Park Vista returning to its winning ways
LAKE WORTH — With a run of 25-7, Park Vista firmly established itself as one of the premier programs in Palm Beach County in 2011-13.
But after being hit hard by graduation and suffering a rash of transfers, the Cobras struggled to maintain that excellence, finishing 11-10 over the past two seasons. During that stretch, Park Vista coach Brian Dodds was forced to throw a number of freshmen into the fire.
But now, as those players are coming of age, Dodds’ team is starting to look like the Park Vista of old.
Led by a tenacious, veteran defense, the Cobras are off to a 4-0 start as they head into a crucial 10-8A match-up tonight against reigning district champion Atlantic. For the season, the team is allowing less than eight points per game and has yet to allow an opponent to score in double digits.
At the center of the turnaround is the trio of junior running back Corey Cola, quarterback John Smith and defensive back Atorian Smith, all of whom logged major minutes as freshmen. While Dodds said those three always had appreciable talent, their growth — both physically and mentally — has helped elevate their performance to another level.
Dodds also singled out senior defensive end Tristan Walter and outside linebacker Julian Polo as key cogs of the team’s defensive unit.
While the Cobras’ schedule hasn’t been especially difficult — the team’s first four wins came against teams that are a combined 3-13 — it toughens up significantly.
In what’s shaping up to be a three-team district race among Park Vista, Atlantic and Boca Raton for two playoff spots, the next two weeks will be crucial for the Cobras as the team hosts the Eagles of Atlantic tonight and the Bobcats in twoweeks.
For now, the main focus is Atlantic — a team that knocked off the Cobras 37-20 a year ago. Reminiscing on that contest, Dodds said they played the Eagles tough throughout, but doomed their upset hopes by allowing too many big plays. With a stingy defense, Dodds feels strong about the team’s chances if they can limit those plays this season.
As for the Eagles, they’re hoping to rebound after suffering a14-13 loss at Glades Central, in which they missed an extra point with less than aminute remaining. While the offense struggled in that contest, Atlantic was firing on all cylinders in the first two games, scoring 42 points against Wellington and 29 versus West Boca.
Glades Central at Palm Beach Central
Through four games, there’s bad news and good news for Palm Beach Central. The bad news is that after a 2-8 season, the Broncos are off to an 0-4 start. The good news is that they’re playing better in those losses than they were a year ago. This past week, Palm Beach Central nearly notched its first win before falling to rival Wellington 31-28.
Glades Central has been pretty up-and-down this year, so it’s hard to know what to expect. The Broncos’ next three games (West Boca, Seminole Ridge and Jupiter) are all very winnable, so tonight is pivotal for PBC. A win could give the team new life and jump-start a turnaround, while a loss could dampen morale and likely lead to a second consecutive losing season.