PAHOKEE – Dwyer (4-2) did the unthinkable to take down two of most prestigious football program in Palm Beach County in back-to-back weeks.
Is the D back?
No. 2 Pahokee (4-2) was favored to win last night (Oct. 3) with 78 percent of the votes in its favor.
The Blue Devils only loss came in Week 1 against Cardinal Newman, a team that is currently ranked at No. 1 in Palm Beach County. They proceeded to go on a four-game win streak that included knocking off former No. 1 Palm Beach Central.
The Blue Devils have a plethora of talent at almost every position – literally.
Austin Simmons, Hardley Gilmore, Jashon Benjamin, Deejay Holmes, and Jacorris Foreman are top-tier talent that can play at the collegiate level. This makes it hard to ignore them as favorites for most of their matchups.
Pahokee started the game really slow, as did Dwyer. But it was first to put points on the board late in the second quarter on a short run by Jashon Benjamin.
The Benjamin score gave Pahokee momentum going into the locker room at halftime.
The last score for Pahokee came on a quick slant play from Simmons to Gilmore with two minutes left in the third quarter. This gave the Blue Devils a 12-7 lead.
But the Panthers defense would not allow another score after that.
Dwyer’s defense really stood tall when it was needed the most. This unit truly embodied a bend-but-don’t-break mentality as they held Pahokee to only 12 points, which has not happened since Week 1 against Cardinal Newman.
Wake Forest commit and defensive leader Kerrington Lee (6-foot-5) set things off early with a fumble recovery that seemed to send a dog fight signal to Pahokee.
There were two pivotal plays that completely changed the landscape of this game.
Lee’s fumble recovery in the first quarter and another fumble recovery by the Panthers at the goal line early in the fourth quarter.
Junior defensive end Dylan Reiman (6-foot-6) held down the Panthers front seven with Lee when it mattered the most.
“The game plan coming into tonight was to shut the run down,” Reiman said. “We wanted to give them the pass, but we shut that down too.”
Reiman added the following:
“Coach [Torrey] White is the best defensive line coach in the country,” Reiman said.
Lee provided his take on this game.
“We knew they wanted to establish the run early on,” Lee stated. “We got into our fills and made tackles. We practice pushing and getting to the ball. When the ball was on the floor, we grabbed it.”
Dwyer junior quarterback Shyeia Deveaux played lights out in the second half. He bombed Pahokee’s defensive secondary twice in the third quarter.
Deveaux’s first score came on a 74-yard pass to junior Mikail Lee that came across the middle of the field.
“I saw they were playing man over top,” Lee said. “You give me the post and I’m going all the way. I caught the ball and saw nothing but green grass. I know we needed it. Big time players make big time plays.”
You could literally feel the air coming out of Anquan Boldin Stadium on Deveaux’s second touchdown pass. It was a 90-yarder to Kyle McNeal on third-and-25 from their own territory.
“I knew the run was getting stuffed that whole possession,” McNeal said. “I knew coach would eventually call on me. Shy put it up top, and I went and got it. I knew I was gonna blur him. They were playing man the whole game.”
Deveaux is only a junior, but has the poise of a four-year starting senior quarterback. He managed the game like a 15-year NFL veteran late in the fourth quarter.
“I always have belief in my coaches and team,” Deveaux said. “I took what the defense gave me. Pahokee has a good team and was No. 1 in the county at one point. I told my guys, ‘Don’t get discouraged. We can beat anybody if we put our mind to it.’ On the two touchdowns I threw to Kyle and Mikail, I just have trust in them every single time and our whole wide receiving corps.”
Dwyer head coach Al Shipman has his squad on a three-game winning streak, beating the likes of West Broward, Glades Central, and now Pahokee.
Going 2-0 against the Muck is no small feat, especially as an underdog. But one could tell that Shipman had his guys ready on a short week’s notice.
“I told them, ‘We can do that!’ I’m so excited for these kids,” Shipman said.
The Dwyer head coach had more to say about how this past week transpired.
“Pahokee is a very good team and they are going to give some people trouble in the playoffs,” Shipman said. “Same thing I said about Glades Central. But I need people to stop keeping us as the underdog. Don’t nobody believe in us. But the kids believe and my coaches believe. We’ll always have a chance. This just goes to show you how resilient this football team is.”
Pahokee will have another tough opponent at home as it hosts No. 8 Atlantic (3-2) Friday night (Oct. 7) at 6:30 p.m.
Dwyer has a short week as well as it looks to get some guys healthy prior to it matchup against Forest Hill (2-3).
