper pledges to Texas without yet taking his official visit to Austin, instead opting for an unofficial visit in April and plans to trip to the Forty Acres during the fall. That may prove beneficial later in the cycle, affording Texas the ability to formally host him in Austin closer to Early Signing Day, as teams try to flip him.

At 6’1, 205 pounds, Cooper is a unique mix of power and speed, qualifying for the state track finals in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes as a sophomore. While the Horns are recruiting him as a running back, he has played both ways in both of his varsity seasons, rushing for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns while also chipping in 46 tackles and four sacks to lead Chaminade-Madonna to a 1A state championship as a junior.

Cooper becomes commitment No. 21 for Texas and the fifth top-50 player of the cycle for the Longhorns, six spots ahead of John Turntine, in what is rapidly becoming another elite class for Texas.

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The Florida product moves the Longhorns to No. 5 in the 247Sports Composite team rankings with the fewest committed players in that group. Cooper also joins quarterback Dia Bell and defensive lineman James Johnson as top-10 players from the Sunshine State to choose the Longhorns, further establishing the Longhorns’ recruiting inroads there.

Film analysis (by Daniel Seahorn):

Cooper is a big, physical back at his listed 6’1, 205 pounds. He is a true three-phase player at the high school level, being the bell-cow running back offensively, while also being featured as a hybrid linebacker/safety defender and a key cog on special teams with multiple blocked punts on tape.

Cooper is a no-nonsense type of runner, as he isn’t the type who is going to waste motion behind the line of scrimmage. He gets downhill in a hurry and wants to get north and south without a bunch of lateral movement. Possesses a good burst when he sticks his foot in the ground and runs very hard and tough behind his pads. Will run through arm tackles regularly and has the shiftiness and quickness to make second and third-level defenders miss in space. Possesses the ability to BYOB (be your own blocker) when things go south in the backfield. Cooper is the type of back that is tough to bring down by one defender, as he is a very stubborn runner and will push a pile of defenders down the field.

Cooper has good, reliable hands out of the backfield as a receiver on tape and shows the ability to take short passes for large chunks of yardage. He possesses the speed on tape where he can punish bad angles and rip off explosive plays.

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I love Cooper’s overall makeup because I think his toughness and willingness as a defender complement his running style as a back. He isn’t going to shy away from contact, and he is going to make you earn it anytime he touches the ball. Only carried the ball 124 times in 2024 and averaged 9.3 yards per carry, so there is still plenty of tread left on the tires as a runner. Has the ability to be a bell-cow back at the next level or be the thunder to someone’s lightning.





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RedHawks Outlast Huskies 6-5 in OT Thriller – Miami University RedHawks

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RedHawks Outlast Huskies 6-5 in OT Thriller – Miami University RedHawks


OXFORD, Ohio– Matteo Giampa scored 70 seconds into overtime and (RV/RV) Miami edged (RV/RV) St. Cloud State 6-5 in an overtime thriller Friday night in front of a capacity crowd at Steve “Coach” Cady Arena.
 
Six different RedHawks scored a goal in the contest to help Miami improve to 8-3-0, 2-3-0 NCHC. Gavyn Thoreson led the Huskies (6-7-0, 1-4-0 NCHC) with a pair of goals.
 

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • 11:40 1st (Miami 1-0) | The RedHawks opened the scoring on a first-period power play. After a Casper Nassen blast sailed wide, Maximilion Helgeson retrieved the puck and teed up Michael Quinn for a one-timer from the top of the zone to make it 1-0.
  • 2:20 2nd (Miami 2-0) | Miami made it 2-0 early in the middle stanza when Michael Phelan grabbed a puck near his own blue line and raced forward to start a 2-on-1 break. Phelan laid a pass ahead for Ethan Hay, who slid the puck under goaltender Yan Shostak’s legs. Shostak was unable to find the puck or prevent it from crossing the line,  while Nicholas Mikan battled to keep the play alive. Hay was ultimately credited with the goal to double the RedHawks’ lead.
  • 5:26 2nd (SCSU 2-1) | The visitors got on the board three minutes later, capitalizing on a turnover behind the Miami net for an unassisted goal by Barrett Hall.
  • 13:22 2nd (SCSU 2-2) | St. Cloud State evened the score at 2-2 when Finn Loftus held the puck in the zone and flung it in front to Grant Ahcan, who backhanded a shot around Miami’s Matteo Drobac.
  • 16:39 2nd (Miami 3-2) | An aggressive forecheck by Ilia Morozov and Kocha Delic forced a giveaway in the Huskies’ zone, and Delic took advantage, taking a pass from David Deputy and ripping a shot to give the RedHawks the lead.
  • 6:16 3rd (SCSU 3-3) | The Huskies responded with a shorthanded goal moments after a Miami player exited the penalty box, as Thoreson tracked down a puck ahead of the defense and absorbed a hit behind the goal before finishing with his backhand.
  • 14:10 3rd (Miami 4-3) | Miami re-gained the lead with 5:50 to play after Helgeson attempted a wraparound goal and the puck was eventually deflected in front for Deputy to deposit in the back of the net. Ryan Smith had the second assist on the play for the Red and White.
  • 14:29 (Miami 5-3) | The RedHawks struck again quickly, as a pass along the blue line from Quinn to Vladislav Lukashevich led to a long-range shot that Casper Nassen perfectly redirected in mid-air for a 5-3 cushion just 19 seconds after the previous goal.
  • 15:28 3rd (SCSU 5-4) | SCSU wouldn’t go away, pulling its goalie for an extra attacker in what would have been a 4-on-4 situation otherwise and getting rewarded with a goal to halve the deficit. Barrett Hall received a pass from Austin Burnevik and took a shot that Tyson Gross tipped home.
  • 16:58 3rd (SCSU 5-5) | With both teams still down a player in the penalty box, the visitors found a 4-on-4 equalizer. Thoreson stickhandled inside the Miami defense and tied the game with just over three minutes remaining after an assist by Mason Reiners.
  • 1:10 OT (Miami 6-5) | The hosts sent the capacity crowd home happy, as Kyle Aucoin’s backcheck helped spring Giampa and Deputy on a 2-on-1 break. Coming down the right side, Giampa kept the puck and let loose with a shot over Shostak to help Miami improve to 3-0 in overtime games this season.

