St. Thomas Aquinas gets edge over American Heritage

The high school football season chugs onward, as publicschool teams look to continue their regular season while some private schools begin their playoff run.

This week’s set of games features one of the top match ups of the year, which will be broadcast on national television.

I picked 10 games last week, but one game was canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test and two were canceled due to bad weather, so I went 5-2 in the games that were played. I am31-9 so far this season. All games start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

American Heritage(5-1) at St.Thomas Aquinas,(2-1), 8p.m.

Two of the top teams in Bro ward, Florida and the nation as a whole square off on ESPN2 this week. The last time the Raiders and Patriots faced each other was in 2014, and that ended with a St. Thomas win. This year’s game should bea goodone. Both teams boast incredible defenses as St. Thomas has allowed about 12 points per game, while Heritage has allowed about nine points per game. Where the Raiders have the advantage is on offense. Both teams have had some struggle son that side of the ball, but the Patriots have become more one-dimensional following an injury to starting quarterback Blake Murphy. Against Cardinal Gibbons last week, American Heritage quarterback Dylan Romig and Wildcat quarterback Vin son Davis completed only two of seven passes. If the Patriots can’t re-balance their offense, the Raiders will be able to key in and stop the run. But St. Thomas has hada similar issue with struggles in the passing game, and Heritage’ s defense is capable of doing the same to them. Expect a close, low-scoring game. St. Thomas Aquinas 17, American Heritage 16.

Glades Central (1-0) vs. Royal Palm Beach(1-0), 7p.m., Wellington High

Glades Central, in its first game under new coach Rashad Jackson, rolled to a big win over Palm Beach Central. Meanwhile, Royal Palm Beach picked up a win over western Palm Beach County rival Wellington. This game features two of the quarterbacks who had excellent season-openers. Raiders quarterback Zo’Marion Harper threw for 417 yards and three touchdowns in Glades Central’s win, while Peyton Mainolfi threw for 340 yards and four scores. Glades Central 24, Royal Palm Beach 20.

Western (1-0) at Dillard(1-0)

Dillard was originally scheduled to play Deer field Beach this week, but the schedule was changed, so the Panthers play the Wildcats this week. Western scored 55 points in its Week 1 victory over Plantation, with quarterback Collin Hurst and running back Joey Vega both having strong performances. Dillard rolled to a 42-20 win over Fort Lauderdale, with big plays making the difference. This could be a solid statement win for either program. Western 27, Dillard 20.

Somerset Academy Silver Palms (3-3) at ChaminadeMadonna (4-1),7:30 p.m.

The Lions couldn’t finish their game against Orlando Jones last week due to bad weather. Chaminade, which opted into the FHSAA state series, should be well-rested and ready to go in this first-round playoff game. Somerset Academy Silver Palms is coming off a lopsided win against Miami Palm Glades Prep Academy. The Lions and Stallions have one mutual opponent: Hialeah Champagnat Catholic. Chaminade won, while Silver Palms suffereda 42-0 loss. Chaminade42, Somerset Academy Silver Palms 10.

Dwyer(1-0) vs. PalmBeach Gardens(1-0), Saturday, 6p.m., Jupiter High

This rivalry game resumes this week at Jupiter High — not too far from either team’s home field. Both teams picked up solid wins last week, with Dwyer beating Pahokee and Palm Beach Gardens holding off Palm Beach Lakes. The Gators’ defense looked strong, holding a solid Lakes offense to only one touchdown. If the defense puts the same effort up, they can contain the Panthers’ offense. Palm Beach Gardens 21, Dwyer 14.

Palm Beach Central (0-1)vs. Atlantic ,6 p.m ., Boca Rat on High

Palm Beach Central had a rough opening week, suffering a 41-0 loss at the hands of Glades Central. Atlantic did not get a chance to play a full game when its contest against West Boca Raton was postponed due to bad weather. The Broncos will have a tough time scoring again this week, as the Eagles boast a strong defense. Atlantic has three Super 11 picks in the secondary, including four-star prospect Marquis Lymon. The Eagles’ defense will likely prevail this week. Atlantic 24, Palm Beach Central 10.

Coral Glades (1-0) at Stoneman Douglas (1-0)

Coral Glades got a solid first win with a 34-13 win over Coral Springs Charter in the Jaguars’ first game of the year. They continue their north Bro ward run with a game against Stoneman Douglas, which picked up a 14-6 victory against Coral Springs. Senior running back Al-Jacob Darring racked up 160 yards and a touchdown last week, but the Jaguars also had a strong offensive performance from running backKe shawn Barrett. Stone man Douglas 28, Coral Glades 20.

Archbishop McCarthy (1-5) at Cardinal Gibbons(3-1)

The Chiefs are coming off a close loss against rival American Heritage last week, and they’ ll have a chance to tune up for the playoffs. Archbishop McCarthy has struggled mightily so far this season. A win for the Mavericks would be a massive upset. Cardinal Gibbons 42, Archbishop McCarthy 10.

Pahokee(0-1) vs. Wellington (0-1), 6p.m., Wellington High

Both of these teams got off to disappointing starts, with Pahokee dropping a game to Dwyer and Wellington losing to Royal Palm Beach. Wellington gets a home-field advantage. Pahokee 17, Wellington 13.