STUART – Let us start with Seminole Ridge.
If anyone has watched the Hawks play in any one of their four games this season, you will find that they are well coached and will give a great effort from start to finish. Suffice to say, our seventh-ranked team did that on the road last night (Sept. 17) against the surging Martin County Tigers.
The final score was 24-6 in favor of Martin County. But give or take a few plays, this game could have potentially turned into an instant classic.
Down 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, Seminole Ridge (3-1) used its venerable running game to make moves on the field and get senior running Sean Tirado in the end zone on a 2-yard touchdown run.
Tirado’s rushing score cut Martin County’s lead to 7-6 early in the second quarter. But Seminole Ridge missed an extra point attempt, which proved to be a difference maker in this one.
And after a lightning delay midway through the second quarter, Seminole Ridge put itself in prime position to take the lead from Martin County.
Now down 10-6, with clock control as its mantra, the Hawks got all the way down the Tigers 1-yard line.
But as the second quarter ended, The Tigers forced a fumble and recovered it on a potential game-changing play for the Hawks, which preserved their 10-6 lead at the half.
“I thought that was a pivotal play in the game,” Martin County head coach Rod Harris said. “Ridge likes to run the ball, and if they would have scored, they would have gone up three at halftime…Anytime you can get a red zone turnover, it always is positive for your program.”
The second half was all about Martin County (3-0), as senior quarterback Jaxon Scott engineering two scoring drives that proved to result in the final score.
“Seminole Ridge is a great team,” Scott said. “They were schemed up very well…We just had to stay disciplined.”
Scott had more to say about Martin County’s well-executed second half against Seminole Ridge.
“Obviously the play calling was great,” Scott said. “My o-line kept me safe all game. The receivers were catching the ball. We were just clicking…When we’re clicking, we can’t be stopped.”
One of Martin County’s two rushing touchdown came from junior running back Denzel Alexander, who had a nice game overall. His 9-yard touchdown run happens at the 1:48 mark of the third quarter.
Alexander’s rushing score preceded an extra point by senior kicker Luke Creber (3-for-3 in extra point attempts; 1-for-1 in field goal attempts), who came through with the game’s final point at 24-6.
“With the intensity of being up and it being all on us, we gotta make a play,” Alexander said. “Coach [Rod Harris] told us to always work hard through adversity. Whatever it takes to win.”
Alexander had more to say about his touchdown run.
“It was just me trying to pick up the score for my team”, Alexander said. “Whatever it takes for us to put points on the board.”
Martin County’s other touchdown run in the second half came on a 2-yarder from sophomore running back Paul Boisvert at the 8:10 mark. The score, along with Creber’s extra point, gave the Tigers a 17-6 lead that only grew from there.
“Everything we do is for our team,” Martin County senior athlete Jayden Pressey said. “We’re a team here. Seminole Ridge is a good team that gave us a great fight. But we came through with the dub. We worked hard and it paid off.”
OTHER WEEK 4 FINAL SCORES FROM PALM BEACH COUNTY
•Lakewood (St. Petersburg) 34, No. 1 Atlantic (Delray Beach) 28
•No. 2 Palm Beach Central 70, Royal Palm Beach 0
•No. 3 Glades Central 45, Santaluces 6
•No. 4 Palm Beach Gardens 30, Wellington 23
•No. 5 Pahokee: BYE
•Gulliver Prep (Miami) 49, No. 6 Benjamin 14
•No. 8 Dwyer 16, Fort Pierce Westwood 14
•No. 9 Park Vista 51, Lake Worth 0
•No. 10 Cardinal Newman at Fort Pierce Central: Game was postponed to Oct. 18 due to lightning
Port St. Lucie 53, Inlet Grove 6
Jupiter 34, Palm Beach Lakes 28
Jupiter Christian 25, Gateway Charter 18
Forest Hill 46, John I. Leonard 0
King’s Academy 30, Glades Day 27
IMG White 28, American Heritage (Delray Beach) 0
Boca Raton 63, West Boca Raton 0
Fort Lauderdale 40, Olympic Heights 0
Pompano Beach 21, Spanish River 13
Tampa Catholic 42. St. John Paul II 10
Berean Christian vs. Boca Raton Christian: No final score reported
Palm Beach Christian Prep at Zephyrhills Christian Academy: No final score reported
Boynton Beach at Jensen Beach: Game was cancelled or postponed due to lightning
BYE: St. Andrews, Somerset Academy Canyons, Suncoast
