By Jacob Shendell

Deerfield Beach comes out on top defeating Taravella High School, winning their first District 11-8A game to the score of 14-7 last Thursday night.

Both teams needed a district win — Deerfield (3-3) coming off of a 24-21 loss to Coral Springs High School and Taravella (1-4) with a 45-7 win over Coral Glades High School the week before.

Deerfield came out guns blazing. Quarterback Jefftey Joseph, combined with offensive weapons Antonio Cartagena and Giavante Evans, marched down the field to the Taravella 20-yard line before running into trouble. Deerfield Beach fumbled the ball with the Trojans recovering it on the 3rd down, having no gain, stopped after the fumble.

Deerfield stopped the Trojans on their drive, forcing them to punt the ball on 4th down, starting their drive at their own 36 yard-line. Kobe Farrish led the drive, carrying the ball on five of the six plays. He ended the drive with a 1-yard gain; he punched into the end zone to give the Bucks the lead 7-0 with 2:15 left in the 1st quarter.

Taravella responded right back with a touchdown in the second quarter with an 80-yard drive by Tyler Hunter tying the game up 7-7. The tie was short lived as the Bucks’ WR Antonio Cartagena caught a huge pass from Joseph running it down the field for an 80-yard touchdown play to put the Bucks’ up 14-7 to close out the third quarter.

In the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Trojans were making a huge effort toward the Deerfield Beach end zone only to be stopped by a lightning delay on the Deerfield Beach 21-yard line. Play resumed 40 minutes after the delay. Deerfield stopped the Trojans on 3rd down at the end of the drive.

The score remained the same throughout the rest of the game. Deerfield won 14-7.

Tomorrow night, Deerfield is in Sunrise playing Piper High School (2-3). The last time these two teams met was on the Deerfield Beach Homecoming night, where Piper lost (53-8).

By Rachel Galvin

The cooler weather was a refreshing change for the participants of this year’s Dunn’s Run.

For the 18^th year, the large crowd lined up behind the starting line for the 5K walk/ run and 5 mile run benefitting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County.

With a time of 16:59, Gabe Leitz was the first to cross the finish line. A winner last year as well, Leitz was barely breathing hard after the race, although he said, “I sound better than I feel.”

Gabe Leitz, winner of 5K race, was the first across the finish line.

The first woman across was Valerie Mebane with a time of 20:17. She had to walk it off following the run, but had her training partner with her to cheer her on.

The five mile winners came in at 26:21 and 29:39, respectively, Chris Miller and Alice Henley, who easily got lost among the crowd, which gradually took over the street to welcome the runners and walkers.

Besides the race, there also were plenty of vendor booths to peruse and several types of auctions conducted following, as well as the awards ceremony.

To see all the results, visit www.splitsecondtiming.com.

See more pictures in the October 9 issue of Observer Newspaper. SEE VIDEO ON OBSERVER TV!

Chelsea Hall (Sarasota), left, and her partner Michelle Guidicessi (Tampa), reached the final of the Women’s A Division in the tournament where they lost to Miramar residents Sofia Ponce and Marisela Sardinas. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Adrienne Cerra knows what it is like to put on a successful beach tennis event and she also found her way onto the winner’s podium at the September Beach Tennis G-4 Tournament on Pompano Beach Sept. 21.

Cerra, the International Federation of Beach Tennis- USA president, teamed with Miramar’s Christy Garzon to win the Women’s Pro Division of the tournament with a win over teenagers Megan Horwitz (Pembroke Pines) and Erika Ponce (Miramar).

The tournament featured 84 players who competed in Men’s and Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles and Juniors Doubles (12 and under) in both pro and amateur divisions.

The IFBT-USA held a World Cup Triple Crown tournament during the summer that featured top players from all over the U.S.A., as well as Brazil, Italy, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Aruba, Peru, Columbia and Germany, who represented their countries.

They will hold a tournament nearly every month all along Florida, in addition to tournaments throughout the United States in California, St. Louis, New York and internationally in Barcelona, Cancun

and Puerto Rico. Cerra said the sport is continuing to grow and that more and more children are starting to play. This event served as a warm-up for a G-1 tournament in Cancun, Mexico. It was more of a local one so there were medals and ranking points.

“We try and do one every month, so it is a monthly event,” Cerra said. “It is called a Grade 4, which is pretty much a local tournament. A G-3 tournament gets more people from out of the town. A G-2 is more of a national and a G-1 is an international tournament. These local tournaments are a way for us to introduce the sport. Some people come by out of curiosity, or they heard of it and they come out to play.”

