Mark Dorsett of Marjory Stoneman Douglas Football. Photo Courtesy: Jillian Jarboe
By: Matt Rothman
With high school football back after a delayed start to the season due to COVID-19, Marjory Stoneman Douglas kicked off the season defeating Coral Springs High School 14-6 in the annual Pig Bowl.
The Eagles scored two first-half touchdowns and had a special teams blunder, but overall, Head Coach Quentin Short was just happy to get out of there with a win.
“It’s good to get out here for the first game,” Short said. “I’m sure everybody feels the same way. Once they start playing, it ain’t going to be pretty with that long of time off, but we won, and we move on to the next one.”
The scoring took place in the second quarter as the Eagles took a 7-0 on a touchdown pass thrown by Matt O’Dowd to junior Hervin Louis.
The Colts responded shortly after with a block field goal, which Delvontae Bouie returned for 87 yards and a touchdown. After the missed point, the Eagles still led 7-6 and quickly extended it with a 45-yard rushing touchdown from A.J. Darring.
In the second half, both teams had to turn to their back-up quarterbacks as Matt O’Dowd left the game after suffering an injury, and Coral Springs went with senior David Kosilla.
O’Dowd was shaken up after a helmet-to-helmet collision, and Short says they kept him out for precautionary reasons.
Tony Martin came back into the game late for the Colts and completed a couple of passes but could not find the end zone on their final drive as Coral Springs fell for the first time this season.
Despite the loss, it was still a memorable day for Coral Springs High School as Leonard Weaver made his debut as the head coach.
The former NFL Pro-Bowler has only spent little time working with his team on the field. He has repeatedly said how he wants to change the culture around Coral Springs football and felt his team went back to old habits with nearly 20 penalties in the game.
“I think it is like anything in life that you are trying to change,” Weaver said. “As a person, when you are trying to change, it becomes difficult to fight against old habits that you developed over the years. The focus is on changing the thought process.”
Both these teams will be back in action next week as MSD takes on Coral Glades in Parkland on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. for senior night. The Colts will also have a conference matchup against J.P. Taravella on Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.
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