By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach High senior quarterback Nick Holm turned in a MVP performance to lead the host Bucks to a convincing 30-3 victory over Blanche Ely before an estimated standing-room only crowd of 4,800 on Friday night in the 3rd annual McDougle Bowl.

Holm, who passed for 289 yards and two scores and added another score on the ground, was named MVP for the Bucks and received a $1,000 scholarship from retired NFL players and brothers Stockar and Jerome McDougle.

The brothers, who partnered with the BCAA and other area businesses, also awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Blanche Ely senior James Harris as the Tigers’ MVP.

Stockar McDougle (1996 Deerfield Beach grad) and Jerome McDougle (1997 Blanche Ely grad) are heavily involved in the community and are happy with the growth of the game’s prominence. It is part of the McDougle Family Foundation’s “Firstability” program, which focuses on a balance between academics and athletics.

“It’s tough because you really want to see a successful game,” said Jerome, 37, who played with the Philadelphia Eagles (2003-07) and the New York Giants (2008) after finishing with the University of Miami, where he won a national championship in 2001.

“I bleed orange and green and I want to see them do good,” he added. “We’ll get there. It’s what we always say with Firstability and the McDougle Family Foundation. We want kids to keep fighting when they are down and getting back up and never giving up. We have to set the example. We are down now, but I believe we will fight back as a school and we will get back and win one…they can’t win them all. It is a little bittersweet.”

Jerome McDougle said it is a great cause.

“I mean the stands were packed, even with people on the side. You just want them to come out and enjoy themselves. Then to be able to give two student athletes scholarships that they will be able to use when they go to college. It is an all-around good thing to do combining sports and academics.

Stockar McDougle said the game has huge implications.

“What we are doing is bigger than the game and much bigger than the jerseys that these kids wear,” said Stockar, 39, who played with the Detroit Lions (2000-04), Miami Dolphins (2005) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2006-07) after a college career at the University of Oklahoma. “It is all about unifying two communities – the city of Deerfield Beach and the city of Pompano Beach.

“A lot of these kids may know each other, they may even be family members and that is what it is all about, letting them know it is bigger than just sports,” he continued. “It is about education. It is about being well-rounded and being a good person and that’s why we are willing to come back and invest in our community.”

Holm said the team needed the win after it dropped its season-opener 22-21 to host Hallandale in overtime. Deerfield Beach (1-1) had a bye week after the loss.

Holm and Jerry Jeudy, an Alabama commit, teamed up for scoring tosses of 34 and 13 yards and Holm scored on a 2-yard quarterback keeper as the Bucks seized a 20-0 halftime lead. Jeudy finished with nine catches for 131 yards, while teammate Leroy Henley caught 6 passes for 101 yards.

The Bucks’ Jaylan Knighton added an 11-yard TD run and Ledin Rivera kicked a 25-yard field goal. Blanche Ely (1-2) averted the shutout on a 27-yard field goal by Charite Wensley with 9:41 remaining in the game.

“It was big for us to get the early lead, build some momentum and show Ely who we were,” said Holm, who finished 14 for 23 with one interception.

“We needed this win,” said Holm, who went 14 for 23 with one interception. “It’s a big rivalry. There was a little talk back and forth during the week on who was going to win. We had a pep rally today and it was good to come out with the win. This was our first win of the season.”

Deerfield Beach is 9-3 in the all-time series dating back to 2004, having won the last five contests after dropping three straight from 2009-2011. The Bucks were the 10th ranked Class 8A team in the state, according to Associated Press.

Blanche Ely coach Carl Wilburn took over at Blanche Ely after the Tigers finished 2-9 last season — including a first-round exit in the playoffs to Dwyer. The team split its first two games this season winning against Plantation last week after dropping its opener on the road to North Marion.

By Gary Curreri

Although it wasn’t the storybook ending Deerfield Beach High School girls basketball coach Portia Williams had hoped for, it was a step in the right direction.

Host Boca Raton (26-7) jumped out to an early 13-2 lead and cruised to a 71-47 win over Deerfield Beach (25-7) at home in a Class 8A regional final game. The Bobcats went on to fall to Vero Beach, 77-68, in overtime in the state championship contest.

