Video: Am. Heritage-Card. Gibbons highlights
Watch No. 3 American Heritage rattle off 35 straight points and barely hang on to keep its season alive.The nation's No. 3 team
American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) fought back from a 27-6 deficit in the second quarter to pull out a wild 58-57 triple-over victory over
Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) in what locals are calling one of the greatest FHSAA playoff wins ever.
A blocked extra point after Cardinal Gibbons went up 57-51 on a 10-yard run by
Vincent Davis, set up the final sequence, an extra point kick from
Jimmy Lowery after
Cam Smith completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to
Anthony Schwartz.
It was Smith's fifth touchdown pass of the game and he also ran for two, sending the the Patriots (13-0) into the 5A semifinals to face Immokalee next week.
Moments after Jimmy Lowery's game-winning extra point.
Down 27-6, American Heritage closed to 27-20 by halftime on a 70-yard kickoff return by Schwartz, one of the fastest players in the country, and 19-yard TD pass from Smith to
Marcus Lodge.
Smith tied the game in the third quarter on a 1-yard run, and then American Heritage took a 34-27 lead on a Smith 6-yard TD completion to
Beau Johnson.
When Smith rushed for his third TD, on a 1-yard, the Patriots looked well on its way, up 41-27 midway through the fourth quarter.
But Cardinal Gibbons came storming back.
Nik Scalzo completed a 3-yard TD pass to
Lavontae Decius to make it 41-34, then
Ron Hardge III picked up a fumble and returned it 30 yards for a score with less than two minutes to go, sending the game into overtime.
Cardinal Gibbons had earlier scored on a blocked punt returned for a touchdowns.
After exchanging touchdowns in overtime, American Heritage had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Lowery. Cardinal Gibbons could win it with a TD, but also had to settle for a field goal, this one 29-yards by
Daton Montiel, making it 51-51.
Davis scored immediately on a 10-yard run, but Montiel's extra point was blocked, setting up the heroics for Smith, Schwartz and Lowery.
Cam Smith, American Heritage
File photo by Scott Reed