Cerra said they also have free weekly practices at the beach to help introduce the sport to players.

“There are beginners and we also leave a court for people to try and come out and play with us,” Cerra said. “We give people paddles and balls and we will demo the sport. They can try it and, if they like it, they are welcome to play. They can play right away. The learning curve is pretty small. We are always there every weekend, and then, once a month, we try and have a local tournament.”

Miramar residents Sofia Ponce and Marisela Sardinas captured the Women’s A Division with a win over Chelsea Hall (Sarasota) and her partner Michelle Guidicessi (Tampa). Ponce, who picked up her first ever win on the beach, said she likes the competitive attitude and camaraderie among the players.

“It is nice because you can still be friends with someone knowing that they have given you their A game,” Ponce said. “I know my friends would not like it if I didn’t give them my all in my game. It is a sign of respect. If they beat me, they beat me fair and square. It is more passion and competitiveness and always trying to improve and get better.”

By Gary Curreri

Noah Flegel’s goal for next year on the pro wakeboard circuit is a Top-10 finish.

“My goal for next year is to break into the Top 5,” said Flegel, of Lighthouse Point, who recently turned 17.

“Right now, I am No. 11. Next year, I am hoping to get in the Top 5. The top guys make around $500,000 a year.”

The North Broward Prep School junior fell twice during his semifinal run of the Pro Men’s Division to finish second in his heat with a score of 75.67. Only the winners of each heat advanced to the finals of the recent Rockstar WWA Wakeboard World Championships, presented by Supra Boats, at Mills Pond Park in Ft. Lauderdale.

The invitation-only event attracted 200 competitors from 15 countries during a four-day span. An estimated 4,100 spectators turned out for the event.

It was a good season for Flegel, who made two finals and got fourth place in two Nautique events – Nationals in Waco, Texas and the Wake Open – during the year. He entered the Pro Men’s ranks just a few months ago.

“I think it is great to be able to do what I do and make a living at it,” Flegel said. “I would also like to start my own company, something within the sport. I have some invention ideas I am trying to pursue so we’ll see.”

Flegel has also won two consecutive National and World Titles in the Junior Pro ranks, as well as winning the overall Junior Pro Series in 2013. He’s also won a World WakeSurf championship.

Flegel said he didn’t really think about a future in the sport when he first started.

“When I was young, I didn’t think of the future that much,” Flegel said. “I was just thinking of having fun and going with the fl ow. Not much has changed. I just turned pro. I still live a pretty normal life.”

His brother Keenan recently moved up to Orlando and is a student at UCF. He is on the WakeSurf team. His older brother has won every Wake Surf and Skim Style competition he has entered.

Competing in the Worlds was a huge accomplishment for Flegel, including the fact that he was competing in his hometown.

“It is really putting all of your best tricks together, ” Flegel said. “If you miss one trick you won’t be at the podium. You get two tries and eight tricks — all the toughest tricks. It is insane to watch because everybody is throwing their top tricks.”

Flegel is happy to be where he is at right now.

“It’s awesome to see what I have been doing,” Flegel said. “To see how it has built up to me being a professional athlete. Now I am in the very beginning stages of being a pro and I am trying to work my way up.”

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.Com

For over 30 years, Liam Neeson has been a consistent character actor in support of actors like Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, and the Batman.

In his recent film releases, such as Taken, The Grey and Non Stop, Neeson has taken on the role as the iconic leading man in American movies. With A Walk Among the Tombstones, Neeson gives a simple performance, but with nuanced moments of vulnerability and nobility.

Former New York cop turned private investigator Matthew Scudder (Neeson) is hired by a shabby character that he meets at an AA meeting.

The shabby character reveals that his brother is a drug kingpin who needs a private investigator. It turns out that the wife of the drug kingpin has been murdered and the crime lord wants revenge.

However, revenge is not easy because the motives seem convoluted. Could the killers be from a rival gang? Could this be a conspiracy grown from the incompetency of the DEA?

Scudder unravels this mystery while confronting a personal demon of his own, alcoholism.

The best part about this film is the relationship between Scudder and TJ (Brian “Astro” Bradley), a homeless boy with sickle cell anemia. The relationship grows out of respect for great detective literature from Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, with life lessons about the importance of maintaining good pistol maintenance.

