By Gary Curreri

In the beginning, Julia Vulpio wasn’t a big fan of tennis.

“At first, I didn’t like it,” said Vulpio, 18, of Pompano Beach. “I wanted to play with dolls and do normal kid’s stuff.”

She got her start when her father saw a poster of Argentinian tennis pro Guillermo Vilas on the floor for his academy and they went.

“It was closed for the year and my dad said since we are here, let’s play,” said Vulpio, who was age 4 at the time. She continued to play recreationally until age 9 when she had a breakthrough.

“I saw Rafa Nadal play at the French Open, and I said, ‘wow, I really want to play now,’” Vulpio recalled. “I love the competition. I like everything. I like the fighting. It is definitely mental, a lot of it.”

She cited her strengths as a backhand crosscourt, her slice serve and a topspin forehand.

Vulpio recently scored a 6-4, 7-5 win over Boca Raton’s Nina Gulbransen in the finals of the Women’s Open Division in the Delray Cup – Prize Money Open, Age Category and NTRP Championships at ProWorld Tennis Academy in Delray Beach. Not bad considering she hadn’t played in a tournament in a couple of months and had just been training.

“I just decided to go back and play a few tournaments,” said Vulpio, a Quinnipiac University commit. She is currently homeschooling to prepare. She has also been training at ProWorld for almost two years. She was a former No. 1 in France for girls 16s and was ranked No. 900 at WTA at age 17.

“It was a good match to start back,” she said. “Winning the tournament gives you confidence for sure, especially since it is my first tournament in a while.”

The tournament also featured Men’s Open singles, Men’s Open doubles, Women’s 3.5 NTRP singles and Men’s 4.0 and 4.5 singles play. There were 81 players in the event and in addition to players from Florida, there were also competitors from CA, TX, NJ , NY, MI, and PR.

“The tournament had about 80 players – 70 in the Open and 11 in the NTRP,” Tournament Director Lew Wolfe said.

Bucks win third straight game

After opening the season with two straight losses on the road, the Deerfield Beach High School football team have regained their winning ways with a third consecutive shutout following a 42-0 win over Oak Ridge (Orlando) at home on Friday night.

Senior quarterback Michael Pratt tossed three touchdown passes, while senior running back Jaylan Knighton topped the century mark rushing and added two touchdowns for the Bucks, who have defeated Blanche Ely (42-0), Zachary (La.) 52-0 and Oakridge in the team’s home opener.

Pratt, a Tulane University commit who transferred to Deerfield Beach from nearby Boca Raton in early August, will face his former team on Friday when the Bucks take on the Bobcats at home.

Pratt connected with Aydin Henningham, Xavier Restrepo and Jaziun Patterson for TD passes and Knighton, a Florida State commit, totaled 101 yards on the ground and scored twice.

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach football coach Jevon Glenn estimates he has helped more than 50 student-athletes get into college to play at the next level.

He will add to that count next week when seven more Bucks will sign national letters-of-intent to play college football.

“With the implementation of the early signing period it has accelerated the entire recruiting time frame,” Glenn said. “We haven’t really had to make much of adjustment from a program standpoint because our student-athletes get to visit numerous colleges with our spring and summer college tours.

“You spend so much time with them in the offseason and in the weight room that they become yours,” Glenn added. “I treat every kid in this program like they are my sons, so I am like a dad making sure that your kids make the right decisions.”

The Bucks had six sign during early signing day in December and will have seven more sign on Wednesday morning.

The University of Oregon football team picked up two prized recruits from Deerfield Beach High School in Ge’mon Eaford and Brandon Dorlus.

Eaford, a 6-ft. 2 in., 227 lb. four-star All-American linebacker, said he and Dorlus will be roommates.

He called Bucks coach Jevon Glenn at 4 a.m. to talk about it.

“I’m happy Brandon (Dorlus) is going there too,” Eaford said. “We are going to be roommates. I can’t wait. I love it.”

Dorlus, a 6-ft. 2 in., 270 lb. three-star defensive lineman, is looking forward to playing with Eaford. Dorlus originally committed to Virginia Tech in the summer, but de-committed on Dec. 5, days after he took his official visit to UF. Dorlus visited Oregon on Dec. 14.

“This is really big,” said Dorlus, who held offers from nearly two dozen schools. “It is a lot of stress off my shoulders and now I will work out and get stronger getting ready for college.”

