BY GENE NARDI
On Friday, Nov. 4, the Wellington High School varsity football squad hosted Boca Raton High School for the Wolverines’ homecoming game and dominated the Bobcats 26-9.
The win marks a three-game win streak and caps a regular-season record of 6-3 (3-1 in the district).
After a bye week, the Wolverines came in hungry to make a statement and finish strong before entering postseason play. Before the Boca match-up, Wellington defeated rival Palm Beach Gardens High School at home to take the District 9-8A title for the second time in three years.
The championship win also marks the third-straight year that the Wolverines enter the playoffs under head coach Tom Abel. “The culture of the school is predicated on how your football team plays,” Abel said. “We want to make a deeper run into the playoffs.”
Both teams began feeling the other out, but Wellington would reach pay dirt first. Running back Marvin Pierre scored the first of two rushing touchdowns from 1 yard out to cap a 12-play, 58-yard drive with five minutes left in the first quarter. Kicker Logan Robinson’s point-after kick gave the Wolverines a 7-0 lead.
Wellington’s defense took charge the rest of the way, forcing five Boca turnovers. The first was on Boca’s ensuing possession. Lineman Adrian Tubircio forced a Boca fumble and recovered it on the Bobcat 26-yard line. The recovery eventually set up a Wolverine 36-yard field goal attempt from Robinson, but the kick traveled wide left.
Linebacker Patrick Mark intercepted a Boca pass on the Wellington 46-yard line and returned it to the Bobcat 11-yard line. It was the second turnover forced by the Wellington defense that set up Pierre’s next touchdown, this time from 11 yards out to lift the Wolverines to 14-0 with less than two minutes left in the first quarter. Boca managed to put up field goal to close the margin to 14-3.
The Bobcats got another shot to chip away at the Wellington lead, but after crossing midfield into Wolverine territory, Wellington cornerback Dion Cooper picked off a pass at the goal line to put an end to the Bobcat rally.
In the second half, the Bobcats continued to close in on the Wellington lead 14-9 going into the fourth quarter. The Wolverine offense seemed to slow a bit through the third quarter. It was the Wellington defense that would rehash more damage to the Boca offense.
Safety Sage Chen-Young recovered a Bobcat fumble, returning it 34 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was blocked, but Wellington extended its lead to 20-9 midway through the fourth quarter.
Mark would get his second interception of the contest to put control in the hands of the offense, and they delivered. Running back Mark Anthony Richards powered his way into the end zone to drop another six points on the Bobcats. The score extended the Wolverine lead to 26-9, which would stand at the final whistle.
“The defense has been trying to figure out who they are, and our defensive staff did a great job to prepare,” Abel said. “The last few weeks have given our defense confidence, and it carried over.”
Wellington will have home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, a regional quarterfinal game against Atlantic High School, the District 10-8A runner-up. It will be a rematch of the season opener, which Atlantic won 42-21. Game time is Friday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.
ABOVE: Linebacker Patrick Mark intercepts a Boca Raton pass and returns it 37 yards for the Wolverines.
