The Palm Beach Central High School football team’s season came to a sudden and unexpected end in the waning moments of its Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 7A regional semifinal game at home against the Vero Beach High School Indians on Friday, Nov. 22.
At the 2:00 mark of the fourth quarter, the Indians were leading the Broncos, 14-13. During the course of the game’s final 120 seconds, both teams scored dramatic touchdowns, and the visiting Indians prevailed, 21-20.
With just more than a minute left to play in the game, Bronco wide receiver Nedrick Boldin was able to evade Vero Beach’s secondary. Palm Beach Central quarterback Chance Routson saw his open teammate and threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to him, which gave the Broncos a 19-14 lead.
After that touchdown, Palm Beach Central head coach Kevin Thompson had to make a big decision. He could send out placekicker Ethan Dagostino to get one more point with a point-after-touchdown conversion kick, which would give his team a six-point cushion, or he could send out the offense to pursue a two-point conversion, which, if successful, would provide the Broncos with a seven-point lead. Thompson decided to go with Dagostino. The senior placekicker successfully split the uprights, which gave the Broncos a 20-14 lead, with roughly a minute left to play in the game.
Thompson, his coaching staff and the entire team were confident that the Broncos would stop the Indians from reaching the end zone in the final 60 seconds of play. As it turns out, the Vero Beach offense was not called upon to win the game because the Vero Beach kickoff return team produced an immediate touchdown.
Vero Beach’s Latravious Woods caught Dagostino’s kick at the four-yard line and, with the assistance of some key blocks, he was able to take the ball straight down the middle of the field for a 96-yard touchdown return. That knotted the score at 20-20. To take the lead once more, Vero Beach senior placekicker Sam Kines trotted onto the field for his third and most important PAT of the game, which would give his team another one-point lead. Kines’ kick was good, and Palm Beach Central didn’t have enough time and timeouts to launch another come-from-behind drive. At the end of the game, Vero Beach won, 21-20.
The Indians’ record improved to 8-3, while the Broncos dropped to 10-2. That loss snapped the Broncos’ nine-game winning streak.
Palm Beach Central earned its way to the game against Vero Beach by defeating Fort Pierce Central, 38-0, on Friday, Nov. 15 in its FHSAA Class 7A regional quarterfinal.
The King’s Academy — On Friday, Nov. 15, the varsity football team from TKA outscored the Calvary Christian Academy Eagles in a FHSAA Class 2A quarterfinal, 28-26. That win propelled the Lions into a Class 2A regional semifinal game in Sarasota against the top-seeded Cardinal Mooney High School Cougars on Friday, Nov. 22.
As a No. 5 seed, TKA was the underdog against the Cougars, but the Lions didn’t play like underdogs. At one point in the second half, TKA trailed by just seven, 35-28. But that’s as many points as the Lions’ offense would muster. The Cougars responded with a second-half surge to win 56-28.
TKA had standout performances from senior quarterback Joe Dailey, who passed for 417 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 114 yards and a touchdown. Fellow senior teammate Javian Jones caught nine of Dailey’s passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns.
TKA head coach Dan Burack was proud of his team’s play in the game against Cardinal Mooney and throughout the season.
“We knew we could score against Cardinal Mooney, but they definitely had a size advantage over us. My heart really hurts for the seniors,” Burack said. “Back in the summer, we knew we had talent on both sides of the ball. The commitment we had as a team was special. I’m proud of the maturity that our team showed in the classroom, spiritually and on the football field.”
TKA concluded its season with an 8-4 record.
Burack and his staff have begun laying the foundation for the 2025 football season.
“We’ve already started looking at tape to see what we did well and where we can improve,” he said.
Royal Palm Beach High School — The RPBHS Wildcats may have lost their FHSAA Class 7A regional quarterfinal on Friday, Nov. 15 against the Wiregrass Ranch High School Bulls from Wesley Chapel by a score of 42-7, but head coach Chuck Kenyon has his program headed in the right direction.
“It was our program’s first playoff game since 2014,” Kenyon said.
Getting to the playoffs was a big achievement for the Wildcats this year.
“Early in the game, we had three turnovers and a blocked punt. It’s tough to win if you have that many turnovers,” Kenyon said. “That was a pretty good team that we played.”
It’s fair to expect more of the young Wildcats next season.
“Earning a bid to play against Wiregrass Ranch was absolutely fabulous for our program,” Kenyon said. “It truly was a great experience. Both the players and coaches learned a lot from this trip. We learned how to travel.”
Royal Palm Beach High School finished with a record of 7-4.
Kenyon and his staff will initiate off-season workouts and conditioning in early January, as the team makes plans for next season.
