WEST PALM BEACH – The final high school football game for our area’s seniors was one for the books, to say the least.
On this past Saturday night (Jan. 15) at Keiser University, Palm Beach County blew out Broward County by a score of 49-3 in the inaugural Battle of the Beach High School Football All-Star Game.
This showcase was sponsored by Smith, Ball, and Baez Law Firm, which is based in West Palm Beach.
Going into Saturday night’s action, an edge was collectively ingrained into our hometown team’s players, which had a chip on their shoulders.
“We were the underdogs in this game,” Palm Beach County wide receiver Silas Hinson (Inlet Grove) said. “That really motivated me and the rest of this team to take over and show them why we’re on top.”
Early in the first quarter, Broward took a 3-0 lead over Palm Beach. This was made possible by Broward defensive end Jackson Baird forcing and recovering a lost Palm Beach fumble that later resulted in a field goal made at the 8:40 mark.
From that point on, however, it was all about Palm Beach.
It was not too long before our hometown team got on the board and took a 7-3 lead. A 2-yard touchdown run by Palm Beach’s Shermar Gibson (Palm Beach Gardens) proceeded the first of seven extra points made by Palm Beach kicker Andrew MacMillan (Cardinal Newman) at the 2:30 mark.
After the first scoring drive by Palm Beach, the lead just kept steadily increasing from there.
We got a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal from Palm Beach running back Everic Morgan (Glades Central) at the 5:23 mark of the second quarter. And shortly thereafter, Palm Beach scored again off a fumble recovery that resulted in a touchdown.
By the time we reached the 4:25 mark of the first half, Palm Beach was up 28-3 over Broward.
To close out the first two quarters, Palm Beach quarterback and Offensive MVP Zo’Marion Harper (Clewiston) found a speedy athlete in Jayden Pressey (Martin County) for a 7-yard touchdown pass with 27 seconds left.
Palm Beach went into halftime with a 35-3 lead.
For the remainder of this one, Palm Beach went into cruise control, reaching the end zone twice more in total. The final score came during the fourth quarter, when Harper found a very wide open Hinson for the touchdown.
“I got an extra chance to showcase what I can do,” Hinson said. “I told Ziggy – I said I was going to be open on a skinny post…When me and Ziggy connected, it felt like money.”
Harper seems to be a wide receiver’s best friend on the field, no matter what team he plays for. He spoke on his high level of connection with his receivers and more.
“When I come to town, I just know how to put the ball there,” Harper said. “They can just catch it and keep running. Yeah I let them catch it and all that. I’m the best quarterback around here.”
Palm Beach running back and Lou Groza Player of the Year Markel King (Palm Beach Central) chimed in.
“We just connected like Palm Beach is supposed to do,” King said. “We bonded together and got the dub.”
Hinson had more to say about Palm Beach’s 46-point win.
“It’s good to finally see that Palm Beach does have some ballers,” Hinson said.
Meanwhile, Palm Beach offensive lineman Joseph Pagan (Boynton Beach) was one of four players total – two each from Palm Beach and Broward – to earn $250 scholarship checks from the Smith, Ball, and Baez Law Firm.
“I didn’t expect this to happen,” Pagan said. “The success, it all just paid off in the end.”
Palm Beach head coach Baz Alfred (Jupiter Christian) summed it up by touching on how the inaugural Battle of the Beach All-Star Game came about.
“Coach (Brian) Coe reached out to me and said he wanted to do something special, something different this year,” Alfred said. “He didn’t know how it was going to go as far as these kids being in basketball season and getting ready for track season. Some kids opted out because they’re getting ready to sign scholarship offers. But for the boys who decided to play, this was for bragging rights and a lot of things…It’s something they have always wanted to do.”
MVP WINNERS – BROWARD COUNTY
Offense: WR Kevon Lawson (Monarch)
Defense: LB Berton Venter (Calvary Christian)
MVP WINNERS – PALM BEACH COUNTY
Offense: QB Zo’Marion Harper (Clewiston)
Defense: DL Wansley Jeanty (Glades Central)
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD WINNERS
Broward: DL Nieed Guillaume (Nova) and WR Aidan Koutsofios (Cooper City)
Palm Beach: WR/DB Brian LaFrance (Jupiter Christian) and OL Joseph Pagan (Boynton Beach)
PHOTO CREDITS: Keith Forde
