By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

With no Marvel Comic Universe or Star Wars movies opening this holiday season, all bets are off in determining the final box office Juggernaut of 2018. The Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald opens this weekend, with Creed II being released in time for Thanksgiving, repeating the marketing strategy of the Rocky Balboa in 2006 and the original Creed in 2015. The much acclaimed A Star is Born has shown consistent box office numbers, with a likely resurgence this Thanksgiving weekend.

The Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) concludes its 33rd edition this weekend. More than any other FLIFF in memory, documentaries and short subjects are overshadowing the fictional features. Each category is very competitive and the subjects vary. While the best documentaries are science based, the short subjects vary in tone from serious to whimsical.

Shot in the Cayman Islands, Hotel features a sad man and a happy woman who meet in the hallway. Being out of towners, both people find they have much in common. It should be noted that the female ingenue is portrayed by Taylor Burrowes, an actress with a PhD in counseling who goes by the moniker, “Doctor Babe.”

An Italian short subject based on a true story, Magic Alps looks at immigrants entering Italy and being separated from their pets.

United Kingdom’s The Vest is a seven minute nightmare about a suicide bomber who seeks redemption.

From Life is an eight minute short subject from the United Kingdom. A complete story with a solid beginning and middle with a surprise ending, this movie provokes thoughts about art, history and the nature of being. From Life is easily the best short subject of the festival, though Animal Cinema deserves special recognition for a science short subject. Told from the perspective of wild creatures operating video cameras from 2012 to 2017, the video footage was found on all seven continents.

Directed by Teresa Tico, Keely Shaye Brosnan and executive produced by her husband Pierce, Poisoning Paradise looks at the conflict between native Hawaiians and corporations developing genetic pesticides for corn crops. With a dramatic opening and close celebrating the Hawaiian Paradise, this film bogs down in the middle by relying on television interviews and stock footage of protests.

In contrast, Secrets of a Frozen Ocean is a minimalist documentary about a 75-year-old scientist who makes one last trek to the Arctic to find evidence of a meteor landing there millions of years ago. Avoiding editorial drama and a musical score that would make Marlon Perkin’s “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” so cheesy, this film strives for truth and is very humane.

Sharkwater Extinction is easily the best documentary of FLIFF. The narrative is strong and the cinematography captures the oceans, landscapes and sunsets in Gods crowning glory. Adventurer Rob Stewart’s life mission appeared to have been to change the negative perception of sharks as a killing machine. When viewed rationally, sharks are necessary predators of the food cycle to prevent population surplus.

[Stewart showed his first 2006 film Sharkwater at FLIFF and he was presented a Humanitarian Award by FLIFF in 2012 when his film Revolution was showing at Cannes]. Tragically, in 2017, he died while diving in The Keys [possibilty from equipment malfunction]. His last film, Sharkwater Extinction will be screened this Saturday night at 8 p.m. at Bailey Hall at Broward College (3501 Davie Rd, Davie, FL 33314). Even if one separates the emotional connection to this young man’s last film, Sharkwater Extinction deserves to be seen on the BIG SCREEN to appreciate the visual beauty of the world of which we live.

For more information on the festival, visit www.FLIFF.com.

(I Thessalonians 5:18a)

On behalf of Zion Lutheran Church and myself, Pastor Jeff Gross, I want to wish our community a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving. For those who are traveling, be safe. Enjoy the company of the people you love. And let thankfulness and gratitude be the focus of all of your celebrations. God has been good to us and let us not forget His many blessings.

When should we give thanks? When we feel like being thankful? How about when we don’t feel like being thankful? When we are in good spirits? How about when we aren’t in good spirits? Being thankful at all times is a tall order, when you think about it. Is this even a practical expectation? I am glad you asked. I actually have an answer.

I was at a church conference last week in north-central Florida. I had a chance to stay with my son, to cut down some expenses, and when the day was over I could visit him. This was a gift for which I am very grateful.

And as I was driving toward his apartment, my car started to shake. The tire light never came on so I dismissed the idea that it was a flat. Maybe the car was out of alignment. Who knows? I just knew that I had to bring it to a shop the next morning because it was a Sunday night, not the ideal time for car problems. Monday would be better.

The next morning, the tire blew out and plans changed. I was in a strange neighborhood. I called AAA and they were running late … Monday is a busy day. And, when they came, I knew I had to get a new tire, which isn’t cheap. And this would also, potentially, delay my morning.