The Bucks got an unexpected boost from 5 ft., 5 in. freshman guard DenAsia Mitchell, who averaged 10.4 points, 4.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 4 steals a game. Mitchell believed she had an opportunity to have a featured role this season after finishing up her middle school career at Carver Middle School in Delray Beach.

“It was a good season and it was good for my first full year,” Mitchell said. “It is a lot of pressure because I was a freshman and a co-captain. It is a big learning curve for me if I want to get better and go to college.”

Deerfield Beach coach Portia Williams was pleased with her team’s effort this season.

“This was a group of young energetic girls that were trying to gel day by day,” said Williams, who was in her 15th season as a coach. “They worked hard and I just had to try and keep them focused. It is a talented group of girls.

“As a 9th grader and seeing a point guard with (Mitchell’s) skill set and knowing the game like her, I just haven’t seen that in a long time,” Williams added, “I was surprised. We told them all season to stay focused and take it game by game. We just have to continue to work on little fundamental things with them.”

Wilburn hired by Tigers

Blanche Ely has hired Carl Wilburn as its new football coach succeeding Nakia Jenkins, who resigned in January after two years with the program.

Wilburn, 51, who has coached 27 years in Broward County, has been a head coach at Northeast and Coconut Creek, in addition to serving as a defensive assistant at Miramar, Dillard and Blanche Ely.

Wilburn takes over a Tigers’ program that finished 2-9 under Jenkins and fell in the Class 7A regional quarterfinals. Blanche Ely has reached the postseason 16 of the last 18 seasons, highlighted by a Class 5A state championship in 2002.

“There’s a lot of pride in that community,” Wilburn said. “I think that was the biggest thing to draw me. We have to work harder than anyone else.”

By Gary Curreri

Janet Stuart is showing no signs of age as she won her 5th Pompano Beach Women’s Golf Association 2015 Past President’s Cup Championship recently.

Stuart, 82, won in a tiebreaker of a match of scorecards over Debbie Brown, 58, of Deerfield Beach. Stuart shot an 85 (net 67) on the second day after an opening round 95 (77 net). The winner was decided by using the USGA recommended method and going back on the last nine holes played to determine the winner.

Stuart scored a 43, less nine handicap strokes for a net total of 34, while runner-up Debbie Brown, of Deerfield Beach, shot a 42, less seven handicap strokes for a total of 35. Stuart won the tiebreaker by one stroke.

“(Winning) this particular tournament was a surprise to me because I hadn’t done too well on the first day,” said Stuart, of Oakland Park, who won her 5th President’s Cup title after shooting a two-day net score total of 144. “I didn’t figure I had a chance so I wasn’t paying much attention to it, so maybe that was good. I didn’t get nervous.”

Brown, 58, of Deerfield Beach, said she knew when they tied with the 144s that she would be runner-up.

“Janet and I played together the last round of the President’s Cup,” Brown said. “When they announced the tie, I knew right away I had lost the competition because of our back nine scores and our handicaps.

“When they announced I had won, I also knew that was incorrect,” Brown added. “I refrained from the discussion and allowed those present to resolve it … Of course, I was disappointed, but Janet Stuart has long been my hero when it comes to golf. I admire her and I am encouraged by her that the future holds many more bright sunny days of golf.”

Stuart also won the President’s Cup titles in 2000, 2001, 2010 and 2012. She’s won a couple of Club Championships at the Pines Course at the Pompano Beach Golf Course too.

“It was more of a surprise because I am getting up there and all these young girls are playing well,” said Stuart, who is currently a 17 handicap. “I almost shot my age the second round and I was thinking more of that than winning the tournament. I was hoping to sneak in a couple of more pars or birdies coming in.”

Bucks blanked; season over

Deerfield Beach saw its seven-game winning streak and hopes for a state championship come to a screeching halt on Friday as visiting Flanagan blanked the Bucks, 17-0, in the Class 8A regional semifinal.

Deerfield Beach (10-2) entered the game averaging 32.2 points per game; however, Flanagan (10-2) gave up just three first downs and 79 total yards in a dominating defensive performance.

Devin Bush broke a scoreless tie with a 21-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, and Angel Trujillo added a 32-yard field goal with three seconds left in the first half to give the Falcons a 10-0 lead. Flanagan’s defense held the Bucks to 21 yards in the first half and no first downs.

