A Florida Class 5A District 13 title will be decided Thursday night in Boca Raton, where West Boca Raton and Monarch meet in a winner-take-all showdown with both teams sitting 2-0 in district play.
West Boca Raton has been the more dominant team overall, and the Bulls bring a 7-1 record, a four-game winning streak and a defense that has barely let anyone breathe. They’ve allowed only 46 points all season, have three shutouts, and haven’t given up more than 15 points in any game.
Their lone loss came 15-14 against St. John’s (DC) on Sept.
Since then, West Boca has ripped through Olympic Heights, Glades Central, Deerfield Beach and The First Academy by a combined 161-17. That stretch included a 17-10 road win at The First Academy on Friday, marking the Bulls’ fourth straight victory. In district play, they have been even more suffocating, blanking Olympic Heights 57-0 and Deerfield Beach 56-0 and moving within one win of a perfect district slate.
The Bulls also enter the night holding third in the projected Open Division field.
Much of West Boca’s edge starts with its ability to get after the quarterback. Junior defensive end Makarion Owens leads the team with four sacks, while senior linebacker Maxwell Reid and junior defensive end Javion Herrington have three each. That kind of pressure could make life difficult for Monarch’s passing game.
Monarch arrives at 4-4 after a 71-20 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday, but the Knights have shown how explosive they can be when things click. Their biggest offensive flash came in a 49-0 win over Olympic Heights on Oct. 9, when senior quarterback Mason Hall completed 18 of 20 passes for 487 yards and six touchdowns.
The Knights have used both Hall and junior Jeremiah Milcent at quarterback, and their passing targets include seniors Chris Cortinas and Bryan Bynes, along with junior Conroy Whyte II. Cortinas made the most of the Olympic Heights game, catching six passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns.
Monarch has also beaten Deerfield Beach 26-6 and Cardinal Gibbons 20-13 this season. The task Thursday is straightforward: find enough offense to stay in the game while trying to regroup after giving up a season-high 71 points.
West Boca’s offense has had its own big moments, with senior quarterback Trey Moran leading the way. He entered the First Academy game with 1,218 passing yards and 11 touchdowns against three interceptions, and he’s added five rushing touchdowns as well.
Against Deerfield Beach on Oct. 9, Moran threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns, and senior receiver Billy Clancy III hauled in four scoring catches.
Monarch’s defense, including junior defensive end Aiden Davey, will have to find a way to pressure Moran without letting him extend plays with his legs. If the Knights can slow West Boca down and force the Bulls off the field, they’ll give their own offense more chances against one of the stingiest defenses around.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at West Boca Raton High School.
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