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

Pompano Beach High School kicked off the season with a 7-6 victory over McArthur in the Girls Flag Football Jamboree at Baptist Health Training Facility in the Miami Dolphins training facility at Nova Southeastern University.

Senior wide receiver and cornerback Kayla Bryant returned a punt 55 yards for the game-winning score in the jamboree.

“Kayla is a two-way star,” said Tornadoes coach Johnathan Firth. “She ran back the game-winning punt in the Dolphins Jamboree and had three catches for over 100 yards and a touchdown in another game and had an interception.

“Outside of football,” Firth continued, “she is even more special as one of the top ranking students in the JROTC program and committed to joining the military right after graduation.”

Coming off consecutive 1-8 campaigns the past two seasons, Firth said there is room for optimism.

“I think the one thing that describes this team is tenacity,” he said. “Flag football is new to many of these girls entering high school and mistakes are going to happen as they learn, but the one thing we preach and that can’t be taught is to give 110 percent and be aggressive on every play.

He said there are two underclassmen – sophomore Ayanna Williams and freshman Brianna Caffro – that have stood out for them and should help the team this season.

“Ayanna is playing flag football for the first time at the high school level,” Firth said. “She has already established herself as solid lockdown defender in coverage and a solid receiving target for our QB.

“Brianna is our starting varsity QB after playing in city leagues around Pompano and playing middle school flag at Crystal Lake,” Firth said. “Once she catches up to the speed at this level we could become very dangerous.”

Other returning varsity players include Melanie Chacon, Stephanie Chiquiza, Ty’anna Stevenson, Taylor Curry, Jada Howden, Paris Colbert, and Renee Innocent.

“While we are still a very young team, we have a lot of experience within that youth and have improved each year,” Firth said. “You always want to measure yourself against the best and see just how much your players have grown.

Miami Dolphins Youth Programs, in partnership with the Broward County Athletic Association (BCAA) and the Greater Miami Athletic Conference (GMAC), recently hosted the event, which featured 25 high school girls flag football teams from the South Florida area. The jamboree followed an earlier clinic on that educated the high school ladies on football skills. The event also received cooperation from nearby Broward College.

“This event continues to grow throughout the years,” said Miami Dolphins Senior Director of Youth Programs Twan Russell, “and we’re proud to teach these young ladies the proper skills they need both on and off the field to advance the game and their journeys.”

The goal of the event is to promote high school football. The Miami Dolphins Youth Programs’ mission is to emphasize the importance of education, physical fitness and positive choices for kids in a safe and fun environment. The Miami Dolphins Youth Programs’ vision is to prepare the next generation of leaders in staying physically active through our Junior Training Camps (JTC), Youth Football Clinics and Youth Football Camps in the South Florida Community.

Deerfield Beach also played in the event; however the Bucks came up short falling to Miami Southridge, 9-0.

By Gary Curreri

Always looking for a challenge, Coral Springs’ Calvin Davis believes he has found one as he was recently named the new football coach at Blanche Ely.

“This is a great opportunity to lead a very good storied program,” said the 38-year-old Davis. “They have a rich tradition, so they always have great athletes.”

Davis, who most recently worked as offensive coordinator at Deerfield Beach, led nearby Monarch High to a 26-8 record with two playoff appearances and a district title during his three years with the Knights.

“We are going to try to implement some of the same things we did at Monarch,” Davis said. “We will run a fast tempo offense. We will have a flying around, aggressive defense. We just want to score a lot of points and we want to do it fast.”

“We will probably run a no-huddle, spread offense,” Davis continued. “We are going to try and score as fast as we can.”

Davis was at his alma mater Deerfield Beach the past two years as offensive coordinator where he helped lead the Bucks to district titles under coach Jevon Glenn. Deerfield Beach reached its first state semifinal since 2007 last season.

Davis succeeds Carl Wilburn, who was in the job less than a year after the Tigers went 3-6 and missed the playoffs for the third time since 1999. Nakia Jenkins coached Blanche Ely’s football team for two years before stepping down after the 2015 season, when the Tigers went 2-9 but still made the playoffs.

“The school and I had a meeting a couple of weeks ago,” Davis said. “It was a mutual interest and I think both parties understood what they were looking for. Ely wanted to get back to prominence, and I was just looking for a better situation.”

“They have always had great players, so you know what you are getting into,” Davis added. “It is all about changing the culture there and getting the athletes to stay there and not leave.”

He is looking forward to working with the community and knows the task will be difficult because of the high expectations that come with the territory.