Flanagan, which avenged a 14-7 overtime loss to Deerfield Beach in the 2013 regional quarterfinals, iced the game on Dredrick Snelson’s 25-yard TD run with 7:50 remaining in the game.

By Gary Curreri

If Deerfield Beach is to move on in the Class 8A state playoffs, it will have to fly past the visiting “Dirty Birds” from Flanagan High School on Friday night.

The Bucks (10-1) will host Flanagan (9-2) in the regional semifinal beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Flanagan has won 8 of its past 9 games, with the lone loss coming against St. Thomas Aquinas, 19-14 two weeks ago. Flanagan’s other loss came against South Plantation, 13-12, in the third game of the season.

The Falcons reached the state semifinals last season, while the Bucks failed to make the playoffs last year for only the second time since 1998. The other time Deerfield Beach didn’t make the playoffs was in 2011. It has been seven seasons since Deerfield Beach reached the regional finals. It lost 34-30 to Miramar in the Class 8A regional final in 2008.

Deerfield Beach is on a 7-game win streak with the team’s lone loss coming to Jacksonville Bolles, 33-15. It edged Plantation, 17-14 in the regional quarters as junior Jerry Jeudy caught 10 passes for 123 yards and scored on touchdowns covering 48 and 6 yards from senior quarterback Teddrick Moffett, who was 13-of-16 for 147 yards.

Senior Jefferson Souza also hit a 48-yard field goal. Sophomore running back Jordan Johnson kept the Colonels in the game with 188 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Tigers upset bid comes up short

Blanche Ely’s football team put up a valiant effort; however, it dropped a 16-14 decision to host Dwyer in the Class 7A regional quarterfinal game last week.

After Dwyer took the opening kickoff and drove 59 yards for the 7-0 lead on a 3-yard scoring run by Jakari Moses, the Tigers (2-9) answered swiftly with an 80-yard scoring toss Zack Perdue to Thomas Gattis on the first play from scrimmage to cut the lead to 7-6.

Dwyer (10-1) took the ensuing kickoff and Moses struck again when he caught a 17-yard TD pass from Toddy Centeio for a 13-6 advantage. Ely pulled to within 13-12 just before the halftime intermission when Jeremy Taylor caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Perdue.

Midway through the third quarter, the Tigers grabbed its first lead of the game when it hauled down Moses in the end zone for a safety after an Ely punt was downed at Dwyer’s 1-yard line. That 14-13 lead held up until Patrick Trepcos kicked a 37-yard field goal with 8:26 remaining in the game for the 16-14 win.

Ely missed wide right on a potential go-ahead 34-yard field goal with 4:10 remaining.

Martin turns pro

Pompano Beach’s Chasity Martin will make her professional boxing debut tonight at the Jaragua Casino and Resort in the Dominican Republic.

The 18-year-old will fight Santo Domingo featherweight Mariela Martinez on the undercard of the Euri Gonzalez-Geyson Bastardo welterweight bout.

“I have great respect for the officials and staff of USA Boxing, but it’s time I move forward,” said Martin, who fights out of King Cobra Boxing under the direction of Mike Tyson’s former sparring coach Stacey McKinley.

Martin won the Sunshine State Games title earlier this year with a unanimous decision over Joke Dekeersschieter (Heart & Soul Boxing). Martin spent four years fighting as an amateur. She had hoped to make the U.S. National team and fight in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but lost a split decision to two-time national champion Anna Crutchfield in a pre-qualifying round.

By Gary Curreri

First-year Deerfield Beach football coach Jevon Glenn can cross one thing off his team’s bucket list.

In dominating fashion, the Bucks returned to district prominence with a convincing, 38-0 victory Friday night over visiting Piper to secure the top spot in the District 11-8a standings.

Deerfield Beach (8-1, 5-0) will tackle Cardinal Gibbons this week in its final regular season game before hosting district 12-8a runner-up Plantation in the first round of the Class 8a playoffs.

“It is a huge win bringing the championship back home to Deerfield,” Glenn said. “We wanted to make sure we took care of that first and foremost. This shows me that they will get up for the challenge.”

