MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – As soon as Miami Central Excessive Faculty, the fourth-ranked workforce within the nation in accordance the SBLive Sports activities/Sports activities Illustrated Energy 25, obtained rolling on Thursday evening, the Patriots have been unstoppable.
Quarterback Keyone Jenkins had two short-yard landing runs, and operating again Ean Pope had two lengthy TD runs.
The protection picked off two passes that arrange touchdowns and tackled the punter for a loss on fourth down.
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For 2 quarters, Central overwhelmed Miami Carol Metropolis, and that was simply within the first half.
We’ll by no means know what the second half may need introduced, as a result of a heavy downpour and lightning delay prompted each groups to comply with name the sport.
For the document e book, Miami Central shutout Carol Metropolis, 34-0, at a soaked Nathaniel Traz Powell Stadium.
Regardless of solely getting two quarters of motion, after climate halted Miami Central’s sport with Carol Metropolis on the half on Thursday, star quarterback Keyone Jenkins rushed for a pair of touchdowns and guided the Rockets to 34 factors in a shutout victory.
Picture by Joe Frisaro
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Truly, solely Mom Nature might cease Central on this wet evening.
The blowout win improves Central’s document to 3-0 and 1-0 in 2M District 13. Carol Metropolis fell to 0-2, with each losses coming in district play.
Central hit its stride within the second quarter, scoring 27 factors. Solely the weather shut them down.
“Our children, we don’t care concerning the climate,” Central coach Jube Joseph mentioned. “We’ll play soccer on Aisle 3 at Walgreens. We don’t care. Any time the weather are there, you possibly can inform us the Miami Dolphins are in entrance of us, we’re going to be prepared.”
Level taken.
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Central doesn’t draw back from a problem.
The reigning three-time state champions have their eye on the prize once more this 12 months. And Carol Metropolis, as soon as a formidable rival, put up an excellent struggle within the first quarter.
However Central is simply too deep, on either side of the ball. The Patriots didn’t even play all their prime gamers. Defensive lineman Rueben Bain didn’t swimsuit up.
“We all know, any time we play anyone, we’re going to get their greatest shot,” Joseph mentioned. “While you go from being the hunter to the hunted, that is what we wish. Once we placed on this uniform, we all know on ninety fifth Road, we’re America’s Most Wished.”
For the unfamiliar, Miami Central’s campus is on NW ninety fifth Road in Miami.
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At Central, there’s a excessive customary. And the coaches and gamers take accountability severely.
“We performed higher than we did final week,” mentioned Jenkins, a Florida Worldwide College commit. “We executed a bit bit higher than in our final sport. However it was going to be higher within the second half.”
Of their final sport, the Patriots dealt with Booker T. Washington, 36-19. They opened the season with a 20-14 win in opposition to IMG Academy.
Jenkins clearly wished to play the second half. Though by halftime situations worsened, and the turf area was stuffed with water.
The primary half was principally performed in a lightweight drizzle, however the rain picked up shortly earlier than halftime. At halftime the bands have been on the sector, and requested to go away because of the lightning meter sounding. The meter goes off when lightning is inside 10 miles of the stadium.
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With Central forward by 5 touchdowns, and the situations as terrible as they have been, it was a simple name to ship everybody residence.
Carol Metropolis obtained the opening kickoff and Murray lead them on an eight-play drive earlier than he was sacked. A brief punt set Central up on the Chiefs’ 38-yard line.
On Central’s first play, Pope dashed 38-yards. It was telling how simply that rating was.
Central led 7-0 after the primary quarter.
Within the second quarter, it was all Patriots. Berlin Compfort tackled the punter on the Chiefs’ 16. Jenkins capped that brief drive with a 5-yard run, however the further level was missed, making it 13-0.
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Murray then was intercepted by Jalen Labranche, who returned the ball to the eight. A penalty on Carol Metropolis moved it to the 4, and Jenkins lined that distance on his second TD run, making it 20-0.
Amari Wallach picked off Murray and Pope raced 25-yards for a landing run.
“We obtained the momentum,” Jenkins mentioned. “The protection saved getting us stops.”
Trayvon Miller capped the scoring with a 20-yard landing with 1:32 left earlier than halftime.
Carol Metropolis did threaten within the closing seconds of the primary half, getting first-and-goal, solely to be stopped.
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“That’s a testomony to my assistant coaches,” Joseph mentioned. “Taking good care of the little issues all through the week. Specializing in execution. That was their purpose of their particular person teams, to ensure they executed. My hat’s off to all my assistant coaches. They did an amazing job of making ready these youngsters for these moments.”