I wasn’t feeling grateful. I wasn’t in the right mood. This is one circumstance when I didn’t want to give thanks. Just then something snapped (in a good way).

I give no credit to myself. This was a God moment. I realized that I was fortunate. I have a car to get me around. A lot of people don’t have cars. I have a cell phone that enables me to call for help and a AAA membership. I have the means to get a new tire. I had a chance to go to a conference on Ministry with my fellow Lutheran pastors. I had some quality time with my son the night before.

When the AAA person helped me with my tire, I was in great spirits. I confused the clerk at the tire place by being unusually happy with a blown out tire. Most people are in bad spirits when this happens. In fairness, so was I, until I “snapped.” And, when all was said and done, I had a new tire and got to the conference with plenty of time to spare. I thank God that I had a flat tire. Yes, I thank God I had a flat tire. It grounded me in the reality that I am fortunate and it shifted my attitude in the right direction. Call it a “gratitude attitude.”

I may come across as a starry eyed optimist but I can assure you that I can be a real curmudgeon, especially if I don’t have my coffee. Truth be told, something as simple as counting blessings can change your entire day, your entire outlook on life. An inconvenience can become a gift.

These words from the Bible have practical implications. If you are having a bad day that is the BEST time to count your blessings.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I know that it is the one day a year set aside to give thanks. One day is woefully inadequate considering how blessed we truly are. Every day should be Thanksgiving. Every moment should be an opportunity for gratefulness.

I want you to feel as good as I did that Monday morning when a flat tire actually made my day. The good news is that you can. It only requires some reflection and perspective. You don’t have to look far to find a blessing. And, when you do, celebrate. The quality of your day depends upon it.

Pastor Gross is a pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, located at 959 SE 6 Ave., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. For more information, call 954-421-3146 or visit www.zion-lutheran.org.

Living simple, playing hard on Deerfield’s beach

By Diane Emeott

Photos by Chris Korzen

“The Most Interesting Man in the World,” from the Dos Equis beer commercials, brought his debonair charm to Deerfield’s beach for the 9th annual Ranse Classic Beach Volleyball Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 3.

Actor Jonathan Goldsmith now represents Astral Tequila. The owner of the tequila company that sponsored the “Most Interesting Man” is Joe Taverrite, a Royal Palm Beach (near West Palm Beach) volleyball player.

“We were pretty lucky to have him there!” enthused Deerfield resident John Esposito, a longtime supporter of the Ranse Classic.

BSO Deerfield District Fire Chief Matt Pellitteri, who also attended the event, said Esposito did a great job.

“We both grew up on Deerfield’s beach and have daughters who have played beach volleyball here,” he said,

Over 200 players and several hundred spectators came out to the event held north of the pier, along Deerfield’s shore.

Esposito said he was “blown away that the event has become so successful” — after getting past the three to five year mark (which isn’t easy for many events).

“The Ranse Volleyball Classic has evolved into a nationally-recognized event to benefit Stroke Awareness, through the hard work of the local volleyball community. Our 10th year during the first week of November of 2019 will be the best yet!” he said, adding, that he wants to thank Broward Health North and the City of Deerfield Beach. “Moving the location of the main court has elevated the tournament to the next level in the world of beach volleyball.”

“The committee that puts on the event consists of all local volleyball players: Andre Melo, Douglas Nascimento, Diogo Sousa, and me, as well as too many volunteers to name, but we could not be successful without them,” Esposito said.

DS Sports Plex (on Powerline Road, south of SW 10 Street) was a title sponsor, as was Southern Jet — the owners of which are both Deerfield residents and volleyball players.

Blue Ocean Poke restaurant in the Publix plaza was also a big supporter.

Other sponsors included Wyndham Deerfield Beach Resort, HEW Hard Exercise Works, Playa Bowls, Ranse Jones Stroke Awareness Fund — Broward Health North, Astral Tequila, TRA and JB’s on the Beach.

Broward Health North, which has a Comprehensive Stroke Center, hosted a merchandise tent with T-shirts featuring the slogan “Live Simple. Play Hard” – a motto which Ranse lived by.

The event, part of the “Dig The Beach” Volleyball series, benefits the Ranse Jones Stroke Awareness Fund at Broward Health North.

