BOCA RATON – Everything from West Boca Raton’s performance on Friday pointed toward and enjoyable and productive final three weeks of the football season.
Bulls running back Javian Mallory, making up for missing last year’s state title run with an injury, ran 18 times for 205 yards and three touchdowns.
The defense that has allowed 88 points total in 12 games held East Lake to negative-4 rushing yards at halftime and six first downs for the game.
And the special teams pitched in with two touchdowns as West Boca rolled past East Lake, 48-7, in their FHSAA Class 6A regional semifinal. The defending champion Bulls, 10-2 and a No. 2 seed, will host No. 5 seed Mitchell (10-2) next week. The Mustangs defeated top seed Palmetto, 9-7, on Friday.
“We played great in all three phases,” Bulls coach Dylan Potts said. “Anytime you score two touchdowns on special teams it’s going to be hard to lose a game. We preached that all week, ‘Let’s steal a possession on special teams’ and we had two of them tonight.
“The defense came out and played excellent right away. I’m pleased with the offense after a sluggish first half last week (35-7 win over Largo). We had a nine-minute drive to open the game. That’s what we want to do, run the ball, control the clock and play defense.”
Potts thought last week’s first half performance against Largo woke his team up a little bit.
“That was a very good Largo team last week,” Potts said. “They came out and hit us. It was good for us. All week we said, ‘We have to go hang 42 up this week.’ ”
The Bulls defense did a remarkable job against Eagles running back Brian Ford, a 1,000-yard rusher. Ford had four positive gains in his nine carries for the game, although he broke loose for a 67-yard gain in the third quarter.
“The first thing you see on tape is he’s fast, he’s blazing,” Bulls defensive end Demetrius Geathers Jr. said. “Our goal was to keep him inside, make him run to the linebackers and we did that. I could tell he didn’t like none of it, he was very frustrated.”
West Boca’s defensive linemen Chris Medina, Jamar Thompson and Grant Edmond were all over Ford before he reached the line of scrimmage.
“It feels great. That’s what we practiced all week,” Medina said. “Our coaches put us in good positions to make plays and that’s why we did that.”
Potts loved what he saw, particularly from his defensive line,
“We were in the backfield all night,” he said. “Anytime you have your four D-linemen living in the backfield, it’s going to be pretty hard to get the offense going.”
East Lake coach Bob Hudson knew his 8-3 team had a monumental task against the defending champions.
“They play physical, they run, they play their techniques well, they’re sound,” Hudson said. “We didn’t perform. We have 65 kids and 56 coming back, so we only have nine seniors. They weren’t quite ready for that.
“(Ford) couldn’t get any space. They gave us headaches. We knew that. They’re a good team.”
On the other side, Mallory, who will play at Miami next year, was knifing through the Eagles’ defense. He suffered broken ribs in a car accident last year and missed the playoffs.
“I'm just here playing my part,” Mallory said. “We all come out and have each others’ backs. I’m just playing my part, doing what I’m doing, playing as hard as I can. I’m giving it all.
“I didn’t get to play in the playoffs at all last year. The last time I played in the playoffs was my sophomore year. These last games I’m giving it my all for sure.”
Edmond got the special teams into the act with a blocked punt in the
second quarter, which Anderson Gracilien scooped up at the East Lake 23 and took in for a touchdown. The Bulls added another special teams touchdown on Tayegan Briskey’s 78-yard kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter.
Now, the Bulls are poised for another memorable playoff run.
“Keep going. Keep dominating all three phases,” Potts said. “Keep being very good on special teams. We know the defense is going to be very good. On offense we have to be efficient, run the ball and take care of not turning it over. If we do that, we’ll be in a good position.”
FHSAA Class 6A Playoff Regional Semifinal
West Boca Raton 48, East Lake 7
East Lake 0 0 7 0 – 7
West Boca Raton 6 14 21 7 – 48
First quarter
- WB–Mallory 6 run (kick failed), 2:36.
Second quarter
- WB–Gracilien 23 return with blocked punt (McNeal run), 6:45.
- WB–Mallory 17 run (kick failed), 2:06.
Third quarter
- WB–Mallory 4 run (Lamb kick), 7:08.
- WB–Gracilien 2 run (Lamb kick), 3:08.
- EL–Cooper 34 pass from Millian (Barninger kick), 1:49.
- WB–Briskey 78 kickoff return (Lamb kick), 1:37.
Fourth quarter
- WB–Briskey 12 pass from McNeal (Lamb kick), 5:36.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–West Boca: Mallory 18-205, Miller 10-99, Gracilien 3-26, T. Moran 2-12, McNeal 2-12, Scott 2-11. Totals: 37-356. East Lake: Ford 9-73, Millian 4-minus 6, Team 1-minus 1. Totals: 14-65.
PASSING–West Boca: T. Moran 10-14-0-110, McNeal 4-7-0-17, A. Moran 0-2-0-0. East Lake: Millian 8-19-1-122.
RECEIVING–West Boca: Briskey 4-29, Hermane 4-28, Clancy 3-245, Gracilien 2-36, Mallory 1-9. East Lake: Archer 3-54, Cooper 2-38, Clark 1-14, McFadden 1-12, Ford 1-4.
TOTAL TEAM YARDS–West Boca 483, East Lake 187.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Javian Mallory, West Boca Raton football rout East Lake in second round