Gibbons football: champs again

By Lynn Ramsey - Florida Catholic

Photography: JONATHAN MARTINEZ | FC

FORT LAUDERDALE | Kamari Moulton played the last four weeks of the playoffs with a heavy heart, but he relied on the strength of his faith and his teammates. So when Cocoa dared Cardinal Gibbons to run the ball in the Class 4A State Football Championship Game, Moulton and the offensive line answered.

Moulton ran for 173 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns on 28 carries to help the Gibbons Chiefs outlast the Tigers 21-19 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The Dec. 16, 2021 victory gave the Chiefs (11-2) their third state championship in four years and denied Cocoa (11-2) their fifth title.

Linebacker Tray Brown, a Coastal Carolina University signee, and defensive end Mason Thomas both made stops on Cocoa two-point conversion attempts to clinch the victory. Junior defensive lineman Broc Weaver, a 6-foot-2, 260-pound rugby player who helped the Chiefs win a state title in that sport, also had a career game, posting seven tackles with four sacks. Cocoa quarterback Davin Wydner tested the Chiefs defense, completing 19 of 37 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown, though he was sacked seven times.

Cocoa did not want Gibbons’ junior quarterback, Dylan Rizk, and his stable of receivers to beat the Tigers. Rizk had thrown for 1,930 yards and 16 touchdowns after transferring from Delray Beach American Heritage. But the Tigers allowed Rizk only 38 passing yards on 5-of-11 passing.

“He’s done what we’ve asked him to do,” said Cardinal Gibbons coach Matt Dubuc of Rizk. “He improved his game. He is a great passer. What we teach at Cardinal Gibbons is managing the game. He learned how to manage the game at that position. People always criticize game-manager (quarterbacks), but that’s the most important part of the game.”

Moulton was playing through the memory of his mother, Latavia, who died Nov. 11 due to COVID-19. “She was my No. 1 fan,” he said. “She went to every game and every track meet. She made sure everyone knew she was there. She loved all my siblings.”

Cardinal Gibbons players and coaches rallied around Moulton, and he relied on his faith.

Coach Dubuc said the team had already been grieving earlier this season when offensive assistant coach John Chikerotis died after a long bout with cancer. That loss hit Dubuc personally, because he played under Chikerotis.

“There have been so many of those stories you can inject into the team and understand that we all come from different parts of town and from different families – some very Catholic, some Christian and some different,” Dubuc said. “But when you play football, that’s all eliminated. It’s about the team. A coach’s job is to bring the team together, and it’s my job to instill faith to them.”

Dubuc said senior offensive lineman John Box returned after spending a year in Chicago with his family. He said Box had asthma, which made the family worry about the COVID-19 risk; the move forced Box to miss his junior season. He returned to play a key role on the line and earn a scholarship to Florida International University.

Moulton said that a brotherhood built through team prayers, workouts, service projects and dinners helped him through the challenges. “We do a lot of stuff with the team to get a bond between us,” Moulton said. “We always have sacred moments to get closer to God. That’s what we’re all here for: to get closer to God.”

Coach Dubuc said that he intentionally brings the faith to his team. He credits different speakers he’s brought in through Fellowship of Christian Athletes and FAU’s Catholic Campus Ministry with helping the team grow in faith.

“The kids are reminded that in a tough world with so many distractions that God is always in our hearts,” Dubuc said. “Part of the faith is understanding that we have to do our part all the time, not some of the time.”

 

NEW PLAYERS ...

The Chiefs’ run for a second consecutive state title faced several challenges. First was acclimating Rizk and center Vinny Colasacco – both transfers from Delray Beach American Heritage who Dubuc said came from strong Catholic families – into the offense. Dubuc said that Colasacco made major contributions to the team on and off the field.

Rizk also had huge shoes to fill in two-time champion Brody Palhegyi. But the Chiefs coach already knew what they were getting with Rizk, who threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-14 playoff loss to Cardinal Gibbons last year.

But he said that Rizk has improved his game. “He’s unflappable. He’s got ice water in his veins. If he throws a touchdown, he’s calm. If he throws an interception, he’s calm. I don’t think the moment will ever be too big for him.”

 

... TOUGH FOES

Rizk, Moulton and the Chiefs certainly had several chances for big moments, facing a schedule with eight playoff teams. Linebacker Tray Brown said that playing such a schedule prepared the Chiefs mentally: they basically played a playoff schedule before they got into the playoffs.

Many Chiefs pointed to an October stretch of games with clashes vs. Class 5A region semifinalist Plantation American Heritage, 7A champion St. Thomas Aquinas and 8A champ Venice.

Moulton said the 39-14 loss on Oct. 16 to St. Thomas Aquinas brought the team together. “Before then, we weren’t much of a team,” Moulton said. “We didn’t want to lose like that again.”

The turnaround began the next week when the Chiefs beat future Class 8A champion Venice 28-22 at Venice. Brown said that stretch helped the Chiefs grow as a team. “We came to a common goal: We want to do this,” Brown said.

Or as coach Dubuc put it, “We learned we could beat anybody. We also learned that if we didn’t play up to our potential, we could lose to anyone.”

Defensive lineman Mason Thomas said the losses taught the Chiefs a resiliency they relied on in a region final clash at Gulliver Prep. The Chiefs trailed in that game 27-7 at halftime yet rallied to win 36-33.

Long snapper Trey Dubuc, the coach’s son, said special teams also played a big role against Gulliver Prep. He said Gulliver missed three field-goal attempts, while the Chiefs kicker Adrien Alfieri made his three attempts. “Having great special teams puts us over the hump and helps us win the game,” Trey Dubuc said.

 

LOOKING AHEAD

The Chiefs’ chances at a three-peat will likely rely on a defensive unit slated to return six starters, including Weaver – a player coach Dubuc said will earn a scholarship next year – and Greg Otten up front and Tre’mone Drisdom in the secondary. Cardinal Gibbons will also return five starters on offense, though only one on the offensive line.

Moulton said Rizk and the Chiefs will return to what he calls “the lab” – the Chiefs’ offseason program. One of their goals is to expand the playbook and eliminate mistakes. “Next year is another year we can do good things,” Moulton said. “It’s all glory to God.”

Brown said he learned lessons from previous Cardinal Gibbons seniors, in particular to not take his time at the high school for granted. “As a freshman and sophomore, I’d think that day by day is slow,” Brown said. “Now it’s fast – it’s a Catholic institution with a great education. Making friends outside of football and family inside football, it’s been a great four years.”