The Royal Palm Beach High School varsity football team bested host Palm Beach Gardens 41-21 during a spring match-up Friday, May 25.
Royal Palm Beach showed off its talent for next season, taking an early lead and not relenting. Palm Beach Gardens struggled to keep up and ultimately let the Wildcats slip away.
The Wildcats scored first with a touchdown early in the first quarter to take the lead 6-0. But Palm Beach Gardens responded with a touchdown and extra-point kick to take the lead 7-6. Not willing to give up the lead, Royal Palm Beach put in another touchdown, and Austin Lombardi kicked a successful extra point to finish the first quarter 13-7.
Royal Palm Beach extended its lead in the second quarter, putting in another touchdown. Another extra-point kick made the score 20-7. Palm Beach Gardens put in another touchdown at the end of the quarter to make the score 20-14 going into halftime.
The third quarter opened with a touchdown by Royal Palm Beach. De’Marcus Holloway ran the ball 30 yards, then quarterback Ant McGrew threw a pass to JoJo Williams, who was waiting in the end zone. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the touchdown was called back for a personal foul.
The Wildcats were pushed back again by a delay-of-game penalty, putting them at the 43 yard line. But Royal Palm Beach came back on the next play with a touchdown by Williams. An extra-point kick by Lombardi made the score 27-14 with 8:25 left in the third quarter.
The Gators edged up the field several times, teetering on the goal line, but penalties pushed them back. Eventually, they put in a touchdown and extra-point kick to make the score 27-21.
Things picked up in the fourth quarter, when Royal Palm Beach put in its junior varsity members. The Wildcats held back Gardens while managing to score an additional two touchdowns to make the score 41-21.
