One week of district play remains for area teams, and there are a few races that have yet to be decided.
Davious Richards (center) and No. 6 Glades Central travel to Cardinal Newman Friday to play the 5-1 Crusaders. (Andres Leiva/Palm Beach Post)
In District 10-8A, Atlantic can clinch the championship with a win over Boca Raton Friday night. The same holds true for Dwyer, which will clinch the District 13-7A title if it beats West Boca Raton. If either team loses, then multiple playoff scenarios could come into play. We’ll detail some of those below.
As for our Top 10, Oxbridge continues to hold the No. 1 spot after its 18-0 victory over Fort Myers last week. The ThunderWolves are followed by Pahokee, Atlantic, Palm Beach Central and new No. 5 Glades Central, which moved up two spots following its victory over American Heritage Friday.
Park Vista, Dwyer, Seminole Ridge, Forest Hill and Palm Beach Gardens round out the Top 10.
Here is the Post Top 10:
1. Oxbridge Academy (5-1)
2. Pahokee (6-1)
3. Atlantic (6-1)
4. Palm Beach Central (5-2)
5. Glades Central (5-2)
6. Park Vista (5-2)
7. Dwyer (6-2)
8. Seminole Ridge (6-2)
9. Forest Hill (6-1)
10. Palm Beach Gardens (3-4)
Also considered: King’s Academy (7-0), Benjamin (6-1), American Heritage (4-4), Cardinal Newman (5-1), Boca Raton (5-3)
Top games this week: (All games will be played at 7 p.m. Friday unless otherwise listed)
No. 3 Atlantic (6-1) at Boca Raton (5-3): The Eagles will clinch the District 10-8A championship with a win over the Bobcats, while a Boca Raton victory could create a logjam at the top of the district. Assuming Park Vista beats Santaluces Friday, the Cobras, Eagles and Bobcats all would be 4-1 in district play. Since all three would have beaten each other, the district champion and automatic playoff berth would be awarded to the team with the highest points average. As of last Tuesday, Atlantic was the only playoff qualifier from District 10-8A. A Boca Raton win probably changes that. The Bobcats face a big challenge, though. Atlantic hasn’t lost since Week 1, and has outscored its opponents by a combined 161-47. However, these teams don’t like each other, and Boca Raton will be ready to play.
West Boca Raton (3-4) at No. 7 Dwyer (5-2): The Panthers’ mission is simple Friday night. A win, and they’re the District 13-7A champion. A loss, coupled with a Forest Hill win over Palm Beach Lakes, or a Palm Beach Lakes win over Forest Hill, would give the Falcons or Rams the district title. Back to this game, however. There’s some history between Dwyer and West Boca Raton with the playoffs on the line, and the Panthers do not want to repeat it. Three years ago, Dwyer needed a win against the Bulls to qualify for the postseason, and West Boca Raton pulled out a 24-22 win at home. The Panthers haven’t missed the postseason since. Dwyer has played well since falling to Olympic Heights, winning four in a row. The Bulls have won 2-of-3.
No. 9 Forest Hill (6-1) at Palm Beach Lakes (4-4): The Falcons and Rams still have an outside shot at clinching the District 13-7A championship, so a win is key. If Forest Hill wins and Dwyer falls against West Boca Raton, the Falcons are district champions. If Palm Beach Lakes wins and Dwyer falls, the Rams are the district champions. A Dwyer win gives the Panthers the district title, but the Rams and Falcons still could build points toward a possible at-large playoff berth in Class 7A. Forest Hill is coming off a big district win over Olympic Heights, while Palm Beach Lakes held West Boca Raton to 9 points in a win last week.
No. 10 Palm Beach Gardens (3-4) at No. 4 Palm Beach Central (5-2): The Broncos wrapped up the District 9-8A championship last week with their win over Jupiter combined with the Gators’ upset loss to Wellington. With four losses – all by 8 points or less – Palm Beach Gardens will fall further behind in the points race, which will be used to determine at-large postseason qualifiers. But the Gators can close well with a pair of games against ranked teams, beginning this week with their district battle against the Broncos. Palm Beach Gardens wraps up the season at home Nov. 3 against No. 6 Park Vista. Palm Beach Central has won four straight, and will be a tough test on the road for the Gators.