When Dorlus was a freshman at the school, he said he didn’t give college football a thought. That all changed this spring.

“I saw all of the colleges that wanted me, and it turned out good for me,” Dorlus said. “When I visited Oregon, I saw what they got and what they don’t got, and I believe I can start from day 1.”

The athletes helped the Bucks reach the regional finals where they fell to Palm Beach Central, 21-6 and finished the season at 12-2.

Also at Oregon, is former Bucks wideout and 2017 signee Daewood Davis. The 6 ft. 2 in., 178 lb. wide receiver redshirted his freshman season.

Others who signed were: Marcus Lafrance (6ft. 2 in.,180 lb. DB) committed to Middle Tennessee State; Donte Banton (6 ft. 1 in., 180 lb. WR) committed to Utah; Javon Denis ( 6 ft. 1 in., 260 lb. DE/DT) committed to Georgia State; Dashaun Davis (5 ft. 9 in., 160 lb. WR) committed to Appalachian State.

Local golf results

The Pompano Beach Women’s Golf Association held the Wedding Game (For Better or Worse) tournament on Jan. 15. First place honors went to Roseanna Nixon and Darlene Sesto with a 136. Second place went to Kathy Stewart and Marianne Weber with a 142. Vonnie Okeefe and Sue Bardhi placed third with a 144, while Georgie Wright, Janet Stuart, Lynn Goodman and Sandra Robb placed fourth with a 145. Fifth Place went to Dianne Levanti and Nancy Oshea with a 146.

The Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association held an Individual Class Play (Low Gross and Low Net in Classes) on Jan. 16, at the Palms.

In the Class A Division, Roe Messner shot an 80 to take first in the Low Gross competition, while Bill Hadersbeck was runner-up with an 83. In the Low Net race, George Disch carded a 69 to take first place. Bill O’Brien and Patrick McClain each shot 71, however, O’Brien won on a match of cards.

Tom Breur won the Low Gross competition in the Class B Division with an 85.

Mike Katawczik shot an 87 and won on a match of cards. Pete Strychowskyj shot a 66 and won Low Net honors for the division after a match of cards with Oscar Aleman. Max Walker shot 67 to finish third.

In the Class C Division, Don Worrell won Low Gross with a 92, while Gene Stoller was one shot back and won on a match of cards. Scott Feinman carded a 68 to win the Low Net honors, while Bart Valerio (69) and Bob Mascatello (70) took second and third, respectively.

Henry Lesburt captured the Low Gross honors in the Class D Division with a 101, while Tim O’Brien was runner-up with a 104. Dick Steffen shot 77 and won Low Net honors after a match of cards with Dave Dowling. Charles MacMichael was third with a 78 and won a match of cards.

The winner of the closest to the pin (Hole No. 3) was Don Worrell.

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25 NRSV

The college football championship is behind us. We are in the midst of NFL playoffs and in a few weeks the Super Bowl will be watched by millions. Even people who do not regularly watch football will be watching the Super Bowl.

Fanfare is a multi-billion dollar business. People spend a lot of time and money following their team. And, I must admit, I am a fan as well. There is something that does get under my skin. I know it is small and seemingly insignificant. When a fan uses the word “we” when she or he is talking about their favorite team.

Let me give you an example. I will use my favorite team as an example. I see a person wearing a Minnesota Vikings jersey on a Sunday afternoon. I ask: “Who are the Vikings playing?” She answered: “We are playing the Packers.”

Clearly, I knew what she meant and I am certain that she wouldn’t appreciate a reaction like this: “I didn’t know you played for the Vikings. I just thought you were a fan.”

I say this because there is a big difference between someone who puts on a jersey to watch a football game and someone who puts on a jersey to play the game. I can say that fanfare is painless and football is painful but fans would be inclined to say: “That interception was painful.” I can assure you, the one who threw the interception was in much more pain.

Sports can serve as a great metaphor. Jesus calls us to discipleship and discipleship is much more than fanfare. A fan stays in the comfortable stadium seats or an armchair in the living room in front of a big screen TV. The player is on the field enduring a lot of abuse. We are not called to the bleachers; we are called to the field. Discipleship is not a “spectator sport.”

Churches have a tendency of measuring their success based upon fanfare. How successful is your ministry? “I will take a head count and let you know.”

