After four weeks of this year’s high school football season, the undefeated Hawks from Seminole Ridge High School (4-0) remain the cream of the crop in the western communities.
On Sept. 9, the Hawks defeated Forest Hill High School 9-7, and then blanked Palm Beach Lakes High School, 30-0, on Sept. 16.
Two of the key plays in Seminole Ridge’s win against Palm Beach Lakes were Ruben Tirado’s 51-yard touchdown pass to Gavin Kolesar, and a pick-six by Kevin Coggins. The Hawks will put their undefeated record on the line Friday, Sept. 23, when they travel to Riviera Beach to play Inlet Grove High School.
Palm Beach Central High School (3-1) opened its season with three straight wins, followed by a loss on Sept. 16.
In their most recent two games, the Broncos defeated Park Vista High School, 42-7, on Sept. 9. On Sept. 16, Palm Beach Central was outscored by Pahokee High School, 35-14.
According to Palm Beach Central head coach Kevin Thompson, that loss was a wake-up call for his players.
“What we learned is we cannot just roll out there and expect to win,” Thompson said. “They [Pahokee] wanted to beat us more than we didn’t want to lose.”
The Broncos, which have a bye on Sept. 23, will be looking for their fourth victory of the year on Friday, Sept. 30, when they host John I. Leonard High School in their first district game of the season.
For those practices leading up to the game against Leonard, Thompson and his staff will focus on fundamental football.
“Our focus will start by looking back at what we have done and fine-tune some things,” he said. “We will really get back to our foundation.”
Over at Wellington High School, the Wolverines (2-2) appear ready to put together a string of victories to close out the regular season.
On Sept. 9, the Wolverines lost a heartbreaker at home to Jensen Beach High School, 17-14. But they rebounded the following week. On Sept. 16, the Wolverines made the short trek to Royal Palm Beach High School to play the Wildcats, coming home with a 39-12 victory.
The Wolverines, who have a bye on Sept. 23, will be looking for their third victory of the year on Friday, Sept. 30, when they host Forest Hill High School in their all-important first district game of the season.
Royal Palm Beach High School remains winless after four games, though the impact of new coach Chuck Kenyon’s leadership on the football program has the Wildcats headed in the right direction.
The Wildcat football program is being rebuilt by Kenyon. Despite starting the season with four straight losses, Kenyon knows that it will take time to re-establish Royal Palm Beach as a team to be reckoned with in Palm Beach County, as they were not so long ago.
“You get to the mountaintop one step at a time,” Kenyon said. “We are trending in the right direction.”
After winning only one game last season, the Wildcats will be seeking their first victory this fall when they host undefeated Santaluces High School (4-0) on Friday, Sept. 23.
The King’s Academy Lions picked up their second and third victories of the season in mid-September. On Sept. 9, TKA beat Somerset Academy-Canyons, 16-8, and on Sept. 17, the Lions defeated Glades Day School, 29-6, in a game that started on Friday, Sept. 16, but was delayed by weather and was concluded the following day.
Coach Ben McEnroe and his team will be seeking their fourth win on Friday, Sept. 23 when they travel south to play North Broward Prep in Coconut Creek.
McEnroe said his team has adjusted well to his coaching style and philosophy.
“I don’t think adjusting to me is an issue,” McEnroe said. “I am demanding and pretty intense, and I love to compete, and these kids know that I love them and that I will always have their backs.”
As for the Bulldogs from Berean Christian School, they remain winless after their first four contests.
Berean (0-4) traveled to St. Edward’s School in Vero Beach on Sept. 10. While Berean managed to score its first 16 points of the season, the Bulldogs gave up more and fell 42-16. On Sept. 16, Berean played Boca Raton Christian School, falling by a score of 35-8. On Sept. 23, the Bulldogs will seek their first victory of the season when they return home to play Bell Creek Academy from Riverview.
Berean’s head coach Mario Jackson said his team is young and working hard to get better.
“The 2022 season has not gone as planned,” Jackson said. “Our youthfulness in age and experience has definitely caused us as a team, coaches included, to dig deep. Everyone loves to be on the right side of the scoreboard, but we have to remind ourselves to get better every day. We have 26 players on our roster, and 19 of them are eighth graders, freshmen and sophomores.”
After four games, Berean’s top players are quarterback Dominic Mastrogiacomo (242 yards passing, 58 percent completion rate, one touchdown pass and one rushing touchdown); running back Jermonty Kimbrough Jr. (48 carries for 290 rushing yards and 11 receptions for 93 yards); and linebacker Roshiloh Richards (14 tackles).
