By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach High School senior Taletrius “TJ” Bradley was just days from graduation when his life was cut short in a tragic single-car accident on Sunday morning.

Bradley, 19, was driving a 2017 red Corvette that his mother had rented for her son so he could attend the Plantation High School prom in style.

Early Sunday morning, Bradley lost control of the vehicle, which flipped, and both he and his passenger, Demetrius Palmer, were ejected from the front seat of the vehicle off State Road 7 and Sunrise Boulevard.

Bradley, a wide receiver for the Bucks (10-3) who lost in the state Class 5A semifinals to the eventual state champion, Miami Southridge, died Tuesday morning from brain injuries he had suffered in the crash. Palmer, 17, a standout defensive back of the Bucks football team, is in critical condition at Broward Health Medical Center, according to Deerfield Beach head coach Jevon Glenn.

“It’s really hard to see life kind of be snatched away really at the beginning for him,” said Glenn, who added that Bradley dropped off his prom date and picked Palmer up just prior to the accident. Bradley has just received test scores that would have qualified him for college and was closing in on a decision, according to Glenn.

Glenn told the Miami Herald on Tuesday that Palmer was “not in the clear yet.”

“He’s showing signs of progress,” Glenn said. “He’s got some head injuries, but they’re continuing to do brain scans and so far they’ve been coming back good. But obviously with all the swelling and things they’re going to keep him sedated so they can keep monitoring him. They’re monitoring him and he’s got movement,” Glenn said. “We’re just really waiting on him to wake up and come out of it.”

Pompano Junior lifeguard meeting

There will be a mandatory parents meeting for those interested in being part of the Pompano Beach Junior Lifeguard program June 1 at the Civic Center, 1801 NE 6 St., Pompano Beach.

The meeting, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., will take place in the large auditorium, immediately behind the reception area.

Among the items that will be discussed include a complete itinerary of the summer program, along with information regarding uniform, competition dates, social events, and other rules and regulations. The coaching staff and administrative personnel will also be present.

“We will have two vendors attend in case athletes wish to purchase swim suits, goggles, caps, and other swimming-related paraphernalia,” said Pompano Beach Junior Lifeguard Association President Nemia L. Schulte. “We encourage all Juniors and Grommets to attend this meeting so that they can try on the shirts, rash guards, swim suits, etc. to ensure proper fitting.”

For more information on the program, contact Schulte at nemia2000@aol.com.

By Gary Curreri

Entering the 2017 season, Deerfield Beach High girls flag football coach Cam Thomas had high hopes and expectations for his squad.

The Bucks were coming off an 8-5 season and first round District 11-2A playoff defeat to Coral Springs. The team graduated 12 players from that team, including five key starters.

“We have gone through a little bit of a rebuilding year,” said Thomas, whose team is 2-5 this year and has two difficult match-ups coming up – this week against Coral Glades and the Douglas after spring break next week. “We can still make the (District) playoffs as the fourth seed if we win those two games.”

Thomas, who had taken his team to Orlando to play the likes of Dr. Phillips and Port Orange Spruce Creek in two of the past three years, said a lack of funds prevented him from making the trip this year. He said every matchup this season was one they looked forward to.

“We didn’t want to overlook anybody,” Thomas said.

Thomas said the team has received solid play from returners Taylor Brown (Sr., RB/rusher/CB), Lyndaziah Roberts (Jr., athlete), Eryuan Nesbitt (Sr., LB/TE) and promising newcomers such as Shavon Andrews (Sr., QB/LB), Jasna Mason (Sr., WR/CB), Kim Lawson (Soph., CB/RB), Rebecca Nakad (Soph., athlete) and Camellia Robinson (Soph., rusher).

“Lyndaziah has had a great season,” Thomas said. “She has eight interceptions this year and has 300 yards receiving and one touchdown. She’s been a varsity player since her freshman year.”

The Bucks have been slowed by inconsistent quarterback play, according to Thomas. He said that Nakad has stepped in and done well since making a change recently with their signal callers.

“It wasn’t what we thought it was going to be this year, especially on the varsity level,” Thomas said. “Rebecca has done well at quarterback since she stepped in. It is a learning experience for her since she is a soccer player. She is trying to take control of the quarterback situation right now.”

