Garcia coach Brandon Walker was happy to rely on his defense to finish the job. The Bulldogs’ previous three victories all were shutouts.
BOYNTON BEACH – Normally sure-handed Vincent Lewis could not believe it when the football was punched out of his arm and fell on the Dr. Joaquin Garcia 13-yard line.
Lewis flashed back to three weeks earlier in a loss to Atlantic.
“I fumbled on a kickoff like that and gave (Atlantic) the ball right back,” the Dr. Joaquin Garcia senior wide receiver said. “They went down and scored and our team lost hope. I wasn’t going to let that happen again. I knew i had to go get on it.”
Lewis raced back and fell on the ball, then seven plays later grabbed his fifth catch of the night for 46 yards on third-and-19. It was a vital play in the Bulldogs’ scoring drive as they regained momentum and held off Boynton Beach, 28-21, in their District 14-4A game on Friday, Sept. 26.
“I’m a big-time believer in if you mess up it doesn’t mean you’re done for the rest of the game,” Garcia quarterback Caleb Butler said, “It’s more fuel to bounce back. I trust Vinny and all the guys around me. I’m happy have a family around me I can trust.”
Three plays after Butler hit Lewis on an out-and-up for 46 yards, the Bulldogs’ Mike Sineace caught a tipped pass for a 26-yard touchdown.
Garcia (4-2, 2-0 in District) scored again 1:32 later when linebacker Dominic Luchina picked up a fumble at the Boynton Beach 4 and rode the ensuing scrum into the end zone.
The Tigers (3-3, 1-1) were not done though. Behind quarterback Chris Siska and dynamic wide receiver Bentley Ware-Roberson (four catches, 120 yards, two touchdowns), and a defense that produced three second-half turnovers, they rallied back.
“We got some stops on defense and were able to clean some things up in the second half,” Tigers coach Trequan Smith said. “We always have a goal of three turnovers a game. Today we were able to do that. We did a great job of that.”
Garcia coach Brandon Walker was happy to rely on his defense to finish the job. The Bulldogs’ previous three victories all were shutouts.
“We just persevered. We had some opportunities to put it away,” Walker said. “Credit to them, they’re scrappy and their kids played with a lot of confidence. Boynton has showed that they’re a good team, but when our backs were against the wall, I’ll take our defense any day of the week. They beared down and got stops when we needed it.”
Garcia tied the score at 7-7 late in the first half on running back D’Angelo Murph’s 14-yard run. The Bulldogs scored again with 17 seconds remaining when Butler, under pressure, tossed a high pass into the air and let Lewis run it down.
Lewis, with his back to the ball like an outfielder in baseball, came down with the ball in the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown.
“That’s what we practice. I preach it to the younger guys, you have to learn tracking,” Lewis said. “That’s a main drill I do, and I’m glad I could come through.”
Butler knew Lewis would run the ball down.
“I had pressure in my face so I let the ball go and I trusted my guy Vinny,” he said.
Lewis finished with five receptions for 93 yards. His biggest play may have been pouncing on the one ball he dropped, the fumble on the kickoff. Boynton Beach had cut the lead to 14-13 when Siska hit Ware-Roberson with a 15-yard touchdown pass.
“We talk about it’s all about the next play,” Walker said. “Vinny’s a senior leader for us and he’s able to kind of move on from those things. He knew he messed up, no need to harp on it.
“He made a big play in the corner of the end zone and put us up on a really lofted ball. He tracked it and made a big catch for us. That’s what Vinny does. He’s very unassuming, but he knows it’s all about the next play.”
Ware-Roberson also had a leaping interception on defense and laid out for a diving 35-yard reception late in the third quarter.
“Bentley is a great player,” Smith said. “He’s a great guy to coach and a great leader in our program. Having him is an asset.”
Dr. Joaquin Garcia 28, Boynton Beach 21
Garcia — 0 14 14 0 – 28
Boynton Beach — 0 7 6 8 – 21
Second quarter
- BB–Cunningham 25 pass from Siska (Bloncourt kick), 8:06.
- DJG–Murph 14 run (Boyd kick), 2:27.
- DJG–Lewis 26 pass from Butler (Boyd kick), 0:17.
Third quarter
- BB–Ware-Roberson 15 pass from Siska (kick failed), 6:54.
- DJG–Sineace 26 pass from Butler (Boyd kick), 2:57.
- DJG–Luchina 4 fumble return (Boyd kick), 1:25.
Fourth quarter
- BB–Ware-Roberson 45 pass from Siska (Moise run), 7:51.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–Garcia: Murph 11-54, Butler 10-26, Davison 2-5, Team 1-minus 1. Totals: 24-84. Boynton Beach: Chery 4-34, Telisca 1-18, Cunningham 4-9, Glinton 2-4, Siska 5-2, Moise 2-minus 1 Team 1-minus 1. Totals: 20-63.
PASSING–Garcia: Butler 15-27-1-215. Boynton Beach: Siska 12-19-1-218.
RECEIVING–Garcia: Lewis 5-93, Vilma 5-34, Sineace 2-34, Davison 1-23, Raymond 1-17, Murph 1-14. Boynton Beach: Ware-Roberson 4-120, Thompson 3-48, Neal 3-14, Cunningham 2-36.
TOTAL TEAM YARDS–Garcia 299, Boynton Beach 281.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dr. Joaquín García football beats Boynton Beach in district matchup
Category: General Sports
