On Thurs., Oct. 30, the varsity football team played their last game of the season on the road against Coconut Creek High School at 7 p.m. The team entered the game with a 4-5 record following a two-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Coconut Creek entered the game with a record of 7-2, having won four of their last six games. Despite this being a difficult match-up, the team hoped to ride their latest win streak into a season finale victory.

“I feel more confident in us as a team and it makes me feel better about our chances versus a good team like Coconut Creek,” wide receiver Johnny Debs (1) said.

The game began with the team kicking off to Coconut Creek. On the first play of the game, Coconut Creek took a deep shot, drawing a defensive pass interference penalty. On an option play, the pitch from their quarterback was botched; however, the Coconut Creek running back picked up the ball and ran it back 40 yards for a touchdown, putting the team down 6-0 early in the first quarter.

The team’s first offensive drive of the game could only be described as rough. Following two downs with no yards gained, quarterback Jaxon Anger (18) was sacked, forcing the offense to punt. Punter Brody Kefford (9) fumbled the snap and Coconut Creek recovered the ball on the five-yard line.

“The offense played badly because of the defense sending many blitzes,” offensive lineman Andrew Saybe (70) said. “The offensive line couldn’t react quick enough to protect the quarterback, so the offense struggled as a whole.”

With the ball in prime field position, Coconut Creek punched the ball in on the ground. Following a successful two-point conversion, the team faced a 14-0 deficit midway through the first half.

The varsity team’s second possession was no better than the first, with the offense once again going three-and-out and punting the football away to Coconut Creek.

As little under four minutes remained in the quarter, the Coconut Creek offense continued using the aerial assault. With 3:15 left, Coconut Creek capped off their third drive of the game with their third touchdown of the game, setting the varsity team down 22-0 following another converted two-point attempt.

On the kickoff, the special teams unit provided the offense with good field position, returning the kickoff to the 45-yard line. Just like the drives before this, the team went three-and-out for the third time and punted the ball away to end the first quarter.

“Everything in life is a mindset,” varsity head coach Christian Baldwin said. “So, when you go into competition or a game, your mindset has to be right. I think that the team didn’t have that mindset against [Coconut] Creek.”

The defense stepped up, however, forcing and recovering a fumble inside the redzone. Despite the favorable field position, the team was turned away on fourth down at the 1-yard line, turning the ball over on downs.

Following this, the Coconut Creek offense marched the ball all the way down the field and capped off their drive with their fourth touchdown of the game. The extra point attempt was no good and the team faced a 28-0 deficit going into halftime.

To begin the second half, the offense trotted out onto the field to attempt to build some momentum. However, Anger went down with an injury and did not return, which opened the door for backup Sampsen Orlinsky (14) to step in.

“Sampsen has a very high ceiling, meaning he’s got a lot of growth,” Baldwin said. “He’s going to be a very, very good quarterback.”

Following a punt, the defense stood tall and forced Coconut Creek to turn the ball over on downs. The varsity team was not able to put any points on the board on their next drive; both teams traded punts to end the third quarter.

Going into the fourth quarter, Coconut Creek had the ball and was nearing their fifth score of the game. After their quarterback scrambled in for the score, they attempted and failed a fake extra point, increasing their lead to 34-0.

In a common occurrence for the varsity team’s offense that day, the team’s drive stalled out after three plays, forcing them to punt. However, defensive back Nick Brown (7) intercepted a pass on Coconut Creek’s next drive, giving the team’s offense one last chance at getting points on the board.

Their drive started out strong, with tight end Grant Grubor (5) taking a shovel pass from Orlinsky to midfield. Rolling out of the pocket and evading pressure, Orlinsky threw a deep pass that was caught by tight end Caden Zanetti (80) for a late minute score, awarding them both their first touchdowns on the varsity team.

“It felt amazing, one of the best moments I’ve had on this team,” Orlinsky said. “It got me my first varsity touchdown passing touchdown and [Zanetti] his first touchdown as well.”

Following the kickoff, Coconut Creek ran out the clock to defeat the varsity team 34-6. After the game, the team reflected on their season, huddling up as a team one final time for the 2025 season.

“Being able to play varsity with that group as a sophomore was truly an amazing experience, especially improving from a JV backup to a varsity starter in one season,” defensive back Max Troy (31) said.

Falling 34-6 was a difficult way for the varsity team to end their season. However, the team finished with a decent record of 4-6 and showed vast improvement from their 1-9 record last season.