After losing to Coconut Creek to end the 2007 regular season, Douglas head coach Mike Verdin knew that the first round of the state playoffs would certainly be a challenge for his young football team.

Headed toward a showdown against a Boyd Anderson team that many had picked as the program that had the talent to beat a team like nationally-rated Miami Northwestern, Douglas had its hands full with the Cobras.

Maybe a silver lining to the game was Boyd Anderson head coach Mark James, who called Douglas quarterback David Noshay, the “most complete offensive threat in Broward County.”

James’ words, even if they fell on deaf ears for those who simply refused to believe the Eagles’ quarterback could engineer a huge upset, turned out to be right on target. Like he has all season, Noshay was the center of attention, accounting for over 200 yards as Douglas (8-3) pulled one of the biggest first round 6A upsets and will now head back to play a Deerfield Beach (9-2) team they did quite well against earlier in the season.

The Bucks got back on the winning track with a convincing 24-7 victory over a South Plantation squad that had put on quite a run toward the end of the season.

As we head toward the second week of the playoffs, Douglas now find itself right in the middle of a story that could truly be one that is among the best in the state, and while head coach Art Taylor and his Deerfield Beach team is still the favorite to advance to the third round of the playoffs, the Eagles are ready for the challenge.

While my first week of picking games worked out okay, I felt that giving it another try would only add to my growing reputation. Maybe not!

Any way, as impressive as the Deerfield Beach-Douglas game appears, the Bucks are at home, have the advantage of coming off a win against South Plantation after losing to the Paladins. It will be close

The Deerfield Beach-Douglas game is just one of a few games scheduled for this Friday that involves BCAA teams.
LARRY’S PICK: Deerfield Beach 23, Douglas 14

Cypress Bay (10-1) at North Miami Beach (11-0): This may be one of the best games in the state this week. The Lightning are coming off a convincing 21-0 win against Miami Norland. While Mark Guandolo and his Lightning are one of the best coached teams in South Florida, the No. 2 rated unbeaten Chargers have won four straight against BCAA teams after last week’s 30-13 win against Eugene Smith and the Patriots. This will go down to the wire with the Wing-T offense going against a team that dresses just 29 players!
LARRY’S PICK: North Miami Beach 22, Cypress Bay 21

Dillard (8-3) at St. Thomas Aquinas (10-1): The lone BCAA 5A game will see two teams who had to struggle in the first round, and if past games are any indication, this one will be a true thriller. The Raiders and head coach George Smith, looking to get back to the state championship game for the fourth consecutive year, will need to play better on offense and stop head coach Keith Franklin’s discipline football squad.
LARRY’S PICK: St. Thomas Aquinas 28, Dillard 14

Hallandale (9-2) at Miami Booker T. Washington (10-0): Nobody ever expected this. Not when you lose 26 of 27 games and are winless with little hope of turning things around.

Well, if Douglas is a good story, the Chargers’ rise from the ashes is easily the best story in the state. Coming off its second post season victory ever, Hallandale and head coach Dameon Jones will now face off with a team they had no success with at all earlier this season.

Washington is one of the nation’s elite football teams with seven shutouts in the 10 games they’ve played this year, which certainly does not play into the hands of the Chargers. Still, Hallandale is just one of six BCAA teams still alive in week two of the state playoffs.
LARRY’S PICK: Miami Booker T. Washington 44, Hallandale 6

Next week, we will continue to follow the teams in the playoffs as well as start to get the Broward North/South All-Star game roster in order to bring you over the next few weeks. The game is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 13 at Lockhart Stadium.

For more recruiting, check Larry Blustein out every Thursday on the Miami Dolphins High School Gridiron Show from 9-10 p.m. on WQAM (560 AM) and on the internet at www.floridafb.com. You can respond to anything in this column to FloridaKids1@hotmail.com