20 YEARS AGO, ESPN came knocking on Byrnes’ door.
And the Rebels answered.
On a Saturday afternoon at Nixon Field that’s remembered for, perhaps above all else, being blazing hot, Byrnes took on Glades Central (FL) in a matchup of top-5 nationally-ranked HS football teams.
ESPN chose to televise the game. For the first time, a true national audience got a chance to see what the 2000s Byrnes dynasty was all about. There wasn’t an open seat at Nixon Field that day.
Highly-touted Byrnes QB Willy Korn threw three touchdown passes. Randall Hawkins was Korn’s favorite target on the day, hauling in nine receptions for 149 yards and two TDs. An at-the-time unknown freshman Byrnes RB, who we’ll meet later, ran in the game-sealing 10-yard touchdown.
No. 2 Byrnes defeated No. 5 Glades Central, 27-15.
But perhaps the most impressive storyline of the day? What Chris Miller’s Rebel defense was able to do against a Glades Central offense loaded with future D-1 talent.
Miller’s defense held a powerful Raider passing attack to just 97 yards. Glades Central fared no better on the ground, averaging just 1.8 yards a carry.
And that Rebel defense? It was loaded. Absolute units — guys like Stanley Hunter, Jr., Albert Lemus, Chad Diehl, Everett Dawkins — just to name a few. And in the blazing heat, those men introduced the nation to what Byrnes’ “Strike Force” defense was all about.
“When we have 11 guys that wanna get to the ball and a couple backups that have that same mentality, it's gonna be nasty,” said Hunter after the win. “Our defense is great."
"I thought we came out and stopped [Glades’] speed sweep early,” said Byrnes defensive coordinator Chris Miller. “It kind of changed their game plan a little bit."
The Byrnes brand reached new heights that day. But the Rebel dynasty was hardly even halfway over. Coincidentally, it would be Miller himself who would take the reins as HC just a few months after that nationally-televised win.
But once again, we’ll get to that later. We’ve got plenty of time. Because there are still…
20 days until high school football is back.
