LANTANA – To kick off Week 3, two teams clashed in a battle of the undefeated.
In the Thursday night game (Sept. 7), the Santaluces Chiefs dismantled the Olympic Heights Lions, 48-12.
The first quarter started off with an opening drive and score by Santaluces. A blocked extra point made the score 6-0 in favor of the home team.
Olympic Heights quickly responded and worked its way down the field with their run-heavy offense to even out the score at 6-6.
However, it was all Santaluces from that point on.
The fifth-ranked Chiefs (3-0) were able to move up and down the field easily with a solid combination in the running game and passing game.
Quarterback Shyeia Deveaux connected with wide receivers Jamar Browder and Anatay Smith for several touchdowns. Running back Derrick Williams had two rushing touchdowns, one of which was a long touchdown run of 70+ yards.
Olympic Heights (2-1) was able to have some success on the ground. But in the air, other than a score on a trick play, the Lions did not pose a threat, as over 80 percent of their snaps from were played on the ground.
Without a doubt, some help in the air would have aided in moving the ball more efficiently for the Lions.
Starting off at 2-0, it is easy to see why the Olympic Heights Lions opened the season so strong. They are a run-first offense, and they run many formations that simply are not seen too often in today’s game.
With a plethora of run formations – for instance, the Wing-T, I formation, and other combinations of tight ends and running backs in the backfield – these can cause many fits for an unprepared defense. Often times, they will even snap it directly to the running backs.
The Lions had success with it early on. However, that was against some smaller and less experienced teams.
This Santaluces team – who has already played some higher level competition and even had a come-from-behind victory last week against Boynton Beach – was ready and did not allow for many big breaks on defense. Linebackers flowed and filled gaps fast and fluidly, and the defensive line was able to disrupt plays by getting off of blocks.
Overall, it was a good team win by the Chiefs.
Although there is now a blemish on the Lions record, there is a lot for them to learn and improve on for the following weeks. It is important that they played a tough team early in the season, especially if they are trying to secure a playoff spot, which would be a huge accomplishment for a team that did not win a single game last year.
WEEK 4 LOOK AHEAD
The Lions will be on the road against the Lake Worth Trojans (0-2) on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m.
The Chiefs will travel out of state to take on John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) on Friday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 pm.
STORY AND COVER PHOTO: Fenthon/Top Shot Files