Ranseford “Ranse” Jones was a former Deerfield Beach firefighter who had a brain aneurism while playing the semi-final of the AVP Young Guns tournament in Panama City in May 2004. He died six months later on Nov. 8, 2004 at the young age of 34.

By Gary Curreri

Nearly 300 people participated in the inaugural Family Fitness Day at Highlands Christian Academy in Pompano Beach.

Concessions were provided by Subway and Smoothie King and those proceeds benefited the boys’ varsity basketball team as they plan their Spring Break Missions Trip to Spain in March of 2019.

There were also a total of 15 vendors in attendance, among them were Family Chiropractic, Grace Church, New Era Barber, Juice Plus, Broward Health, IHP Fitness and Propel Fitness Water.

This was a free event to highlight “Fitness” and the benefits and enjoyment it can provide. Several fitness challenges were performed throughout the morning in which Smoothie King donated gift cards to the winners.

“I was extremely grateful for an incredible day; it was an amazing experience that exceeded my expectations and I am already looking forward to next year’s,” said Highlands Christian Academy Athletic Director Jim Good.

“God has been teaching me so many valuable lessons these past few months,” he added, “and having the opportunity to host this event and share the importance of our physical health and spiritual health was just an incredible experience.”

The challenges included pull-ups, push-ups, shuttle-run, standing long jump, vertical jump, medicine ball toss, obstacle course and a mini circuit workout.

Rio Santana, general manager at IHP Fitness in Boca, led a 20-minute Fitness Class in which several participants earned a year membership at the Boca gym.

A 20-minute walk was performed in the HCA gym, while several participants did a 20-minute run outside on the campus.

Pompano golfers rule the links

The Pompano Beach Men’s and Women’s Golf Associations conducted their weekly tournaments and their golfers didn’t disappoint.

In the Pompano Beach Women’s Golf Association’s 9-hole tournament on Oct. 23, Sandra Gore won the A Division with a 40.50 in the Even Holes, ½ Handicap event. Deb Ladig carded a 38.00 to win the B Division, while the C Division was won by Lori Tarmey with a 40.50. Alberta Bove shot a 43.50 to take the D Division.

The following week featured a tournament and a fall luncheon. The first place team of Roseanna Nixon, Alberta Bove, Sue Barhdi and Patti Van Zandt shot a 123, while the second place team of Kim Heath, Jan Ruck, Kathy Stewart and Georgie Wright were two shots back at 125.

In the Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association’s One Best Ball of a Foursome tournament on Oct. 24, the team of Jim Blake, Jerry Goodman, Bill O’Brien, and Gene Stoller shot a 49. George Disch, Mike Katawczik, Paul Murphy, and their blind draw partner Bob Van Zandt shot a 52 to take second, while Henry Lesburt, Pete Strychowskyj, Bob Van Zandt and Max Walker shot a 54 and won a match of cards to take third place in the event, which featured 37 competitors.

Don Worrell won the closest to the pin award when he put his tee shot just 8 ft. from the hole on the 7th hole on the Pines course.

Terry Denoma, Jim DiCamillo, Jerry Goodman, and Brian Nixon won the Four-Man scramble event for the Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association on Oct. 31 with a 65.

The team of Oscar Aleman, John Arrigo, Jim Greeley and Lee Hammer shot a 66 to finish in second place, while Chuck Brown, George Disch, Joel Englander and Bill McCormick combined for a 67 to wind up third in the 42-player field.

The closest to the pin winner was Tom Breur whose shot on the 15th hole at the Pines came to rest 12 ft. away.

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Relief. The campaign season is over and we can start to think seriously about the upcoming public holidays — Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. For many, it is a time of renewal and a time to reconnect with family and friends. For seasoned citizens, it is a time to confront the challenges of aging, and the collateral repercussions.

Opening this weekend, What they Had is family drama that looks at this subject. There is already Oscar buzz for the performances given by Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Robert Forster and Blythe Danner. Danner portrays the matriarch suffering from dementia. When she goes for a midnight walk in a Chicago Blizzard, the son and daughter (Shannon and Swank, respectively) begin to doubt their father’s (Foster’s) competency to care for their mother. The drama will be real and painful, but expect the tender mercy of humor in family discord.

While Halloween created box office records for an October movie release, revenue dropped dramatically on Nov. 1, losing to Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. Despite mediocre reviews, save for Rami Malek’s performance as Freddy Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody was last week’s box office champion. While the biopic follows the Hollywood formula, it is the Rock ‘n Roll sequences that merit seeing this film on the big screen.

