On Friday, Nov. 8, the Stoneman Douglas Eagles competed against the Miami High Stingarees in a Class 8A football playoff game at Cumber Stadium.

After being crowned district champions on Oct. 25, the team lost their momentum and fell short in the final two games of the season. The Eagles lost both their last regular season game and only playoff game by at least 25 points.

On Friday night, the nerves and excitement of the team could be seen from the first snap. However, MSD’s defense gave up 22 points in the first half, with most coming from little to no resistance on Miami High’s running plays, causing major issues for the Eagles. 

This lack of intensity and movement allowed Miami High to pounce on the Eagles’ defense, which didn’t show up until late in the first half. By the end of the second quarter, the Eagles had only put themselves on the board with one field goal, leaving the score 22-3.

After another half of static play for the Eagles, the game finished 28-3 in favor of Miami High, who are advancing to the next round of district playoffs.

Most of the Eagles’ players and coaches were devastated, but proud of the work they had done throughout the season.

“It didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but it was great for these guys. We had a lot of success and it was really positive,” Head Coach Short said. 

The final result was not reflective of the wildly successful season that MSD had, with an 8-2 record, earning the school their first playoff appearance in over 12 years, as well as their first district title in 18 years.

“We gave it everything we had, left it all out there tonight. We didn’t get what we wanted but we played team ball and went out as a team,” senior Ryan Schroy (34) said. 

A season filled with great games and strong results ends in defeat. But the Eagles keep their heads held high as district champions and members of one of the most historic football teams at Stoneman Douglas.