WEST PALM BEACH – Last week was a monumental one for the Palm Beach Lakes Rams football program.

When they took down the McArthur Mustangs in a 6-3 slugfest on the road, it proved their ability to slay a giant right in front of them. This was their first FHSAA playoff win since 2005, the year they went 9-3 and advanced to the Class 6A regional finals against eventual first-time state champion Palm Beach Gardens.

So how did Lakes pull out the win over McArthur?

It was a 10-yard touchdown run by senior running back Kevon Purnell in the first quarter that gave Lakes a 6-0. It was a stingy defense that played their hearts out from the beginning until the very end.

It was a game-ending interception by Jeshon Ingraham in the final seconds that sealed the landmark win for Palm Beach Lakes.

“I’m so proud of my kids, my kids fought all the way to the end,” Rams head coach Alfred Shipman told the Sun-Sentinel after last week’s playoff win over McArthur. “I looked them in the eye and there was no doubt we were gonna win that football game.”

Palm Beach Lakes offensive coordinator Obrian Edwards had more to say about the victory.

“At the moment, all it means is that we’re one step closer to our goal,” Edwards said. “It gives the kids more confidence and reassurance. Looking further into the future, we hope this gives our community more confidence in the school and our coaching staff. Principal [Dr. David] Alfonso has recently been named principal of the year and Lakes has won its first playoff game in over a decade. We are obviously moving in the right direction.”

Here’s the biggest question now for the Palm Beach Lakes Rams: Can they finally beat Dwyer?

It’s going to take a perfect game on offense, defense, and special teams for No. 6 seed Palm Beach Lakes (8-3) to take down No. 2 seed Dwyer (10-1) on the road tomorrow night (Friday, Nov. 16; 7:30 p.m. kickoff). Upsets happen in the playoffs, but this would be much more than that for the Rams.

There are plenty of reasons why a win over Dwyer is more than an upset for Lakes. First, and most importantly, when was the last time the Rams beat the Panthers on the road?

Secondly, doesn’t Dwyer have players who probably should be playing for Lakes?

Third, everyone wants to play for a winning team that has aspirations of a state title. To put it bluntly, Dwyer has been the best destination for that in Palm Beach County for about a decade now, and Palm Beach Lakes simply isn’t at that level – at least not yet.

There’s levels to this. Dwyer is at the pinnacle, and Palm Beach Lakes is just trying to do whatever it can to snatch the No. 1 destination spot in Palm Beach County.

Prediction: We love Palm Beach Lakes for so many reasons. We love the program’s rise to prominence over the years, we love the rock-solid commitment to loyalty there, and it’s impressive to see a team get better because of its own setbacks.

With that said, we will reveal our score prediction for the Palm Beach Lakes-Dwyer game sometime tomorrow. Stay tuned.