The Bucks, which finished 4-6 last season and missed the playoffs for only the second time since 1998 – the other time was in 2011– have outscored the opposition 300-85 and the lone blemish on the team’s record is a 33-15 loss to perennial state power Jacksonville Bolles five weeks ago.

“We came out ready to go and we are maturing,” Glenn added. “We are not as good as we are going to be and we haven’t peaked out yet. That is a thing that I am very proud of and very excited about, that we still can get better.”

Piper (8-1, 4-1) literally handed Deerfield Beach (8-1, 5-0) its first touchdown when the Bengals tried a running play on a 4th and 15 play from its own 15 on the first drive of the game.

The Bucks took over and wasted little time making it 7-0 as Giavante Evans ran for 10 yards, and one play later senior quarterback Teddrick Moffett went around left end for the score with 9:57 left in the first quarter. It was the beginning of an onslaught as Deerfield Beach made it 14-0 on the first of two touchdown runs by Kobe Farrish.

Moffett found wide receiver Cavin Ridley on a 42-yard scoring play at the end of the first half to increase the lead to 28-0. By the end of the third quarter, the Bucks had forced a running clock following a Jefferson Souza 22-yard field goal and 24-yard TD pass from Moffett to Alton Allen.

“This is a big win for us,” Ridley said. “It is a district game and we worked hard in practice. We just came to dominate and that’s what we did.”

Ridley was surprised to see Piper go for a first down early in the contest that swung the momentum.

“Respect is nothing when you are a rival team, so you have to earn your respect,” Ridley said. “So we just came out and we fought.”

Tornadoes move on

The Pompano Beach high school girls volleyball team won its Class 5a regional semifinal with a 25-17, 25-14, 25-23 victory over visiting Archbishop McCarthy on Saturday. Cassidy Bonito led the way with 31 assists, 19 digs, 9 kills and three blocks, while teammate Jasmine Souverein-Reisert added 7 kills, 5 blocks, and three digs.

Bucks hoping for big things

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach High School football coach Jevon Glenn has put together quite the summer program with hopes of returning the school back to prominence.

Glenn has taken the Bucks on a whirlwind tour of college programs, 7-on-7 tournaments and football camps with hopes of winning a state title. Glenn took many of his athletes on two college tours from June 5-15 and hit many big name schools. Former Bucks running back Denard Robinson, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, has been a regular during the offseason.

“I am very excited,” said Glenn, a 1996 graduate of Blanche Ely, where he played football and basketball, and replaced former Bucks coach Allen Jackson in the spring. Jackson resigned in December after four seasons. “We have done a lot of great things in the offseason and we are looking forward to getting started.”

The new Bucks coach will have his work cut out for him as the team is coming off of a 4-6 season in which the Bucks missed the playoffs. It was only the sixth time in school history, dating back to 1974, the Bucks finished with a losing record.

“It’s tradition rich,” said Glenn, who will tackle his first varsity head coaching job after having spent eight seasons coaching Deerfield Beach’s junior varsity squad and holding several positions with the varsity. “There is a good buzz about the program and we made it a priority to keep our kids as Deerfield kids.”

Glenn said during the past couple of years, players left the school to play for other programs – both public and private schools.

“Rather than complain about it, we raised the quality of our program and a lot of those kids came back,” Glenn said. “Many of those kids played in the Deerfield Packer/Rattler youth football program.”

Among those players returning to their roots are two wide receiver transfers from Monarch High School – Cavin Ridley and Jerry Jeudy, in addition to Blanche Ely transfer Teddrick Moffett, a quarterback.

“I think the trips we took created good team chemistry and opened up a lot of eyes with the colleges that these kids can play,” Glenn said. “We believe that we will be better disciplined this year and we can compete for a state championship.”

The Bucks will open the season on Aug. 28 when it hosts Cypress Bay High School.

Four weeks remain at Simply Soccer

There have been record numbers at Simply Soccer camps this summer.

Simply Soccer Camp, which has boys and girls, ages 5-14 of all skill levels, has attracted children from throughout Broward County for its 27th annual summer camp series at Mullins Park in Coral Springs.

The camp, which was featured during a live broadcast by CBS4 the day following the United States’ 5-2 victory over Japan in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, has four weeks remaining beginning Monday. They are: July 27-31; Aug. 3-7; Aug. 10-14 and Aug. 17-21.

