No. 10 Forest Hill faces tough test vs. No. 8 Dwyer
Week 8 crunch time for top teams in Palm Beach County.
With only four weeks left in the regular season, it’s crunch time for Palm Beach County football teams.
Entering Week 8, there are still plenty of questions to be answered. But some teams have established themselves among the best in the county.
Oxbridge Academy keeps the top spot after dominating another opponent, and Pahokee stays at No. 2 after beating ranked Palm Beach Gardens at home. Atlantic, with one loss, stays at No. 3, and Seminole Ridge — one of the county’s remaining undefeated teams — sticks at No. 4. Palm Beach Central rounds out the top five after a bye week.
After a pair of solid wins, Park Vista and Glades Central move up to Nos. 6 and 7. Dwyer moves up to No. 8 after beating Wellington by 42 points on the road. Olympic Heights falls out of the Top 10 after falling to Vero Beach, and undefeated Forest Hill rises to take the No. 10 spot.
Top games this week: (All games at 7 p.m. Friday unless otherwise listed)
No. 8 Dwyer (4-2) at No. 10 Forest Hill (5-0): The Falcons’ 5-0 start — likely the program’s best record through five games in more than three decades — is a major accomplishment that cannot be overlooked, and they are ranked as a result. However, those five wins did not come against the cream of the crop in Palm Beach County: Forest Hill’s five opponents are a com- bined 8-20.
Dwyer is the biggest test the Falcons have faced, and the Panthers are coming off a 42-0 win at Wellington. Two years ago, Forest Hill lost to Dwyer on a late score. With the inconsistent Panthers’ play this year, this could be the season the Falcons pull off the upset.
No. 5 Palm Beach Central (3-2) at No. 4 Seminole Ridge (6-0): The Hawks could effectively clinch District 9-8A with a win (their only district opponent left after this game is Jupiter, which has lost 31 straight). Seminole Ridge’s offense has scored an average of about three touchdowns in its last four victories. Palm Beach Central has a strong defense, so there’s a real chance this game comes down to the wire.
Palm Beach Lakes (2-5) at Olympic Heights (3-2): After a disappointing blowout loss to Vero Beach, the Lions are back on track. Heights still doesn’t have a district loss, putting it tied with Forest Hill for the top spot. The Falcons and Lions face off next week, but for now, Heights has to face Lakes. The Rams have had a rough season, with wins over only winless Lake Worth and Royal Palm Beach. Lakes does have talent, though, and knocking Heights off the top spot is something to play for.