“If we are going to beat Coral Glades and Douglas, Rebecca is going to have to play mistake-free football,” Thomas said. “She doesn’t have to play a great game. She just has to eliminate the minor mistakes. The top four of seven make it to the playoffs.”

Thomas said the biggest obstacle to overcome was the graduation of the 12 seniors from a year ago.

“That was a huge hit because five or six were from our basketball team from last year,” Thomas said. “Just having those types of athletes, it is hard to replace them.

“That is the success that South Broward is having right now because of their athletes came from their girls basketball team. There is a lot of learning that is going on with us this year. I think this is a rebuilding year for us; and next year, with the JV and the girls we have returning, we will have a good season.”

By Gary Curreri

For the second consecutive year, Highlands Christian Academy’s (HCA) boys’ soccer season ended on the Lake Worth campus at Trinity Christian Academy.

Junior Rogeni Decaster tallied a golden goal with three minutes remaining in the first overtime to lift the host Warriors to a 1-0 victory over HCA (9-6-3) in the boys Region 3-1A soccer quarterfinals.

Decaster’s 17th goal of the season propelled Trinity Christian (15-2-3) into the regional semifinal where it fell in overtime to Boca Raton Christian. The Warriors won last year in regional semifinal 2-1.

HCA played the final 48 minutes of the game, including overtime, a man down after one of its players, Richard Silva, was hit with two cautions. Trinity Christian was state runner-up in 2014 when it lost 2-0 to First Academy (Orlando).

“It was a rebuilding year for us,” said Knights coach Darryl Mauro. “We are a small school where most players join our team for the first game. We average 6-10 players at pre-season training since most are participating in other sports, and all but one or two of our players touch a soccer ball during the off season. They played hard.”

Bucks have 13 move on to college

With three players already enrolled in college – Jerry Jeudy (Alabama), Deslin Alexandre (Pittsburgh) and Leroy Henley (East Carolina) – Deerfield Beach High School added an additional 10 to that haul on National Signing Day last week.

“We laid out a very strenuous regimen for those guys to follow,” said Bucks football coach Jevon Glenn. “They’ve dedicated themselves. This is just the fruit of their labor. I am extremely proud … a very proud day for me, a very proud day for our football program.”

Receiver Daewood Davis, who signed with Oregon, and defensive lineman Lamonte McDougle, who chose West Virginia, were among the 10 college signees in this year’s draft class. Also signing were defensive back Eldine Dorvil (Albany State), DL Jamari Rouse (Bowling Green), quarterback Nick Holm (Florida Tech), DB Kobe Green (Buffalo), lineman Jose Jeanty and LB Branden Bailey (N.C. Central) and linebackers Brion Byrd and Cortez Grace (Virginia Union).

Ely falls to Dillard in Big 8

When it comes to the BCAA Big 8 boys’ basketball tournament, it appears that rival Dillard has Blanche Ely’s number.

Dillard’s Raiquan Gray and Robert Johnson helped key a 21-6 run early in the third quarter to break open a tight game and led the Panthers to a 72-61 victory over Blanche Ely at Ft. Lauderdale High School. Dillard won last year’s Big 8 championship with a 68-62 victory over the Tigers. Both teams won state titles in their respective classifications.

Johnson threw down a two-handed dunk off a look-away pass from Gray to push the lead to 52-35 with 1:09 left in the third quarter. Johnson finished with 17 points, Gray had 11 points and Bryce Oliver added 12.

Jordan Wright, a prized football recruit for Kentucky, finished with 18 points for the Panthers and helped Dillard seize a 28-27 halftime lead with a buzzer-beating 3-point basket.

Ely’s Geremy Taylor scored 13 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter to pull the Tigers close before Wright converted a three-point play with 1:16 left to give Dillard a 68-57 lead to seal the game. Michael Forrest added 14 points for Blanche Ely.

By Gary Curreri

What started out as a promising season for the Deerfield Beach High School girls basketball team could have turned sour following an injury to a key player.

Sophomore 5-ft., 6-in. shooting guard DenAsia Mitchell came down wrong on her knee during practice last week and Bucks coach Portia Williams fears the worst.

