Coral Glades football. {NJOI Designs Photography}
By; Matt Rothman
Coral Glades football had its most historic season in school history, but it ultimately ended in the State 8A playoffs on Thursday against Palmetto High School.
After qualifying for the first time, the Jaguars fell 41-21. Coral Glades trailed 21-0 early on but made it a game with consecutive touchdowns on a four-yard run from Jojo Rispoli and a 35-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Knaebel to Joshua Pena. Joshua Guerin then caught a reception for another score in the fourth quarter.
“We just need to get better for next year,” said Head Coach Cam Thomas. “We have a lot of young players with talent. It starts with the young kids hitting the weight room and improving. This is just the start for us.”
The Jaguars began the season 5-1 for their best start in program history. They had their first win against Coral Springs High School before beating J.P. Taravella 38-6 in the Jason Stein Swamp Bowl.
Following that, the Jaguars had wins over Flanagan, West Broward, and Cypress Bay, outscoring their opponents 99-43. Then they continued their domination of the city, beating Coral Springs Charter by seven touchdowns before falling to Marjory Stoneman Douglas on Senior Night.
Knaebel finished with 1,800 yards, 20 passing touchdowns and three rushing scores. Guerin led the team in receiving yards while Kyle Nelson had a terrific year at running back.
Coach Thomas credits his defense for a fantastic season as Jaden Wilson, Rodney Stone, and Rispoli shined for a team that allowed six points or less three times in nine games. Also, both kickers Nicholas McCarthy and Richie Maston were key throughout the season on special teams.
While the Jaguars will have 25 players graduate this spring, with many of them likely playing football in college, they will still return a strong team in 2022 with some players from the junior varsity team.
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Author Profile
- Matt Rothman is a 2018 graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism and then graduated from the University of Florida as a graduate student. He also works for the Mohave Valley Daily News in Bullhead City, Arizona covering high school sports.
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