Despite the cold and flu bug that has intruded upon The 33rd Annual Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF), the event is going smoothly with successful screenings at the Seminole Hard Rock, Savor Cinema and Cinema Paradiso-Hollywood. Philanthropist Steve Savor received the Marti Huizenga Humanitarian Award, a distinguished honor. Along with her husband Wayne, Marti Huizenga founded FLIFF in the late 1980s from the Las Olas Boulevard headquarters of Blockbuster video. A friendly face at the concession counter, Tina La Boeuf, was named Employee of the Year and received her plaque. For those who earn a plaque from FLIFF, the inscription alone is worth the honor.

This Veterans Day weekend, the fun continues with screenings and the events at Cinema Paradiso-Hollywood, Savor Cinema and NSU Art Museum in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Viewings are free for those with museum membership for the screenings beginning Tuesday, Nov. 13. On Thursday Nov. 15, the museum will host The Art & Times of Frosty Myers at 7:30 p.m. This also is an opportunity to check out the Glackens and Renoir exhibit that opened last month.

For many years, FLIFF would celebrate the Ft. Lauderdale canals [Intracoastal] as America’s Venice with a morning cruise. With Daylight Saving Time and potential confusion, this event has been transformed into a Sunset Cruise this Monday night, Nov. 12 aboard the Musette. As we have experienced the evening darkness at 6 p.m., this is an opportunity to screen four international short subjects in the dark about a variety of topics, all of them dramatic. For info. on all FLIFF events and screenings, visit www.fliff.com.

This columnist will be hosting the last screening of House of Wax this Friday evening. While he will be donating four of his books in a post screening trivia contest, he will also donate an autographed copy of The Book of Joe written by Vincent Price. Complete with 3-D glasses, last week’s House of Wax screening went extremely well, with people laughing and screaming at the appropriate times. This film is as worthy today on the big screen as it was 65 years ago, before the advent of cell phones, cable television and color television sets.

Happy Veterans Day!

By Karen Lustgarten

“The City of Deerfield Beach is in resurgence” according to October’s State of the City report. It is home to some 388 companies within the Advanced Industries Sector, manufacturing one of them — a robust sector with more than 200 companies here. Meet two of them, very different members of the South Florida Manufacturing Association that located in Deerfield Beach for the same reasons.

SHL Pharma

Have you heard of auto-injectors? They look like oversized pens that people with chronic illnesses use to self-inject a dose of prescription medicine on a regular basis. For example, the EpiPen is for self-injecting the drug that counters life-threatening allergic reactions. Auto-injectors give patients a safe alternative to injections with a syringe or going to the doctor for regular shots.

Did you know that the largest manufacturer of auto-injectors in the world is a privately-owned company located in Deerfield Beach?

SHL Pharma, a division of the SHL Group, relocated from New Jersey to Deerfield Beach in 2010 with two employees. Today, 120 are employed at the sleek Deerfield Beach headquarters on Jim Moran Boulevard and 3,500 more work in Taiwan. Final assembly, labeling and packaging services of the drug-delivery devices are also done here for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Eight of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in the world are customers of SHL Pharma’s FDA-approved, prescription-based auto-injectors. Some 700,000 devices are manufactured each year just in Deerfield Beach. Here 39 custom-designed auto-injector formats are manufactured for different drugs developed and produced by pharmaceutical companies to control such diseases as multiple sclerosis, migraine headaches, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, acute allergies and others.

“We can barely keep up manufacturing with demand,” said Michael Hudak, director of Human Resources. About 55 percent of work at the Deerfield Beach headquarters is devoted to manufacturing the 39 auto-injectors on the market and 45 percent to design and development of 44 new types. “The next gen unit we are designing will be a smart injector,” he said. It will record each injection so the doctor will have an accurate readout.

Why Deerfield Beach? Several reasons: “Our customers from Asia, Europe and across the U.S. love coming here. They love staying at hotels with good accommodations and beach access, a big draw. And they are attracted to the warm weather, especially in winter,” said Hudak. “The city’s location between I-95, the Turnpike, Sawgrass Expressway and Tri-Rail provides transportation advantages for our customers and employees. It’s easy to get to three major airports within an hour’s drive that have many direct oversees flights.”

He also cited the city’s proximity to four universities with mechanical engineering programs. SHL Pharma recruited six engineers from local universities in the past four years.