The Bucks got out of the gate at 14-2 with losses coming to Flanagan, 38-31, and South Broward, 56-44, and owned a 65-57 victory over district rival Douglas. The team also won all three of their games in a tournament in Atlanta.

After opening its own Deerfield Blitz Holiday tournament with wins over Piper and Cooper City, disaster struck in the practice leading up to the title game against Douglas.

“At this time we don’t know,” Williams said. “It was just a freak accident at practice. She was going up for a loose ball and just came down wrong on it. She has to get some tests run. She is getting an MRI (this week).

“We have the capabilities and that shouldn’t have stopped us from what we need to do,” Williams said after the Eagles (18-1) jumped out to a 30-10 halftime lead and coasted to a 63-42 victory over the host Bucks in the championship game.

“We have to regroup and go over some things that were a problem.”

Williams said the team needed to do several things better, including rebounding, boxing out better on defense and running their offense. It hurt not having Mitchell, who was averaging nearly 20 points per game. The team also gave up a lot of baskets on fast breaks and in transition and allowed 22 offensive rebounds to Douglas.

“We knew she was out, but we didn’t execute,” Williams said. “We didn’t come out to play and that was the bottom line. We talked to the girls and told them we have to get back to the basics and regroup from there.

“We have to get ready for the second half of the season,” added Williams, who has been coaching for nearly two decades at Deerfield Beach. “We have some things to fix and we have to continue to work hard.”

Williams said the team is more of a family this year and has survived the “tough times.”

“We may get down on one another, but then we pick each other up,” she said. “I think there are some things that we can do. Even though it is a Christmas tournament, we did well on the road in Atlanta, and now we just have to regroup.”

Williams wasn’t surprised with the start to the season and also cited sophomore guard Kayla Burrows and senior guard G’Torria Swinton for their play this season.

“We saw them play really well at a camp this summer and they haven’t played their best yet this season,” Williams said. “We have to learn to stay focused. Some of them still have maturity problems, and we need to be able to take toughness and that will have to start with our seniors.”

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach coach Kenny Brown is a firm believer that his team can make it past the first round of the district tournament this season.

The Bucks finished 12-13 last year including a first round exit in the District 11-9A tournament. Deerfield Beach has gotten off to a 10-5 start this season with four losses coming in the Kreul Showcase and Kreul Classic tournaments. The Bucks also suffered a 61-57 loss to Dillard in the regular season.

Brown entered the season with a 258-121 record with more than 100 players who have gone off and played in college, including Terrence Johnson (South Alabama) and Josh Huntley (Stephen F. Austin). He returns six players from last year’s squad.

Toughness will be the team’s mantra this season and Brown cited junior point guard Corey Carpenter, along with senior guards Marcus Brave and Calvin Davis to take the team to the next level.

“(Senior) Edwin Louis is a talented point guard with D1 ability,” Brown said. “(Junior) Hansley Senatus is a wing player that will bring versatility and has the ability to stretch the floor with shooting.

“We expect to improve everyday and peak at right time,” Brown said. “We are looking to play faster and use our depth on wings. I think our depth will be key to our style, which will be to wear teams down and pressure for 32 minutes.”

The team’s most lopsided defeat came against Class 5A power St. Andrew’s School, 86-65 in the Kreul Classic. The Scots (12-0) won the tournament and are undefeated on the season.

“In that game, we got into a little foul trouble and a few loose balls that we normally get, we didn’t get,” Brown said. “Usually, we play with a lot of energy and we play with our feet a lot better.

“That game was a wakeup call,” Brown added. “There was some point where the guys started to believe that they were better than they really were and a good old- fashioned butt whipping is always a good teacher. We will bottle that up and remember that feeling and we won’t have that feeling too many more times.

Coming into the season, Brown was confident that his team had put in the work during the offseason.

“I work these kids really hard,” Brown said. “I know that, with the energy and how hard these kids play and how hard they worked in practice, we would have a tough team.

I thought we would have a harder time with rebounding, but so far, so good. We are right in their battling.

“I am okay with our start,” he continued. “Our experience has really helped. I have four kids who are in their third year of varsity basketball. Experience is the best teacher as you know.”

Brown believes they can make a deep run in the playoffs.

