BELLE GLADE – Clay Shiver had a simple yet masterful game plan for Boca Raton Christian.
To beat Glades Day (No. 5 in our latest team rankings), a team must make timely defensive plays when it matters the most. And when the opportunity arises to make big plays on offense, those cannot be missed as well.
In what was a tight battle from start to finish, Shiver’s team got it done in the Muck as the Blazers held off the Gators in a 28-19 win on Friday night (Oct. 9).
This game could have gone either way, particularly in the fourth quarter.
Up 21-13 to start the final frame, Boca Raton Christian (2-2) overcame a pick-six caught by Glades Day freshman Jenorris Wilcher by stopping a two-point conversion attempt with 11:47 left. A potential tie game ultimately turned into a 21-19 lead for the road team.
And then when Gators eighth grader Hardley Gilmore caught a pick at his team’s own 2-yard line with 9:24 left, the Blazers defense needed to take a stand. They quickly extinguished any comeback hopes by recovering a lost fumble in the end zone, as the final score ultimately turned out to take place at the 8:41 mark.
“The defense played tremendous,” Shiver said. “When you come to
Glades Day, you know what you’re in for. These guys (Glades Day) always fight and are well-coached. They played great football. We just caught a couple of breaks.”
The Blazers needed another defensive stand to ice this one. It came at the 4:16 mark in the four fourth quarter, when they did not allow the Gators to get past their 10-yard line, which resulted in a turnover on downs.
“It was real timely,” Shiver said.
Led by quarterback Francesco Fabiani (235 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions), the Blazers did not give the Gators another opportunity as they ran the clock out.
“The offense really came through, salted the win at the end,” Shiver said. “The defense didn’t have to go back on the field.”
This will go down as Boca Raton Christian’s most significant victory in school history, as it beat Glades Day (2-2) for the first time.
“This is a big, big deal for us,” Shiver said. “It’s my 10th year here. It comes at a timely time. We’ve been trying to build toughness into these kids for about 10 years, and I’m just really impressed with them.”
Boca Raton Christian’s winning formula started to blossom in the first half, when Fabiani found senior wide receiver Malik Jean-Louis (150+ receiving yards, 2 touchdowns) for his first of two scores in the game. It gave the Blazers a 7-0 lead that lasted until near the halftime point.
Boca Raton Christian found itself tied with Glades Day at 13-13 early in the third quarter before it outscored the home team by a margin of 15-6 the rest of the way.
OTHER GAMES
No. 2 Cardinal Newman 25, No. 4 St. John Paul II 12: The Crusaders (3-1) never trailed in this one, as they got big plays from the seniors Aaron LaMartiniere and Luigi de Cardenas, who each found their way into the end zone on rushing scores. Quarterback Joe Thomas connected with Keith Golden Jr. for a passing touchdown in a 13-point victory over the Eagles (2-2).
Jupiter Christian 66, Bell Creek Academy 0: Quarterback Juice Wiener accounted for at least five touchdowns, leading the Eagles (3-1) in what may be their largest margin of victory in school history.
GAME CANCELLATIONS
No. 1 American Heritage-Delray Beach (1-1): Did not play last night against American Collegiate Academy (3-1). It was reportedly due to the opponent’s bus breaking down on them on their way to Delray Beach.
Benjamin (1-1): Did not play last night against Calvary Christian (3-0). It was probably due to health concerns for both teams.
“Out of an abundance of caution and in the best interest of the health and safety of our players, coaches, fans, and staff, our football game has been canceled tonight against Calvary Christian,”
the Benjamin athletic department released in a statement on its Twitter account just 40 minutes before the 7 p.m. scheduled kickoff.
BYE: No. 3 King’s Academy (3-1), Berean Christian (0-4)
PHOTO CREDITS: Dana Fox and Benjamin Athletic Department
