On Friday, Oct. 6, the Seminole Ridge High School football team hosted Palm Beach Lakes High School in a non-conference match-up, and the Hawks rallied at the tail end of the game to notch the homecoming night win 17-13 before a capacity crowd.
The Rams scored first, early in the first quarter, and held the lead nearly the entire first half, while a struggling Hawk offense sputtered to maintain consistency. Midway through the second quarter, the Hawks sustained a drive into Palm Beach Lakes territory, but a tough Rams defense slowed the assault with aggressive play. Seminole Ridge kicker Daniel Freire was forced onto the field and booted a 46-yard field goal to close the margin to 7-3.
Turnovers were frequent for the Rams, and Seminole Ridge seized the opportunities. The Hawk defense recovered a Palm Beach Lakes fumble on the Rams’ 25-yard line, giving the offense another shot to steal the lead before the half. On the first play from scrimmage, Hawk running back Corey Polk scampered 25 yards for the touchdown. Freire’s point-after kick lifted Seminole Ridge into the lead 10-7 with a minute left to play in the first half. The Rams were unable to make anything happen on offense and let time expire to regroup.
The start of the second half seemed like déjà -vu for the Hawks. Both teams battled with adversity on offense, unable for a time to muster any points. Late in the third quarter, the Rams scored a go-ahead touchdown to recapture the lead 13-10. The Hawks’ offense continued to struggle, while relying on the defense to keep them in contention. Palm Beach Lakes drove to its own 40-yard line but coughed up the ball again, giving the Hawks the break they needed, only to fall short again.
Palm Beach Lakes played solid defense on the night, making it difficult for the Hawks to manage a sustained attack. With 30 seconds left to play and the Hawks trailing, quarterback Kaimyn Castilla dropped back and launched a 55-yard rocket that was tipped by two Ram defenders, sending the ball back into the air toward the end zone. Behind them was receiver Ty’korian Brown, who ran under the tipped pass and reeled it in for the winning touchdown. Freire’s point-after kick lifted the Hawks back into the lead 17-13. The Rams could not collect enough offense to come back and snuff out the late Hawk rally.
Seminole Ridge secured its sixth win on the season to remain unbeaten at 6-0 and 2-0 in District 9-8A. The Hawks will continue district play, hosting Palm Beach Central High School on Friday, Oct. 13.