“We see Deerfield as a desirable place for our customers, employees, families and young millennials,” said Hudak.

Print Basics

Thirteen years ago, Craig Tanner was searching for the perfect spot to start a local printing company. Uppermost, he wanted a safe location because his type of business requires opening up early and closing late. So, he rejected the risky warehouse districts. He wanted a pleasant ambience for employees, one with a water view for enjoying lunch breaks. He sought a facility with enough space to grow and add large printing machinery that accommodates wide format posters and banners. He wanted proximity to major transportation hubs — I-95, the Turnpike, Sawgrass Expressway — to be accessible to clients and vendors. Mr. Tanner found that perfect spot on SW 30 Avenue in Deerfield Beach.

Since 2005, Print Basics has grown from two employees to 45 and from 1,400 to 15,000 sq. ft. It is ranked third largest commercial printer in South Florida by the South Florida Business Journal.

“Unlike most print shops, clients can feel safe walking into the showroom in a beautiful office environment,” said Tanner, while the printing machines hum in the back filling orders.

When the economy took a dive and his competitors closed and left Deerfield Beach, Tanner rode it out.

“If you are honest in business and perform well for your clients, they will stay with you,” he said.

Tanner says the company fills about 2,000 print jobs a month, everything from business cards and promotional items to 1500-page books. Among his clients are Whole Foods, Hard Rock Café, Broward Sherriff’s Office and Jet Blue.

Occasionally, a call comes in to fill emergency printing needs — 5,000 brochures in less than 24 hours — and it’s done, or calls following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School from clients requesting show-of-support banners. Print Basics designed, printed and hung them gratis and donated $20,000 worth of static cling decals that were sold to raise money for the family of Coach Feis, one of the victims.

After the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Jet Blue marketing called requesting a quick turnaround of promotional support items: $100,000 worth of T-shirts, bracelets and 50,000 message buttons, an order that normally takes 10 days to fill. They were printed and delivered within 24 hours.

“We make the impossible possible when our community and clients are in need,” said Tanner.

Karen Lustgarten is president of Multi-Media Works, a multiple award-winning media company specializing in video, PR, print and social media with offices in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. She founded a newspaper in Washington, DC, was a syndicated columnist and a bestselling author. www.multi-mediaworks.com

Are you a complainer or a thankful person? You cannot be both, so you must be one or the other. Every group seems to have one complainer that everyone tries to avoid. If you do not have a complainer in your group, then it is probably you! Which do you think God wants you to be? Take a few minutes and write down the things you are most thankful for on a sheet of paper or index card. The reason why I want you to write them down is so you can go back and look at it, to remember what God has done in your life. So when things do not go right, instead of feeling down in the dumps, we could look back at what God has done for us. We tend to forget all that He has done for us.

1THESSALONIANS 5:18

18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. — NLT

Right in the middle of whatever challenges you are facing, you need to be people who give thanks. I know that it doesn’t seem to make sense sometimes when we are going through very difficult circumstances, to say, “Thank you, Lord, for these difficult circumstances in my life,” when we really wish God would just fix it and make it go away. Instead of complaining about our situation, we need to look back over the year on how God has worked on our behalf and start to thank Him knowing that He is bigger than all our circumstances and will help us through them all.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.— NLT

Thankfulness is an attitude. It is a condition of the heart. What kind of condition is your heart in, not just this Thanksgiving, but year-round? If we are going to have an attitude of being thankful, then it must be something that we do all year long and not just one or two days out of the year. We need to have an attitude of gratitude.

PSALMS 100:4

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.— NLT

This is a Psalm of Thanksgiving and refers to a public acknowledgement of God. We all have things that go wrong in our lives every day. If we learn to focus on the things we are thankful for and not all the negative things in our lives then we can begin to learn to be truly happy and content. This is something that should actually show in our outward actions and attitudes. God has blessed us and given us so many things to be thankful for that, we should be full of joy and peace every day.

Remember the things that God has saved you from and do not live in the past. Our everyday lives should show that we are thankful and grateful for all God has done for us. As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, remember the original spirit of the oldest of all American holidays — gratefulness to God. In the middle of all the hustle and bustle, take time to give thanks and praise to God for all the wonderful things in your life.

(Reprint from 11-19-2012)

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church, located at 801 SE 10 St., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. For more information, call 954-428-8980 or visit www.clfministries.org.