I challenged a congregation I once served: “Do you want to ride the bandwagon or build it?” Fans come and fans go. Loyalties wax and wane. Fans jump from bandwagon to bandwagon.

Discipleship is hard work. But when I consider the love that God has for his people and when I consider the price God was willing to pay for me, discipleship is the most appropriate response.

Enjoy the end of the season, the playoffs and the Super Bowl. Before you comment on the person on the field, consider his commitment and consider the pain he endures. We are called to something greater than fanfare and, here is the good news. When we endure the battle we will emerge as champions.

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.

By Gary Curreri

The Deerfield Beach football team burst on to the field following introductions in fog and smoke, unfortunately for the host Bucks, their season ended the same way, three hours later as Miami Columbus won the Class 8A state semifinal, 49-21 on Friday night.

Columbus running back Henry Parrish carried 25 times for 177 yards and three scores as the Explorers capitalized on three turnovers and costly penalties to pull out a lopsided win.

Parrish scored on a 2 yd. run and 4 yd. run early and added a game-sealing 61 yd. run with 2:08 remaining in the game that booked Columbus’ ticket to the state championship game on Dec. 8 at Camping World Stadium (Orlando) where they will play Jacksonville Mandarin, a 45-31 winner over Riverview Sarasota.

Host Deerfield Beach struggled to get out of its own way in the first half as they committed seven penalties, six were false start infractions whistled against the offense, and two turnovers as Miami Columbus turned that into a 28-7 lead and the Bucks were unable to recover.

“We did everything you cannot do when you are trying to win a ball game,” said Deerfield Beach coach Jevon Glenn, whose team was penalized 16 times for 93 yds. and had four costly dropped passes, including two sure touchdowns. The Bucks also had a TD whistled back on a penalty. “Miscue after miscue after miscue kind of wore our will down a little bit, but the kids didn’t give up on me.”

Columbus quarterback Brandon McDuffey threw two touchdowns, while Parrish ran for one score and Elias Morales returned a Derohn King interception 42 yds. for a touchdown to give the Explorers (14-0) the early advantage. King’s second pick-6, a 20 yd. return by Kalani Norris with 5:52 iced the game at 42-21. Norris also scored on a pass reception earlier in the game.

“I mean just the miscues, the lack of focus,” Glenn lamented, “I don’t want to take anything away from Columbus. They capitalized on our miscues and our letdowns. A lot of them weren’t given away, they were forced. They are a helluva football team and I am hoping they go up there, represent South Florida and bring that title back. Tonight, they were the best team on the field.”

Deerfield Beach (12-2) saw its six-game winning streak come to an end with the loss. The other setback was a 38-6 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas.

King completed just 14 of 34 for 193 yds. passing and three interceptions. He has thrown seven interceptions in his last three games. Junior running back Jaylan Knighton, who entered the game with 2,045 yds. rushing and 28 scores, was held to just 44 yds. rushing. It equaled his season low which came in the team’s other loss to St. Thomas Aquinas.

Columbus hit double digits for the 24th straight playoff game and scored on their first three possessions of the game. The Explorers have been an offensive juggernaut in the postseason as they have averaged 45.75 points in wins over Coral Gables, Palmetto, South Dade and Deerfield Beach to reach the state championship game in Orlando.

The Explorers are making their fourth state championship game appearance, and its first since 2014, as they look for their first title.

“I am proud of my team and my seniors that gave everything they have for four years,” Glenn said. “We want this to be where the kids get more out of it than the program does, for those kids to get a great education and go on to the next level. Their hard work is paying off and they will be able to set them up and probably their families for the next generation by getting a quality education at a university.”

With the loss, Deerfield fell to 1-7 in state semifinal games. The lone win came in 2005 when they reached the state final and lost to Palm Beach Gardens, 49-29 at Dolphin Stadium, now known as Hard Rock Stadium.

“What people have to understand is we have a young team and we have a lot of guys coming back,” Glenn continued. “We have to learn from this as we carry this into the offseason.”

“There is nothing for us to be embarrassed about,” Glenn said. “We fought hard. We didn’t get our ultimate goal, but truth be told, we lost to the better football team tonight. We are grinders. We are going to take a couple of weeks off and just like every year on Dec. 26, we’ll get back in the weight room and be going at it.”

