Miami Southridge, South Dade finish in rare tie Under the Lights: Kitchen and Evans shines
By Jerry Williamson
Homestead, Fla. -- The showdown between cross-town rivals, Miami Southridge (3-0) vs. South Dade (3-0), JV Football game, was worth every cent of admission. Both teams entered the contest undefeated, loaded with the southwest region finest underclassmen. The final score would be a tie, 0-0. If you love defense, hard-hitting, and a mixture of the 12th man (fans), this is exactly what took place Wednesday's night at Orange Bowl Stadium at Harris Field.
Pictured: LB - Carl Kitchen
Pictured: LB - Jamie Evans
The co-overall MVP of the game were South Bucs' highly talented freshmen linebackers Jamie Evans (5-10, 185) and Carl Dunklin (5-10, 190). The duo compiled over (25) tackles of note, and was responsible for several red zone stops. They have certainly jumped on my radar. Both young man have a bright future.
The first quarter didn't feature big plays, as both offenses struggled to move the ball. Late in the second quarter, the Bucs' begin to dink and dunk the Spartans defense, as they near the red zone fueled by exciting dual-threat QB Travon Sanders.
Pictured: RB Amillion Cockroft & CB Jeremiah Forbes
But, the Spartans defense would bend but not break, as freshman CB Jeremiah Forbes (5'6", 140) derailed the bucs hopes of scoring, intercepting a go route in one-on-one coverage. Despite his size, he's a "legit" cover guy. During the second half, Spartans' RB Amillion Cockroft, would find daylight and scamper 42 yards before reaching the Bucs' red zone. However, the next play the Spartans would turnover the ball, and the Bucs' defensive tackle Leonard Taylor would quickly recover it. Quarterbacks Travon Sanders (South Dade) and Jason Cummings (Miami Southridge) both headlined their offenses, as both compiled several big plays (15-plus yardage) with their arm and legs.
Pictured: CB Carl kitchen
Freshman CB Carl kitchen (South Dade) was targeted five times, and allowed no completions. He (Kitchen) delivered a big hit on Southridge' WR Jermaine Hawkins on 4th and 10, stopping the Spartans last hopes of securing a victory. South Dade's RB Kendall Wyartt (5-5, 150), ran wild second half, as he accumulated over 50 yards, and nearly took a dive play the distance. He displayed an eye-opener burst out the backfield.
The Spartans' hard-hitting middle linebacker Joesph Sanders (5-10, 170) is another promising prospect, who I can see being moved up to varsity. Sanders tallied over (5) tackles (5 TFL), caused a fumble and nearly knocked himself out of the game, as he made bone-crushing hits sideline to sideline. South Dade's WR Nathan Wilcox led all wide receivers in receiving yards with 39 yards on three receptions. The all-purpose yards leader was none other than QB Travon Sanders, totalling over 150 yards. It's obvious, he's a wide receiver at quarterback. Very fun to watch.
This showdown was everything as advertised. I was fortunate to catch my first JV football game of the season. Both teams have future stars. The last time I covered this JV game, it featured over 5 Div. 1 prospects such as Frank Ladson, Jr. (UF commit), Diamante Howard (UM commit), and Joe Smith (Southern Mississippi commit), just to name a few. Here's an early glimpse of the Stars of Tomorrow folks.
Pictured above: Freshman DL Leonard Taylor (6-3, 230) who has earned varsity snaps, is my next Rising Star. He dominated the trenches, making it nearly impossible to run inside of the tackles. He also sports #56 and goes by the nickname LT.
Pictured: RB Kendall Wyartt
Top 5 Offensive Playmakers 1. QB - Travon Sanders - South Dade 2. QB - Jason Cummings - Southridge 3. RB - Kendall Wyartt - South Dade 4. RB - Amillion Cockroft - Southridge 5. WR - Nathan Wilcox - South Dade
Pictured: QB Travon Sanders
Top 5 Defensive Playmakers 1A - LB - Carl Dunklin - South Dade 1B - LB - Jamie Evans - South Dade 2. LB - Joesph Sanders - Southridge 3. DL - Leonard Taylor - South Dade 4. CB - Carl kitchen - South Dade 5. CB - Jeremiah Forbes - Southridge
