PALM BEACH COUNTY – Week 3 ended on Monday evening (Sept. 12) in our area.

This helps to explain why this week’s Top 10 release is pushed back to Wednesday (Sept. 14).

With that said, let us waste no time by putting the latest Top 10 out now.

1. Palm Beach Central (3-0) [Previous Rank: 1]
2. Cardinal Newman (3-0) [Previous Rank: 2]
3. Pahokee (2-1) [Previous Rank: 3]
4. Palm Beach Gardens (2-1) [Previous Rank: 4]
5. Santaluces (3-0) [Previous Rank: 6]
6. Seminole Ridge (3-0) [Previous Rank: 7]
7. Inlet Grove (2-1) [Previous Rank: 9]
8. Atlantic (Delray Beach) (1-2) [Previous Rank: 5]
9. Boca Raton (2-1) [Previous Rank: Not Ranked]
10. St. Andrew’s (2-1) [Previous Rank: Not Ranked]

Dropped out of Top 10: Previous No. 8 Benjamin (0-3), Previous No. 10 Boynton Beach (1-2)

Close to 10: Boynton Beach (1-2), Glades Central (1-2), King’s Academy (2-1), West Boca Raton (2-1), Wellington (1-2)

HONEST IMPRESSIONS: BOCA RATON AREA

Let us congratulate both Boca Raton and St. Andrew’s for their breakthrough Week 3 performances.

Boca Raton outlasted then-No. 10 Boynton Beach in a 27-21 overtime win on the road this past Saturday (Sept. 14) – much thanks to a timely end zone pass from senior Colby Hidalgo to fellow senior Sebastien Saint-Louis.

With the win, Boca Raton earned its Top 10 spot and knocked out Boynton Beach in the process.

As for St. Andrew’s, a former Boca Raton quarterback by the name of Jacob Cashion has been on fire with the ball, to the tune of five touchdown pass (12 total scores accounted for in the past two games) in his team’s 42-7 home won.

Both Boca Raton and St. Andrew’s improved to 2-1. As a result, the two teams will enter the Top 10 at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.

BENJAMIN OUT

St. Andrew’s will take a Top 10 spot away from Benjamin, which starts its season at 0-3.

While it is safe to say that Benjamin lost to three very good teams – 24-21 loss to John Carroll in Week 1, 36-31 loss to No. 3 Pahokee in Week 2, and 36-14 loss to No. 2 Cardinal Newman in Week 3 – 0-3 is 0-3.

We are not going to place a 0-3 team from Palm Beach County in our Top 10. It is just not going to happen.

Case closed.

INLET GROVE RISING

Do not sleep on Inlet Grove (2–1).

Yes, the past two games for the upstart team have been easy ones against Jupiter Christian in Week 2 (37-14 win) and BridgePrep Academy (56-0 win. But there is talent galore on this squad, featuring Illinois verbal commit Teremun Lott, running backs Jacory Brown and Sebastien Christian, wide receivers Timothy Mann and Kian Johnson, and athlete Legend Felican at the quarterback position.

Rising up from No. 9 last week to No. 7 this week – a two-spot leap – this is a strong squad that can easily win the rest of its games in the regular season. That includes the next two games – Week 5 at home against then-No. 7/now-No. 6 Seminole Ridge (3-0) and Week 6 on the road at former Top 10 mainstay Benjamin (0-3).

FINAL CALL OUT: ATLANTIC

Our debate this week was squarely about one team: Atlantic (Delray Beach).

With its humbling 30-28 home loss in overtime to North Miami Beach, the Eagles dropped to 1-2 in Week 3.

Honestly, Atlantic lost its two games by a total of three points – both in overtime. In essence, it is a good 1-2 team that is only a few plays away from being 3-0 on the season.

With that said, Atlantic had to drop in our Top 10 from last week’s No. 5 spot.

The question was this: How far can Atlantic fall?

It is only fair to drop Atlantic three spots to No. 8 – one spot ahead of No. 9 Boca Raton.

Which takes us right to Week 4.

RANKED WEEK 4 MATCHUPS

•No. 9 Boca Raton (2-1) vs. No. 8 Atlantic (Delray Beach) – Friday, Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m. kickoff

The winner of this crosstown rivalry will remain in our Top 10 next week, while loser could drop out in the process.

•No. 1 Palm Beach Central (3-0) vs. No. 3 Pahokee (2-1) – Friday, Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m. kickoff

This is our Game of Week 4 in Palm Beach County. This is possibly our Game of the Year in Palm Beach County.

There is so much type for this one, as these two teams will play each other for the first time.

The winner of this game will have bragging rights in more ways than one.

NEXT TOP 10 RANKINGS UPDATE: Tuesday, Sept. 20 or Wednesday, Sept. 21