2026 marked the beginning of the Spanish River Jamboree, and the first edition did not disappoint!
On Friday night, Jupiter High School, Spanish River Community High School, Dr. Joaquín García High School, and Monarch High School participated in a slew of games to wrap up their respective spring seasons. Four games were played on the night in total, and each one provided plenty of excitement on both sides of the field. Some games provided more defense, while others allowed the offenses to shine in a major way.
There is plenty to dive into, so without further ado, it is time to recap the 2026 Spanish River Jamboree.
Game 1: Spanish River 7, Jupiter 6
The first game of the Spanish River Jamboree featured the host team, Spanish River, and Jupiter. And by all accounts, the game lived up to being the opener of the event.
On the Jupiter side of things, Nick Bothe got his team on the board first with a gritty touchdown run early in the first quarter. A standout on both sides of the ball Friday, Bothe did a little bit of everything to help his team in this game and played at a very high level. On top of his touchdown, Bothe had a key 4th down run stuff and had a strip sack that helped to force a turnover on the next play. The Jupiter standout is dynamic in every sense of the game, and it is clear that he is on track to be one of the better players in the area this season.
Outside of Bothe, Jordan Dale had a very impressive interception in the game, while Thomas Carlstrom had multiple great coverage reps, which included a pass breakup.
On the Spanish River side of things, things were very slow… until they were not anymore.
The Spanish River defense, outside of the touchdown, did its part in slowing down the Jupiter offense. The defensive line was very stout, while the secondary made some nice plays, including a great play over coverage from Kai Sainmervil and Steven Damus.
Derrick Goulbourne and Jayden Elder, while not having too many targets, did plenty when having the ball thrown to them. Both players ran their routes at a high level while playing through strength at the catch point and as ball carriers. Without their respective contributions, the Shakrs would not have had any chance to win this game.
Oh, and speaking of Jayden Elder, let us talk about the game winner.
With the offense in a very tough 4th down, quarterback Jaeden Phillips threw it up to his star wideout, and it came down in the arms of Elder, who broke a tackle on his way to what would be the final score of the game. It was a play that encapsulated why Elder is a rising star at the position: his speed was top-tier, he tracked the pass with ease, and he broke the key tackle to ensure his team won the game. In other words, a big-time player made a big-time play.
Game 2: Monarch 8, Jupiter 6
After losing in heartbreaking fashion in the first game of the Spanish River Jamboree, Jupiter was back for more action against Monarch in game two.
To nobody’s surprise, Nick Bothe was impressive again against the Knights. He had multiple good coverage reps, ran the ball with great power, and even unleashed a throw that, if not for a drop, may have resulted in a passing touchdown. Bothe was, for a lack of a better way of phrasing, one of the better pure athletes on the field for any of the games on Friday.
However, Bothe was not alone in producing in this game for Jupiter.
Brendan Hollinger was highly impressive at wideout for the Warriors, especially considering the athletes on the Monarch defense. He ran with burst on a short pass early in the game, gaining chunk yardage while forcing the Knights to chase him down. Hollinger was also the primary reason the Warriors had a chance to score in this game; on a deep pass down the field, the wideout beat his defender over the top and secured the catch. Seeing him in game action for the first time this spring, I am very excited to see what Hollinger can do for the Warriors in 2026.
Thomas Carlstrom made his presence felt on offense in this game, catching a quick strike for the touchdown that gave Jupiter a 6-0 lead. And while Jupiter was not on the winning side of things (more on why shortly), Jordan Dale did his best to prevent that outcome. Not only did the defensive back have a pass breakup, but he had yet another impressive interception that gave the Warriors one last shot in the game. Dale’s ball skills are impressive, as is his overall athleticism. He is another player that I am very excited to follow on Jupiter in 2026.
Following their 2nd game of the day, Jupiter HC Josh Brooks spoke about getting the opportunity to participate in the Spanish River Jamboree.
“Yeah, it’s always fun to finally get to play someone wearing a different jersey than you. We have a lot of guys in new roles, so it was fun to watch some guys get their first varsity starts. We saw a bunch of positive things from our guys and many things we can correct on film, which is the great part about the spring season. Our guys are always going to play with a physicality and toughness that is hard to match. Those were two really good programs we played tonight, and we wish we could’ve closed those halves out down the stretch. Finishing everything we do is going to be a big focus for us moving forward.”
Additionally, Brooks spoke about how the Warriors are looking to build off of their performances on Friday.
“We now have to take the positives, correct the mistakes, and keep the buy-in that we have here as we attack our summer program. We want to get bigger, faster, and stronger this summer as a collective unit. We are really excited about getting after it this summer with these guys.”
For Monarch, it was not a perfect game, but multiple players on both sides of the ball helped secure the team a victory.
Defensively, Darren Jeudy showed the all-around skillset and athleticism that he possesses in this game. On a key 2nd down, Jeudy, who is the cousin of NFL wideout Jerry Jeudy, saw the play develop and used his speed to attack the ball carrier downhill, stopping the play in its tracks. It was not the typical play that makes one write a name down, but between this one and another one later in the night, Jeudy is a player to watch going forward.
On offense, the Knights had a multitude of playmakers show off their talent and high-level skill sets.
