WELLINGTON – Juan Dominguez will serve as an inspirational figure in our area for many years to come.
The Palm Beach Central senior kicker/punter has completed his first season of playing football with amazing results.
Our Co-Breakthrough Player of the Year for Public Schools finished with a perfect field goal connection rate and a perfect extra point connection rate at 100 percent each. His touchback rate was at 56 percent with a 39-yard average.
But for Dominguez, there was one moment in particular that defined his season.
Let us go back to how Dominguez was crowned as our Breakthrough Player of Week 10.
In the Wellington Cup game and District 7-8A game at Wellington, the Palm Beach Central senior kicker broke a 14-14 tie by way of his 22-yard field goal that split the uprights perfectly at the 6:54 mark of the fourth quarter.
Dominguez’s field goal turned out to be the game-winner in Palm Beach Central’s 17-14 win over Wellington.
“I might be just a kicker,” Dominguez said not long after Palm Beach Central’s regular season-ending victory. “But I would do anything to contribute to the team. We fight for every inch, so everything counts in a game like this.”
Palm Beach Central head coach Scottie Littles raved about Dominguez’s rapid progress over the course of this past season.
“What a big moment for him,” Littles said. “Never played football in his career. He’s a soccer kid. To kick the game-winning field goal in the Wellington Cup, I think he’s going to have this memory for the rest of his life.”
Dominguez spoke on his co-Breakthrough Player of the Year honor, which he will be sharing with Park Vista senior running back Adam Philp.
“It feels amazing getting rewarded for my performance during the season,” said Dominguez, who has offers now from El Camino College, Florida Central Tech, Ramah, Cumberland, and Augusta United Academy.
“Before the season started, I never played football,” Dominguez continued. “I was always hesitant to go out to practice and try to be on the team. I would always doubt myself. But now as time changed, I’m way more confident in my game and my kicks. I went from being scared to go to practice at high school because I thought I wasn’t good enough to knowing that I can kick for a D1 (Division 1) school and even having the confidence to walk on at a D1 school. I’m happy for my success, but I’m not yet satisfied until I get to that D1 level, even if that means going to juco/prep and working hard to get the look I need.”
PLEASE NOTE: The other nominees for our Breakthrough Player of the Year – Public were Boca Raton senior athlete Artur Chageav and Pahokee junior linebacker Jacorris Foreman.