By Gary Curreri

The Deerfield Beach High School football team is within two games of going where no previous team has gone – a state championship.

After his team dismantled visiting Miramar, Plantation, and Palm Beach Central in successive weeks, the Bucks (12-1) have undefeated Miami Columbus (13-0) coming to town on Friday night for the Class 8A state semifinal with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m.

Deerfield Beach football coach Jevon Glenn believes the home field advantage will pay off.

“We have a lot of respect for that program and what they have done over the years and this year,” said Glenn, whose team downed Palm Beach Central, 21-6, last Friday night. “It is time to go after it and we are ready. Two years ago, we got close when we got to this round and lost to Southridge.”

The Bucks reached the state final in 2005 when they lost to Palm Beach Gardens, 49-29, at Dolphin Stadium, now known as Hard Rock Stadium.

“Our motto all year has been, ‘let’s make history,’ Glenn said. “We are trying to do something that has never been done around here. I told our guys, and I put the onus on them to make a new culture around here.”

It also pays off to have junior running back Jaylan Knighton, who carried 23 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns. With the effort, he has padded his season totals to 2,045 yards and 28 total touchdowns this season.

The Oklahoma commit, who rushed for a school-record 347 yds. in a win over Taravella earlier this season, scored on runs of 1 and 8 yds. as the Bucks seized a 14-0 halftime lead.

After Palm Beach Central (11-2) cut the lead to 14-6 on a Charles Stewart 5 yd. TD run, the Bucks padded their lead to 21-6 on a 26 yd. pass from Derohn King to Dashaun Davis with 2:43 left in the third quarter. The Broncos had won 11 straight coming into the game, with their other loss coming to Atlantic, 14-0 in the first week of the season.

“We are going to be here for the long haul,” said Glenn, whose only loss this season came at the hands of St. Thomas Aquinas, 38-6 six games ago. “For some of these kids, this is their second time in four years playing in the state semifinal game.

“We told them after the game that we want to set the bar at the highest of the high and be state champion,” Glenn added. “We will let the kids that come after them follow. We are going to live in the moment. We’re peaking at the right time.

Obviously we’ve got a ways to go, but we’re playing really good football right now both sides of the ball.”

Glenn said he knows what to expect from the Explorers, who entered the game having outscored the opposition, 456-154. They were on a six-game winning streak last year before they were upset by Miami High in the regional finals.

Deerfield Beach, on the other hand, has outscored its opponents, 399-125, and are riding a six-game winning streak.

“I know that (Miami) Columbus is a very disciplined, well-coached team,” Glenn said. “They have a lot of great athletes and it is going to be a battle of two good football teams.”

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 Gary Curreri

Juniors Jaylan Knighton and Derohn King helped make quick work of host Coral Springs as nationally ranked Deerfield Beach rolled past the Colts, 55-6 at James Caldwell Stadium.

“They came out and excited very well and made the most of the short time they played,” said Deerfield Beach coach Jevon Glenn, whose team is ranked 37th nationally by MaxPreps. “They both only played the first half as we were up 49-6.”

The Bucks, which face Taravella this week, have outscored the opposition 174-46 this season and host No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas on Oct. 5. The teams have split their past four meetings with the Raiders winning 14-0 last year. Glenn was pleased with his team’s effort against the Colts.

“We did what we were supposed to do,” Glenn said. “I was pleased with our execution and was happy to get the backups and young guys a chance to play the entire second half.”

King was 11 for 17 passing for 153 yards and five TDs in one half of action. He has 12 TDs in his last four games. Knighton had 10 carries for 239 yards and two scores.

Szklany repeats as Sunshine State Conference Runner of the Week

Embry-Riddle cross country’s Ryan Szklany earned his second straight Sunshine State Conference Runners of the Week award.

Szklany set a personal-best for the Eagles at the Mountain Dew Invitational, hosted by the University of Florida.

Szklany, a freshman from Lighthouse Point, etched his name into the ERAU men’s cross-country record books with a time of 24:51.6, becoming the seventh-fastest runner in program history. Szklany’s time of 24:51.6 put him ninth overall and made him the top non-DI finisher. Szklany helped lead the Eagles to the non-D1 team title, making the Blue and Gold 2-for-2 in 2018.

