Miami Central @ Miami Northwestern
WEEK 7 | 2024 SEASON
October 8, 2024
by Josh Zedner
Miami, Fla. | “Rockets Dodge Bulls”
Florida Man Sports is back with Week 7 South Florida high school football coverage! Tonight we were at what may have been the biggest game of the season so far. There may not be a bigger game all season than this one.
It’s the big rivalry. The Miami Central Rockets and the Miami Northwestern Bulls. The crowds packed into the legendary Nathaniel “Traz” Powell Stadium. Celebrities were spectating all around the field, including Dolphins players Jaylen Waddle, Jalen Ramsey, De’Von Achane, Terron Armstead, Jonnu Smith, and Miami Central alum, Florida State Seminole, and former Atlanta Falcons RB Devonta Freeman. This was a big time atmosphere.
The Rockets, at 4-1, were coming off of a close victory against another big time program in American Heritage 2 weeks ago. The Bulls are a once-again rising program at 3-2 under the direction of school legend and former NFL star Teddy Bridgewater. The Bulls came off of a breeze of a victory against Jackson last week.
As the game kicked off, it started with a bang. 2026 QB Leon Strawder led the Bulls onto the field and got them off to a fast start getting a first down with his legs, and then with a toss to 2026 ATH Elijah Hardy. Hardy got his legs chugging some more with a couple of breezy first-down totes to get Northwestern driving down the field. Despite the best efforts of the star linebacker duo of 2025 LB and University of Miami commit Ezekiel Marcelin and 2026 LB Karon Maycock, Strawder eventually found 2025 WR and Troy commit Darius “Boobie” Johnson in the back of the endzone to give the Bulls the early 7-0 lead.
In between the next scoring drive there was a lot of defense by both teams. 2025 DB and Colorado commit Antonio Branch Jr. was making plays for Northwestern. The Rockets forced a turnover-on-downs. Marcelin picked off a batted pass that touched many hands. Eventually, 2026 QB Anthony McQueen settled in and got a drive going for Central. McQueen delivered a first-down pass to 2025 ATH and Mississippi State commit Sekou Smith Jr. He gained another first-down with his own legs after some great downfield blocking by the Rockets receiving corps. But due to the combined efforts of guys like 2026 LB Desmond Johnson and 2025 DB and USF commit Tywan Cox, and tackles for losses by Branch Jr. and 2025 DL and Syracuse commit Eric Thomas, Central was forced to settle for a field goal made by 2025 K/P Luca Guerra.
After a three-and-out forced by 2025 DB and FAU commit Zion Paret, Central got another drive going. McQueen continued to use his legs. And eventually he got in line with the stud 2025 WR and Florida commit Nae’shaun Montgomery for a couple of first-down conversions. The drive was finished off by a walk-in touchdown from 2025 RB Nicholas McCall.
In response, Strawder used his arm once again. On the run he found 2027 ATH Nicholas Lennear twice. First, up the middle on a seam and second, on a beautiful connection down the sideline in which Lennear made an NFL caliber toe-tap reception. To complete the quality drive after a PBU by 2026 DB
Herlin Perry, Strawder got the ball to 2026 WR Nicsaint Joseph Jr., who danced his way off a defender and into the endzone to give the Bulls the lead right before the half. 14-10 Bulls at half.
After the half, Smith Jr. got the Rockets in incredible field position to start the 3rd quarter after a great kick return to midfield. McQueen then found 2025 ATH and Wofford commit Anjuan “Ace Money” Coleman for a first down that coincided with a roughing the passer penalty. And despite a tackle for loss in the redzone by Cox, McQueen found Montgomery slanting in the endzone to give Central the lead right back.
Maycock continued his stellar defense, but so did the Bulls secondary. 2026 DB J’Vari Flowers and 2027 DB James Briggs had pass breakups that caused a turnover on downs for the Rockets. That was just what Northwestern needed, as they stole the momentum right back with big first-down runs by 2025 RB King Davis and 2026 ATH Calvin Russell. After a roughing the passer penalty saved Strawder from turning the ball over, he took matters into his own hands by running into the endzone and giving the Bulls the lead right back. This game was truly going back and forth. The West’s momentum did not stop there when 2026 DL Roderick McFadden forced a fumble that was recovered by Cox.
When Central got the ball back at the beginning of the 4th quarter, it was do-or-die time for McQueen and his offense. A final chance to steal back that momentum for the last time. He began to game manage in the correct way, finding Smith Jr. for two crucial first downs. He hit 2026 RB Jayden “Mook” Ford for another conversion near the goal-line. Then, he used a quarterback sneak to give the Rockets a 24-21 lead early in the 4th quarter.
It was now time for this vaunted Central defense to lock in. And lock in they did. Marcelin, 2026 OLB Otis Guyton Jr., and 2026 DE Cameron McCrea made multiple huge stops. On Northwestern’s penultimate opportunity, a 4th & 30 resulted in a toss high into the air by Strawder that was picked off by 2025 DB Dewey Davis. And on their absolute final shot, following a PBU by Perry, the lateral circus occurred as time expired, and eventually, after many backwards tosses, the game was finally over.
The Central Rockets beat the Northwestern Bulls, 24-21. What a game and what an incredible atmosphere. Both fanbases absolutely brought it for tonight’s contest. A packed house. A high school football game where tickets were SOLD OUT and rumors allege that scalpers were reselling tickets for upwards of $50 to $200 a piece. Central has a new leader in McQueen, who doesn’t always make the flashy play, but he typically makes the right one. With such an elite group of skill position players, all you have to do is minimize the mistakes and get the ball to your playmakers, and it is a winning formula.
It always figured to be the defense that needed to continually get huge stops in order to win this game. Marcelin, Maycock, Guyton, McCrea, Perry, and Paret all did what was needed to be done to win this incredible rivalry game. The Rockets will face off against Stranahan next Thursday night and are expected to build on this momentum.
As for the Northwestern Bulls, they competed hard, but fell just a bit short again against a top Dade County school. To give credit to the Central defense, Strawder had a lot of trouble getting the ball to Russell in this game. Lennear and Johnson shined, as the weapons often seem endless regardless of the situation. For the most part the defense was pretty darn good as well. Cox, Flowers, Branch Jr., and 2025 DE Lewon Lurry Jr. all showed out tonight. It would have also been nice to see Hardy get the ball a little more after the amount of success he had on the opening drive. Next Friday, the Bulls will travel to face Key West on the road.
FINAL SCORE:
Miami Central beats Miami Northwestern 24-21
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.
