JUPITER – Senior quarterback Brand Campbell might have played his best game of the season last night (Oct. 28) against Jupiter.
It could not have come at a better time.
As Campbell connected with senior wide receiver Devin Simmons for a 30-yard touchdown, Palm Beach Gardens (6-3; 3-0 in District 9-4M) had a 38-0 lead early in the fourth quarter.
While a late Jupiter Warriors touchdown prevented the shutout, the result had not changed for the Gators, who captured the 4M-District 9 championship.
“We came out here and played a good game of football. There’s still some things we need to clean up,” said Palm Beach Gardens head coach Tyrone Higgins, as he took ice from a Gatorade shower out of his pocket. “I’m happy for my kids because they deserve it. It’s a bunch of kids that we’ve had for four years. We’ve been talking about being district champs for four years, and now it’s finally here.”
Campbell and Simmons connected twice in the game.
Their first touchdown coming late in the second quarter, as Campbell evaded pressure to find a wide-open Simmons down the field.
The touchdown put Palm Beach Gardens up 21-0, and seemed to put the game out of reach.
“There’s just something that clicked,” Higgins said about the Campbell-Simmons connection. “Devin has all the measurables. He’s a long guy, the physicality is coming around.”
Higgins was also quick to praise Simmons’s ability to play, as he called it, “unselfish football,” praising the 6-foot-4 wide receiver for providing additional value with his ability to block.
Campbell also offered high praise for Simmons, who seemed to be waiting for a performance like this.
“This was really his breakout game, to be honest. He’s been really shy on the field but today he came out and came like a man,” Campbell said. “We’re going to keep feeding him.”
Does Simmons feel like this was his breakout game?
“Yeah, I feel like I needed this one,” he said.
While Simmons’s performance was certainly a good sign for Palm Beach Gardens, it was Campbell who stole the show, finishing with five total touchdowns – four passing, one rushing – in what might have been his most complete performance to date.
“It’s probably his most complete [performance] to date,” Higgins said. “[There’s] more to come.”
Something clicked for Campbell, who made multiple big-time plays for the Gators offense. Whether it was delivering the right pass, avoiding pressure, or making plays with his feet, Campbell was able to do everything you would ask your starting quarterback to do.
“It was just preparation all week,” Campbell said. “We studied their defense on film, put it in practice, we ran against it all week. We came into the game, they gave us what we wanted and we just exposed it.”
For Higgins, that shift comes down to his poise.
“He had a lot more poise,” Higgins said. “He’s been working on his presence in the pocket. He’s a kid that constantly working to get better, and that’s what I’m proud of him for.”
Campbell’s poise and mental aspect were also praised by Simmons, who was asked what trait of Campbell’s is his best.
“Being able to read defenses and see who’s open,” Simmons said. “And then, perfect ball placement.”
In some ways, Campbell’s performance is also what helped the offense click as a whole. The offense avoided turning the ball over, was able to stay two-dimensional, and was able to take advantage of two turnovers by the defense.
Frankly, this offense finding itself could not have come at a better time.
“I think this is the game where we clicked,” Campbell said. “We found our identity today. Late in the season, but before playoffs and we got it.”
The celebrations about the offense – or more likely the district championship – will have to be short-lived, though.
The Gators still have one more regular season game left, as they will host Park Vista for their senior night on Friday, Nov. 4.
“We’re going to celebrate it tonight,” Campbell said. “Then we’re going to come back next week and focus on the regional [championship].”
