Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Pahokee captures 7th state title
ORLANDO — As a veteran of state championship games, Orson Walkes could see it coming.
With less than two minutes remaining and the game well in hand, the Blue Devils 41-year-old coach kept glancing over at the group of players who had suddenly circled around the team’s Gatorade jug. While he sniffed out a pair of attempts, the Blue Devils eventually got their man, dousing the first-year head coach with a celebratory ice bath to cap off a season to remember.
On Thursday afternoon, the storied program capped off its undefeated season with a 34-14 triumph over Baker in the Class 1A state championship, giving the Blue Devils their first state title since 2008.
“I can’t even put it into words,” said Walkes, who won four state titles as an assistant with Pahokee in the 2000s. “We’re from a tradition rich town as far as football is concerned and we want to keep that tradition going.”
Thursday’s win at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium was a return to glory for the Blue Devil program. After winning five state championships in six years, Pahokee stumbled in the ensuing years. After winning the title in 2008, the Blue Devils reached the playoffs just three times in the next seven years, with the team failing to win a playoff game.
But the 2016 Blue Devils were different team. Rolling through the regular season undefeated, Pahokee faced three of the five teams in the final Class 1A poll, knocking off each one.
Behind large contingent of Blue Devil fans who made the weekday trip to Orlando, Pahokee finished the job.
The Blue Devils struck first on Thursday afternoon behind some impressive running from Rodney McKay. The workhorse senior, who entered the game with 1,340 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. After racking up 13 yards on his first two carries of the drive, Pahokee drove its way to the Baker 6-yard line, where McKay cashed in. Facing fourth-and-goal, the senior muscled his way in for the score, giving Pahokee a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
The Blue Devils went back to business on their ensuing drive, this time going to the air for big yardage. On consecutive plays, senior quarterback Tyrone Smith connected on passes of 23, 36 and 15 yards to Deion Foreman, Adarius Dent and Zatavian Morgan, respectively to set Pahokee up at the Baker 10-yard line.
On the ensuing play, McKay strolled into the end zone untouched from 10 yards out to give Pahokee a 14-0 lead with 8:55 left in the second quarter.
Baker finally got on the board in the third quarter, when center Gibe Vicari recovered an offensive fumble in the end zone to cut the deficit to 14-7.
With the crowd still dazzled by a surprising offensive lineman touchdown, Pahokee delivered more highlight-reel theatrics. On the ensuing drive, Smith lofted a perfect deep ball down the right sideline with Arnett making an acrobatic catch in between two defenders, then sprinting and tip-toeing down the sideline for a 49-yard touchdown catch.
The Gators refused to go quietly. Baker made it a onepossession game once again as quarterback Kalee Ciurleo scored from two yards out to cut the lead to 21-14.
But just when Baker got within striking distance, the Blue Devils responded with a counter-punch of their own. After a 28-yard McKay run set up Pahokee in Baker territory, back-up running back Jim-Travis Gray plunged in from one-yard out to make it 27-14 with 7:13 left.
Pahokee linebacker Roy Walker put the game on ice moments later as he returned an interception for a score to give the Blue Devils a commanding 34-14.
The victory gives the Blue Devils their seventh state title in school history, tying Glades Day for the most in Palm Beach County history.