Deee-fense! Harmony's Colton Sklarek (9) sacks Poinciana quarterback Kamari Lewis and forces a fumble that Brody Malukiewicz recovers, setting up another touchdown. (Photo/Katie Williams)
Harmony started and fast Friday, earning its first win of the season in 55-20 breakout fashion over Poinciana at Eagle Field.
The Longhorns (1-1) took advantage of good fortunes and Eagles (1-1) miscues and rode a 27-0 lead 16 minutes into the game.
Often working in short fields thanks to big defensive or special teams plays, quarterback Landon Hayes threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more, leading the team to its biggest output since beating Cypress Creek 56-12 in 2020.
"We needed this," Hayes said afterwards. "We gave a lot of effort, in practice this week and in the game. We played to our game plan as one. And it was easier to play with the lead."
Coach Don Simon said Friday was the time his team finally advanced in the process of putting a whole ballgame together.
"It's been a process for us, but this was a great growing step," he said. "The kids are buying in, and now you see the offensive explosion they're capable of. We were a run-heavy team (earlier in the season) because that's where we were in our process. Our goal has been to be balanced, and we really did that tonight. The kids saw how it looks when we open it up."
Harmony jumped out to the early lead thanks to take advantage of opportunities. The Longhorns recovered a bad punt snap on Poinciana's first drive at the 2, and Hayes scored on a keeper on the next play. Linebacker Jackson Munns ended the Eagles next drive with a sack, forced and recovered a fumble at the Poinciana 44. Hayes went to the air and hit Bryce Berry and Damarion Moore on out routes that went for 16 yards each, the latter for a touchdown just eight minutes into the game.
After another Poinciana bad punt snap to open the second quarter, Hayes made it 20-0 when he lofted a 22-yard touchdown pass to Roberto Rodriguez. On Poinciana's next drive, Brody Malukiewicz recovered a fumble forced by Colton Sklarek's sack at the Eagle 9, and Nick Bertolani ran it the rest of the way on the next play.
A 30-yard strike from Kamari Lewis to Chance Frazier on 4th and 20 sparked the Eagles; it led to a 2-yard Daveon Williams TD run that made it 27-6 at the half. Lewis and Frazier connected again on the third play of the second half for a 79-yard scoring strike.
The Eagles forced a fumble on the next drive and drove from their 20 to the Longhorns 5, but a fourth-down pass in the end zone was just out of Frazier's reach. That swung the momentum back to Harmony, and Hayes gave Harmony the breathing room they needed with a 32-yard scoring strike to Berry.
Harmony's defense featured five sacks, three turnovers and double-digit tackles for loss spread among six defenders.
For Poinciana, Lewis passed for 164 yards and rushed for 127 more. Frazier caught nine passes for 164 yards.
Harmony returns to the Ranch next week to host Sebastian River; Poinciana welcomes St. Cloud (2-0), a 41-0 winner Friday over Pine Ridge.
