Palmetto defensive star returns from injury as Tigers near a possible state title
Palmetto High senior Floyd Dozier knew immediately that something bad had happened.
The Tigers defensive lineman had been trying to break through Braden River High’s offensive line during their game on Oct. 2 when a teammate collided with his right arm. Dozier heard a tear and then couldn’t lift up his arm, which was hanging limp at his side.
“I was in a lot of pain,” he said. “A lot.”
One doctor told Dozier his season was over because of a posterior labrum tear and separated shoulder. But after Dozier underwent an MRI, another doctor told him he might be able to play again this season after rehabilitating his injury. When staff at the University of Buffalo, where Dozier is committed to play next season, gave him the OK to rehab and play, he went for it.
He returned on Nov. 20 for the Tigers’ Class 6A-Region 3 quarterfinal against Fort Pierce Westwood and has spurred them to three consecutive wins and a second consecutive appearance in the state semifinals. The Tigers (9-3) play Miami Central (6-1) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Miami’s Traz Powell Stadium in their fifth state semifinal appearance.
Dozier’s value to the Tigers became apparent soon after his injury.
The Tigers had been leading Braden River 20-7 when he went down in October but then allowed 27 consecutive points to lose 34-20. They then lost 28-26 the next week to Manatee High.
“The couple games that we had lost, I knew I could’ve been a big, major factor and could’ve changed it,” Dozier said. “It was kind of hard to keep my teammates’ heads high because I wasn’t playing. I was just on the sideline. It was pretty tough.”
The Tigers finished the regular season 4-3 but won their first two playoff games to give Dozier enough time to recover. They now have the opportunity to achieve their goal: avenge last season’s state semifinal loss to Miami Central, which went on to win the Class 6A state championship.
The Tigers were 25 yards away from scoring a go-ahead touchdown in the closing minutes of last year’s game but committed four penalties before turning the ball over on downs. They got the ball back a few minutes later but lost a fumble before Central ran out the clock.
“That loss motivated us all year to get back to where we are now,” Dozier said. “It was a tough loss. It was a game that we should’ve won, but we really just beat ourselves at the end of the game and then ended up letting it get away. That loss just made us a different team for this year.”
Tigers coach Dave Marino sees the difference in his team, which won back-to-back region championships for the first time in program history.
“When you’re building a program the way we have these last 11 years, it’s just getting the kids to a whole ’nother level of confidence to where they feel they can compete at the state championship level,” he said. “So many of our guys that played in that game, they’re hungry this year. Last year, I think they thought they could win. This year, they expect they could win. It’s the confidence that going into the game that the game will be a lot different than last year.”
Dozier wants a win Friday against Central and then another next week in the Class 6A state championship. His shoulder, he estimates, is just 90 percent, but he returned for a chance to win. His surgery, scheduled for later this month, and his four-month rehab process can wait.
“We’ve been building up to it every year,” Dozier said. “We went from a second-round loss my sophomore year, state semifinals my junior year, now we’re back in the state semifinals in the same spot. I hope we get past that and win a state championship. We want it a lot.”