Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Next: district showdowns
Several teams are hoping to put end to dry spells
We have reached the penultimate week of the high school football season and the final week of district play.
This week features several district championship matchups, as teams like Fort Lauderdale, Stranahan and Boca Raton look to win their first district titles in years. To do that, they will have to overcome perennial powers like Atlantic, American Heritage and Deerfield Beach. I went 8-2 with my picks last week. I am 62-20 so far this season.
All games are Friday at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
St. Petersburg Lakewood (8-0) at Chaminade-Madonna (6-1):
Chaminade-Madonna has one last test before it makes the postseason and hopes to win another Class 3A title. Lakewood is undefeated and ranked 50th in the state by MaxPreps. Armani Niblack, a four-star athlete and Alabama commit, is the Spartans’ premier weapon, and he has 613 receiving yards and eight touchdowns so far this season (six of them have been in his last two games). But if any secondary can contain passing threats, it’s Chaminade’s. Chaminade-Madonna 27, Lakewood 17.
Deerfield Beach (6-2) at Boca Raton (7-1), 6:30 p.m.:
The de facto District 13-8A title game pits perennial power Deerfield against an upstart Boca Raton squad. The Bucks have won five straight district championships, dating back to 2015. The Bobcats have not won a district championship since 2009. Deerfield, which has won three straight district games, is the favorite to win the game and the district, but the Bucks cannot underestimate Boca Raton here. Deerfield Beach 27, Boca Raton 20.
Stranahan (5-3) at American Heritage (4-3), 7:30 p.m.: Whoever wins this game will win the District 14-5A title. For American Heritage, that would be the first step toward its title defense. For Stranahan, it would be a huge upset and the program’s first district title since 2011. Stranahan has done a great job pass rusing this year, with linebacker Omar Graham Jr. and defensive lineman Solomon Dade putting up big numbers. If the Mighty Dragons can pressure interim quarterback Brandon Inniss into turnovers or mistakes, Stranahan could pull off the upset. But the Patriots can always turn to star running back Mark Fletcher to make up for any issues in the passing
game, making an upset more unlikely. American Heritage 35, Stranahan 14.
Fort Lauderdale (5-1) at Atlantic (5-3), 6:30 p.m.:
This Friday’s game is one of the biggest in Fort Lauderdale’s history. The Flying L’s have never won a district title in football, but they have the opportunity to do just that on Friday. The biggest thing standing between Fort Lauderdale and that elusive district banner is Atlantic’s running game. Omari Mitchell, Corey Reddick and Marquis Lymon have made life difficult for opposing defenses, and the Flying L’s will have a hard time stopping them. Atlantic 24, Fort Lauderdale 17.
Plantation (6-1) at Dillard (7-1):
Neither of these teams are going to win their districts, as Coconut Creek and St. Thomas Aquinas have the edge on Plantation and Dillard, respectively. That makes Friday’s game crucial for both squads; they need this game to keep their RPIs high enough to earn an at-large spot. The Panthers stuck with the Raiders, the No. 1 team in Broward, for nearly all of their game last week. Even though they lost, they proved they could stay on the field with them. I expect them to go back to their winning ways this week. Dillard 35, Plantation 20.
Palm Beach Central (7-0) at Wellington (6-2), 6:30 p.m.: This rivalry game always has a little extra juice to it, and this game will likely be no different. Palm Beach Central is still undefeated and a win Friday will clinch the District 7-8A title for the Broncos. Wellington can hand them their first loss of the year and help vault the Wolverines into the playoffs. Palm Beach Central nearly fell to Palm Beach Gardens last week, so we’ll see this week if they’ve been exposed or if that was a simple near-misstep. Palm Beach Central 31, Wellington 21.
Nova (4-4) at St. Thomas Aquinas (8-1):
The Raiders effectively wrapped up the district title with a win over Dillard last week, and they’ll be undefeated in district play yet again. St. Thomas has not lost a district game since it fell to Cooper City in 2011. The Titans have improved from where they were the last couple of seasons, but this week will likely end up with the Raiders tuning up for the playoffs. St. Thomas Aquinas 45, Nova 7.
Dwyer (4-4) at Seminole Ridge (7-1), 6:30 p.m.:
It’s been a tough few weeks for Dwyer. The Panthers started the season 4-1, but they’ve dropped their last three games — two of which were by one point each. But close losses still end up in the loss column, and Dwyer needs a win to stick in the playoff hunt. Seminole Ridge also needs this game, since Martin County is likely going to go undefeated in district play and force the Hawks to rely on RPI to earn an at-large postseason spot. Seminole Ridge 24, Dwyer 14.
Gulliver Prep (5-1) at Cardinal Newman (7-2):
Gulliver Prep travels to West Palm Beach to face the Crusaders, who have won six straight games. Gulliver’s passing game, led by quarterback Carson Haggard, five-star wide receiver Jalen Brown and Tulane commit DeCarlo Donaldson at tight end, is difficult to stop. But Cardinal Newman’s offense has been pretty good in its own right, averaging about 34 points per game. Gulliver Prep 35, Cardinal Newman 28.
Jupiter (4-4) at Palm Beach Gardens (5-3), 6:30 p.m.:
The Gators showed they can stick with the best teams in Palm Beach County last week, pushing Palm Beach Central to the limit. They will need to keep that same energy against Jupiter because Gardens needs to raise its RPI to keep a playoff spot. Palm Beach Gardens 27, Jupiter 21.