The King’s Academy has won six straight games, after opening the season back in August with a one-point loss on the road at St. Andrew’s School.
For the Lions, one of the big keys to their success has been the play of their defense. After giving up 55 points during the loss to St. Andrew’s, the Lions have only given up an average of 10.6 points per game since. The last two victories for TKA have been decisive: 74-6 versus Pope John Paul II Academy on Oct. 6 and a 49-7 drubbing of Suncoast High School on Oct. 12.
The Lions will be looking for more wins when they travel to Miami to play True North Classical Academy on Friday, Oct. 20 and host Inlet Grove High School on Friday, Oct. 27.
TKA’s first-year head coach Dan Burak is pleased to see how his team has exemplified team unity throughout the season.
“Each week, we are working to get better,” said Burak, who served as the team’s defensive coordinator last season. “We put God first in everything we do. We simply want our team to play fundamentally sound football, be tough, and play for the man next to you.”
One of the biggest contributors to TKA’s success has been the play of the offensive line. “Our offensive line has been amazing this season,” Burak said. “They are a bunch of old school grinders.”
TKA’s biggest game of the year will be the regular season finale, when the Lions travel to Palm Beach Gardens on Friday, Nov. 3 to play the highly touted Benjamin School Buccaneers.
With a strong finish to the regular season, TKA has a very good chance of earning a berth in the FHSAA’s Class 2M state playoffs.
Seminole Ridge Needs a Strong Finish — The Seminole Ridge High School Hawks (5-2) have stumbled in recent weeks after winning their first four games of the season.
After losing their homecoming game against John Carroll Catholic High School on Sept. 29 by the score of 21-18, the Hawks responded by blanking Boynton Beach High School 26-0 on Oct. 6. But on Oct. 13, Atlantic High School visited and handed the Hawks a 43-13 loss.
The two bright spots for Seminole Ridge in that loss to Atlantic were the two touchdowns by Seminole Ridge’s Ty Jackson. One was a strip fumble, which he returned for a first-quarter touchdown. The other highlight was a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
“Ty is an unbelievable football player,” Seminole Ridge head coach Chad Chieffalo said. “He is a phenomenal athlete who plays with such humility.”
Seminole Ridge concludes its regular season with a home game on Friday, Oct. 20 against Park Vista High School, an away game on Friday, Oct. 27 against William T. Dwyer High School, and its regular season finale on the road against Wellington High School on Friday, Nov. 3.
Looking forward, Chieffalo feels his team must win its three remaining games in order to make the playoffs. He wants his players to focus on the opportunities in their immediate future and not dwell on recent losses.
“Life is 10 percent of what happens and 90 percent of how you respond and react,” he said. “We must execute better offensively so we can sustain drives and eliminate mistakes on offense.”
Wellington Gets Some Wins — For Wellington High School head coach Ross Pryor, this season has not been easy, but his players and coaches have continued to work hard since practice started in early August.
After seven games, Wellington has a 2-5 record. After opening the season with three straight losses, the Wolverines have rebounded by winning two out of their last four games. The two wins were a 16-15 victory Sept. 14 at Royal Palm Beach High School and a 28-6 victory over John I. Leonard High School on Oct. 12.
Pryor is proud of his team’s never-say-die attitude.
“I think we’re getting used to the game and finally playing together as a team,” he said. “We are playing more sound each week.”
Pryor added that his team is committing fewer penalties now than at the beginning of the season.
Pryor has also assumed the responsibility of calling all the offensive plays.
“We changed our offense a little to highlight our strengths, too,” he added.
Of the three remaining games on its schedule, the big game for the Wolverines will be their annual crosstown battle against Palm Beach Central High School for the coveted Wellington Cup. That game will take place at WHS on Friday, Oct. 27.
Wellington’s two other regular season games will be at Palm Beach Lakes High School on Friday, Oct. 20 and at home against Seminole Ridge on Friday, Nov. 3.
Royal Palm Beach Perseveres — The Wildcats from Royal Palm Beach High School have won just one game this season, but could easily have had a record of 3-5, rather than 1-7. The two close games for the Wildcats were a 16-15 defeat to Wellington High School on Sept. 14 and a 6-3 loss to Lake Worth High School on Oct. 6.
The Wildcats will work on ending their season on a positive note by winning their final two games at Palm Beach Lakes High School on Friday, Oct. 27 and at home against John I. Leonard High School on Friday, Nov. 3.
According to RPBHS head coach Chuck Kenyon, his team will focus on executing the fundamentals as the young Wildcats attempt to win the last two games of the regular season, which will serve as a head start for next year.
“We are continuing to build a solid foundation,” Kenyon said. “We are trending in the right direction. Right now, we are miles ahead of where we were at this time last year.”
Berean Christian Struggles — The Bulldogs from Berean Christian School (0-7) have had issues with their defense stopping the opposition, while their offense has had difficulty getting the football into the end zone. Berean’s defense has allowed an average of nearly 43 points a game, while the offense has only scored 13 points total after seven games. Berean is hoping to conclude its season on a winning note by traveling to Gainesville to play St. Francis Catholic Academy (1-6) on Friday, Oct. 20.
