Dwyer, Forest Hill, PBG collect big wins

The opening week of the 2018 high school football season saw several teams establish themselves as top programs in the county, while others with high preseason expectations stumbled out of the gate.

Here are some highlights from Week 1 in Palm Beach County:

■ Dwyer kicked off the season with a 40-0 rout of Park Vista.

■ Atlantic shut out Palm Beach Central 14-0.

■ Darius McClendon led the way in Forest Hill’s 40-12 blowout of Suncoast.

■ Palm Beach Gardens scored 40 unanswered points in a rout of John I. Leonard.

In other key games, Pahokee’s running game wore down Palm Beach Lakes; Fort Lauderdale-University dumped Glades Central 35-6; Seminole Ridge’s defense shined in a win over Santaluces; and Wellington routed Royal Palm Beach 38-0.

Four takeaways:

1. Dwyer has what it takes to win a state title: The Panthers put together an impressive outing against a Park Vista team that had beaten Pahokee in the Kickoff Classic. Dwyer’s defense was stifling, limiting the Cobras to three-and-outs most of the night. While the offense wasn’t clicking on all cylinders, it was easy to tell that the pieces are in place for the unit to improve.

2. Palm Beach Gardens has a dangerous combo in David Studstill and Antonio Outler: Studstill’s ability to mix long runs with accurate passes makes him one of the better dual-threat QBs in the county. He finished the Gators’ 40-6 win with 83 rushing yards and 108 passing yards, accounting for four touchdowns. Outler was a workhorse, racking up 134 rushing yards.

3. Atlantic found its form: After a lopsided loss to Miami Central in the Kickoff Classic, the Eagles bounced back against Palm Beach Central. Atlantic showed the poise and perseverance necessary for a team with state-title aspirations. It will be interesting to see how the Eagles respond to success, especially with Dwyer visiting this week.

4. Boca Raton could be in for a quick turnaround behind the arm of Michael Pratt: What was expected to be a tight matchup between Doral Academy and Boca Raton turned into a 36-13 blowout for the Bobcats. In my weekly prediction column, I said that a win for Boca Raton would be a statement, and they put that statement in bold lettering. Coming into the year, Pratt was near the top of his class at quarterback, and it appears the Bobcats can ride him to a healthy win total after winning only five games last season.

How did Ryan do? Record: 14-6.

Best pick: I picked Pahokee to beat Palm Beach Lakes 31-24. Pahokee won 28-19.

Worst pick: I had Park Vista beating Dwyer in a tight game. Dwyer won 40-0.