“As long as we trust each other, believe in each other, play off each other and share the ball,” Brown said, “we have a chance. We can go out and fight and hustle and give it all we got and we can always shuffle kids in and out…with this start, the confidence came and now the expectations come.”

By Gary Curreri

A week of heartbreak for the Deerfield Beach High School football team ended abruptly with a 26-7 loss to visiting Miami Southridge in the Class 8A state semifinal on Friday.

Despite forcing six turnovers, including five in the first half alone, the host Bucks were unable to generate much offense and fell to the Spartans in its first trip to the state semifinals since Denard “Shoelace” Robinson was the team’s quarterback a decade ago.

“I am proud of my team,” said Bucks coach Jevon Glenn, who was back on the sidelines after spending last week in the hospital and missing the team’s regional final win over Atlantic. “We came back. The program had slipped a little bit and we definitely got the program back – last year to the regional quarterfinals and this year to the state semifinals.”

Deerfield Beach sophomore linebacker Gemon Eafford returned a fumble by Southridge’s Bentavious Thompson 5 yards for an early 7-0 lead, however Mark Pope struck for a 98-yard kickoff return on the ensuing kickoff to cut the Bucks’ lead to 7-6. Keyon Martin blocked the extra point attempt.

The Bucks missed a field goal, hurt themselves with costly penalties and were unable to protect quarterback Nick Holm, who was sacked 10 times in the game.

After Antwan Collier scored on a 19-yard TD to give Southridge a 12-7 lead, Holm was driving the Bucks to the end zone to retake the lead. Southridge’s Shawn Davis intercepted Holm at his own 1 and returned it 99 yards for the clinching touchdown with 8:51 remaining in the game that put the Spartans up 20-7 after a two-point conversion. Collier added a late score for the final margin.

“We left plays on the field,” Glenn added. “It was tough. They are one of the best defenses in Florida…My hat goes off to them.”

For Alabama commit and senior Bucks wide out Jerry Jeudy, the game marked his final contest in a Bucks football jersey. It also ended a hard week personally as he had to cope with the passing of his 7-year-old sister Aaliyah to a lengthy illness. Jeudy finished the game with nine catches for 91 yards.

Highlands Christian Gridiron falls short

The Highlands Christian Academy football team recently lost the Florida Independent Football Conference (FIFC) championship contest to host Palmer Trinity Prep (Miami) 28-6 to close out its season.

The Knights (4-4) went down 14-0 in the second quarter and then was outscored 14-6 in the final quarter. The lone score came from eighth-grader Christian Opalsky, who finished the season with more than 1,000 yards on the ground.

Senior quarterback Dylan DiBello ran for 108 yards and two scores and completed 6 of 14 passes for 113 yards and one score to lead the Falcons (6-0-1) to the title. Sophomore running back Jalen Sloan also broke the century barrier on the ground with 101 yards and one score.

Highlands Christian coach Josh Harris, who completed his first year as head coach after assistant coaching stints at Miami Northwestern, Doral Academy and Somerset Academy was proud of his team’s season. The team finished 2-7 the previous two seasons.

“Last year, they really didn’t have a coach,” Harris said. “They had two former players who pitched in and helped out and (Highlands) was actually thinking about shutting the program down. The kids this year were scrappy and always found a way.

“I told the kids if they looked at the trophy case in the school, there was not a lot of representation of football in the gym,” Harris said. “Forty years from now, people will come back to the school and see their name or their accomplishment in there. Your kids will see your name or your legacy represented. You will live forever at the school. It is really cool. I think we’re starting to feel like we are accomplishing something here.”

By Gary Curreri

The Deerfield Beach High School football team is whole again as head coach Jevon Glenn returned to practice this week after being hospitalized last week after missing his team’s 28-21 victory over visiting Atlantic in the Region 3-8A final on Friday night.

Jakari Norwood took a screen pass from Nick Holm and went 44 yards for the winning score with 2:20 remaining to send the Bucks (10-2) to the state semi-final game for the first time since 2006 when it lost a heartbreaker to the eventual state champion Miami Northwestern.

