MVP of Week 7: LB Valentino Diaz

BOCA RATON – Valentino Diaz came through when it mattered the most for his team.

In Boca Raton’s 9-8 road win over Dwyer this past weekend, the senior linebacker made perhaps the season’s biggest clutch play to date in Palm Beach County. His late interception return for a touchdown sealed the win for the Bobcats and improved their record to 5-1 on the season.

This play alone easily catapulted Diaz to our MVP of Week 7.

“We were desperate to score as a team,” the 6-foot-3, 220-pound linebacker said. “I saw it was a screen and the quarterback tried to throw it over my head. I timed it well and picked off the ball. I was saying to myself, ‘You gotta score’, as I running to the end zone.”

Diaz’s score gave Boca Raton a 9-0 lead over Dwyer with 7:57 left in the fourth quarter.

“Tino’s pick-six was a thing of beauty,” Boca Raton senior athlete Artur Chagaev said. “He stepped up as an athlete and a leader in a situation we needed him most. Overall, it was just a clutch thing to do from a player we expect for such things.”

Boca Raton defensive coordinator Jared De Freitas spoke on Diaz’s performance.

“We went into the second half knowing they would throw that screen and Tino missed a few in the first half,” De Freitas said. “The athlete that he is jumped and snagged it. Tino has been a player we can depend on to make the big play for us when it’s getting down to the wire.”

De Freitas had more to say about Diaz’s clutch moment.

“The fact it was a defensive slugfest to this point showed that we needed a big play to seal the game, and he delivered big time,” De Freitas said. “He’s a big-time player, and more people need to take notice.”