LAKE WORTH — Sometimes, all you need is a chance.
Despite limited opportunities throughout the season, a chance is exactly what Park Vista seniors Riley Klaus and Frantz Derival received in their team’s 21-20 win over the Glades Central Raiders on Thursday (Oct. 18).
“Two seniors, it was Senior Night,” Park Vista head coach Brian Dodds said about Klaus and Derival. “We have been a running football team all year, so Frantz hasn’t had the opportunities that I know he wanted, and actually, our team wanted more opportunities for him because we want to be more diverse. He came through in the clutch tonight. Riley really played very, very well when he needed to.”
Down by seven and needing to convert on a fourth-and-12 play, Klaus found Derival to give the Cobras a first down deep in Raiders territory. On the following play, Klaus connected with Derival for an 8-yard touchdown pass to put the Cobras down just one point with just over a minute remaining.
“It was a comeback in the end zone, we were on the goal line,” Derival said about the touchdown grab. “Offense needed a big play, we had the momentum going. [Glades Central] picked up an unsportsmanlike [conduct] early in the drive. We kept the momentum going from there.”
Instead of going for the tie and potential overtime, however, the Cobras had a different plan.
Dodds sent out the offense again, this time to go for the two-point conversion. The play call – a designed quarterback run for Gio Thomas – worked like a charm, as Thomas found the end zone, giving the Cobras a 21-20 lead and eventual win.
“That decision was made at halftime,” Dodds said. “I told my staff at halftime, ‘If it comes down to it, we know exactly what we were going to do.’ We had kind of worked it out, so there was no doubt.”
The beginning of the game did not tell a similar story for the Cobras, however.
On Glades Central’s first drive of the game, quarterback Marion Moreland connected with Desna Washington for a 35-yard touchdown pass to give the road team an early lead.
While Park Vista would fumble on its first offensive drive, one of two interceptions by senior defensive back Miles Hughes gifted the Cobras back the football, where a 17-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Neimotka gave the home team a lead.
While Cliff Desir would return a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, the Raiders would go into halftime up 20-13.
In fourth quarter crunch time, however, the Park Vista defense came up with a clutch play when it was needed.
With just six minutes left and the Raiders deep in Cobras territory, the Cobras secondary came up big one final time. As Moreland attempted to find the end zone, his pass fell into the hands of defensive back Bobby Salla, who granted the Cobras the chance to win the game.
While the Raiders had been able to drive down into Cobras territory with just under a minute remaining, two consecutive sacks by Dylan Lacroix set up a Raiders Hail Mary attempt that fell short, securing the Cobras win.
“Our defense has been solid all year, they really have,” Dodds said. “Our offense just has not played to their abilities all year, but our defense has saved us many, many times. They played their hearts out and tonight was another example.”
Next week, Park Vista will travel to Santaluces for a critical installment in their rivalry. The winner will advance to the FHSAA playoffs by capturing the 8A-11 title, while the loser will likely miss the playoffs.
Following the game, Dodds said the game against Santaluces begins the playoffs for Park Vista (6-3).
“I told the players, ‘The playoffs really begin now,’” Dodds said. “We know that, and I’m sure Coach [Brian] Coe knows that. We know whoever wins is in, whoever loses is out. So the bottom line is we have to get to work and see if we can get it done next Friday.”
Glades Central (4-4) will travel to Monsignor Pace in Miami for its next game on Saturday, Oct. 26 (7:30 p.m. kickoff). The following week, Glades Central will host Pahokee in “The Muck Bowl” on Saturday, Nov. 2 (6 p.m. kickoff).
