DELRAY BEACH – For Sheridan.
This is the mantra for the American Heritage (Delray Beach) Stallions, who are deeply saddened by the recent passing of their head coach Brian Sheridan. With that going on, they have a level of motivation and dedication that may be unmatched by any other team in Palm Beach County.
The Stallions were in full force during their Week 3 home outing against the Benjamin Buccaneers, who played their first game of the season this past Friday night (Sept. 25).
In what turned to be a truly inspiring 24-3 victory, assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Nick Martinez was pleased with the overall execution and effort his team put out on display.
As a result of this, American Heritage (1-1) has been voted as our Team of Week 3.
“I’m just proud of the team and the mindset they came out with,” Martinez said. “We spoke all week on how we must have a mindset on winning by any means necessary.”
Martinez was effusive in his level of praise for a sophomore running back who made his debut in Heritage’s second game of the season.
“We relied on our 2023 running back in Clay Cannon,” Martinez said. “It was his first varsity experience after our starting back went down early. Clay carried 18 times for over 130 rushing yards, adding 4 catches for 50+ yards.”
Martinez provided some more analysis of how the game turned out for American Heritage.
“Defensively we showed up and shut down an offense that has a lot of young talent,” Martinez said. “We came up with some big turnovers that led to offensive touchdowns. Not a perfect game, a lot to clean up, but the team stuck together to get the win.”
Stallions junior athlete Brandyn Butler, who was our MVP of Week 3, scored two touchdowns and totaled 100+ all-purpose yards in his team’s 21-point win. He credited Martinez for his team’s overall game plan and preparation for the Buccaneers (0-1).
“I love him,” Butler said. “He’s one of the best offensive coordinators in the game and his coaching is great. He is so dedicated to the program and he believes in me all the time. He talks to me about the right things to do, and I listen to him and execute… I believe in his play calling every game. With his play calling, we will win many games on Friday nights.”
American Heritage, which will be off in Week 4 with a scheduled bye, is ranked as our No. 1 private school in Palm Beach County. This is primarily due to its level of play against Benjamin in Week 3.
“Feels great,” Martinez said. “Two games in, we know there’s a lot of work to be done. But I like where this team is heading.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Nick Martinez
