On Friday night, fans of Palm Beach County high school football will be treated to an intriguing matchup between one of the area’s blue (or green) bloods and the “new kid on the block”. This week, the Atlantic High Eagles of Delray Beach travel to Lake Worth to face the Dr Joaquin Garcia High Bulldogs.

Lets break down each squad

Dr Joaquin Garcia

The Dr.  Garcia Bulldogs enter this week with so much momentum on their side, fresh off a decisive 47-0 district victory over Suncoast. The Bulldogs’ star senior Quarterback Caleb Butler continues to provide steady leadership at the helm of the offense, distributing the ball effectively to a versatile receiving duo of junior Zion Vilma and senior Jayden Morton. The WR room runs deeper, as Senior Vincent Lewis showcased his playmaking ability on both offense and special teams, while 6 foot 3 sophomore Mike Sineace looks to be a young star in the making.

Defensively- the Bulldog defense has been suffocating, as they’ve still yet to allow a point during the regular season. Garcia’s defense is masterminded by their brainiac senior LB Dominic Luchina, and senior EDGE Jace Gurien has proved to be a force to be reckoned with in the trenches.

Atlantic High

As for Atlantic, the Eagles are coming off a hard fought victory of their own, hitting the road to the Peach Tree state of Georgia, and defeating Jonesboro 26-20. Sophomore QB Pedro Martinez has been hitting each week in stride, tallying multi touchdown games every week this season. His WR room looks to be an unstoppable force to game plan against, as seniors Mark Hanniford, James Jones and Kemari Walcott are matchup nightmares, and sophomore Justin Barerra has solidified himself as the future of 561 football.

Defensively, sophomore DT Dontrell Murray leads the way with 6 tackles per game and 2 sacks, complimented by junior DL Jamir Johnson, who had a jaw dropping 3 sack, 7 hurry performance in the season opener against Palm Beach Central.

Still, the Bulldogs appear to be finding their rhythm at the right time. Their offensive chemistry continues to grow, their defense is stepping up in critical moments, and the team’s confidence is rising after last week’s big win. While the Eagles bring proven playmakers, Garcia’s balance and momentum could give them the edge in what promises to be a high intensity contest.

Cover Photo Credits: Christian Proscia, NewEraPrep