Szklany finished third overall in his first-ever collegiate race, leading the Eagles to the team title when he clocked a 26:26.41.

Teammate Sarah Edens also earned her second straight Sunshine State Conference Runner of the Week award when she ran the third-fastest time in program history, a 17:30.69, bettering her previous career-best time by nearly a minute (18:22.61 at Sand Shark Invitational – Oct. 22, 2016).

HCA Family Fitness Day planned

Highlands Christian Academy is planning its annual Family Fun Fitness day for Saturday, Oct. 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

They will have vendors and assorted challenges. They will have a 20-minute fitness class starting at 10:15 a.m. followed by a 20-minute walk/run at 11:10 a.m. The event will close with challenge winners being announced at 11:30 a.m.

By Gary Curreri, Correspondent

Former Deerfield Beach High and University of Michigan quarterback Denard “Shoelace” Robinson was all smiles as his No. 16 jersey was retired at halftime at the annual McDougle Bowl.

By then, current Deerfield Beach quarterback Derohn King had tossed touchdown passes on the first three series of the game as the Bucks seized a 32-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 46-0 win over neighborhood rival Blanche Ely on Saturday night.

“I am blessed to get my jersey retired,” said the 27-year-old Robinson, a 2009 Deerfield Beach grad who played collegiately at the University of Michigan and played from 2013-16 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He became just the second Bucks player to have his jersey retired joining Stockar McDougle in the exclusive club. McDougle had his jersey retired in 2005.

“This is my community and I always come back and give back and they always show me love,” he added. “They ain’t going to wait until I am dead.they showed me love now and I appreciate it.”

King, a junior who transferred from Piper, threw scoring passes of 57 yards to Donte Banton, 23 yards to Deajaun McDougle and 68 yards to Bryce Gowdy. Vgor Fiuza connected on a 35-yard field goal and Jaylan Knighton added a 1-yard run for a 32-0 lead with 1:51 left in the half for the state’s top-ranked Class 8A team by Associated Press and the nation’s 24th ranked team by MaxPreps. King has tossed seven TD passes in the past two weeks.

Knighton added a 43-yard scoring run on the first series of the third quarter to up the lead to 38-0 and force a running clock. Miles Dickens recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown with 2:50 remaining for the final margin. Knighton also had a strong game with 16 carries for 148-yards.

Deerfield Beach (4-0) leads the series against Blanche Ely 22-16, winning the last seven times after Ely (1-3) was able to win three consecutive games from 2009-11. The Bucks, who won last year’s contest 55-8, have outscored the Tigers 240-41 during that span.

“In certain points in games like this, we need to play against ourselves,” Deerfield coach Jevon Glenn said. “This was a game of importance because it’s a neighborhood rivalry.”

Deerfield Beach wasted little time in taking a 7-0 lead as King found senior wide receiver Banton on a 57-yard scoring toss on the game’s third play with 10:50 left in the first quarter. It was the only score the Bucks needed.

Retired NFL players and brothers Stockar and Jerome McDougle have hosted the McDougle Bowl for seven years. Stockar McDougle (1996 Deerfield Beach grad) and Jerome McDougle (1997 Blanche Ely grad) are also heavily involved in the community.

They typically handed out $1,000 scholarships to the MVPs from each team for the game; however, this year, they decided to donate the money to Blanche Ely sophomore Wilbens Morissaint, who is making progress in rehab after suffering a severe neck and back injury in a high school football game in August.

The Bucks finished 8-3 last season and was an upset loser to Western in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs.

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach High School senior running back Jaylan Knighton said it came down to who wanted it more in the team’s game against the defending 3A state champion, Chaminade-Madonna.

“It was how bad do you want it?” said Knighton, a University of Oklahoma commit, who helped his team to a 13-10 victory. “They won a state championship last year and we are fittin’ to win it this year. We proved to them that we don’t care about none of that. We just are going to come out here and work.”

Knighton got things started for the Bucks with a 65-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. Deajaun McDougle hauled in a 30-yard scoring pass just before halftime to give Deerfield a 13-3 halftime lead and they held on for the win.

Deerfield Beach coach Jevon Glenn said his team welcomes tough opponents.

