PALM BEACH GARDENS – Benjamin is looking like the school to beat after defeating Key West 47-18.
Ka’iir Elam didn’t waste any time in getting the Bucs (5-0) on the board as he made one cut and took the opening kickoff return for a touchdown.
After Elam’s return, the Bucs would be a bit sluggish in the first as they only scored on a field goal by Lowell Carr to make it 10-0.
Quarterback Santino Marucci would hook up with Joseph Mariani for a 22-yard touchdown pass to make the score 17-0 in the second quarter.
Key West (3-2) would get on the board with a short touchdown run. But Benjamin would score yet again, which was set up by a 48 yard pass from Marucci to wide receiver Roshaun Downie that put the Bucs on the Conchs 2-yard line.
Marucci would go ahead and score on a quarterback sneak play to make the score 24-6 with 51 seconds left in the first half.
Benjamin running back Josh Pierre-Louis would get in on the action and score on a 14 yard run with 28 seconds left in the second quarter. His touchdown run effectively put the Bucs up 30-6 at halftime.
Key West would open the second half with a 60-yard kickoff return to cut Benjamin’s lead to 30-12. But Carr would be money for Bucs again as he hit a 34–yard field goal to give Benjamin a 33-12 lead.
Elam would strike again, this time on a 45-yard touchdown from Marucci to extend the Bucs lead to 40-12 late in the third quarter.
Marucci would throw his final touchdown of the night on a 34-yard pass to Downie to make it 47-12 midway through the fourth quarter.
Key West would score late in the fourth quarter to make it a final score of 47–18.
Benjamin looks like a team on a mission and playing like they have something to prove. With the hot five-game winning streak going on now, it will be hard to say which opponent can take this private school down after a stellar performance tonight against Key West.
Observations: Benjamin has reloaded this year with a young team. Marucci, Pierre-Louis, Elam, Downie, Mariani, Luke Cannata, Joe LaBovick, Michael Lobosco, Josh Greene, and Tommy Rooney are all two-way players that will help Benjamin reach its full potential.
Benjamin head coach Eric Kresser would comment on his team’s performance.
“We want to be state champions, we want to be conference champions,” Kresser said. “We talk about that everyday. That’s our goals, and that’s what we’re striving for.”