The biggest flaw in this film is the climatic ending. As Scudder takes matters into his own hands, we heard a narration expressing the 12 Steps of alcohol recovery. While the intention may have been noble, the juxtaposition between audio and the visual is jarring.

On a lighter note, The Skeleton Twins starring Saturday Night Live alumnus Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig opens this weekend. It is a story about estranged twins who decide to come to grips with maturity.

The 2014 Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival has announced their celebrity line-up for the season, featuring veterans Jason Alexander and George Hamilton. The daughters of David Mamet and Robert Carradine, Clara Mamet and Ever Carradine, respectively, will be in attendance to promote their independent projects.

For more information about dates, times and ticket sales, call 954-252- FILM (3456) or visit www.fliff.com.

By Gary Curreri

Cortez Grace started the season as a linebacker and third string quarterback for the Deerfield Beach High School football team; however, he finished Friday night’s game as a hero.

As the song title states, Grace was simply “amazing” in the closing minutes as he overcame two earlier interceptions and capped a 90-yard drive in the final three minutes with a 1-yard TD plunge to lift host Deerfield Beach to a 14-12 victory in the inaugural McDougle Bowl at Deerfield Beach High School.

“I just wanted to win the game,” said Grace, who grew up across the street from Blanche Ely High School, and was 5 for 6 on the winning drive for 68 yards on the 13-play, 90-yard drive with 3:01 remaining in the game. “It felt good. I just came through for my team.”

Grace connected on a 30- yard pass to Antonio Cartagena and then hit Simeon Brown for 19 and 11 yards to march the Bucks down the field. With just 24 seconds left, Grace hit Randerick Gervin to the Tigers’ 1 before taking it in himself from a yard out.

“I don’t like to lose,” added Grace, who filled in for starting quarterback Jeff Joseph, who was sidelined with an injury. “I was just ready. I wasn’t thinking about nothing. I just put the (interceptions) in my past. I got my mind right. I played against those kids in youth football. This is big for me. It was special. It tugged at my heart. It was meant to happen.”

Blanche Ely’s Robert Williams ran for two first half touchdowns as the Tigers (0-2) rallied from an early deficit to take a 12-7 lead on the 40th anniversary of the series between the two schools. Williams finished the game with 10 carries for 89 yards. Deerfield (2-1) had taken a 7-0 lead on a Kobe Farrish 6-yard scoring run early in the contest.

“The kids hung in there,” said Deerfield Beach coach Allen Jackson. “We just had to believe. That’s what the kids did on the sideline. They started believing in themselves and the passes that Cortez threw were huge for us. Oh, my goodness. You couldn’t ask anything more from him. He stepped in and did an awesome job.”

The game was sponsored by brothers Jerome Mc- Dougle (1997 Ely grad) and Stockar McDougle (1996 Deerfield Beach grad), who both went on to play in the NFL.

The brothers, who served as honorary captains for their respective teams, presented the game’s trophy, in addition to awarding scholarships to the game MVPs – Blanche Ely’s Demeterice Bellamy and Deerfield Beach’s Jimmy Harper.

“This is awesome,” said Jerome, who played with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants from 2003-2008. “It is great for me and my brother to come back to one of the greatest rivalries in Broward County and we were a part of it. It is just a great atmosphere for football. Both teams have had players go and play in the National Football League so it is good for us to come back.”

“This is very cool to give me and my brother a chance to come back here to this game that we actually played in when we were in high school, and to tie it around our foundation,” said Stockar, who has also helped purchase equipment for his alma mater.

“The rivalry never dies. Out of the whole household, I am the only one that didn’t go to Blanche Ely. I hear it all the time, no matter how old you get.”

Stockar said the game always represents “bragging rights?”

“Yes, it is winner take all,” Stockar added. “But it is all about pouring more resources into the community and getting the two booster clubs involved. We have a lot of athletes who have come out of these two programs and who have gone on and done great things. It was definitely time.”

DBHS stepped out onto the field last Friday night for their first regular-season loss since the 2012 St. Thomas finale.

Photos by Jacob Shendell

After an impressive victory against Northeast of 43-6 the week before, “We still have a lot of work to do; we are young and we are going to struggle. I expect some of our veteran role players such as Montel Jordan, Roodney Leon and Jason Strowbridge to step up as leaders.” said Coach Jackson.