By Emily Rosen, M.S., M.A

erosen424@aol.com

Happy November, dear people. This month is always a two-fer  –  Elections and Thanksgiving. I was about to begin this with an exhortation for everyone to get out and vote. And then I remembered references I had heard about countries which had mandatory voting laws. And good old Google sent me to good old Wikipedia where I read several paragraphs about the pros and cons of it. Too long and complicated to go into here, but I strongly advise you to “do it yourself.”

The interesting long and short of it is that 12 countries currently have such laws on the book which they do enforce.  There are 16 countries that have such laws, but do not enforce them;  and 11 countries tried it, but subsequently removed such laws.  I do not see any such laws enforced in the foreseeable future in the U.S.A. so I’m back to square one, urging you all to make your voices heard. Feelings are strong on both political sides and this is no time for excuses or for stay-at-home gripers.

We constantly get polling stats which change with the wind and the only real way we have of knowing the true trends, and the actual needs and values of our populace, is to count the votes.  So, if you’re “mad – and don’t want to take it any more” – on either side, the best way to tell it is at the voting booth.

Whatever happens on Nov. 6, we will have 16 days to remember that we have so very much to be thankful for. Flawed and fragile as it is, we still have the freedoms for which most of our immigrant forefathers came to these shores.  Although there will always be people who struggle and suffer, conditions we are certainly duty-bound by our humanitarian values to reduce and hopefully obliterate, we are currently living in an economic upturn. Many of our young people have shown leadership qualities. Good things are quietly happening in small communities all over the country.  Families still get together for this holiday and, hopefully, will be able to peacefully, and respectfully, express their views on everything from the election to the Oscars, to the pumpkin pie.

There must be some karmic reason for these two occasions – Election Day and Thanksgiving Day – to be juxtaposed as they are in such a timely manner – with just enough days in between for losers to simmer down and for winners to finish gloating, but for everyone to remember that there is strength in unity.

So if you have access to sunshine, food, a roof over your head and a bed, if you can still listen to the voices of other people and music and birds, if you can still see stars in the sky and the green-ness of grass  –  or, if indeed, you can do even some of the above,  be thankful  that you live in a great – albeit distinctively flawed  — land of the free.

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach football coach Jevon Glenn was so confident that his team would defeat host Piper for a fourth consecutive district championship, he opted to hold out quarterback Derohn King after he was injured on the Bucks’ first offensive play of the game.

King, a junior, who transferred from Piper before the season, injured his throwing shoulder on the first offensive play for the Bucks in the game, and came out of the game after a 56-yard TD pass to Donte Banton one play later and did not return.

“With Derohn going out early, it made us change our game plan a little bit, but we just wanted to hit them in the mouth and impose our will on them,” said Scott, whose team defeated Piper, 35-0 for the District 11-8A championship. The Bucks finished the regular season with a 9-1 overall record and 5-0 mark in the district.

Glenn said King could have returned but opted to hold him out. King has 1,605 yds. passing and 21 TDs this season.

“Especially with a bye week coming up, we just wanted to make sure,” Scott continued. “We figured we could beat them without Derohn tonight. We want to err on the side of caution and make sure we gave him enough time to get it 100 percent. He could have gone back in. He threw at halftime, but it just wasn’t worth it.”

Enter Bucks senior quarterback Tyron Herring, who came on in relief of injured starter King, who threw for one score and ran in another in the victory. Herring finished 7 for 11 for 110 yds. and a 28-yd. scoring toss to Donte Banton in the blowout win.

His 1-yd. quarterback keeper with just 2 seconds left in the first half gave the Bucks a 14-0 halftime lead. The score capped a 10-play, 35-yd. drive that was set up by an interception by Javon Denis.

“We felt coming into the game after watching the film that this team (Piper) wasn’t on our level,” Scott added. “We just couldn’t give them anything. When we played St. Thomas (Aquinas, a 38-6 loss) we gave them a whole bunch. We came out the next weekend against Douglas and let that affect us. Last week, we got the ball back rolling against Monarch.”

Deerfield also got a strong performance on the ground by junior running back Jaylan Knighton, who finished the game with 20 carries for a game-high 136 yds. and added scoring runs of 10 and 13 yds. He has 1,593 yds. rushing and 22 TDs this season.

Knighton said he felt the pressure to contribute once king went out, but pointed to the scoreboard.

