Palm Beach Central entered Friday night undefeated at 4-0, while Palm Beach Lakes came in at 3-1. In a matchup between two teams off to strong starts, the Broncos made the plays that mattered late to escape with a 13-7 victory and move to 5-0.
Central struck immediately when Nazier Watkins returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, putting the Broncos ahead 7-0.
From there, the defenses took over. Both teams traded big defensive plays throughout the first quarter, and Central carried its 7-0 lead into the second.
Palm Beach Lakes responded behind quarterback Jordan Johnson, who led the Rams on a methodical drive before finishing it with a 1-yard quarterback sneak. The touchdown with 7:18 remaining in the second quarter tied the game at 7-7.
Central kicker Alejandro Flores Cardona answered with two field goals before halftime, sending the Broncos into the locker room with a 13-7 lead.
Neither team scored again.
Palm Beach Lakes had its best opportunity to change that late in the fourth quarter. With just over seven minutes remaining, Michael Kelly came up with a big interception to give the Rams possession. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Central helped push Lakes into the red zone with around six minutes left.
The Broncos’ defense responded with the biggest stand of the night.
Lakes reached inside the Central 5-yard line, but the Broncos held firm and got the ball back with 4:47 remaining, keeping their 13-7 lead intact.
A costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Lakes then moved Central from near its own 5-yard line out to around the 20, giving the Broncos some much-needed breathing room with just over four minutes left.
Central still needed one more play to put the game away.
With a little more than a minute remaining, quarterback Isaiah Hamilton fired a strike to Logan Lindsey-Hartwig for a crucial first down. The Broncos were then able to run out the remaining clock and seal the win.
The Broncos improve to 5-0, while Palm Beach Lakes falls to 3-2.
Palm Beach Lakes will travel to Dr. Joaquín García for its next game, while undefeated Palm Beach Central returns home to host Royal Palm Beach on homecoming night.
