Glades Central High Football Team Advances with Playoff Victory

BELLE GLADE — Glades Central High’s football team took another step toward a return to its glory days on November 14. Playing four quarters of stifling defense and one quarter of effective offense, the Raiders defeated King’s Academy 23-6 in a Region 3-2A quarterfinal game for their first playoff victory in four years.

No. 3 seed Glades Central (10-1) will face No. 2 St. Petersburg-Lakewood (10-1) in the regional semifinals on November 21. Lakewood ended Central’s season in the regional quarterfinals last year.

“Great job by the defense,” Raiders coach Omar Haugabook said, crediting defensive coordinator Maurice Collier’s game plan. “It doesn’t matter how it looked, it’s good to get a playoff win.”

Defense Controls the Game

The Raiders’ defense forced three turnovers, scored a touchdown, and nearly came away with a shutout. While both offenses struggled in the first half, senior defensive back Gary Mann accounted for the only score, scooping up a bad snap at the 3-yard line and practically walking into the end zone midway through the first quarter.

“I was always told to sprint to the ball,” said Mann, who heeded the lesson.

Offense Finds Rhythm in Second Half

The Raiders’ offense, meanwhile, “came out flat,” senior quarterback Taj Barnes admitted. With King’s Academy focused on stopping senior running back Ar’Maud Stinfort, Glades Central tried to open things up, but Barnes had trouble connecting with his receivers, passing for only 47 yards in the first two quarters.

In the third quarter, “we knew we had to come out and pick it up,” Barnes said. He completed four straight passes on the opening drive, the last being a 7-yard touchdown to freshman wide receiver Madreion Blackmon.

After the defense forced a three-and-out, Barnes directed an 80-yard scoring drive, highlighted by a 38-yard pass to Blackmon and capped with a 5-yard toss to Stinfort, making the score 20-0.

Junior kicker Javier Flores added a 36-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. In the third quarter alone, Barnes was 7-for-9 passing for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

King’s Academy Scores Late

King’s Academy avoided a shutout when sophomore quarterback London Janse van Rensberg threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Jack Miller on fourth down with 3:27 remaining. Despite having two defenders on Miller and a tipped ball, Miller secured the catch at the 3-yard line and scored.

“We were a little upset about losing the shutout, but all that mattered was we played hard together as a group,” Mann said. “We didn’t let that one touchdown tear us down completely. We got back together next drive and held them.”

A Milestone Victory

The milestone victory had special meaning for Haugabook, a quarterback at Glades Central in the early 2000s. When he took over last year, the program had bottomed out, winning only four of 19 games over the previous two seasons. The days of contending for state championships on an annual basis and winning six were a distant memory.

Haugabook quickly turned things around, leading the Raiders to 9-1 regular-season marks the past two seasons. Now, with a playoff victory, they have reached double-digit wins for the first time since 2014.

To keep adding to that total, the Raiders will need a stronger effort than the one shown against the Lions. During the postgame meeting, Haugabook told his players they would have to “take it up a notch.”

“Every game in the playoffs, the competition is going to get harder and harder and harder, so our level of play has got to get better and better and better,” Haugabook said. “We can’t play like this next week and look forward to winning.”

King’s Academy Coach Reflects on the Game

King’s Academy coach Dan Burack, whose team finished 5-6, said the game turned on “a few costly turnovers.”

“Anytime you give the ball up in your own territory, it’s really hard, especially against a good team that’s got athletes,” Burack said. “They can expose you in certain ways.”

“We had our opportunities. I’m extremely proud of our guys. They fought till the bitter end and they have nothing to ever be ashamed of. We wish nothing but good luck and blessings to Glades Central.”

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/omar-haugabooks-rebuild-glades-central-100721880.html