Miami Killian @ Gulliver Prep
WEEK 6 | 2023 SEASON
September 29, 2023
by Josh Zedner
Pinecrest, Fla. | “Raiders Storm Back Against Cougars”
Florida Man Sports is back with some Friday afternoon action, featuring a district matchup between the Gulliver Prep Raiders (3-2) and the Miami Killian Cougars (0-5). Gulliver Prep hosted alumni for its Homecoming and Senior Day at Sean Taylor ’01 Memorial Field, and Raiders’ faithful honored alum D’Sean Perry, who was killed in a tragic event last fall while attending the University of Virginia, with a jersey retirement ceremony pre-game.
The game started off very slow on the offensive end, as Raiders defenders 2024 OLB/TE Brandon Rosenthal delivered a TFL and 2025 DB Sebastien-Olivier “El Jefe” Lacrete picked off 2026 QB Jorge Rodriguez. This early INT led to a FG by 2024 K/P and Duke commit Cosme Salas. After some more pressure and a couple of sacks by Rosenthal, the Cougars finally broke through with a 2024 RB Johnathan Hall 44-yard touchdown run, capped off by a 2-point conversion caught by 2027 WR Ezequiel Herring.
Gulliver then had a sustained drive after 2026 WR/FS Marquis “Booda” Williams cruised through the Killian special teams unit for a decent kick return, and 2024 RB Jack Whitehouse gashed through Cougars on the ground. This momentum didn’t last long, however, as 2027 QB Brandon Beery threw a pass into the waiting arms of 2025 DB Christopher Canidate. Canidate’s pick began a great drive by Killian, beginning with a run from Rodriguez, and then 1st down passes to 2027 WR Jamal Robinson, and 2024 WRs Kaden Sims and Gary Kendrick — Kendrick’s catch being a touchdown that got the Cougars out to a 14-3 lead at the half.
Gulliver had some soul searching to do at the half. They were down on Senior Day, in a game honoring one of their fallen soldiers. How could they get their mojo back? It started and ended with their defense. Williams had a huge pick off Rodriguez that he took to the house, which immediately picked up the swagger of the Raiders, and instantly put them within 4 points.
After forcing another 3-and-out, Gulliver looked to spark another drive as Beery settled in a bit with passes to 2026 WR Luc Carroll and 2025 WR Kenny Williams, but then threw another interception to 2024 DB Eddie Smith, killing the offensive momentum. That hard-nosed Raiders defense didn’t stop in the second half, though. 2026 DB/WR Leondrez Leonard had a stupendous interception off Rodriguez and Killian just couldn’t defend 2025 DL Julian Terry, as he had multiple tackles for loss on the night, earning himself a nomination for Miami Herald’s Athlete of the Week.
With a short field, Gulliver 2024 ATH Amare Sanders gashed through the defense with a couple of outside runs and scored a touchdown around the edge to give the Raiders their first lead since the first quarter.
Once again, Rosenthal’s presence was too much for the Cougars. He recovered a fumble after Rodriguez slipped and got the Raiders in prime position for another score. The drive resulted in another Salas field goal, extending the lead to 20-14. Salas has an absolute boot, starring as a soccer player as well.
After a couple of 3-and-outs, Killian got their last licks in with just a couple minutes left in the game. Once again, the Raiders weren’t having it. Sanders and Leonard broke up passes, and Rosenthal came up with a sack and a half on the last drive. And on the last play of the game, Rodriguez attempted to scramble in a last ditch Hail Mary effort, but 2027 DT Terrence Jones sledgehammered him to the turf and the clock ran out.
What a battle this game was. Gulliver Prep improves to 4-2 behind an outstanding defensive performance in the second half. Rosenthal, Terry, and Sanders are players that can be counted on to make big plays consistently. Gulliver needs some more consistency from their freshman starting QB Beery, but he has an extremely strong arm as it is and can only get better with time and coaching. The Raiders have a very solid rushing attack, headlined by Whitehouse, Sanders, and 2024 LB/RB Dylan Calero, that may be a good alternative to just letting Beery sling it 40 times per game. Can’t forget about their mammoth of an offensive lineman in 2024 OT Ethan Watts.
Killian is now 0-6 on the year. The Cougars defense performed very well tonight and Killian has a lot more talent than their record reflects, headlined by their receiving corps. Rodriguez looked much better tonight than he did earlier in the season despite some brutal interceptions. All Killian can do at this point is watch the tape, look at what they can improve, and put it into play. Limit the turnovers and they might just have a chance at a positive end to a rough season.
FINAL SCORE:
Gulliver Prep beats Miami Killian 20-14
About Josh Zedner:
Joshua Zedner is a beat writer covering high school football for Florida Man Sports. A native of Miami Beach, he attended Florida International University before finishing his undergraduate Business Administration degree at the University of Florida. Josh is an avid Miami sports fan, and he also writes a music review blog as a passion project under the @AlbumAnalysisWithZ handle on Instagram.