The way in which Central goes about its enterprise, the rain grew to become solely a gentle distraction.
“That’s our preparation,” Joseph mentioned. “Our preparation is placing our children in opposed conditions continually. Once more, I speak concerning the assistant coaches. They do an amazing job of all the time placing them in opposed conditions, and asking them to reply. So once we get in game-time conditions, it’s nothing to us.
Lionel Messi is getting another preseason tour with Inter Miami, this one a five-match trip that will see the reigning MLS Supporters’ Shield winners playing in four different countries as it tunes up for the 2025 season.
Announced Friday were three matches in South America and Central America. Inter Miami opens that swing with a game against Peruvian champion Club Universitario de Deportes in Lima on Jan. 29.
From there, the club goes to Panama City to take on Sporting San Miguelito on Feb. 2, followed by a trip to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, for a Feb. 8 match against Club Deportivo Olimpia.
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The first and last preseason matches were already known: Inter Miami will play Mexican power Club America in Las Vegas on Jan. 18 and close the exhibition slate in Tampa, Florida, against MLS rival Orlando City on Feb. 14.
“We’re very excited to unveil the five matches against domestic and international opponents across the Americas that will prepare us for a highly anticipated 2025,” Inter Miami president of football operations Raul Sanllehi said. “These fixtures will put us in the best possible position ahead of an unparalleled campaign with various competitions we’re playing for this year — the FIFA Club World Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and MLS.”
With 34 regular season MLS matches, five preseason games and the three cup tournaments, Inter Miami could easily exceed 50 matches this season — and probably will play even more than that. And that doesn’t even count international matches for Messi and likely several other Inter Miami players.
This year’s preseason tour isn’t quite as ambitious as the one Inter Miami planned last year, with matches in Dallas, El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Japan on that schedule. Much of that trip didn’t go as envisioned: A Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo matchup in Saudi Arabia didn’t happen because Ronaldo was sidelined by injury, and fans in Asia were angered by Messi missing one match there and playing sparingly in another. Some refunds were even issued to help appease disappointed ticket-holders, some of whom spent more than $600 with hopes of seeing Messi play.
Inter Miami’s training camp starts with physicals on Saturday. The first practice under new coach Javier Mascherano is Monday.
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Reporting by The Associated Press.
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Former Miami and Louisville running back Don Chaney Jr. will transfer to Charlotte, as first reported by Pete Nakos of On3 Sports.
A former four-star recruit, Chaney began his career with Miami in 2020 and rushed for 322 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 68 carries, but suffered season-ending injuries in 2021 and 2022.
The 5-foot-10, 208-pounder bounced back to finish third on Miami’s roster in rushing yards in 2023, rushing for 478 yards and two touchdowns before transferring to Louisville following the season.
Chaney never found his footing with Jeff Brohm’s club, being used primarily as a reserve this past year. He rushed for 178 yards on 50 carries with three touchdowns and hauled in seven receptions for 62 yards.
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For his career, the Miami native has rushed for 1,030 yards and nine touchdowns.
First-year Charlotte head coach Tim Albin takes over the 49ers’ program after former head coach Biff Poggi was relieved of his duties following a two-year stint in the Queen City that saw Poggi amass a 6-16 record with the team.
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Let’s be honest: no one is perfect when it comes to making predictions.
You win some, and you lose some.
So cut media personality Stephen A. Smith some slack for his now cold take during the 2015 NBA draft. While ripping the New York Knicks for drafting Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth pick, Smith rattled off three players they should have taken instead.
They were Willie Cauley-Stein, Stanley Johnson and Justise Winslow, who he all called “NBA ready.”
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Posted by REVOLT Sports on Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Smith boldly called Winslow “the steal of the draft.” He was taken by the Heat at No. 10. Fans fell for it, too, because they cheered loudly at Kaseya Center when the pick was announced. The result was Winslow having five forgetful seasons in Miami before he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Heat fans forever link him with All-Star Devin Booker, who was taken three spots after at No. 13. Others drafted later were Kelly Oubre Jr., and Terry Rozier.
Smith was actually wrong about all the players he mentioned who should have been taken ahead of Porzingis. Cauley-Stein was out of the league after seven seasons, averaging 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds for his career. Johnson made it eight seasons before exiting to play overseas.
Meanwhile, Porzingis is still going strong as a key cog for the defending champion Boston Celtics. And Heat fans are still sulking about Winslow never panning out.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
