Week 2 saw another upset from Oxbridge Academy, plus a handful of games that went down to the wire.
Boca Raton jumped from No. 8 to No. 5 following its 30-28 win against No. 8 Palm Beach Gardens Friday. (Photo by Damon Higgins)
One week after knocking off 2015 Class 8A state champion Pembroke Pines-Flanagan on the road, the ThunderWolves upended state-ranked Miami-Carol City at home; while Palm Beach Lakes and Boca Raton also won close contests against ranked opponents at home.
Oxbridge jumped two spots following its win Thursday, moving from No. 5 to No. 3. The Bobcats rose from No. 8 to No. 5 after beating Palm Beach Gardens, while the Rams jumped from No. 9 to No. 6 after edging Glades Central, which fell to No. 9.
Elsewhere in the top 10, No. 2 Atlantic, No. 4 Pahokee and No. 10 Wellington also won their games Friday, while American Heritage dropped from No. 3 to No. 7 after falling to St. John’s College High in Washington, D.C. The Stallions fell to 0-2 with the loss, and next face the ranked Raiders on the road.
No. 1 Dwyer had a bye.
Here is the Post’s Top 10 entering Week 3:
1. Dwyer (1-0)
2. Atlantic (2-0)
3. Oxbridge Academy (2-0)
4. Pahokee (2-0)
5. Boca Raton (2-0)
6. Palm Beach Lakes (2-0)
7. American Heritage (0-2)
8. Palm Beach Gardens (1-1)
9. Glades Central (1-1)
10. Wellington (1-1)
Also considered: Lake Worth (1-1), Park Vista (2-0)
Top games this week: (All games at 7 p.m. on Friday unless otherwise listed)
No. 7 American Heritage (0-2) at No. 9 Glades Central (1-1): Both the Stallions and Raiders need a win in this contest to right the ship following losses in Week 2. American Heritage’s defense has struggled against a pair of very good teams in Naples and St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) High, allowing a combined 92 points while scoring just 26. The Raiders, meanwhile, were hurt by turnovers and penalties in their 16-13 loss to Palm Beach Lakes on Friday. Glades Central’s offensive line has struggled this season, and will need a big effort to keep Stallions’ defenders from getting into the backfield. American Heritage won last year’s contest between these teams 35-19 at home, and will need a complete effort to make it two in a row.
No. 8 Palm Beach Gardens (1-1) at Vero Beach (2-0): The Gators are coming off a penalty-filled loss to No. 5 Boca Raton, which followed a penalty-filled win against John I. Leonard in Week 1. Palm Beach Gardens has plenty of talent, a strong ground game and a tough defense, but will need to cut down on the penalties if it has any hope of getting through a challenging stretch of games that includes the unbeaten Indians, improved Seminole Ridge and No. 1-ranked Dwyer. Vero Beach, ranked No. 10 in Class 8A, has overwhelmed its first two opponents, winning by a combined margin of 91-26. The Gators and Indians were scheduled to play last season in Week 3, but were rained out.
No. 6 Palm Beach Lakes (2-0) at South Fork (2-0): The Rams are on a roll, having won five straight games dating to last season. The past two victories have been close, with Palm Beach Lakes prevailing by four points over Lake Worth in Week 1, and winning by three against Glades Central in a penalty- and turnover-filled contest last week. Expect another tight one against the Bulldogs, who feature senior Stone Labanowitz, ESPN West Palm’s No. 16-ranked player, at quarterback. South Fork escaped John I. Leonard 34-31 last week on the road, following a three-touchdown win against Jensen Beach to open the season.
