In honor of the NFL’s Monday Night Football double header, Palm Beach County also featured two high profile matchups that took place under the Monday Night lights.
This article will serve as a recap off tonight’s Santaluces v Park Vista district matchup. Tonight’s edition of the annual cross town rivalry certainly will go down as one of the best in the history of Chiefs v Cobras. One thing’s for certain- no matter how up or down these squads are- the record goes 0-0 whenever they step off the bus, because it’ll be the best showing from both sidelines.
Despite some explosive plays to open tonight’s game, Santaluces was stifled from points in the most incredible sequence of events. Faced with an early red zone 4th down, the Chiefs elected to trot out their field goal unit for a 27 yard attempt. Snap was good, the hold was ideal, the kick goes up and BLOCKED at the line of scrimmage. As the ball hovers over the trenches, the Cobras’ special teams unit strikes at the ball, sniping it from the air. On the attempted run back, the Chiefs pop the ball out and recover the fumble, regaining possession of the chains.
On the following three play series, Santaluces’ offense once again is unable to find pay dirt, and send the specialists back onto the field. If you thought things would be different, you unfortunately thought wrong my friend, as Vista was able to block their second kick in a five minute span.
Honestly, the remainder of the first quarter, alongside the over whelming majority of the second was a punt, pass and kick contest. That was until just mere moments before the two minute warning, when 3-Star RB Kelsey Gerald broke loose for an 80 yard touchdown rush to to give the crowd the first points of the game. Gerald would go onto accumulate almost 200 yards from scrimmage on the night, powering his way through the defense.
Following the halftime intermission, Santaluces’ offense began to turn up the jets, as they unleashed a lethal passing attack. Chiefs QB Jaxson Marconi has looked like one of Palm Beach’s since taking over the starter job early in the season, and tonight showed no signs of stopping. Marconi recorded two passing touchdowns of his own, including a 13 yard slant to Lenard Antoine, and a 34 yard bomb to WR Jarmell Sine.
The final score of the night was presented by the Santaluces defense, as EDGE rusher Preston Ricks attacked the backfield and popped the ball just outside of the end zone. Players in black and white jerseys all dove to contain the loose ball, but it continued to squirm out of the scrum, before Ricks eventually recovered his own fumble in the end zone.
With mere seconds remaining, Park Vista would avoid the shutout as Caleb Smith unleashed a shot to Jayce Allison to flip the field, before hitting Cameron Blackwell for the Cobra’s lone score of the night.
Cover Photo Credits: Jack Smeal, NewEraPrep
