American Heritage Delray Stallions Edge Somerset Canyons in 16-13 Thriller

October 3, 2025
10:33 pm

Boynton Beach, FL — Somerset Academy Canyons and American Heritage Delray delivered a battle that went down to the wire. In the end, it was the Stallions who escaped with a gritty 16-13 win to improve to 5-1 on the season.

The action kicked off with quarterback Marcus Stracke connecting with Miles Rose on a strike that gave American Heritage a quick 7-0 lead. That touchdown held for most of the first half as both defenses dug in and traded stops.

With just 28 seconds left in the second quarter, the Cougars finally broke through. Mason Hall fired a pass to Eastern Michigan commit Davontey Oliver, who bulldozed his way into the end zone. But a missed extra point left Somerset trailing 7-6 at the break.

The Cougars came out firing in the second half. Oliver, lining up in the wildcat, took a direct snap and powered through what looked like a “tush push” before breaking free for a 60-plus yard touchdown run. That explosive play gave Somerset a 13-7 lead with 8:38 to go in the third.

Midway through the quarter, the game paused after an American Heritage player went down with an injury. Both teams joined together in prayer, a moment that slowed the pace and seemed to shift momentum.

Teams gathered in solitude of injured American Heritage Player Dennis Anderson

In the fourth quarter, Stracke and Rose struck again, this time for their second touchdown connection of the night, putting the Stallions back in front 14-13. American Heritage then converted a critical fourth down run with just over two minutes remaining, forcing Somerset to burn its last timeout.

With 1:09 left, the Cougars’ defense came up big with a fourth down stop, giving their offense one last shot. But the comeback hopes were shutdown when Heritage linebacker Carter Wasko stormed down the middle of the cougars offensive line, sacking Hall in the end zone for a game-sealing safety. That pushed the Stallions’ lead to 16-13 with 35 seconds left.

American Heritage kneeled out the clock to close it out. The Stallions (5-1) will now host St. John Paul II next week, while Somerset Academy Canyons (1-4) looks to regroup at home against a tough King’s Academy squad.