“Derohn going out hurt us,” said Knighton, who ran for 249 yds. on 11 carries and 4 TDs in a 42-0 win over Monarch the week before. “It really didn’t because the score was 35-zip. He went down the first drive and the main thing I wanted was this week for him to heal so he could come out strong for the playoffs.”

Piper (6-3, 4-1) fell for the eighth straight time to the Bucks dating back to 2011 and have been outscored by Deerfield Beach, 309-24, during that span. Piper hasn’t scored against Deerfield Beach since 2014 and has been shut out the past four years and the past 18 quarters.

Deerfield, which has outscored the opposition this season, (320-98 this season) won for the third straight game following its setback against St. Thomas Aquinas. The Bucks also snapped Piper’s modest three-game winning streak.

In 1979, the Bengals stunned the Bucks, 14-12, to win the school’s first district football championship, but there was no upset in the making last Friday for Piper, which last won a district title in 2001.

Now, the Bucks have the week off before opening the playoffs at home. It is a welcomed week of resting the players, according to Scott.

“We need it,” Scott said. “I was telling the guys before, we started working out Dec. 26 (last year) and we have been going strong ever since. We have a lot of nicks and bruises, but we have time to heal up. We are going to be very careful how we handle the bye week. We aren’t going to give them a lot of time off so we don’t lose our edge. We are going to sharpen some things with no pads and no contact. We are just going to keep our guys well rested.

Knighton also welcomes the rest this week.

“We need to come to school every day,” Knighton said. “We have to make sure we get recovered, get film and hydrate, and make sure everything is straight so, when playoffs come, we come (out) strong.

“The St. Thomas loss affected us bad, but we didn’t let it hurt us too bad so we could focus on the following week,” Knighton added. “We can really stay on that loss. We got over it and we have stayed strong throughout the week.”

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

After last year’s historical film festival with Burt Reynolds, there is no denying the challenge this year’s 33rd Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) faces. Fortunately, with nearly three decades experience putting on such a such an event, festival director Gregory von Hausch and his merry crew of technicians and volunteers have programmed three weeks of films that celebrate Broward County. Given how the motion picture industry does not travel south of Atlanta these days, it is especially important that FLIFF shines this week.

While most of the presentations will be held at the usual locations of Savor Cinema and Cinema Paradiso-Hollywood, this year’s venues also include the NOVA Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Art and the Sunrise Civic Center. With a portion of ticket proceeds going to hurricane relief for Hurricane Michael victims in the Florida Panhandle, the festival opens at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino with a French Garden Party saluting the opening night film, The Return of the Hero, starring Jean Dujardin, Oscar winner from The Artist, which premiered at the FLIFF in 2011.

While this columnist is looking forward to hosting the 65th anniversary screening of House of Wax, Saturday night at 10 p.m. at Savor Cinema, the theater will also feature Smuggling Hendrix before it at 8 p.m., a film written and directed by Marios Piperides from Cyprus. Prior to the movies Southeast premier, Michelle Filippi will host a Greek Party in the theater’s John Mager Courtyard.

While one might think this film has something to do with legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix, it really is a story about a dog named “Jimi,” a comedy that pokes fun at culture, politics and borders. It is the story of a divorced man with custody of “Jimi,” who crosses the Cyprus/Turkey border for a vacation that becomes an epic journey. A favorite of the Festival Director, Smuggling Hendrix promises to be 93 minutes of cinema fun.

On Wednesday, Nov. 7 at the Westin Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resort, prepare to take a time machine to December 1960 with a screening of Where the Boys Are. Florida legend Connie Francis will be in attendance, as well as Woody Woodbury, who will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Unlike the previous parties where gala clothes or togas seemed appropriate, swimsuits will be what to wear. In tribute to “Ft. Liquordale,” there will be complimentary drinks at the “Elbo Room After-Party.”

“Shorts at Sea” will be a unique event on Monday, Nov. 12 aboard the Musette. This twilight cruise will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres and four short films, with the longest film being only 15 minutes long.

The topics vary from cute animals to ghosts to life affirmation. Short subjects are underrated gems and this cruise on the Musette will raise the profile of these films.

The Miami Dolphins have faded, the World Series is over and there is a hotly contested election next Tuesday. Now more than ever we need a vacation from the ordinary film and FLIFF will provide that escape. For details on these and other events and films, visit www.fliff.com.