An emotional Norwood said after the game that he and his team rallied around Glenn, who had been hospitalized two days earlier and missed the game. Former Piper High coach Matthew Lewis, the team’s running back coach, filled in as head coach for the game. Deerfield Beach will host Miami Southridge (10-2) in the state semifinal at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

“This was hard, but we did it for him (Glenn),” said Norwood, a 5-10, 175-pound junior running back who also scored on a 7-yard run earlier in the game to give the Bucks a 14-7 lead. “We prayed hard and we came through. This is very big. We are trying to do something we have never done. We want to beat Southridge and go to state.”

“My number was called and I just did what I do,” Norwood said. He had 57 yards rushing and another 51 yards receiving.

“I saw the end zone and I just took advantage of it.”

“I am feeling much better,” Glenn said on Wednesday morning. He was released from the hospital on Sunday and back at practice on Monday. “I am back in the saddle.”

“I’m good now,” said Glenn, who was diagnosed with ‘some digestive issues.’

“I am most definitely proud of the team, and the staff, and what they accomplished Friday,” he continued.

The last time Deerfield Beach played in a regional final before Friday night was in 2008 when they lost to Miramar. A victory Friday would send the Bucks to the state championship game for only the second time in school history. Deerfield reached the state final in 2005 losing to Palm Beach Gardens.

Deerfield Beach lost to the eventual state champion Flanagan in the regional semifinals last season, while Atlantic lost to Flanagan in the regional final.

The Bucks opened the scoring with 6:41 remaining in the first quarter when senior defensive end Deslin Alexandre blocked Brian Litang’s punt and Bucks senior Jerry Jeudy scooped up the loose ball and raced 31 yards for the 7-0 lead.

Atlantic tied the game at 7-7 on a 3-yard scoring run by Lamar Brewster with 7:46 remaining in the half. The score capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive.

Holm, who finished the game 18 of 26 for 262 yards, also threw a 42-yard pass to Daewood Davis to give the Bucks a 21-7 halftime lead before the Eagles started to mount a comeback.

The teams traded turnovers to start the third quarter and the Eagles cashed in with 7:42 left in the period on a 17-yard run up the middle by Marquis Waters. The extra point failed and the Bucks led 21-13.

Atlantic pulled to within 21-20 on a quarterback sneak by Thompson from a 1-yard out with 11:10 left to cap a 67-yard, 12 play drive. The big play in the drive was a 29 yard toss from Thompson to Corey Gammage to the Bucks’ 1. Thompson and Gammage teamed up for the 2-point conversion on a slant play to tie the game at 21-21 setting up Norwood’s late game heroics.

Lewis said the team only has a state championship in mind. Lewis was the head coach for Piper in 2008-09 and finished 6-4.

“This is just another step,” Lewis said. “Deerfield Beach has been to the playoffs and deep into the playoffs and amongst all of the school with the winningest records in the state of Florida and we are the only one that has not captured a state championship. Until we get that, we are not done. We are not finished.”

Lewis said Glenn was brought in for a stomach virus and was hospitalized for the game, but the team rallied around him Friday and got him the victory.

“Before the game, we made sure we laid it on the line for our leader,” Lewis said. “Coach Glenn has turned this program around and the kids fought hard for him tonight.”

By Bryan Hursh

The Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs got redemption Friday night as they beat the Deerfield Beach Bucks, 23-21, in a clutch defensive fashion, after the Bucks defeated them on their own Senior Night last year. This came as a major upset, being the first time the Chiefs had ever beaten the Bucks.

Deerfield Senior quarterback Nick Holm suited up for the game, but did not play due to a sore right (throwing) shoulder, giving senior quarterback Alec Brown the opportunity to start.

Brown started the night by marching the Bucks downfield, tossing an eight-yard touchdown to senior tailback Taletrius Bradley.

Gibbons answered back later in the 1st quarter with Sophomore quarterback Nik Scalzo scrambling and finding Junior wide receiver Lavonte Decius on a 30-yard TD.

The Chiefs would go on to capture the lead, 10-7, with a 45-yard field goal from junior kicker Griffin Cerra with 11:05 remaining in the half.

Brown and the Bucks offense put together a 9-minute drive down the field resulting in a 5-yard screen pass to junior wide receiver Cornelius McCoy for a touchdown, and regained the lead, 14-10, with 1:37 remaining in the 1st half.

