On Friday, September 6th, the Santaluces Chiefs faced off against cross-town rivals, the Boynton Beach Tigers, in Week 3 of high school football action in Lantana, FL.
The Chiefs started the first quarter strong, marching down the field with a balanced mix of passing and running plays. Junior quarterback Chris Siska capped off the drive with a short rushing touchdown, putting the Chiefs ahead 7-0.
On their first drive, the Boynton Beach Tigers showed potential in the running game but ultimately had to punt.
The Chiefs capitalized on a poor punt by the Tigers on their next drive, setting up excellent field position. Working their way into the red zone, with the ball on the 19-yard line, quarterback Chris Siska recovered a bad snap, rolled out, and connected with sophomore wide receiver Dallas Crescenzo, who outran a few defenders to score a touchdown. The Chiefs extended their lead to 14-0 as the first quarter came to a close.
In the second quarter, the game tightened up, with both teams missing opportunities to score. However, it was the Tigers who eventually found a way to capitalize. After Santaluces drove to the 5-yard line, Boynton Beach made a crucial defensive stand, stopping the Chiefs at the 1-yard line on fourth down. The Tigers advanced the ball to midfield but were forced to punt, pinning Santaluces at their own 1-yard line.
Boynton Beach’s defense came up big, intercepting a pass and returning it for a touchdown. However, they missed the extra point, making the score 14-6.
The second half began with the Tigers punting once again. The Chiefs surprised the crowd by bringing in junior quarterback Jorris Shepherd, who wasted no time getting to work. He connected twice with wide receiver Jamar Browder on in-breaking routes for significant gains. These plays helped the Chiefs enter the red zone, where Shepherd found Dallas Crescenzo for his second touchdown of the game, extending the lead to 21-6.
On the Tigers’ next possession, they found some success with the run game, advancing to midfield. On a critical third down, their quarterback made a fierce run to the near sideline to pick up a first down, but the Tigers later turned the ball over on downs.
The Chiefs quickly marched down the field and threw a 21-yard touchdown pass, but a penalty nullified the score. Nevertheless, Santaluces soon found the end zone again with a rushing touchdown, increasing the lead to 28-6.
Boynton Beach struggled to get anything going on their next possession and was forced to punt again. The Santaluces Chiefs sealed their victory with a final score of 28-6, showcasing a balanced offense and a dominant defense.
What’s Next?
Next week, the Santaluces Chiefs will travel to take on the Palm Beach Central Broncos on Friday, September 13th. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 P.M.
The Boynton Beach Tigers will head to Riviera Beach to face the Suncoast Chargers on Thursday, September 12th, with kickoff set for 6:30 P.M.
