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Bobcats blank Bulls in district battle
By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR
In a game that was billed as an offensive shootout, Boca Raton and West Boca Raton made the contest a defensive struggle, and the Bobcats emerged with the inside track for a playoff berth with a 13-0 win at home Friday night.
“It’s the biggest win I’ve ever been a part of since I’ve been here as a head coach,” Bobcats coach Eddie Giersbrook said. “It’s something that we needed, we needed to get over the hump.”
The Bulls controlled the ball for most of the first half, but Boca Raton made the most of its only offensive possession in the first quarter, as Eddie Sullivan hit Terrell Williams across the middle for a 33-yard touchdown to make it 7-0.
The Bulls drove into Bobcats territory on all three first half possessions, controlling the clock behind Marquis Jones’ game-high 98 yards on 21 carries.
But the best West Boca could do was a field goal miss from 37 yards out that left the Bulls scoreless at the half.
“If we’d have had that score in the first half, or that field goal, I think it would have given guys a little more momentum, a little more confidence to have some points on the board,” Bulls coach Willie Dodaro said.
West Boca missed another field goal following a fumble recovery on the Bobcats 39-yardline, and it turned out to be the Bulls’ last gasp.
Midway through the fourth quarter, a Boca Raton offense that had just missed on the big play all night finally hit one.
On 3rd-and-13 from the 29, Sullivan hit Brandan Bishop across the middle for a 65-yard gain, setting up Louis Mota’s 2-yard TD run that gave the Bobcats a two-score cushion.
“Brandan Bishop made some really clutch plays, on offense and defense,” Giersbrook said.
Boca Raton’s special teams, which cost the Bobcats in losses to West Boca and Atlantic last year and against the Eagles again this year, were shaky but did not do enough damage to cost Boca Raton the win.
A fumbled punt return, a partially blocked punt, and a missed extra point after the last touchdown were not enough to hurt Boca Raton, which improved to 3-1 (1-0 District 14-4A) with the win.
However, unlike the last four years, where the winner of this game was a lock to advance to the playoffs, this year the district is far from easy with teams like Boynton Beach and Olympic Heights in the mix.
“It’s going to be a tough district, it’s not a cupcake district by any means,” Giersbrook said.
Other scores were:
• Boynton Beach 22, Olympic Heights 21: Josh Kelley’s 14-yard TD run and his two-point catch from Isiah Howard completed Boynton Beach’s fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Lions. The Lions (2-1), rushed for 314 yards and scored touchdowns by David Kinne, Cole McDonald and Antoine Kirkland.
• Spanish River 52, John I. Leonard 37: Senior tailback Brett Swider ran for a county record 392 yards on 32 carries and had six touchdowns as Spanish River snapped a 14-game losing streak while shocking John I. Leonard in the District 15-4A opener for both teams.
Palm Beach Gardens’ Emanuel Cook held the previous record when he rushed for 373 yards against Atlantic in 2005.
Swider scored on runs of 69, 65, 60, 6, 2, and 1 yard.
• Saint Andrew’s 28, Cardinal Newman 16: Ben Dexter rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries to lead the Scots (3-1, 1-0) in the District 6-2A opener for both teams.
Dexter scored on runs of 54 and 21 yards and Zach Wilke added a 56-yard scoring rush to finish with 164 yards on 15 carries.
Jordan Leake, Bill Fash and Calvin O’Brien each recorded interceptions for the Scots.
• American Heritage-Delray 47, St. Edward’s 0: Subbing for injured starting quarterback Darius Millines, Billy Strode threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another to lead American Heritage (2-1) to the rout.
• Atlantic 28, Treasure Coast 14: Mark Leal threw for 173 yards and ran for two TDs to lead the Eagles (3-0) over Treasure Coast.
• Inlet Grove 37, Pope John Paul II 6: Quarterback Terry Bradden threw for 275 yards and three TDs as Inlet Grove rolled over the Eagles (0-3).
Troy Lieb threw an 8-yard TD pass to Antonio Liguori for Pope’s only score.
• Zion Lutheran 52, Boca Raton Christian 14: Charlie Cowley scored twice on TD passes from Ryan Maranges for the Blazers (1-3).
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