Gibbons marched down the field and Cerra drained a 27-yard field goal as time expired, bringing the game to 14-13 Bucks up going into halftime.

During halftime, the Bucks honored 31 senior football players, members of the band and cheerleading team as they walked to midfield, escorted by parents, family members and friends.

The Bucks started the second half kicking off to the Chiefs, who elected to sit Scalzo for senior backup Austin Boyle, with next week’s District 16-5A runner-up playoff game looming.

Gibbons was stopped on 3rd down and punted the ball back to Deerfield. The Chiefs defense held the Bucks, forcing them to punt the ball back to them. Behind good blocking, Junior Tavontae Decius returned the punt 43 yards down to the Bucks 5-yardline, while Sophomore running back Grantis Poole pounded it in for the score, taking a 20-14 lead with 10:01 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

Brown answered right back, tossing a 55 yard touchdown to senior wide receiver and Alabama commit, Jerry Jeudy, with 7:25 left in the 3rd quarter … recapturing the lead 21-20.

The Bucks and Chiefs punted the ball back and forth, as neither could establish a strong run game.

It wasn’t until late in the 4th quarter that the Chiefs would regain the lead. With 4:38 left in the 4th quarter, Boyle tossed a 21-yard pass to Senior wide receiver Daniel Larose, who hauled it in at the 7-yardline. The Bucks defense held the Chiefs and backed them up 4-yards to the 11-yardline. Cerra hit another 27-yard field goal to take the lead, 23-21, barely making it through the uprights.

With under 3:20 remaining in the game, Brown had to march the Bucks 50 yards down the field to the 25-yardline to get within field goal range. Brown found Jeudy on a 10-and-out route where Jeudy was able to break it outside for a 35-yard gain. The Bucks pounded the ball on the ground, getting 20 yards and two first downs to make it to the 30-yardline. In questionable play calling from Bucks Head Coach Jevon Glenn, Brown tried to thread the ball to senior wide receiver Leroy Henley in the end zone but got picked off by Chiefs junior cornerback Ron Hardge III.

The Chiefs wound the clock down to 18 seconds, giving Deerfield one last play to win the game. Brown rolled out to his left and was sacked by the Chiefs defense, sealing the win.

Brown finished the night with 216 passing yards and two touchdowns while throwing three interceptions. Scalzo finished 10 for 17 with 104 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and Boyle 6 for 11 for 83 yards and one interception.

Holm will be back next week as Deerfield will take on Western High School in the first round of the playoffs while Cardinal Gibbons will travel to Riviera Beach to take off Suncoast High School.

By Gary Curreri

The work in progress for the Deerfield Beach High School football team is progressing well.

Bucks coach Jevon Glenn’s team, which dispatched Monarch, 42-7, last week, can clinch the District 11-8A championship with a victory over host Piper (8-0, 4-0) on Friday.

“Winning a district title is our first goal,” Glenn said. “We had a string of something like 14 years in a row of winning them and then we let that get away from us for a few years. Last year, we won it again and we don’t want to put the carrot before the horse. The district championship is foremost and most important on our list.”

The Bucks (6-1, 4-0) scored 28 unanswered second-quarter points to rout the visiting Knights to clinch a playoff spot as quarterback Nick Holm was efficient as he completed 12 of 16 passes for 89 yards and three touchdowns. He found senior wide receiver Leroy Henley for TD passes of 4 and 20 yards, and senior Jerry Jeudy on a 2-yard scoring toss.

Senior strong safety Kobe Green had a 15-yard fumble return, while senior running backs Alton Allen (20-yard scoring run) and Lafleur Limprevil (9-yard TD run) also found pay dirt.

Glenn said the reversal of an early season, 22-21 overtime loss against Hallandale for using an ineligible player, really had little effect on his team. In fact, he said the loss was a wake-up call for his team that didn’t play up to expectations in that contest.

“That hasn’t really affected us,” Glenn said. “That was a moral victory. You go out and you play the game and I take nothing from Hallandale, they were the best team on the field that night. That was a win on a technicality. It is more for the administration to be happy. I said it that night that, when they beat us, they did a helluva job and I still stick to that.”