And struggle they did; during the first quarter Deerfield Beach High School (DBHS) Bucks went down 7-0 after Tajue Williams, a Dillard RB, ran the ball up the middle of the field for a 24-yard touchdown. Following this score, Deerfield put up its own points with a 34-yard fieldgoal scored by Jefferson Souza.

It all went down-hill from there; Dillard went on to make the score 13-3. Before the half, the Bucks defense stopped the extra point. In the 2nd half, Dillard’s quarterback Jason Collins connected for two more touch-downs, Jordan Merrell an 8-yard reception, and Basil Spencer a 15-yard reception, to put the score up to 25-3. In the middle of the 4th quarter, Kobe Farrish put a 12-yard run in the end zone for Deerfield, decreasing the margin to 25-9.

This Friday, DBHS plays their cross-town rival Blanche Ely High School from Pompano at home in what is sure to be a sold-out game. Ely is coming off of a 12-42 loss to Clewiston High School. Both teams are sure to be looking for redemption and would have it no other way than to defeat one another.

“We need to finish the game, cut down on our mistakes. Ely is our hometown rival and that’s about all it is. We don’t really need to make any changes for them. We have Jefftey coming back out of a two-week injury to fill the quarterback role so we plan on incorporating him back into our offense slowly with Cortez. We need to save him for our district games,” said Jackson.

By Rachel Galvin

Timothy D. Cook, chief executive of Apple, announced the release of the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch Tuesday at the Flint Center in Cupertino, CA, where Apple co-founder Steve Jobs unveiled the Macintosh 30 years ago. People will line up around the country at Apple stores anxious to buy the newest technology; but if they line up now, they may be waiting awhile (release begins Sept. 19, pre-order starts Sept. 12).

The benefit of the iPhone 6 is two larger size options (a 4.7-inch version and a 5.5-inch version (iPhone 6 Plus), instead of the current 4 inch). Plus there is increased resolution, faster speed and a better camera.

In addition, they launched Apple Watch, a wearable computer that includes fitness and health tracking. It will be available early next year.

Apple Pay, available in October, hopes to eliminate the need for a wallet by offering an easy digital way to make payments.

At the end of the Keynote speech, the band U2 performed and announced the free immediate release of their new album “Songs of Innocence” to iTunes and Beats Music customers, available through Oct. 13.

For more information, visit www.apple.com.

(Pics of iPhone, iPhone Plus & Apple Watch not available as of press time)

By Gary Curreri

In one short year, Dangelo Fuentes is making quite a name for himself in the boxing ring.

Fuentes, 15, who lives in Delray Beach and is a freshman at Olympic Heights High School in Boca Raton, said he took up the sport to stay out of trouble and he has racked up seven wins in seven bouts and recently captured the 125-lb., 15-16 Novice Division at the Ringside World Tournament at the Independence Events Center in Independence, MO.

“I’m very glad,” said Fuentes, who turned to boxing after a stint with the Pompano Tigers youth football program. Fuentes defeated Daniel Fulton (Missouri) by unanimous decision to take the title. “It is amazing. I never thought that I would win the world championship in just one year. I have great people around me with Coach Steve (Collazo) and boxers like Jordon (Murphy).”

Fellow Deerfield Beach Broward Sheriff’s Office PAL boxer Jordon Murphy, 14, also captured the 90-lb., 13-14 Open Division championship in the international tournament that featured more than 1,700 participants from 15 different countries. The completion included six rings, seven sessions and over 1,000 bouts.

Murphy’s win came just six months after winning the National Silver Gloves Tournament, also held in Missouri. It marked the second consecutive Ringside World Tournament title for the Deerfield Beach teenager. He won last year in the 85-lb. Division.

“It was cool winning it two years in a row,” said Murphy, a freshman at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek. “There was a lot of pressure on me to win it this year because I had won last year too.”

Murphy won by unanimous decision over Jeremy Adorno (Pennsylvania) in the championship bout. He moved up a weight class this year and won all of his fights by unanimous decisions.

“I focused on my training and what my coaches told me,” Murphy said. “It was more difficult this year than it was last year. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. This will help me with my confidence going into my future fights.”

All PAL programs are free of charge. All participants must be currently in a school or home schooled. For more

information, contact BSO Deputy Butch Santy at 954-778-0174.

P I C K L E – BALL SLATED FOR SATURDAY

The City of Pompano Beach Parks and Recreation Dept. invites you to take part in a lively racket game for all ages and abilities called Pickle-ball! The Pickle-ball showcase will be held at the newly constructed Pickle-ball courts at Community Park next to the basketball courts on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. A demonstration will be given so everyone can learn how to play this fast growing sport.

