DELRAY BEACH – We had a very good matchup between two of Palm Beach County’s best teams last night (Aug. 20).
It was a relatively close one for the most part between Atlantic and Palm Beach Central. In short, this game could have gone either way.
Down 17-14 at both halftime and the end of the third quarter, Palm Beach Central had opportunities to reach the end zone in that pivotal period. But when it mattered the most, Atlantic’s defense came through and made timely stops in the process.
The same could be said for Atlantic.
Quick analysis: The defenses for both teams shined through.
The fourth quarter was a different story.
At the 7:00 mark, Atlantic senior quarterback Zachary Waters led his team to the end zone off a short touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Martay McClendon. With junior kicker Robert Hammond III’s extra point, the Eagles took a 24-14 lead over the Broncos.
“I had made it on my own,” McClendon said about his fourth-quarter touchdown catch. “That’s what we needed. I just ran a different route and got into the end zone.”
And then to ice the game for good, Atlantic senior running back O’Mari Mitchell (three total touchdowns) broke free from Palm Beach Central’s defense and found his way to the end at the 2:20 mark. With Hammond III’s extra point, the lead was extended to 31-14.
“They thought I was a sleeper,” Mitchell said of those who did not know much about him. “I just came out and showed them…It was just a team game. We executed.”
Atlantic would hold on for the 31-20 victory.
“We came out with the win,” Waters said. “But we’re not satisfied. We made too many mistakes…I didn’t do a good enough job leading. Everything you saw, it was my teammates bringing me up. I have to do a better of pulling them up and leading our offense.”
Atlantic head coach Jamael Stewart provided a recap of how his team fared against Palm Beach Central.
“It’s bittersweet,” Stewart said. “Watching our kids grow, we had a lot of upperclassmen that were out. A lot of young guys had to step up. I think it was a great thing for them. We have a lot of things that we need to improve on. This was a great game to get some film off of.”
NOTE: Hammond III nailed a 52-yard field goal to give Atlantic an early 3-0 lead over Palm Beach Central. He was also 4-for-4 on his extra point attempts.
OTHER FRIDAY NIGHT FINAL SCORES FROM PALM BEACH COUNTY
Cardinal Newman 35, Belen Jesuit 19
Forest Hill 44, West Boca Raton 6
Glades Central 44, Palmetto Ridge 10
King’s Academy 31, Suncoast 0
Pahokee 41, Centennial 21
Palm Beach Gardens 21, Coconut Creek 21
Palm Beach Lakes 25, Seminole Ridge 15
South Fork 37, John I. Leonard 6
Treasure Coast 47, Boca Raton 7
Westminster Academy 52, Boca Raton Christian 0
SATURDAY GAMES: KICKOFF CLASSIC
Inlet Grove vs. Berean Christian at Lake Lytal Park – 11 a.m. kickoff
Jupiter Christian vs. Somerset Academy Canyons – 7 p.m. kickoff