Running back Keyshawn Paschall ran with decisiveness and power, picking up nice yardage every time he touched the ball. Wideout Conroy Whyte II had an incredible 4th down conversion, bouncing off tacklers and powering his way to a first down late in the game. And when it mattered most, quarterback Jeremiah Milcent found Bryan Bynes for the touchdown and Sanjae Fisher for the go-ahead two-point conversion. Both Bynes and Fisher were extremely impressive, and without their all-around play, Monarch likely loses this game.
Game 3: Spanish River 6, García 0
The quietest of the four games, Spanish River secured the early lead against García and never let it go.
Offensively, Jayden Elder had another quality reception in this game, catching a short pass in the flat and turning it into a very positive gain with his speed in the open field. He also had an impressive, spinning deep reception down the field on a trick play, but it was called back for a penalty. The team’s only touchdown came on a pass to Micah Smalls; on a pass from Jaeden Phillips, the running back caught the ball in stride and outraced the opposing defense to the end zone.
Defensively, the trenches for Spanish River made this game a very tough one for the Bulldogs. Zachary Stelus was a force as a run defender and notched a sack, while Kai Sainmervil and John’Darrion Johnson made key tackles as well. Shane Siwiec was another player who made his presence felt; in addition to playing impressive run defense, he notched a pass breakup that nearly resulted in an interception on a screen pass. Additionally, Giovany Lauriston notched a pass breakup in this game.
After their second game, Spanish River head coach Nick LaSala spoke about his team’s overall performance.
“A lot to work on, but we played two very good football teams in Jupiter and García. A lot of respect for both of them. 21 wins between the two of them last season, so I knew we were going to have our work cut out for us playing them. Our boys found a way. We found a way in the first game on offense on the final drive, and in the second game, our defense found a way by getting a stop on the final drive. I am really proud of them for that.”
LaSala also spoke about how the Shakrs are working to carry Friday’s momentum into the fall.
“We are healthy, and that is always important. You get through the spring healthy, as a head coach, that is the first thing. We talk about continuity and having all of our guys on the field. So getting through the spring healthy, that is the first thing. The second thing is watching the film from tonight; there are a lot of things to dissect and learn from. We did not run the football the way we needed to here, so we need to find some answers for that. And it always starts up front; when the quarterback is getting hit, we either have to give him the answers on how to protect himself or figure out what we are doing wrong up front.
As we get into the summer, we have to stay hungry. We have to continue to eat off the floor, find ways to improve, and build continuity as a team. We have to make the most of our 25 workouts this summer and whatever 7-on-7s that we compete in. Before we know it, we will be right back on this field playing against Monarch.”
On the García side of things, the Bulldogs were missing plenty of players who are set to be key contributors in 2026 on both sides of the ball. This includes players in the trenches, both potential starting quarterbacks, and an all-world talent in Zion Vilma.
The main standout for García, though, was Sherwins Raymond. Providing great coverage against Jayden Elder, Raymond showed why he is a player who should be getting some more buzz this season. He has the skillset ot make a nice impact this season, and if he continues to play the way he did on Friday, 2026 will be a big year for Raymond.
Game 4: Monarch 22, García 0
So… this one was all Monarch, and it was that way from start to finish.
Facing a García roster that, as mentioned above, did not have many key contributors, the Knights did what they were expected to do. However, they also showed the high level of talent that opponents will have to contend with in the 2026 season.
The main standouts from Monarch came from the wideout room. Chris Cortinas started off the game by leading the team down the field on two big receptions. Showing off his speed and contact balance, I was impressed by the way the wideout got vertical as a ball carrier. Cortinas was not afraid to take on defenders in open space, and it was a major reason why he had the first touchdown of the game.
Bryan Bynes displayed a great level of effort and some nice speed over the course of the second game against García. He was the recipient of a perfect ball from Jeremiah Milcent that set up Cortinas’s touchdown; without Bynes continuing his route all the way across the field, the touchdown may not have happened. Byens later notched his own touchdown on a similar play, as he used his speed to become the open man for his quarterback in the flat.
Sanaje Fisher flashed ridiculous contested catch ability, as he skied over a defender to make one of the highlight plays of the entire night. Darren Jeudy decided to channel his cousin in Monarch’s second game of the Spanish River Jamboree; in addition to holding onto a ball that he got destroyed on, the standout for the Knights mossed a defender in the corner of the end zone for a two-point conversion.
On the ground, Milcent showed impressive speed and agility, escaping defenders with ease when he decided to take off. More impressive, though, was the quarterback’s decision-making on when to run. Milcent displayed high-level pocket presence and made the correct choices of when to maneuver outside of the pocket.
Keyshawn Pashcall, just like in Monarch’s first game, ran with impressive power and decisiveness whenever he got the ball. I also enjoyed the contact balance that Paschall displayed, in addition to the fact that it seemed like his feet were always moving. In an offense with plenty of fun wideouts, the running back is a fun change-up that Monarch can force defenses to contend with.
Defensively, Monarch’s entire unit played together and gave the team the chance to gain a commanding lead. From an individual standpoint, Gabriele Scarsini showed impressive instincts and tackling ability. Like many others on the Knights, I am excited to see him play in 2026.
