Miami Southridge Football’s State Title Is One For The History Books

  By comparison, Miami Southridge’s football season was nothing short of dominant.

  Numerous off-season acquisitions through school transfers afforded the Spartans the ability to utilize every aspect of their team’s depth, including their lights-out defense.

  Not shy on their flair for the dramatics, the Southridge program captured their first state title since 1993 thanks to a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback victory in Orlando.

  However, the story of Southridge’s season was not shaped by their state title-winning finale.

  Indeed, Southridge showed the whole state they were contenders the whole year, then followed that shouting by backing up their claims in the biggest stage.

  This is the story of Southridge’s 2016 FHSAA Class 8A State Championship season.

Week 1: Southridge 7 - 0 Miami Edison

  Like many team’s matchups in week one, Southridge’s game with Miami Edison came to an abrupt end and was ultimately called early due to thunderstorms in the area.

  The Spartans struck early on a touchdown from Michael Cox to Kemore Gamble from 12 yards out to give Southridge their first win of the year.

  Lightning halted the game with moments to go on the clock before halftime, and the ensuing weather delay never relented, resulting in the game being called as official.

Week 2: Southridge 39 - 0 Dr. Krop

  Southridge dominated Dr. Krop, showcasing the offense that would serve them so well throughout the year.

  Bentavious Thompson scored the first two Southridge touchdowns on rushes in the red zone, while quarterback Michael Cox threw for 179 yards on 11 completions.

  The Spartans defense allowed just four Krop first downs in the game, holding them to just 10 yards passing and 91 yards of total offense.

Week 3: Southridge 26 - 15 Columbus

  The first big test of the year for Southridge came from Columbus, the perennial contenders from Miami.

  After giving up an early interception returned for a touchdown, Southridge struck four times, including a fumble returned for a touchdown to take a commanding lead.

  Despite a late comeback attempt, the Spartans defense held strong to defeat the Explorers at Tropical Park.

Week 4: Southridge 6 - 20 Booker T. Washington

  The first of two losses on the year came against the team that was dominated high school football nationwide for the past several years, Booker T. Washington.

  What many consider an NFL talent factory, the Tornadoes lived up to their name, holding Southridge to just one touchdown, an Antwan Collier three-yard run in the second quarter.

Week 5: Southridge 0 - 18 Carol City

  The lowest point for Southridge was their shutout loss to eventual Class 6A champions Carol City.

  Southridge dropped to 3-1 after the loss, leading many to question the team’s ability to overcome tough teams in big time matchups.

  The Spartans gave up 261 yards of total offense, the most they’d give up all season.

  With this result, it would be Southridge’s only game all season where they did not score points.

Week 6: Southridge 12 - 0 South Dade

  Spartan fans got a welcomed result the following game when Southridge defeated local rivals South Dade.

  The 2013 champions were shut out in a defensive performance for the ages by Southridge.

  Despite the Bucs passing for 148 yards, the Spartans kept South Dade off of the score board at Harris Field.

  On offense, Southridge rushed for 119 yards as a team and hauled in nine passes for 130 yards.

Week 7: Southridge 28 - 0 Killian

  Southridge ousted another local rival when they defeated Killian at Tropical Park.

  Bentavious Thompson’s 51 yard touchdown run in the first quarter helped break the game open for Southridge in a performance that set the stage for what would be a string of dominating defensive performances to follow.

Week 8: Southridge 47 - 0 Homestead

  The Spartans toppled Homestead in an offensive exposition at Harris Field in week eight.

  Courtney Reese rushed for 60 yards while Bentavious Thompson added two touchdowns for Southridge.

  Homestead finished with just 22 yards passing thanks to the Spartans defense’s performance.

Week 9: Southridge 20 - 0 Miami Palmetto

  This matchup provided Southridge a glimpse into their future.

  Spartan players faced off against the second best team in the district and came away with an easy win, racking up 357 yards of offense against the Panthers.

  While the offense was clicking, the Southridge defense was holding the Palmetto team scoreless, allowing just seven first downs and 96 yards on offense.

  Little did these teams know that just three weeks later, each of their respective playoff lives would be decided in a rematch on the field of play.

Week 10: Southridge 44 - 0 Miami High

  A dominant regular season came to an end with another shutout, this time to the storied Miami High program.

  Southridge’s defense allowed just 17 yards rushing in one of their most dominant performances of the season.

  On the offensive side of the ball, the Spartans were strong as well, thanks to quarterback Michael Cox’s 155 yard passing performance that included three passing touchdowns.

Regional Qtr Finals: Southridge 28 - 0 Southwest Miami

  The first round of the playoffs ended with a familiar zero on the scoreboard for the Spartans’ opponents.

  Southridge dominated Southwest with two rushing and two passing touchdowns (from two separate quarterbacks nonetheless).

  On defense, Southridge limited Southwest Miami to just 81 rushing yards and zero passing yards on nine attempts.

Regional Semi Finals: Southridge 26 - 0 Miami Palmetto

  In their playoffs rematch, the result was much more of the same between Southridge and Palmetto.

  The Spartans outlasted the Panthers once again, shutting out their opponents for the ninth and final time of the season.

  Despite giving up a yard more than they themselves gained in passing, Southridge dominated with 177 yards rushing to run past the Panthers at Southridge Park.

  Trelvin Payne had a breakout performance, throwing for 54 yards and a touchdown at quarterback while adding another touchdown and 27 yards rushing on the ground.

Regionl Finals: Southridge 28 - 10 Coral Gables

  Facing one of their toughest opponents, Southridge utilized their conditioning and their ability to stand tall in a strong late-game win over Coral Gables.

  After entering the lockers ahead of the Cavaliers by a low 7-3 score, Southridge erupted for 15 third-quarter points to blow the game wide open.

  Bentavious Thompson’s 69 yard touchdown run sealed the win in the second half, contributing to his 104-yard performance in the win.

State Semi Finals: Southridge 26 - 7 Deerfield Beach

  Traveling to enemy territory for just the third time since September, Southridge masterfully outplayed Deerfield Beach by keeping the game close when it counted.

  The score remained deadlocked at 7-6 in favor of Deerfield Beach from the first to the fourth quarters.

  Then, in the final frame, Southridge erupted for 20 unanswered points to secure their victory and their first trip to the state finals since 1999.

  The running game shone through for Southridge, amassing a team-total of 163 yards on 23 carries.

State Finals: Southridge 14 - 10 Dr. Phillips

  For the first time since 1999, Southridge fans were able to watch their beloved Spartans fight for a state title.

  Despite being favored over Orlando’s Dr. Phillips, Southridge trailed 10-0 heading into the fourth quarter.

  A late-game surge, capped off by the heroics of Mark Pope’s electrifying 76 yard touchdown catch from quarterback Michael Cox, put away the Spartans’ opponents late in the game when it mattered most.

  Southridge’s defense did their job, keeping Dr. Phillips out of the end zone and out of kicking range for most of the game, making up for the 186 yards passing allowed in the state finals.

  In the end, Southridge emerged with their first state title since 1993.