“This is a measuring stick,” Glenn said. “We had a chance to win a powder puff game, but we don’t do that. We want to be better. When it is all said and done, we want to have wars like this so we may be in the same kind of war (this) Friday night in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

“It is all about repetition,” Glenn added. “When you get on a bike, you don’t think right pedal first and then left pedal…You just ride it because you have done it so many times. We have been riding like this for the last four years. We have guys who have been here for four years and they know and the new guys are feeding off the old guys, those veterans. We still have a long way to go, but I like our direction.”

Ely Coach Randall gets Hall nod

Blanche Ely boys basketball coach Melvin Randall will be inducted into the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame this fall. The ceremony will take place Oct. 23 at the Greater Broward County Convention Center.

Randall, who has won 553 games in his 25-year career, has also captured a record eight state championships.

“The announcement threw me a little bit,” Randall said. “I am excited about it. I feel very, very blessed. Getting in the Hall of Fame means a lot to me.”

Randall has won multiple state championships at different schools, which puts him in a category by himself.

Randall led Deerfield Beach to its only boys basketball state titles in 1997 and 1999. He then turned Ely into a dynasty, winning four state titles in a five-year span from 2012-2016.

“I am not going to relax and expect anything to come to me,” Randall said. “I’m always looking to get better. I still have that energy to work hard and get those kids ready for not just basketball but the next chapter in their lives.”

By Gary Curreri

The Pompano Beach Eagles are looking to make a big splash in their first year in the American Youth Football League (AYFL).

Dean Grant, head coach of the 11-Under Pompano Eagles team, is in his first season with the program after moving cross town from the Tamarac Cougars AYFL program.

“This season is a special season because we have the right players, and the right coaches,” Grant said. “They are fired up and I think they can make it to the big game – the Super Bowl.”

“I understand the type of talent in the AYFL,” Grant said. “We plan to not just take part in it, but take over it.”

Players can be a year older than the age group they are playing in as long as their birthday comes after May 1 of the season.

Pompano Beach’s Gabby Almonord, 12, scored on a 63-yard scoring run against the host Delray Rocks in an 11-Under scrimmage game at Hilltopper Stadium in Delray Beach. The teams played to a 6-6 tie.

“It is a lot of fun,” said Almonord, a Deerfield Middle seventh-grader. “I like to play with Devin (Voltaire) and everybody else on the team. I like the coaches and I played with a lot of people before. The coaches help me a lot.”

Voltaire, 12, also of Pompano Beach, is a Margate Middle sixth grader.

“This is really big for me,” Voltaire said. “I like the coaches and the kids. They listen to me because I am a leader. We got to keep our heads up so other players can follow us. If we keep our heads up we can win a lot of games.”

Grant said he doesn’t believe there is any pressure on his team, quite the contrary.

“Pressure makes diamonds,” Grant said.

“We started off real, real slow,” Grant said. “We barely had enough kids to make our roster, but we had a good coaching staff that showed up every day to practice on time, waiting on kids. We got with the parents and we were able to put it together. The parents had to buy into what we were doing and they are buying in, so the sky is the limit. With a little tuning and touching up here and there between the coaches and the players, we will make the big game.”

Grant sees similarities with the National Football League’s version of the Eagles. Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl in February.

“It is the year of the Eagles,” Grant proclaimed. “I believe it with everything I love. I just hope that what we started off here will humble these kids to push themselves even harder at practice and we come out in the first game of the season and put a beating on Cooper City (Colts).”

The Pompano Eagles have a storied history in the city of Pompano Beach having produced All Pro NFL stars like Corey Simon (Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans), Jabari Price (Minnesota Vikings), Patrick Peterson (Arizona Cardinals) and also have helped groom many other successful players.

The Pompano Eagles produced the Super Bowl Champions Junior Mighty Mites and Senior Mighty Mites Teams in 2017 in the Pop Warner League and plan on sending more teams to the AYFL Super Bowl in 2018.

Other teams in the Broward County-based league include the Colts (Cooper City/Davie), Coral Springs, Deerfield Beach, Hollywood PAL, Lauderhill, Miramar, Plantation, Pompano, Pembroke Pines Optimist, Sunrise, Tamarac, and West Pines.

The Eagles begin play on Aug. 11 when they travel to Cooper City and will play a 10-game season followed by playoffs. The Top-8 teams in each division will advance to the playoffs, which will begin on Oct. 27. The second round will be played on Nov. 3 and the Super Bowl will be played on Nov. 10.