DELRAY BEACH – As it has been proven for a few weeks now, Atlantic is the premiere high school football program in Palm Beach County.
It was cemented in last Friday night’s (Dec. 18) 7A Gold title game, when the Eagles (5-1) blew by the Plantation Colonels (4-2) in a 44-6 beatdown. The championship match was held at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami.
Senior quarterback Guenson Alexis finished his high school football career on top, as he directly accounted for four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) in the closeout game.
Palm Beach County’s most improved player got his first score on a blistering 27-yard run just 20
seconds into the game. With an extra point by senior kicker Carson Wilt, Atlantic sported a 7-0 lead over Plantation.
It was not too long before Alexis got another score in. He has developed a solid connection with senior athlete Tyler Burke, who hauled in a 26-yard touchdown catch to help Atlantic get a 21-0 lead.
And Alexis almost got yet another touchdown pass when his connection with senior Rashawn Faustine was a 40-yarder that the receiver ran to the Plantation 1-yard line. It did not happen, as junior running Omari Mitchell punched the ball in for a score to extend Atlantic’s lead to 28-0.
All of this happened in the first half, which ended with a 28-6 lead for our Team of Week 7 and three-time winner overall.
For the second half, it was all Atlantic as Alexis accounted for yet another score on a 5-yard run to the end zone. A bruising block in the trenches by senior offensive lineman Anthony Landes made the Alexis score an easy one, as Atlantic extended its lead to 35-6.
The next Atlantic score was a field goal made by Wilt, who connected on a 32-yarded to further his team’s lead at 38-6.
To close it out for good, senior athlete Montahj Joseph scored on a 2-yard run to the end zone for a 44-6 lead.
And with that, Atlantic won the 7A Gold Tri-County title.
“We wanted to get our offense in as much as possible,” Atlantic head coach T.J. Jackson said to a pool of reporters after the title game concluded at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami.
“We wanted to have opportunities to get the ball and try to score as many points as possible,” Jackson continued. “It was important for our offense to get momentum. It was important for us to play up and not come from behind.”
Jackson had more to say about Atlantic’s explosive offense, which scored in its first four possessions of the game.
“It’s just a blessing what the kids have done,” Jackson said.
Jackson summed up Atlantic’s championship season.
“It was great for the kids,” Jackson said. “They were able to deal with adversity and come through. I’m proud of their parents for supporting us and allowing their kids to come out here and play this game, especially with COVID. I’m excited to see these kids grow and become young men.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Jeffrey Wimbrow
