North Broward Hospital District Presents
BCAA GAME OF THE WEEK
EVERGLADES – 17	MIRAMAR – 14

Large - Streaming - LAN/DSL

It’s called the SWAMP…filled with thousands of cold-blooded fans.  So many fans, that the administration began turning fans away at the gates at the beginning of the second quarter.  A packed house, a festive atmosphere and a game for all seasons, as the Everglade Gators captured their first football district championship.  Without a lot of fanfare, the Gators are 7-0 and a potential powerhouse to be reckoned with in the coming years.

The Everglade Gators are in their third year of operation.  The first two years the Gators played every game on the road.  The Gators now have a home field that rivals any campus stadium in Broward County.  The new stadium was christened during half time of the football game.  Eastern Financial Stadium at Everglades High is the first stadium in Broward County named after a corporate sponsor.  Eastern Financial understands the value and importance of extracurricular activities in building a quality educational program.  Eastern Financial secured naming rights for the stadium over the next 30 years through a gift of $500,000.  The City of Miramar served as a financial partner along with the School Board of Broward County.  To expedite the building of the stadium the City of Miramar served as the construction manager.

In the early going it appeared the Miramar Patriots might rain on the Gators parade.  The Patriots scored first at the 4:31 mark in the first quarter as QB Eugene Smith (#12) hit wide out Julius Winn (#8) on a thirty-five yard slant.  Winn was tackled at the Gator one.  Running back Dandre Stringer (#4) went over from the one-yard line to put the Patriots up 6-0.  The extra point was good – 7-0 Patriots.

Throughout the first period the Gators keyed on Gator running back Dwann Ivey (#8).  At the conclusion of the first quarter the Patriots had 111 yards of offense, holding the Gators to - 17.  But sometimes statistics are deceiving.  Late in the first quarter, Gator linebacker Bobby Seay (#9) intercepted a screen pass and ran it back for 25 yards.  The extra point was good, and the first quarter ended tied at 7-7.

The Gator defense energized, forced the Patriots to punt from deep in their territory.  The Gators started their second quarter possession at the Patriot 40 yard line.  The Gators began finding ways to get Ivey the ball, a screen for ten yards and multiple runs.  Ivey was held to 53 yards running on 26 carries.  However, with 6:17 remaining in the second quarter Ivey scored from three yards out.  The Gators took a 14-7 lead.

On the ensuing kick off Darren McKhan (#5) ran the ball back to the Gator nine-yard line.  The 68-yard kickoff return put the Patriots in excellent scoring position.  On the Patriots first play from scrimmage, Dandre Stringer ran nine yards into the end zone to tie the game at 14-14.

The Gators capped the first half scoring with a 30-yard field goal by kicker Roberto Minero (#16) with two seconds left before half time.  At halftime the Gators led 17-14.

Halftime was filled with speakers, pleasantries and fireworks courtesy of the City of Miramar.  All signs were pointing to a wild and high scoring second half.

The Gator defense led by defensive lineman Emmanuel Perez (#72) shut the Patriot offense down.  The Patriots didn’t help their cause by committing 19 penalties for 141 yards.  The Gators played field position football in the second half, winning the game and the district title.

The first ever Mayors Cup for the City of Miramar was delivered by Mayor Lori Moseley to the Gator team.  For the City of Miramar it was a proud evening.  The Eastern Financial Stadium AKA SWAMP is an exciting place to watch a football game.  The future looks bright for the Everglade Gators.

North Broward Hospital District Sports Medicine Program

As the exclusive provider of sports medicine for the Broward County Athletic Association and School Board, the North Broward Hospital District Sports Medicine team is all about keeping athletes of all ages in the game.  The Sports Medicine team consists of nationally certified and licensed athletic trainers in 20 BCAA high schools who provide daily treatment and assessment of injuries during all practices and games. In addition, the community’s most skilled orthopaedic physicians and other sports medicine physicians volunteer for the schools as team physicians.  The District Sports Medicine team also offers pre-participation physicals for students each year.

BCAA and the North Broward Hospital District Sports Medicine are a part of the winning team at your school.  For all your sports medicine needs call (954) 796-3916.