BOCA RATON – Boca Raton (6-4) pulled out a much-needed victory over Fort Pierce Westwood (5-5) to potentially secure a Class 4M playoff berth.
Anticipation will be high for the Bobcats as they await Sunday’s (Nov. 6) announcement of finding out if they will be continuing their football season with a playoff berth. They did their part by handling business against a scrappy Fort Pierce Westwood squad last night (Nov. 3).
The Bobcats defense shined through as they pitched their third shutout of the season in a 17-0 win.
The defensive star for Boca Raton was Gabriel Birnbaum. He was a key player as he recorded three sacks, seven tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery that led to an offensive score for the Bobcats.
“In the locker room, Coach [David] Angell gave a really good speech,” Birnbaum said. “He got me right. We know when it’s time to get it done. I’ve earned my respect to be a part of this family and team. I love every second of it here. I love my team.”
The first half of this game was very back-and-forth with a lot of miscues by both offenses. But Boca Raton was able to pull it together in the second half with its offensive efforts being led by freshman Chance Routson and senior Colby Hidalgo.
Routson scored twice in the second half for the Bobcats. His first score came on a quarterback sneak, while his second one was by way of a pass to Hidalgo.
“We came out here looking for a win to get into the playoffs,” Routson said. “We struggled in the first half, but we pushed through that and bounce back in the second half.”
Hidalgo commented on his team’s victory and how they all prepared to secure their win.
“We went into this game with the mentality that we have to win,” Hidalgo said. “We didn’t want this to be our last time putting on the pads. Our whole team came together to win. Defense came up clutch for us.”
Angell commented on his team’s defensive effort.
“We kept things really simple for our guys tonight,” Angell said. “They played really well with an edge, got turnovers, and chip on their shoulders. I’m really proud of them.”
With a potential playoff berth looming, Angell expressed how the Bobcats will be preparing for the opportunity if it becomes available.
“It’s a new season for us,” Angell said. “We’re taking everything one day at a time, making corrections, and seeing who we play on Sunday if we play anybody and we’ll go from there. 1-0 is the motto.”
SIDE NOTE: Boca Raton has 19 seniors graduating from its football program this year. They were able to win their last home game, and with that came a 100-yard senior walk where the football seniors locked arms one last time and went the length of the field.
The FHSAA’s High School Football Playoff Selection Show will take place on Sunday (Nov. 6) at 11 a.m. It will be aired on the FHSAA’s YouTube page channel.