Pickle-ball is a net game that incorporates tennis, badminton, ping pong and racquetball. It is played on a badminton-sized court with special Pickle-ball paddles, made of wood or high-tech aerospace materials. The ball used is similar to a whiffle ball, but slightly smaller.

The lower net and whiffle ball allow the game to be accessible to people of all ages and abilities, while still allowing more competitive players to test their skills. It was designed to be easy to learn and play whether you’re five, 85 or somewhere in between. It is a fun sport that has picked up a lot of popularity in recent years.

For more information call 954-786-4119.

DEERFIELD BEACH GIRL WINS NATIONAL TITLE

Florida juniors won three singles titles and five doubles championships at United States Tennis Association (USTA) Clay Court National tournaments played across the country recently in the 12 through 18 age groups.

Among the winners was Deerfield Beach’s Taylor Russo, who teamed with Miami’s Adriana Reami to capture the Girls’ 16s doubles title in Virginia Beach, VA. The unseeded pair upset the Californian No. 2 seeds Katie Chang and Claire Liu 6-4, 6-4 in the final.

By Gary Curreri

Not much has changed in the approach that Deerfield Beach football coach Allen Jackson is taking with his team this year.

“We want to be excellent,” said Jackson, who has compiled a 20-10 at Deerfield Beach in his four seasons at the school. “Our motto is new team, new faces and the same goal.”

Deerfield Beach had an outstanding season last year as the Bucks had their first undefeated regular season, won the District 11-8A crown and earned its first playoff victory since 2008. After defeating Flanagan in overtime, 14-7, the Bucks fell 43-6 to Miramar in the regional semifinal.

Jackson knows he has his work cut out for his football team this season as the squad graduated its starting backfield from last year including running backs Brandon Powell (University o f Florida) , Aeron McNeil ( University of Alabama- Birmingham), quarterback Denard Graham (Garden City), along with wide receiver Justin Morgan (Lafayette).

“We have Alex Pierre back from last year,” Jackson said. “He is going to have to carry the load. We have some other kids that we expect big things out of, including Markel Yarbrough, who transferred from Plantation.”

Deerfield Beach will also rely on senior defensive end/tight end Jason Strowbridge and two-way lineman Montel Jordan, and addition to Antonio Cartagena, Jeffrey Joseph and James Pierre. Junior Aeron Cartagena is also expected to contribute.

“Even though we lost 10 starters from our senior-laden team, we are going to focus on the same thing we did last year,” Jackson said. “I think we can; with the additions we have and with what we have coming back, I like what I see as a team. I like the attitude and the work ethic the kids have demonstrated. I am trying to get back to where we were at and get a little further on.”

“I see some big things and the goal is going to be the same,” Jackson added. “We are not going to change that.” This is Jackson’s second time around at the school as he served a variety of titles, including D-Line coach, offensive coordinator and linebacker coach from 1990-2003. Before returning to Deerfield Beach, Jackson coached at Monarch for four seasons and at Coconut Creek for three years. He’s been coaching football for 29 years.

“It is an intelligent team,” Jackson said. “Losing those guys was a big hurt, but we added to the program and I think it will be a little better. I think the program is heading in the right direction. In a sense, we are rebuilding. We added a lot of kids who are young. I guess it is a rebuilding process of old and new. I think we can get to the playoffs. Time will tell.”

Quarterback Jeffrey Joseph moves up from a JV team that went 7-1. Jackson said he is more of a pocket passer than Graham was.

Strowbridge, a 6-4, 250 lb. senior, said his game really took off after his freshman year. He is hopeful of another strong season this year. He said he studies NFL players and tries to model his game after them.

“I don’t know if you can do what they did, but I think we have a lot of young kids who are willing to learn and I think it will be fun this year,” Strowbridge said. “We definitely feel the pressure because last year’s team was the best team I have ever been on. I think there is definitely pressure to do that and do what they did.”

Jordan said the team would need to do what it did last year and be even more aggressive. He said there is a big difference between last year’s squad and this year’s version.

“Last year, we had more experience,” Jordan said.

“We have a younger team this year, but we are more disciplined. Last year, we had Brandon Powell. We had Aeron and a new quarterback (Graham), so we are going to have to work hard to get back to where we were last year.”