BELLE GLADE – At least two plays made the difference in the first half of Glades Central’s 27-14 home win over Pahokee in the Muck Bowl on Friday night (Oct. 30).
Raiders sophomore wide receiver Rashawn Nembhard – who was selected by Goldlaw Firm as the Muck Bowl MVP – used his blazing speed and athleticism to catch a pass from junior quarterback Tawan “Yoshi” Roux and go 40 yards for a breakthrough touchdown with 1:34 left in the first quarter.
Nembhard’s score – which helped the home team gain a 10-0 lead over the road team at that point – effectively set the stage for how the Muck Bowl was going to go for Glades Central (4-5), which has won three consecutive Muck Bowl games against Pahokee (5-4).
It was not the only play that Nembhard made in the first half.
After Pahokee sophomore Amari Cleveland’s 50-yard punt return for a score helped cut Glades Central’s lead to 10-7 at the 9:07 mark of the second quarter, Nembhard brought more life to the home crowd with his electrifying 90-yard kickoff return for another score.
Nembhard’s special teams touchdown – plus an extra point by senior kicker Javier Flores – gave Glades Central a 17-7 lead over Pahokee at the 8:55 mark of the second quarter.
Pahokee was down by double digits the rest of the way.
The second half was not as eventful as the first half, as this one proved to be about Glades Central getting insurance points in the process.
Raiders senior running Zhaire Davis, who powered his way through a pile of Pahokee defenders and broke through for an 11-yard touchdown run at the 3:02 mark of the third quarter.
Another extra point by Flores – who went on to make two field goals in the Muck Bowl – extended Glades Central’s lead to 24-7 over Pahokee.
The final scoring opportunity for the Blue Devils came midway through the fourth quarter, as we got a 10-yard touchdown pass from eighth-grade quarterback Braylon Edward to Cleveland.
With 5:37 left in the fourth quarter, Pahokee cut Glades Central’s lead to 24-14 by way of an extra point made by sophomore kicker Jesus Prieto (2-for-2 on the night).
But Pahokee’s comeback dreams were dashed by a scoring drive by Glades Central that took more than three minutes off the clock. The game-icing moment was a second field goal made by Flores.
As this one came to a close, Glades Central principal Melanie Bolden-Morris and the cheerleading team got together and ran toward the middle of the field and led the celebration of yet another Muck Bowl win.
Bolden-Morris held the Muck Bowl trophy and ran with it as fast as possible to set off a frenzy at Effie C. Grear Field.
Meanwhile, Glades Central head coach Omar Haugabook would go on and receive a water bath by a couple of his players shortly after the trophy-hoisting moment.
NOTE: Haugabook is now 3-0 in the Muck Bowl against Pahokee. He has been the head coach since the 2024 season.
NEXT GAME FOR GLADES CENTRAL: Wednesday, Nov. 4 on the road at Spanish River – 7 p.m. kickoff
NEXT GAME FOR PAHOKEE: Wednesday, Nov. 4 at home vs. Melbourne Central Catholic – 7 p.m. kickoff
PHOTO CREDITS: James Harden / Tuff Shot Media
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