“We are going to embrace the community and winning helps a lot,” Davis said. “We are going to invite the community in to see how we are doing things so they are comfortable.”

Davis becomes the Tigers’ ninth coach in 14 seasons since Steve Davis (no relation) left the program in 2003 – one year after guiding Blanche Ely to its first and only state title in 2002. Calvin Davis said he is always open to college coaching opportunities. However, he said the Ely job was one he couldn’t pass up. Davis is a history teacher and is well aware of the history at the school.

“I think if I go in and do the things the right way, the kids will come back,” Davis said. “We want them to come back home and play for their community.”

His first head-coaching experience came at the now-defunct Zion Lutheran School in Deerfield Beach where he went 8-2 and 7-3. He also served as offensive coordinator at Coconut Creek, Ft. Lauderdale and Deerfield Beach High School.

Davis said he is a better coach than when he started at Zion Lutheran.

“You can’t beat experience, and that taught me a lot,” Davis said. “It taught me a lot about coaching. It taught me about interacting with administration and parents. I think I learned a lot from the first opportunity and used that the second time.”

Davis, who begins practice on April 24, returns eight players on defense and two to three on offense. They will play in a three-team district that also includes St. Thomas Aquinas and Ft. Lauderdale.

“We respect every opponent and we fear no one,” Davis said. “We like our chances. I guarantee we make the playoffs this year and, if everyone buys into what we are trying to do, we can go pretty far.”

Pro-Beach Soccer Returns

The 2nd annual Beach Soccer Tournament is returning to Pompano Beach on April 1-2.

The South Florida Youth Soccer Association continues to offer the event to promote the sport of beach soccer to its members and all those wanting to participate. Registration is available at http://proambeachsoccer.bonzidev.com/home.php.

For more information, email info@proambeachsoccer.net or call 415-308-0603.

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

When Pompano Cowboys Mitey Mites coach Ronnie McDougle began their inaugural season in the Gold Coast Pop Warner Conference, he had a vision. McDougle said the season started off with many new players, and the coaches put together a staff that helped players that needed guidance and new goal setting.

“The goal was to teach the kids to play for more than just themselves,” said McDougle, a Recreation Supervisor with the city of Pompano Beach. “We played for Collier City, our neighborhood. When the Super Bowl game arrived, the kids already had a full season of lesson, and domination was the only thing they had on their mind.”

“‘We’ve come too far to let up now,’ was the chant the entire week of practice,” said McDougle, whose team rolled to a 42-14 win over the Pompano Eagles in the Pop Warner Super Bowl game.

Ja’cari Barnes and Antonio Nuwry combined for five scores, while Terrell Loray added the final TD. “So for the biggest game of the year, the kids put on the biggest show for the fans.”

McDougle led his team to a perfect 11-0 season, which also included a win in the Miami Dolphins Championship Series (DCS). The Pompano Cowboys Mitey Mites 9U team recorded a 6-0 championship win in overtime over the Northwest Boys & Girls Club Falcons at the Miramar Asin Center. Barnes scored on a fourth down, 10-yard run for the win.

Gary Hadley scored as the Pompano Eagles 8U team also topped the Northwest Boys & Girls Club Falcons, 6-0.

The Miami Dolphins Youth Programs featured the league champions of six South Florida youth football organizations as part of the Dolphins Championship Series (DCS). Kids ages 5-15 years old from the American Youth Football League, Gold Coast Pop Warner, Greater Miami Pop Warner, Miami Xtreme, National Youth Football League and Youth Academic Sports League participated in the competition.

“The Dolphins Champion game was just one for the old bragging rights book,” McDougle said. “Anytime a Broward team plays against a Dade team is always guaranteed to be a good one.

“Northwest Boys Club is a very well-respected program,” he continued. “Both teams were missing players and played in the worst weather condition of that day. Our coaches watched and made great adjustments as the game went on and our kids, like they did all year, responded well to the match-up that we put them in to get the win in overtime.”

“It’s an honor for the Miami Dolphins to celebrate youth football in South Florida by hosting the Dolphins Championship Series,” said Miami Dolphins Senior Director of Youth Programs Twan Russell. “The DCS games provide another opportunity for student-athletes to compete and showcase their skills after another remarkable season of play.”

Two Pompano Chiefs’ squads also went far in the Pop Warner postseason playoffs as the JV team lost in the regionals to the Riviera Beach Chargers, 26-20, in double overtime, and the Varsity made it all the way to Nationals where they fell, 33-8, to the Harvey Colts (Chicago, IL.)