“We are starting to peak at the right the time,” Glenn said. The team’s lone loss this season came against Grayson (Logansville, GA) on the road, 39-14.

Since then, Deerfield has mauled its competition winning 30-0 against Coral Springs; 61-0 against Taravella; 35-6 against Douglas and 42-7 against Monarch. For the season, it has outscored the opposition, 233-77 (including the 22 points in the season opener against Hallandale.

“We are getting a little more balance offensively and defensively,” Glenn said. “We are starting to peak and get that chemistry on both sides of the ball. Even though we are playing a whole lot better, I think we have a ways to go. We just need to continue this path that we are going down and I am excited about it.”

Glenn was disappointed that the team’s game against St. Thomas Aquinas was cancelled due to Hurricane Matthew a few weeks ago. However, with Piper this week and a non-district game against Cardinal Gibbons the following week, Glenn believes he will be battle-tested come the playoffs.

“We can definitely win the state championship this year,” Glenn said. “We missed out on St. Thomas, but we should get the job done against Piper (5-1, 2-1) this week.

“On paper, it looks like a big game, but I think it could be the same thing as last year,” said Glenn, whose team routed the Bengals, 38-0, at home last season. “They (Piper) are big Twitter guys and they are doing a lot of talking. They play a really soft schedule and get off to a good record, but they are not fooling anybody with that anymore.”

By Gary Curreri

It is hard to believe after a 30-0 victory over a district foe that Deerfield Beach head football coach Jevon Glenn would be unhappy, but he was.

“This wasn’t a good showing at all,” said Glenn, whose Bucks evened their record at 2-2 and opened District 11-8A play with a 1-0 record. Host Coral Springs, which entered the game undefeated in three games, fell to 3-1 and 0-1 in the district. “After our showing last week in Georgia and not [having] excitement and enthusiasm and be dominant tonight, it was really disappointing for me.”

The Bucks were coming off a 39-14 defeat against nationally-ranked Grayson (Georgia) last week. Deerfield Beach coach Jevon Glenn said his team needed the win. Starting quarterback Nick Holm suffered a concussion in that game and was cleared to play; however, Glenn held him out as a precaution.

Backup quarterback Alec Brown filled in nicely as he threw three touchdown passes – two to Jerry Jeudy covering 4 and 57 yards and a 5-yarder to Leroy Henley. Broward had 160 yards passing for the evening.

Jakari Norwood, who finished the contest with 103 yards, added a 55-yard TD run and Ledin Rivera added a 34-yard field goal in the win for the Bucks.

“We won the game,” Glenn said. “Alec did manage the game. The guys didn’t play well around him and he (Brown) did have to fight through some things. He didn’t get the support that really enabled him to show his skills.”

“We are a work in progress and I think we are nowhere as good as we will be at the end of the year,” Glenn continued. “People say it is better to win ugly, than lose pretty, but I am disappointed. It wasn’t a good showing.”

Highlands picks up first win

After opening the season with a 14-0 loss to Jupiter Christian, Highlands Christian Academy recorded a 26-12 win over Scheck Hillel Community School. The team dropped a 43-6 decision to St. John Paul II Academy last week.

Knights first-year head coach Josh Harris, who will lead the Knights on Friday in a game against at Palmer Trinity at 4 p.m., has drawn praise from HCA Athletic Director Jim Good. The team is 1-2 overall, but 1-0 in the IFC (Independent Football Conference).

The IFC consists of Highlands Christian, Hillel, Palmer Trinity, Pine Crest Prep and Palm Glades. The Knights finished 2-6 last year and made the playoffs as the No. 4 seed. However, the goal this year is to be competing for the championship title.

“Coach Harris is the right man for the job,” Good said. “I’m so grateful and thankful for him, his testimony for the Lord, and his time and commitment. Josh is a full time teacher at Somerset Canyons up in Boynton Beach and sacrifices a lot of time to be here for practices and games. He brings energy, passion and excitement along with organization, structure and discipline. “

In the win over Scheck Hillel, eighth grader running back Christian Opalaky led the team in rushing and had three touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Justin Corn found fellow sophomore Titus Baags, a tight end, for an 18-yard scoring pass in the fourth quarter that sealed the win for the Knights.