By Gary Curreri
With starting quarterback Michael Pratt out with a wrist injury in his throwing arm, the Deerfield Beach football team was still hitting on all cylinders as they rolled to a 53-9 victory over visiting Palm Beach Gardens in the Class 8A regional quarterfinals on Friday.
Senior running back Jaylan Knighton had 15 carries for 105 yd. and two first half touchdowns to help stake the Bucks to a 29-9 halftime cushion.
Derohn King threw two TD passes to Dejaun McDougle to put Deerfield up big. The host Bucks also picked up a safety, a 90-yd. kickoff return for a TD by Xavier Restrepo, a scoring run by Jaziun Patterson and a scoring pass from Marquise Pierre to Aydin Henningham.
“We’re trying to make history here,” said Bucks coach Jevon Glenn following the game. “Nobody here has ever made a state championship. The only time you can get cocky is if you come out December 13th or 14th with a victory because that’s when we did something that nobody’s ever did.”
Deerfield Beach will host Palm Beach Central in a rematch of last year’s regional final in the regional semifinal.
Tigers fall to Atlantic, 47-12
For the second time in three weeks, Blanche Ely came up short against district rival Atlantic High School on the road.
Atlantic running back Montahj Joseph ran for 154 yd. and two touchdowns in a 47-12 Class 7A regional quarterfinal contest on Friday night in Delray Beach. Junior quarterback Guenson Alexis passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more in the win.
Danard Little had a 4-yd. scoring run late in the first half to pull the Tigers within 14-6, but it was the closest they would come. Atlantic tacked on a late score with four seconds left in the half and forced a running clock in the second half.
First Tee kicks of Vets program
The First Tee of Broward County recently kicked off its Veterans programs at the Pompano Beach Golf Club, Weston Hills Country Club and Eagle Trace Golf Club. In partnership with Mission United, the First Tee of Broward holds free eight-week programs for the veterans.
The coaches include T.J. Ziol, Darrell Welker, Rob Steffes, Julian Gil, Steve Voguit and Nick Cupper, while the volunteers include Garry Moses, Mike Dobzinski, Tom Kuhlman, Tom Meehan, John Pisano and Tyler Bohall. There are 55 participants in the program, which is sponsored by The Harry T. Mangurian Foundation.