Jerold Smith, president of Football Operations for the City of Pompano, said he was proud of what his teams were able to accomplish this season. The Pompano squads broke away from the Miami Chapter of Pop Warner and joined with other teams from Broward County to form their own Pop Warner Chapter called Gold Coast Pop Warner.

The Pompano Eagles had two teams – 75-lb. and 85-lb. teams – that won the Superbowl in their division; Pompano Cowboys (100-lb. championship); Pompano Chiefs (155-lb. and 180-lb.) Superbowl championships.

“We had five teams from Pompano Beach win the Gold Coast Pop Warner Superbowl this year,” Smith said. “That was a great feat to do in our first year in Gold Coast as a founding member.

“The season went off without any problems and in our first year we had a team make it to the National Championship in Disney World, Wide World of Sports,” Smith added. “Our kids got to play two games on ESPN on National TV. It was a great experience for our kids and coaches as well.”

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 numbers were so sparse that Highlands Christian Academy had one player attending off-season workouts and the school had to cancel its spring football game.

This Friday, the Knights (4-3) will travel to Palmer Trinity (5-0-1) to play for the Florida Independent Football Conference (FIFC) championship at 3:30 p.m.

Highlands Christian, which knocked off Palm Glades Prep Academy, 26-14, in the semifinal game, avenged a 25-22 loss earlier in the season to Palm Glades.

“There is always the outside thought that it was possible if everything went well, but, realistically, no,” said Highlands coach Josh Harris, 36, of Boca Raton.

Harris, who is in his first year as head coach after assistant coaching stints at Miami Northwestern, Doral Academy and Somerset Academy started to believe that his team could make a run at a championship when the team played Palmer Trinity in the regular season. The Knights led the host Falcons, 14-13, with five minutes remaining in the game and was halted because of darkness.

“I saw that we could compete with the best teams in the conference,” Harris said. The game was never finished because it wouldn’t have affected the standings. The FIFC consists of five teams: Highlands Christian, Palmer Trinity, Palm Glades Prep Academy, Scheck Hillel, and Pinecrest Prep (Miami).

“One of the things I had to work with on them was having pride in themselves and pride in the program,” Harris said. “They have something to play for and a chance to leave a legacy where they can come back 40 years from now to the school and see a banner up there for football. Right now, there is nothing up there related to football, but a lot of other sports are there. That’s what they have come out and done. Winning Friday would be huge!”

The Knights, with just 23 players on the roster and seven players going both ways on offense and defense, have been led by 8th grader Christian Opalsky (RB/DB), seniors Carl Schuberth (QB), Noah Camanini (OL/LB), Josiah Ritzer (OL/DL) and sophomore Titus Baggs (TE/DE). Opalsky has rushed for more than 1,000 yards this season in just seven games.

Highlands Christian Academy hasn’t had a winning season since 2011 when the team finished 6-4.

Bucks win district title

While Deerfield Beach head football coach Jevon Glenn was disappointed with his team’s play in a 35-0 victory over host Piper on Friday night, the effort was still good enough to clinch the District 11-8A championship for a second straight year.

“I am disappointed as you can be with a 35 point win,” said Bucks coach Jevon Glenn, whose Bucks improved to 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the district. The team’s lone loss this season came against Grayson (Logansville, GA) on the road, 39-14.

“We came out in the first half and got on them,” Glenn said. “With (Nick) Holm going down, that kind of hurt and we could have brought him back but we felt we could do this to this team.”

Nick Holm threw for two touchdowns before leaving with 10:04 remaining in the first half with an injury to his throwing shoulder as the Bucks knocked Piper from the ranks of the unbeaten for the second straight season. Last year Piper entered the game undefeated at 9-0, only to lose 38-0 on the road to the Bucks.

Holm threw TD passes to Daewood Davis for 7 yards and a 29-yarder to Alton Allen to stake the Bucks to a 14-0 lead. Ashtan Pierre returned an interception 41 yards with 5:46 remaining in the first half to extend the lead to 21-0.

Deerfield put the game away late in the fourth quarter when Taletrious Bradley scored on a 67-yard TD run in the fourth quarter and Alec Brown hit Jerry Jeudy for a 28-yard TD to seal the game. Piper fell to 8-1 overall and 4-1 in the district.

Deerfield Beach plays host to Cardinal Gibbons Friday at 7 p.m. in a non-district game.