 
NOTES

  • With an attendance of 3,642, Friday’s game marked the first capacity sellout at Cady Arena since March 6, 2015.
  • The RedHawks out-shot the Huskies 34-19, matching the fewest shots Miami has allowed in a conference game since yielding 17 on Feb. 23, 2018.
  • Giampa was named the game’s First Star, while Deputy earned Second Star honors.
  • Deputy netted his first career goal and produced his first career multi-point game.
  • Quinn (1-1-2), Nassen (1-1-2) and Helgeson (0-2-2) also had two points apiece for Miami.
  • Helgeson had two assists in a game for the first time as a RedHawk.
  • Drobac improved to 8-3 between the pipes this year and made 14 saves.
  • Miami had six different goal-scorers in the same game for the first time since a 7-4 win at Mercyhurst in December 2021.
  • Quinn reached the 20-point mark for his Miami career and scored a goal for the second game in a row.
  • Delic tallied his team-leading 13th point of the year.
  • Lukashevich, who came into the game ranking among the top 20 players in the country in assists per game, picked up his 10th helper of the year.
  • Aucoin returned to the lineup for the first time since Oct. 11 and tallied his first point as a RedHawk with the overtime assist.
  • Miami held the nation’s top power-play unit (32.7% coming in) without a goal in four attempts.
  • The RedHawks debuted new black jerseys with gold accents to pay tribute to the history of Miami Athletics and the Cradle of Coaches.

UP NEXT:
Miami and St. Cloud State will face off again on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 6:05 p.m. in Oxford. Tickets are still available here.

 

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Miami-Dade residents urge commissioners to block Coral Way rezoning, fearing neighborhood disruption

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Miami-Dade residents urge commissioners to block Coral Way rezoning, fearing neighborhood disruption


WESTCHESTER — Residents living off Coral Way are asking Miami-Dade County commissioners to block an appeal that would rezone a home on Southwest 24th Street, a move they believe could open the door for larger development and disrupt the character of their longtime neighborhood.

Home at center of dispute

The property at 7945 Southwest 24th Street is at the center of the debate. The owner wants to change the zoning from RU-1, a single-family designation, to RU-5A, a semi-professional office zone. The owner’s zoning consultant says the plan is only to enclose the carport and create a small office space, but neighbors say they are not convinced.

Residents cite past resolution

Several residents argue that the rezoning is unnecessary. They point to a 1991 resolution that allows businesses along Southwest 24th Street to operate while still remaining under the single-family designation. They worry a zoning change would become the first step toward larger development.

Neighbors voice strong opposition

Anthony Scremin, who owns a business next door, believes the owner isn’t considering the impact on the community. “He doesn’t give a damn about the people here,” he said.

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Neighbors like Nelson Melendres, who has lived directly behind the home for more than 40 years, say the issue is not the current use but what could come next. 

“I know what the traffic is. I don’t mind this at all, but you guys changing it to a different zoning, I have a problem with it,” he said. “I guarantee you that the moment this is changed, something else is going to happen.”

Concerns about traffic and developers

Others voiced concerns about traffic and the risk that developers might try to assemble lots if the zoning changes. Resident Danny Diaz said once zoning changes begin, it becomes easier for developers to approach other property owners. Rick Sanchez echoed that, saying such changes could make homes more valuable to developers and potentially lead to a project that “would totally change the way this neighborhood feels.”

Previous attempt already failed

The rezoning attempt already failed once, back in July. One woman walking her dog summed up the concern simply: “I like our neighborhood the way it is.”

Commission to hear appeal Thursday

The appeal goes before the Miami-Dade County Commission on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Residents say they plan to show up and fight to keep the zoning unchanged.

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Jaquez and Miami take on Golden State in non-conference play

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Jaquez and Miami take on Golden State in non-conference play


Golden State Warriors (9-7, eighth in the Western Conference) vs. Miami Heat (8-6, seventh in the Eastern Conference)

Miami; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Heat -6.5; over/under is 230.5

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BOTTOM LINE: Miami and Golden State face off in non-conference action.

The Heat have gone 6-1 at home. Miami is second in the NBA averaging 124.6 points and is shooting 48.8% from the field.

The Warriors have gone 4-7 away from home. Golden State is 1-0 in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Heat average 14.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.7 more made shots on average than the 12.3 per game the Warriors allow. The Warriors average 16.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.7 more made shots on average than the 14.6 per game the Heat allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jaime Jaquez Jr. is averaging 17.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Heat. Norman Powell is averaging 19.0 points over the last 10 games.

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Stephen Curry is averaging 27.9 points, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals for the Warriors. Jimmy Butler III is averaging 33.0 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 62.5% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Heat: 5-5, averaging 121.8 points, 42.8 rebounds, 30.5 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 123.8 points per game.

Warriors: 5-5, averaging 113.4 points, 41.7 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 10.2 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.5 points.

INJURIES: Heat: Bam Adebayo: day to day (foot), Tyler Herro: out (ankle).

Warriors: De’Anthony Melton: out (knee), Jonathan Kuminga: day to day (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.



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