PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — It’s been 11 years since a Palm Beach County high school was last named Florida state champions in football.
However, after a miraculous season, two schools on opposite ends of the county can say they're only two games away— West Boca High School and Cardinal Newman High School.
While an undefeated 13-0 season may sound impressive or surprising, it was nothing short of expected in the team of West Boca.
“It might look surprising on the outside, but internally, I know the guys. We worked hard for this," West Boca starting quarterback Mason Mallory said. "The goal was 15-0 and a state championship."
It’s a dream that could soon become a reality, as the Bulls are set to host the 6A state semifinals match-up against Miami's Southridge High School Friday night.
“I tell the kids all the time what we’ve been doing is a product of what has been getting us to where we’re at right now," West Boca's head coach, Dylan Potts, said. "So we don't need to change anything up, and we don't need to do anything drastic. It's just having a good week of practice and staying locked in."
While West Boca is looking to stay locked in and undefeated, Cardinal Newman has the same hopes to win and advance to the finals.
“We came into the season not knowing what type of team we had," Cardinal Newman running back Jaylin Brown said. "We had a lot of seniors graduate last year."
The team sits at 10-1 on the season, and while the record may not show it, the Crusaders faced a lot of adversity when hiring a new offensive coordinator and a new quarterback.
Still, the team overcame the challenge and will host a 1A state semifinal match-up against Clearwater Central Catholic on Thursday night.
“It’s an awesome experience. We have a good senior class that have been four-year varsity players, so we have a lot of experience," Cardinal Newman head coach Jack Daniels said. "I think it's been key for us down the stretch."
With two games separating both teams from state championship appearances, they know this week's match-ups will be their most challenging yet.
