The Berean Christian School Bulldogs dominated Boca Raton Christian School on Friday, Oct. 2, coming away with a 41-10 victory and winning the Sunshine State Athletic Conference/Gulf Atlantic Division for the second year in a row.
The Bulldogs are known for an aerial attack, and the team wasted no time in the game against Boca Christian. With just 15 clicks off the clock, senior quarterback Christopher Mauck hit Daniel Pinkerman on the second play from scrimmage with a 72-yard touchdown pass, making the score 7-0.
Boca’s first series would be one of the team’s best. The Blazers drove to the Berean 17. However, the Bulldogs defense, led by Luke Langsam, Luke Jamison, David Combs and Malachi Kearney, held tight, and the Blazers had to settle for 3 points on a 27-yard field goal.
Keilon Stube’s kickoff return to the Boca 47 put the Bulldogs in great field position. Mauck hit Jamison out of the back field with a swing pass, and a nifty run took it to the 20. Two passes later, and a great run by Kasey Montrois, the Bulldogs were at first-and-goal at the 6. On the next play, Mauck had trouble handling the snap, but picked it up and scrambled out of the pocket and found Stube in the right corner to put the Bulldogs up 14-3.
A Boca fumble on the kickoff gave Berean the ball at the 45. With a short field, Mauck drove the team quickly to the 8-yard line, hitting Romeire Morgan, Stube and Jared Hammond along the way. Pinkerman finished the drive with an 8-yard end run, and the first quarter ended with the Bulldogs up 21-3.
Early in the second quarter, the Blazers got the ball moving, and a deep seam pass on third-and-15 gave Boca the ball at the Berean 6-yard line. The defense once again dug in, and on third-and-goal, the Boca quarterback took a jarring hit, the ball bounced right into Brenden Shipley’s hands, and he raced 92 yards the other way. The kick was no good, but Berean led 27-3.
The rest of the second quarter was pretty much all Berean, as the defense stymied the Boca offense, giving the ball right back to Mauck, whose precision dissection of the Boca secondary ended in touchdowns by Pinkerman and Hammond as the second quarter ended. This gave the Bulldogs a commanding 41-3 halftime lead.
The second half was pretty much all defense. The Berean second team defense held strong and played well. Junior free-safety Sawyer Losey traded sides of the ball, taking over for Mauck as quarterback. He stepped right in, and the offense didn’t miss a beat, as he hit Morgan for a 60-yard touchdown pass. However, it was called back due to a block in the back. The Blazers and the Bulldogs traded several series, and Boca pushed in a late touchdown to make the final score 41-10.
Berean is now 6-0. Mauck, who was selected as the Offensive Player of the Week by Prep Builders in week three for his 360-yard, four-touchdown game at Jupiter Christian School, was also honored by the Palm Beach Post in week five for his 346-yard, four-touchdown win at St. Edward’s School.
Berean steps out of class again on Saturday, Oct. 10, taking on Olympic Heights High School at the Wellington High School field. Admission is free. Fans can also watch each game via live stream on the Berean Sports Network, www.bereanbulldogs.org/live.
