PALM BEACH COUNTY – High school football continues in Palm Beach County with a full slate of games.
Nine teams will suit up today (Sept. 25), with four games taking place between two Palm Beach County programs.
The week is headlined by New Era Prep’s Game of the Week, where Benjamin will match up against American Heritage-Delray.
This is Benjamin’s first game of the season, after its season opener against Cardinal Newman was cancelled due to health concerns. American Heritage is currently 0-1.
AFTERNOON GAME: Boca Raton Christian (0-1) vs. Jupiter Christian (1-0) – 4 p.m. kickoff
Boca Raton Christian had a rough opening game, dropping its season opener against Westminster Academy 39-15. After going 5-5 last season, Boca Raton Christian will look to not fall too far into a hole.
Jupiter Christian won its first game of the season and will look to double its 2019 win total after just two weeks. It looked strong against Berean Christian two weeks ago, and with the momentum, should have a solid chance of going 2-0 on the season.
Score prediction: 26-17 win for Jupiter Christian
NIGHT GAME IN BROWARD: Westminster Academy (1-1) vs. St. John Paul II (1-0) – 7 p.m. kickoff
St. John Paul II looked solid in Week 2, taking three Jamal Crawford touchdowns for a dominating win. It will need to keep this consistency going into its matchup against Westminster Academy, who finished 9-2 last season.
St. John Paul II will need to have a strong showing on defense and score points early to prevent going down too much.
Score prediction: 36-20 win for Westminster Academy
NIGHT GAME IN THE MUCK: Glades Day (0-1) vs. Berean Christian (0-2) – 7 p.m. kickoff
Glades Day battled hard but eventually fell in its opening game against King’s Academy, losing 41-20.
They Gators have talent and are well coached, so they should see early success against Berean Christian.
After dropping their first two games of the season, there’s a chance that the Bulldogs feel the pressure opening up for them. Keep an eye on an increased sense of urgency against Glades Day.
Score prediction: 32-25 win for Berean Christian
BATTLE OF WEST PALM BEACH: King’s Academy (2-0) vs. Cardinal Newman (0-1) – 7 p.m. kickoff
King’s Academy’s strong start should not be a shock for many. Just two years ago, the Lions were in the FHSAA State Championship and under coach Keith Allen, they usually compete hard every game.
The first two games have been no different.
The Lions have scored 33 and 41 points respectively in their first two games, winning both of them by comfortable margins. It seems as though the same competitive King’s Academy team that we’re used to seeing has not left.
Cardinal Newman has played just one game, a loss to a solid Calvary Christian team. It’s still unknown how good Cardinal Newman is, but based off history, it’s fair to assume that it will be able to compete with most Palm Beach County schools.
Score Prediction: 31-27 win for King’s Academy
GAME OF WEEK 3: American Heritage-Delray (0-1) vs. Benjamin (0-0) – 7 p.m. kickoff
It’s hard to interpret how good either side is, simply because neither team has multiple games under their belt.
American Heritage-Delray started its season with a 19-0 loss to Bishop Verot, but it’s hard to gauge a team off just one game.
The Stallions have a solid team, headlined on offense by quarterback Ryan Rizk, wide receiver Brandon Schabert and running back Trey Rainey. Their defense is equally talented as well, and features one of Palm Beach County’s top players in Earl Miller Jr.
Benjamin has yet to play a game after its opener against Cardinal Newman was cancelled. History tells us Benjamin will always be a solid team, but this year’s team has holes to replace across the field, so it is hard to see how solid it will be this year.
Score Prediction: 34-32 win for American Heritage-Delray
PHOTO CREDITS: Keith Forde and The King’s Academy Athletic Department
