The 2015 regular season has come to a close, and the playoffs are just around the corner.
No. 1 Atlantic defeated No. 2 Dwyer 32-21 Friday to close an unbeaten regular season. (Photo by Taylor Jones)
Here are the headlines on PBgametime from Week 11:
* Atlantic rallies past Dwyer to finish off an unbeaten regular season (Game story) (Photos)
* Glades Central rolls to eighth straight Muck Bowl win over Pahokee (Game story) (Photos)
* Ahmmon Richards, Wellington edge Boca Raton (Game story)
In other games around the area, No. 3 Oxbridge closed the regular season with a rout of Miramar-Everglades … Palm Beach Gardens beats Boynton Beach for its third straight win … Palm Beach Central upsets No. 10 Royal Palm Beach … Palm Beach Lakes closes with a win over Suncoast … Check out our roundup for more results from Friday’s games.
In addition to all that coverage, we have a new and improved PBgametime site, which you can check out on your phones at m.pbgametime.com.
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How did the Post’s Top 10 do?
1. Atlantic (10-0): Beat Dwyer 32-21
2. Dwyer (9-1): Lost to Atlantic 32-21
3. Oxbridge Academy (8-2): Beat Miramar-Everglades 30-8
4. American Heritage (7-2): Bye week
5. Boca Raton (8-2): Lost to Wellington 30-28
6. Pahokee (8-2): Lost to Glades Central 35-14
7. Glades Central (8-2): Beat Pahokee 35-14
8. Palm Beach Gardens (6-3): Beat Boynton Beach 36-7
9. Wellington (6-4): Beat Boca Raton 30-28
10. Royal Palm Beach (5-5): Lost to Palm Beach Central 7-6
Four ranked teams – No. 2 Dwyer, No. 5 Boca Raton, No. 6 Pahokee and No. 10 Royal Palm Beach – lost this week, with three of them falling to ranked teams. How far will those teams drop in our rankings? Check out the Post’s final Top 10 on Monday to find out.
4 takeaways:
- Glades Central continues Muck Bowl mastery: The Raiders continued their Muck Bowl dominance Friday night, winning their eighth straight contest against Pahokee. Glades Central never trailed in its 35-14 win, which came in front of a huge home crowd. The victory was the Raiders’ 23rd in the series and gives them plenty of momentum heading into next week’s regional quarterfinal contest against Miami-Gulliver Prep. Glades Central has won six in a row since losing back-to-back games to American Heritage and Atlantic in September. The Blue Devils, despite the loss, are preparing for what they hope will be a long post-season run. Pahokee went unbeaten in District 8-1A, and will open the playoffs at home next week against Dixie County.
- Atlantic leaves little doubt who’s No. 1: The Eagles’ 32-21 victory over Dwyer Friday proved what many football fans have been saying all season: Atlantic is Palm Beach County’s best team. The Eagles have been dominant this year, and have a No. 1 state ranking in Class 8A to show for it. Atlantic’s ground-heavy offense has been tough to stop, while its defense has been immoveable at times. During their past six games, the Eagles have allowed a total of 37 points, and they’ve played without injured cornerback Antwaine Richardson – a Michigan commit – all season. On Friday, Atlantic intercepted three passes and recovered two fumbles. The Eagles will be tested in the weeks to come, as they will have to get through a tough slate of opponents in regional play, including a potential matchup with No. 3-ranked Pembroke Pines-Flanagan in the regional finals. But expect coach TJ Jackson and his team to be ready.
- Palm Beach Gardens is playoff-ready. The Gators hit a rough patch midway through the season, falling to 3-3 after dropping a 26-7 decision to West Boca Raton Oct. 9. But Palm Beach Gardens got the break it needed with a bye in Week 8, and followed with three consecutive wins – including a district championship-clinching 14-9 victory over Wellington – to close the regular season on a high note. The Gators’ defense stepped up during that span, allowing an average of just 8.6 points per game. The unit will need to be sharp next week against Boca Raton, which features a standout running back in Bryce Hill and a strong passing game led by quarterback Philip Santiago. The senior led the Bobcats to a 29-28 come-from-behind win against the Gators in Week 2, and Palm Beach Gardens will have to shut him down in order to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
- Strong finish for Palm Beach Lakes. The Rams started 0-7, and were out of playoff contention early. But Palm Beach Lakes and first-year coach Al Shipman didn’t call it quits. The Rams upset Forest Hill in Week 9, and then beat Olympic Heights and Suncoast to close the season with three consecutive wins. Junior quarterback Armani Edden, who threw four touchdown passes in Friday’s win against the Chargers, will be a force next year. Under his direction, the Rams scored 28, 34 and 38 points during their final three games. Shipman’s goal at Palm Beach Lakes this season was to shift priorities within a program that has struggled in recent years. It looks like he’s well on his way to accomplishing that.
How did Jodie do?
Jodie’s record: 15-2; Season 169-53
Best pick: I took Palm Beach Lakes to close the season with its third straight win, and the Rams did just that, defeating Suncoast 38-14.
How did Adam do?
Adam’s record: 13-4; Season 168-54
Best pick: Adam was ever-so-close to nailing the Oxbridge-Everglades score. He predicted the ThunderWolves to win 28-7, and the final was 30-8.
