Oxbridge punts
Private school says it’s dropping its football program.
After a meteoric ascent to the top of the football landscape, Oxbridge Academy is shutting down its program this fall.
The West Palm Beach private school officially announced the decision Wednesday — just six months after finishing as the Class 3A state runner-up.
The decision comes on the heels of a recent player exodus. Since the spring, eight players have transferred and sources told the Sun Sentinel earlier in the week that more departures were imminent.
Oxbridge, which graduated 15 of its 41 players from last year’s team, found itself in a precarious position during spring practice with a roster in the low 20s. With the numbers continuing to drop, the transfers put the future of the program in doubt.
“This was not an easy decision for us,” Athletic Director Pat Hollern said in a news release. “For the past six years, we have been fully committed to a football program, built on the values of character development, athletic and academic excellence, and service to the community. Like many football programs around the country, we are experiencing a decline in participation rates.
“At this time, we no longer have an adequate number of football players to sustain a safe football program. We remain committed to our athletic department and teams, building upon what has become one of the most consistently successful athletic programs in South Florida.”
With the shutdown of the program, the ThunderWolves are expected to lose the
bulk of their remaining players, including a plethora of Division I talent. Many players had already been scouting area schools over the past week, according to sources.
The team’s top prospects include FAU quarterback commit Gio Richardson, linebacker Dorian Jones, wide receiver Jordan Cash, running back Josh PierreLouis and linebacker Kyle Vanputtenvink.
The ThunderWolves went 20-4 over the past two seasons, reaching the regional finals and state title game respectively. The team lost 31-28 to Chaminade-Madonna in the championship game on a last-second field goal. Of the team’s four losses during that stretch, none came against Palm Beach County opponents.
After beginning play in 2012, the team immediately became a playoff contender. Led by Doug Socha — the program’s first head coach — the ThunderWolves reached the Class 3A regional finals in their fourth year of play, losing on a last-second Hail Mary pass. The school decided in 2016 not to renew Socha’s contract.
Oxbridge then promoted defensive coordinator Brendan Kent to the top job. While a handful of players transferred in the aftermath, the core remained together. After reaching the regional finals in 2016, the ThunderWolves followed that up with a state runnerup finish this season.