As the third week of the high school football season begins, both the teams from Royal Palm Beach High School and the King’s Academy are enjoying perfect records.
The King’s Academy varsity football team secured a convincing 49-7 win against Park Vista High School on August 16 in a kickoff classic, followed by two more victories in the regular season, including a 13-0 triumph over Saint Andrew’s School on August 23 and a closely contested 28-21 win against Fort Pierce Westwood on August 30.
In the match against Saint Andrew’s, TKA quarterback Joe Dailey threw for 143 yards and one touchdown, completing 10 of 17 passes. The Lions’ leading rusher, Tristan Stewart, contributed 67 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, James Powell led the team with five tackles and five assists. The game against Fort Pierce Westwood saw TKA make an impressive comeback with 14 points in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Head coach Dan Burack is pleased with the team’s determination, noting, “Our team has shown a relentless effort in games. They never give up on any play.” He added, “In practice, we are continuing to develop our fundamentals, particularly in blocking and tackling.”
The Lions will seek their next win on Friday, September 6, as they travel to Miami-Dade County to face the winless Raiders from Gulliver Prep (0-2), with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. They will also host Somerset Prep from North Lauderdale on September 12.
The Royal Palm Beach Wildcats are also off to their best start in recent years, starting with a decisive 52-7 victory over Olympic Heights High School in their kickoff classic on August 16. This win was followed by two more, including a narrow 28-27 win at Port St. Lucie High School on August 23 and a commanding 59-19 victory at home against John I. Leonard High School on August 30.
During the win against John I. Leonard, head coach Chuck Kenyon praised the performance of two freshmen, Demetrius Gibson and Al Carter. Gibson caught five passes for 116 yards, including two touchdowns, while Carter scored on a 50-yard jet sweep. Sophomore Demetrice Rolle also made headlines by returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown and another kickoff for more than 80 yards for a second score.
“On my first touchdown, I found an opening on the left side, and for the second, I saw daylight on the right,” Rolle explained.
Coach Kenyon remarked, “In my 26 years of coaching high school football, I’ve never seen anything like that. It was unbelievable.”
Looking ahead, the Wildcats aim to continue their success on Friday, September 6, at Suncoast High School, followed by a home game against William T. Dwyer High School on September 12.
The Wellington High School Wolverines find themselves with a 1-1 record after their first two games. After losing their opener 26-12 to Port St. Lucie’s Centennial High School on August 22 despite forcing five turnovers, they bounced back with a resounding 31-0 win against Lake Worth High School on August 29.
Coach Ross Pryor is encouraged by the team’s defense, stating, “Our defense is playing lights out.” Notable performances against Lake Worth included junior running back J.T. Thomas, who rushed for 115 yards and one touchdown, senior wide receiver Trey Allen with three catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, and junior defensive lineman Nicholas Lane, who recorded two quarterback sacks.
The Wolverines will aim to secure another win when they visit Park Vista High School on September 6 and have a bye during the fourth week of the regular season.
In other league action, the Palm Beach Central Broncos hold a 1-1 record, starting with a 21-14 win at Pahokee High School on August 23, followed by a 28-7 home loss to West Boca Raton High School on August 30. They are set to visit the unbeaten Spanish River High School on Friday, September 6, and will host Santaluces High School on September 13.
The Seminole Ridge Hawks are still looking for their first win, standing at 0-2 after close losses, including a 34-31 overtime defeat to Glades Central High School and a 27-23 loss to Spanish River High School. They hope to turn their luck around with upcoming games against Pahokee High School on September 5 and West Boca Raton High School on September 13.
Lastly, the Berean Christian School Bulldogs opened their season with a forfeit loss to Palm Beach Christian Prep, with an official score of 2-0, before suffering a 54-7 defeat to Somerset Academy Key from Deerfield Beach. They will host Central Florida Christian Academy from Orlando on September 6 and travel to Miami Country Day School on September 13.