There are three sessions ranging from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a Tiny Tot program from 9 a.m. to noon. Players will be taught a variety of soccer skills from dribbling to shooting.

It is the longest running soccer camp offered by the city. Campers must bring a soccer ball, swimsuit, shin guards, water bottle and lunch. For information on the Coral Springs camp, call 954-345-2200.

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 Gary Curreri

Cam Thomas hopes to build on the history his flag football team made last season.

The fourth-year Deerfield Beach flag football coach led the Bucks to its first-ever district championship before it fell 14-12 to Atlantic in the first round play-in game of the post season. Thomas, who returns 10 of 14 players from last year’s team, is gunning for another trip to the postseason.

“My main thing is making it to the district playoffs,” said Thomas, whose team is 1-2 following Tuesday’s 21-20 overtime loss to host Monarch. The Bucks needed four overtimes to defeat Monarch 12-6 in last year’s district championship.

Deerfield Beach opened the season with a 36-6 victory over Coral Springs and lost another heartbreaker, 13-6, to Hollywood Hills.

The team is in a totally different district this season. Monarch and North Broward Prep, two perennial county powers, remain in the district; however, Coconut Creek, Pompano and Blanche Ely have been added. The top four teams make the district playoffs.

Thomas is counting on big seasons from junior Stefaterra Boykins, seniors Courtney Lee, Darrion Cowart, Justice Thomas (no relation).

“Teams prepare for one person, but they might get a different person who’s hot,” Thomas said. “We have athletes who can all play quarterback or different positions on the field.”

“One of the things we have to fix is the intensity,” Thomas said. “Some of the girls are a little too relaxed when we play. Last year, I had a ‘blue collar’ team that would grind, get bloody, dirty, and this team is a little too relaxed. We make plays, but they are too relaxed at times.”

Thomas was pleased with his team’s effort against Monarch as it rallied from a 14-6 deficit heading into the fourth quarter to force overtime. Lee, Cowart and Boykins all scored in the game.

With three games down in the 11-game regular season, Thomas gives his team a grade of C-plus.

“Today, they didn’t give up and, against Hollywood Hills, they didn’t give up,” Thomas said. “They’ve got fight, which is good. If you add in a little more intensity, they’ll be fine.”

Thomas said the early season losses would help his team get better.

“They don’t like the feeling now,” Thomas said. “They know they are much better than what they are showing on the field. We just have to put it together.”

“This whole team is athletic, and I wouldn’t be taking them to Orlando if they weren’t good,” Thomas said of his team’s upcoming April 4 game against state powerhouse, Dr. Phillips. “They are one of the top teams in the state. We want to get exposure for the girls. We want everybody in Florida to know that South Florida has good teams behind the Seminole Ridge’s and the Miramar’s.”

Bucks take second

The Deerfield Beach High School softball team finished second in last Saturday’s consolation finals at the Gulliver Prep Slamfest in Pinecrest. The Bucks advanced to the finals by beating Lourdes High 13-12 in a come-from-behind thriller during which the lead changed 10 times. The Lady Bucks racked up 13 hits including a bases-loaded double by Coral Galpine in the fourth inning.

Sarah Strothman, Karli Shoop, Vika Chursina, Coral Galpine and Annalissa Silva all hit over .500 in the tournament.

By Gary Curreri

The Highlands Christian Academy and Deerfield Beach high school boys’ soccer teams reached the postseason this season with high expectations.

Highlands Christian (13-6) won the district title and made it to the regional semifinals for the first time since 2006 when it fell to Palmer Trinity, 3-1. The Knights were ousted in the regional quarters in the five appearances since then.

Unfortunately for the Knights, Sagemont (18-7-1) advanced to the regional finals with a 4-0 victory over host Highlands Christian on Tuesday night.

Sophomore Carlos Pan gave the Lions a 1-0 halftime lead when he scored on a header in the 21st minute. Freshman Karl Ackermann scored the first of three second half goals for Sagemont off a cross by junior Marco Wehrhahn in the 53rd minute. Sagemont added its own goal and a final tally by freshman Braedon Villano to end Highlands’ season. Ryan Theimer recorded 13 saves in his sixth shutout of the year.

