Football returned last Friday after a two-week break, and continues with a shortened week of games for many area teams during Week 6.
Kevon Purnell (No. 9) and No. 5 Palm Beach Gardens travel to Jupiter for a district contest Thursday. (Richard Graulich/Palm Beach Post)
Thirteen games will be played Wednesday and Thursday, including an intriguing matchup between No. 1 Oxbridge Academy and No. 7 Glades Central. No. 8 Seminole Ridge also hosts No. 6 Wellington in another top 10 matchup, while No. 9 Palm Beach Central travels to Boca Raton, which has gotten off to a 2-1 start.
Eight games also are on tap for Friday, with those contests including unbeaten King’s Academy, Jupiter Christian and Cardinal Newman taking on Fort Lauderdale-Calvary Christian, South Fort Myers and Saint John Paul IIAcademy, respectively.
Oxbridge Academy and Pahokee held on to the top two spots in this week’s poll, while Atlantic moved up to No. 3 and Dwyer moved up to No. 4 with wins Friday. Palm Beach Gardens dropped two spots to No. 5 after falling to the Panthers in their annual rivalry game.
Wellington, Glades Central, Seminole Ridge, Palm Beach Central and Park Vista round out the top 10.
Here is the Post’s Top 10 entering Week 6
1. Oxbridge Academy (2-1)
2. Pahokee (1-1)
3. Atlantic (2-1)
4. Dwyer (2-1)
5. Palm Beach Gardens (2-1)
6. Wellington (2-1)
7. Glades Central (2-1)
8. Seminole Ridge (3-0)
9. Palm Beach Central (1-2)
10. Park Vista (1-2)
Also considered: American Heritage (2-2), King’s Academy (3-0), Cardinal Newman (3-0), Jupiter Christian (4-0)
Top games this week: (All games will be played at 7 p.m. Thursday unless otherwise listed)
No. 7 Glades Central (2-1) at No. 1 Oxbridge Academy (2-1): The Raiders travel east to play the top-ranked ThunderWolves, who have outscored their past two opponents 122-7 after dropping their season-opener. Glades Central also has played well since falling in Week 1 to Fort Lauderdale-University, defeating Class 7A Orange Park-Oakleaf and longtime rival Clewiston. Glades Central’s defense has been stingy all season, allowing an average of just 10.6 points per game. But the Raiders face a huge test against Oxbridge, which has scored at will during its past two games. The ThunderWolves racked up 495 yards of total offense in a 69-0 victory against Pembroke Pines-Flanagan Aug. 31, and then totaled 323 yards – including 229 on the ground – in a 53-7 win over Cooper City on Friday.
No. 6 Wellington (2-1) at No. 8 Seminole Ridge (3-0): The Hawks have gotten off to a hot start, while the Wolverines’ only loss came to Class 8A powerhouse Vero Beach. Wellington will go with its backup quarterback – sophomore Austin Wallace – for the remainder of the season after starter Connor Rogers went down with an injured shoulder in Week 2. But Wallace has looked good for the Wolverines, and is coming off a three-touchdown, 258-yard performance in a shutout of John I. Leonard on Friday. Seminole Ridge also shut out its opponent last week, defeating Boynton Beach 25-0. This game is the first district contest of the season for both the Wolverines and Hawks, and it’s an important one.
No. 9 Palm Beach Central (1-2) at Boca Raton (2-1): The Broncos have dropped their past two games after opening the season with a win over then-No. 1 Atlantic, but they also faced a pair of very good teams in state-ranked Melbourne Central Catholic and unbeaten Melbourne-Palm Bay. The Broncos nearly pulled off a win Friday against the Pirates, scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter before falling 30-28. The Bobcats had a much easier time against winless Santaluces Friday, winning 46-8 behind Rod Evans’ four touchdown catches. That contest was the first of five within District 10-8A for Boca Raton, which hopes to get back into the playoffs after missing out last season. The Broncos are not a district opponent, but will provide a big test for the Bobcats with Park Vista coming up Oct. 6.
