Dunbar survives Golden Gate, sets up rematch with Naples

NAPLES, FLORIDA – A game that looked like it could be a high-scoring affair, maybe even a blowout, turned into a defensive slugfest in the Class 3S-Region 4 semifinals. And it ended up coming down to the final seconds.

In the end, Dunbar survived Golden Gate, winning 12-7 on the road to advance to the regional championship for a second straight season.

Tigers' defense comes up big

Golden Gate (9-3) came into the game averaging more than 40 points a game. The Titans had scored 30 or more in eight straight games and had combined to score 111 points in their previous two.

On Friday, the Titans managed just one touchdown and 165 yards of offense. And yet, they still had a chance to win at the end.

Golden Gate got the ball at its own 19-yard line with 4:41 left. The Titans drove to the Dunbar 8-yard line in nine plays, but back-to-back penalties had them facing fourth and 18 from the 23-yard line.

Quarterback Sam Powell zipped a pass into the end zone, but Dunbar sophomore Hezekiah Jones jumped in front of it and came down with the game-clinching interception with 10 seconds left.

"The only thing going through my mind was, 'No touchdown,'" Jones said. "If they score, they win the game. I just wanted to come through for my team."

Future Gator leads Dunbar

In last week's regional semifinals, Dunbar trailed 17-0 at halftime. There was no such slow start this week, thanks to Florida commit T.J. Abrams.

The senior receiver caught a short pass over the middle on Dunbar's second play, then raced 81 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Abrams had a 30-yard rushing touchdown to put the Tigers up 12-0.

"This week Coach (Sammy Brown) told we have to play 48 minutes," Abrams said. "I had to set the momentum. Being a leader in the locker room, I had to do it.

Abrams finished with three catches for 121 yards and eight rushes for 44 yards. However, after his touchdown with 5:57 left in the second quarter, the Tigers would not score again.

Golden Gate's only touchdown came with 2:31 left in the first half. It was a 5-yard plunge by John Lee Honorat.

Trayvon Jean, Golden Gate's 1,600-yard rusher, was held to 70 yards on 19 carries.

One dream season ends, another continues

The best season in program history came to a close for Golden Gate. This year the Titans won their first district title, set a school record for wins in a season, and won their first ever playoff game.

Dunbar, on the other hand, continues its run of success in recent years. The Tigers (10-2) won 10 games for the second year in a row, after winning nine games in 2021. Last year Dunbar went into Naples and beat the two-time state champion Golden Eagles to win its first regional title. Now the Tigers want to make it two regional championships in a row.

"We gotta own it," Abrams said of the tough matchup at Naples. "We know we gotta come and play ball. We have to come to win."