Highlands Christian Academy coach Darryl Mauro said he was pleased with his team’s performance, especially considering his team had just three full time soccer players. He was also happy to coach with his son Daniel, an HCA graduate, who won national titles while at Clearwater Christian College.

“We had two players, Lucas Almeida and Caleb Bien- Aime finish with 17 goals and double figures with assists and our goalkeeper, Zach Mueller finished with nine clean sheets (shutouts),” Mauro said. “Sophomores Elijah Kerr, Evan Henderson, and Vitor Lima both improved on both sides of the ball and newcomers Brandly Martina, Ayrton Barbolinea, Ray Melfor all played a big role in our postseason run.”

Deerfield Beach made its fourth appearance in the playoffs in school history under Coach Frantz Edouard – 2009, 2012, 2013 were the others – and fell to Boca Raton last Thursday night in the regional quarterfinals thanks to a topflight performance by the Bobcats’ Sebastian Elney, who spent last year with the U.S. Soccer Under-17 residency program in Bradenton.

Elney had three goals in the contest to lead host Boca Raton (21-1-2) to a 3-0 victory over Deerfield Beach in the Class 5A boys’ soccer regional quarterfinal. Boca Raton advanced to this Friday’s regional final after defeating Douglas, 3-0 on Tuesday night.

Deerfield Beach (18-3-4) had the better play in the early going with nothing to show for it. Boca Raton goalkeeper Collin Foody made three saves for his 11th shutout of the season.

The Bucks’ best chance to score came in the 68th minute when Matheus Pereira took a free kick that Foody got a hand on. The ball deflected to Romilaire Ambrose, whose shot was headed off the goal line by defender Aaron Kleinert.

“We are disappointed,” said Deerfield Beach soccer coach Frantz Edouard. “The first goal hurt, but the second one broke our back. We had a great season. The number 23 (Elney) was the difference maker for them.”

Edouard’s team had the harder road in the playoffs as it finished runner-up in the district to Douglas.

“It didn’t work out,” Edouard said. “Obviously, we had a good season, not a great season, because we wanted to advance far in the playoffs. We have been here before, but we haven’t been able to get over the hump. It’s a bit of a disappointing season for us.”

Edouard, who is in his eighth year at the school, believes his team will be in the postseason again and expects his team to go far.

“We graduate about four or five players, but honestly the core of the team will be back again next year,” Edouard said. “Hopefully, we will be back … and be victorious.”

By Gary Curreri

It will be a homecoming of sorts for Deerfield Beach football coach Allen Jackson when his team travels to Coconut Creek High School on Friday to take on Monarch in a key District 11-8A game.

Jackson, whose Bucks (6- 0, 4-0) are on a six-game winning streak, will tackle the undefeated Knights (7-0, 4- 0) for first place in the District. Jackson previously coached at Monarch (2003- 08) and then at Coconut Creek High School before taking over at Deerfield Beach three seasons ago.

“It is a little nostalgic and a little bittersweet since my wife still works over there,” Jackson said. “We have a goal in mind, and our mindset is to go over there and take care of business.”

The last time Deerfield Beach started the season 6-0 was in 2007 when it finished 11-3 and lost 19-14 to the eventual state champion Miami Northwestern. Deerfield Beach has outscored its opposition, 272-73, in six games this season. Monarch has outscored its opponents, 262- 124, in seven contests.

“Coach Calvin Davis does a great job over there and we know we are going to have to bring our A game,” Jackson said. “We are going to have to turn it up when we play them over there.”

Senior running backs Aeron McNeal and Brandon Powell did most of the damage again as they combined to rush for 212 yards and scored four touchdowns as Deerfield Beach defeated visiting Piper, 53-8, last Friday. Monarch toppled Taravella, 44-28, on Friday.

Powell rushed for 139 yards on six carries and scored on runs of 25 and 65 yards. He also caught three passes for 46 yards. McNeal added 73 yards and two scores on runs of 7 and 5 yards, while quarterback Danarious Graham also scored twice on runs of 11 and 4 yards.

The Bucks’ defense limited Piper to 69 total yards and added two defensive touchdowns of its own on a Kendrick Catis 45-yard interception return and a Quinton Briggs 24-yard fumble return.