WELLINGTON – Heading into the game, Palm Beach Central made it a focus to try and start the game fast on offense and score early.

“We’ve been trying to work on starting out fast on the offensive side this season because we’ve been having some slow ups,” senior quarterback Ahmad Haston said.

The Broncos did precisely that, too, scoring on the first drive of the game.

Facing a third down play, Haston abandoned the pocket and began to scramble. As opposing defenders tried to tackle him, Haston shrugged them off and found the end zone for a 26-yard rushing touchdown.

While Haston doesn’t always run the football – he admits that it is something he is working on – the opening touchdown was a sign of what Haston does best for Palm Beach Central: make big-time plays.

“We gotta get him going early a lot of times,” Palm Beach Central head coach Kevin Thompson said. “Sometimes, we gotta run him a little bit, and we tell him all the time, ‘Hey, you got the legs for it. Why not use it?’”

Ultimately, Haston was Palm Beach Central’s most effective offensive player, accounting for four touchdowns in the Broncos 34-13 victory over Boca Raton.

“That guy is a consistent guy,” Thompson said of Haston. “You can always count on him to do his job. I appreciate the fact that he’s a great leader, and he does exactly what he’s asked.”

Haston accounted for Palm Beach Central’s first three touchdowns as the Broncos jumped out to a 20-0 lead before Boca Raton could even blink.

After the game, Haston compared himself to Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul, who’s best known for his ability to run the offense at a high rate.

“We have a lot of athletes [and] we have to get them into space. I just got to do my job,” Haston said. “Be a Chris Paul and get the ball out and let them make their plays.”

One of those playmakers is senior wide receiver Luby Maurice, Jr., who scored a 54-yard touchdown to put the Broncos up 20-0.

Haston and Maurice have spent years building chemistry with each other, and following the game, Maurice offered an NBA reference of his own.

“He says Chris Paul,” Maurice said with a laugh. “I was thinking more of [Dwyane] Wade and LeBron [James].”

While Haston may have stolen the show on the offensive side of the ball, it was senior linebacker Devin Wygant who may have made the most impressive play of the night.

Following the Maurice touchdown, Wygant leapt into the air and made a one-handed interception to give the ball back to the offense in great field position. Wygnat would finish the following drive himself, punching the ball in from the 1-yard line to give Palm Beach Central a 27-0 lead.

“I’m going to tell you right now, [Devin] is probably our best all-around player,” Thompson said following the game. “He can play any position, and it’s just because he gives everything.”

Although Wygant is undersized at the linebacker position at just 5-foot-9, players echoed the same sentiment of Thompson, praising Wygant’s effort on every play.

“He just gives his all every time. He’d give up his body for us,” Haston said. “He’s an undersized linebacker, but you can’t tell when he’s out on the field. He’s doing everything that a 5-star linebacker could do.”

Wygnat made plays all night on defense, coming up with critical tackles and providing strong pass coverage. The interception may have been the highlight, but plenty of other plays from Wygnat made you raise your eyebrows.

“Devin is a dude,” Maurice said, pointing towards the camera. “Whoever is sleeping, y’all wake up.”

Wygnat’s college interest is a little quiet right now – likely due to his smaller frame – but Thompson was quick to say that the senior is a player who could make an impact for a college football program.

“If [Wygnat] was three inches taller, there would be Division 1 schools knocking our door down,” Thompson said.

Palm Beach Central will continue its season on the road next week, making the trip to Forest Hill (2-4).

In the meantime, Thompson hopes the Broncos find some consistency ahead of that game.

“We got to be consistent all the way through,” Thompson said. “Nobody doing their own thing. Nobody trying to figure it out by themselves.”