First Baptist Academy’s varsity football season came full circle.
The Lions hosted Delray Beach Village Academy in a significantly more meaningful game than when the two teams played a 7-7 tie during an August preseason Kickoff Classic. Friday’s rematch represented a Florida High School Athletic Association playoff game where, much to the delight of the home fans, FBA extended its 2015 campaign by another week.
Dylan Cibelli rushed for 158 yards and three second-half touchdowns, and the Lions used big plays to break free from a scoreless first half en route to a 31-16 victory over the Tigers in a Class 2A Region 4 semifinal.
The fifth-ranked Lions (10-1) advance to the Class 2A regional finals for the fourth straight season. FBA, which is on a nine-game winning streak with seven of those victories coming by at least 21 points, returns to the field Nov. 20 against Dade Christian.
Dade Christian, No. 3 in this week’s Associated Press Class 2A state poll, ousted Community School of Naples 49-11 on Friday in Miami.
“I know that Dade Christian is good, and everybody is good right now,” First Baptist head coach Billy Sparacio said. “We’ll take a look at them [the Crusaders] and I’ve got a lot of respect for their program. We played them a few years back [in 2012] in the state semifinals, and it will be a great challenge.”
Sparacio challenged his team at halftime Friday with the Lions facing an unusual 0-0 score. Village Academy, which won a tiebreaker game against Glades Day to secure the 2A-8 runner-up spot, may have had the lead if not for a pair of turnovers including one in the red zone.
The Tigers (5-6) eventually broke through with 8:07 left in the third quarter when Mardochee Jean ran 47 yards for a touchdown on an end around. Marquis Waters added a two-point run to make it 8-0.
However, Village Academy’s lead was short-lived as Eddie Burnham fielded the ensuing kickoff and went 88 yards for a touchdown. Burnham appeared to be bottled up in the middle of the field, but the senior spun free and found open space along the right sideline.
[gallery type="rectangular" size="medium" link="file" ids="332373,332372,332371,332370"]
Cibelli added a two-point run to tie the score 8-8.
“I think we had some huge plays that really kept the emotion kind of on our side,” Sparacio said, “and I’m really proud of that.”
The Tigers reached the FBA 3-yard line on their next series when Marlin Brunson had an 81-yard reception on a slant pattern. The Lions’ Michael Ritter made a touchdown-saving tackle on the play, and his effort proved key when Village Academy fumbled into the end zone and First Baptist recovered for a touchback.
Cibelli ran 65 yards on the next play, setting up his 4-yard TD run with 4:19 remaining in the third quarter. Adam Staab then scooped up a Tigers fumble and returned it deep into Village Academy territory, leading to Cibelli’s 1-yard scoring run at the 2:08 mark.
The Tigers, who committed four turnovers on the night with three lost fumbles and one interception, closed within 21-16 on Waters’ 66-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass and a successful two-point conversion.
Colvin Warburton kicked a 33-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to give the Lions a 24-16 advantage. Cibelli added a 13-yard touchdown run with 3:55 to go, after Joe Sparacio stopped Thomas Neal for 1 yard on a fourth-and-4 play from the FBA 42-yard line at the 7:15 mark.
“Village Academy was physical in that [Kickoff Classic] game,” Sparacio said. “They’ve got a lot of really good teams in their district, and it was much of the same tonight in the first half with no scoring. In the second half tonight I just think we kind of clicked.”
[event_results 331819]
LINESCORE
VLG Mardochee Jean 47 run(Marquis Waters run)
FBA Eddie Burnham 88 yd kickoff return(Dylan Cibelli run)
FBA Cibelli 4 yd run(Colvin Warburton kick)
FBA Cibelli 1 yd run(kick failed)
VLG Waters 66 yd pass from Roudnes Louissant(Thomas Neal run)
FBA Warburton 33 yd FG
FBA Cibelli 13 yd run(Warburton kick)
[event_performance 331819]
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