Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Atlantic, Pahokee, Palm Beach Gardens move up
Palm Beach Central is the lone undefeated football team in the county following a 30-14 victory over Palm Beach Lakes and remain No. 1 in the top-10 rankings.
Cardinal Newman overcame a double-digit halftime deficit to take out Clewiston and then beat Central three days later. Boca Raton and Seminole Ridge also extended their winning streaks, while Atlantic rebounded from its second loss in three games to topple Piper with more than 500 yards on the ground.
Park Vista suffered its first loss of the season, but held its place in the top 10. There are also several teams knocking on the door of the rankings this week.
All games start at 6:30 p.m. Friday unless noted. Teams’ positions in last week’s rankings are in parentheses.
1. (1) Palm Beach Central (6-0)
Broncos quarterback Ahmad Haston continued his strong play with three more touchdowns and 329 passing yards in a rout of Palm Beach Lakes. The Broncos are the lone undefeated team in the county and will travel to Palm Beach Gardens this week.
Next: at Palm Beach Gardens (5-2)
2. (2) Cardinal Newman (6-2)
The Crusaders remain second in the rankings following a comefrom-behind win over Clewiston on Friday and a 40-14 win over Fort Pierce Central on Monday night. The Crusaders are on a five-game winning streak. Running backs Tovani Mizell (106 yards, TD) and Henry Bennett (84 yards) carried the load, while Andrew Macmillan was 2 for 2 on field goals and 5 for 6 on touchbacks against Clewiston. Next: vs Melbourne Central Catholic (1-5) , 7 p.m.
3. (3) Boca Raton (6-1)
The Bobcats put up a solid second half in taking out district foe Monarch, 38-20, for their fifth consecutive victory. Defensive end Valentino Diaz (four tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery) and wide receiver/defensive back Collin Bender (148 yards receiving, and 2 interceptions) were key contributors. They take on Coral Springs this week, which has not played its past two games due to COVID-19 concerns.
Next: at Coral Springs (1-5), 7 p.m.
4. (4) Seminole Ridge (6-1)
Tailback Sebastien Christian continues to carry the load for the Hawks, who face Park Vista on Thursday night. Christian had 20 rushes for 124 yards and a score to run his season total to 976 total yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. Quarterback Will Rimes added 10 rushes for 63 yards and a score in a 17-14 win over Sebastian River. Next: vs Park Vista (5-1), Thursday 6:30 p.m.
5. (6) Atlantic (4-3)
Atlantic manhandled Piper last week thanks to more than 500 yards on the ground, led by Omari Mitchell (195 yards), Corey Reddick (176 yards, 2 TDs) and Marquis Lymon (124 yards). Lymon also contributed 16 tackles and an interception on defense and Levert Edwards added 13 tackles, six sacks, and a forced fumble in a 37-0 win. They are set to face Blanche Ely in a district game on the road.
Next: at Blanche Ely (1-5), 7 p.m.
6. (5) Park Vista (5-1)
The Cobras suffered a difficult district loss, falling 16-10 to Forest Hill. Quarterback Brock Hansel had 167 all-purpose yards (32 rushing, 135 passing), while Gavin Peacock led the team with 12 tackles, including four tackles for losses. They will resume their game against Palm Beach Central on Oct. 25 (they were trailing 21-7 in the second quarter) after taking on Seminole Ridge this week.
Next: at Seminole Ridge (6-1), Thursday 6:30 p.m.
7. (9) Palm Beach Gardens (5-2)
Coming off a 49-6 win over winless Royal Palm Beach, the Gators face a tough task this week as they host the county’s top-ranked team in Palm Beach Central. Brand Campbell threw for 194 yards and four touchdowns and added a touchdown run to lead the way. Christian Lopez caught three passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns, while Keyon Stephens had 2 catches for 55 yards and two touchdowns.
Next: vs Palm Beach Central (6-0)
8. (7) Dwyer (4-3)
The Panthers dropped their second consecutive game with a second straight one-point defeat, this time 14-13 to Glades Central. Dwyer heads to undefeated Martin County (5-0) this week to play for the District 8-7A division lead. Glades Central had lost three straight before pulling out the win. Next: at Martin County (5-0), 7 p.m.
9. (10) Pahokee (5-1)
The Blue Devils moved up one spot thanks to the standout performance of freshman quarterback Austin Simmons (11-for-14, 243 yards, four touchdowns) and Dewayne Holmes (five tackles for losses, an interception and a fumble recovery for a touchdown) in a 54-0 win over Lake Worth.
Next: at Clewiston (4-1), 7:30 p.m.
10. (8) Benjamin (4-3)
The Buccaneers cling to the 10th spot in the rankings following a 28-23 loss to the state’s thirdranked Class 3A team Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah). Running back Chauncey Bowens ran for 182 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Tyler Aronson threw for one score and ran for another. Darrel Sweeting accounted for the other touchdown.
Next: vs. Calvary Christian Academy (4-3), 7 p.m.
On the bubble: Glades Day (6-1), King’s Academy (5-2), Glades Central (4-3), Wellington (4-2), Boynton Beach (5-2), Forest Hill (4-2), Jupiter Christian (5-1).