South Broward loses star runner Wheatley-Humphrey, stumbles in 3M regional quarterfinal | Photos
HOLLYWOOD — South Broward, hosting its first football playoff game in over a quarter-century, was stunned by Belen Jesuit 20-13 on Thursday night in a 3M regional quarterfinal, kicking off the postseason.
It had been 26 years since South Broward won a district title, and hosted a playoff football game, but the 8-3 Bulldogs, the second seed in the region who had averaged 34.4 points per game during the regular season, were shut out in the decisive second half.
South Broward was hobbled once 2,000-yard rusher and UM commit Chris Wheatley-Humphrey sat out most of the second half with a hamstring injury originally sustained in last week’s game against Miramar.
“Chris had the hamstring issue that was lingering,” said South Broward coach Charles Mccrea. “He got to the point where he really couldn’t run anymore so I had to sit him down. Sometimes you have to save a kid from himself, and it hurts sometimes, especially with Chris because he’s a gamer.
“You can instill, instill, and instill and put them in the right positions, but at the end of the day, it’s Jimmys against Joes, and their Jimmys were better than our Joes tonight and my hat’s off to them,” Mccrea added.
South Broward junior quarterback Randy Phillips threw for 87 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the Bulldogs seized a 13-7 halftime lead.
Belen Jesuit (5-6) took the opening kickoff and marched 80 yards in 10 plays, capped by a 2-yard run by senior QB Andres Miyares with 6:21 remaining in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
South Broward, though, answered, driving 60 yards in four plays, thanks to a 43-yard run by Wheatley-Humphrey to set up a 2-yard scoring toss from Phillips to freshman Sean Thompson with 1:20 remaining in the first quarter to knot the game at 7-7.
Wheatley-Humphrey carried just once in the second half for 6 yards and wound up with eight runs for 76 yards. He entered the game with 1,941 rushing yards and 15 scores.
After holding Belen Jesuit on downs, South Broward drove 75 yards in four plays on an 8-yard scoring pass from Phillips to senior Mark Robertson with 5:20 to go in the first half. The big play in the drive was a 57-yard catch and run by Thompson on a pass from Phillips to hand the Bulldogs a first down at the Wolverines’ 8-yard line.
South Broward went for two on the conversion attempt and a mishandled pitch to Thompson left the score at 13-7.
Belen Jesuit took the ensuing kickoff from their own 20 and drove to the Bulldogs’ 15-yard line where senior running back Cristian Souto fumbled the ball after a 9-yard pickup and it was recovered by junior defensive back Shmar Akande with 1:15 remaining in the first half.
Belen Jesuit took the lead for good at 14-13 with 7:20 remaining in the third quarter on a 50-yard TD pass from Miyares to sophomore receiver Shane James. The Wolverines extended the lead to 20-13 on an 11-yard TD run by Souto with 1:25 left in the third period.
South Broward had a chance to cut into the lead when they drove to the Belen Jesuit 7 before the drive stalled. Senior kicker Brandon Eabasco misfired on a 23-yard field goal with 6:46 remaining in the game and Belen Jesuit ran out the clock thanks to four first downs in the drive by senior running back Khamani Alexander, who finished the game with 30 carries for 193 yards.
“We stepped up to play this year,” Mccrea said. “You see all of the young boys we have. Some of our kids are man-child’s. I have a lot of young guys, and we asked them to put on their big-boy pants. The takeaway from tonight is you have to finish. We have to get over the hump that we’ll win a regional.”
The most recent time South Broward has won a regional quarterfinal game was in 2009 when they ultimately lost to St. Thomas Aquinas in the Class 5A regional semifinals. The Bulldogs also advanced to the regional semis in 1997.
Thursday’s other reqional quarterfinal scores
Class 4M
3. Western 51, 6. Cypress Bay 0
1. Monarch 40, 8. Stoneman Douglas 7
Class 3M
3. Miramar 23, 6. American 0
1. Homestead 52, 8. McArthur 27