Bobcats score final 17 points for win

COCONUT CREEK — Boca Raton came up with two key fourth-down stops in the second half, converting them into 10 points, to pull away from Monarch 31-14.

Jacob Cashion threw for 237 yards and a touchdown, while also scoring on a 1-yard run for the Bobcats (6-1).

With Monarch trailing 24-14 early in the fourth quarter, the Knights put together an impressive drive down to the Bobcats 18. But on fourth-and-2, quarterback AJ Hairston was stuffed, fumbling the ball back to Boca Raton.

On the next play, Trey Rainey took a screen pass and raced down the sideline for a 67-yard gain. Two plays later, he scored from 9 yards out to give Boca Raton a 17-point lead with six minutes remaining.

“That was just a simple bubble play and there was nowhere to go. So I ran toward the guy and ended up winning the battle, going 67 yards and then finishing the drive off with a touchdown,” Rainey said.

Monarch (3-3) tried to stay in the game, but Collin Bender intercepted Hairston to seal the game. Bender made his mark on offense too, finishing with six catches for 145 yards.

The Knights were very aggressive on offense, going for it on fourth down five times, including converting a fake punt on their first series, which led to Hairston scoring from 11 yards out.

Hairston also threw a 12-yard touchdown to Joshua Covin on fourth-and-4 to tie the game at 14 midway through the second quarter .

But on their first possession of the second half on their own 40, the Knights went for it again and Hairston’s pass fell incomplete. Boca Raton marched down the field, settling for a 19-yard field goal from Kaden Bartlett, giving the Bobcats a 10-point lead.

“I’m proud of our guys, we fought hard,” said Monarch coach Calvin Davis. “We had to come out and try some things on fourth down to keep drives alive, a couple of them worked and a couple of them didn’t.”