Week 7 for high school footbspanll on the Treasure Coast will be a short week for some teams while several top teams are off the docket after playing Monday.
Five of the top 10 teams in TCPalm’s rankings are idle with a number of teams playing earlier in the week after the impacts of Hurricane Ian to Florida’s East Coast postponed last Friday’s games.
Vero Beach looks to keep their unbeaten season going with a final non-district game against Wellington leading into their final three District 12-4S games staring them in the face.
Free:Check out our weekly high school sports recruiting newsletter!
Recent:Vero Bespanch footbspanll: Aronson, Jspancobs link for 4 touchdowns in Fort Pierce Centrspanl rout
Martin County hosts a talented Stranahan team while Fort Pierce Westwood looks for their third straight win on homecoming.
Midseason report:High school footbspanll: TCPspanlm gives out midsespanson superlspantives for the Trespansure Cospanst
Power rankings:Week 6 Power Rspannkings: Vero Bespanch remspanins No. 1, Jensen Bespanch spannd Centennispanl move up
Tradition Prep (0-3) at Port St. Lucie (2-3)
Time: 7 p.m.
What to watch for — Tradition Prep: The Pirates have found it hard to develop any consistency with how little they have played and the last time out Tradition Prep was overwhelmed 49-6 by Yulee on Sept. 26. Moving different pieces around in particular on offense with the lack of game time hasn’t been easy for the Pirates locking down roles for their players to know what to expect and this game is 11 days after their last they have played. Playing near home for the first time this year should be a nice reprieve from the traveling Tradition Prep has done in 2022. Port St. Lucie: It has not been a good stretch for the Jaguars with three straight losses and Monday’s 28-0 loss to Jensen Beach in District 12-3S play added insult to injury falling behind in the postseason hunt. The offense has flat out struggled scoring just six points in those three games which is even more disappointing considering most of Port St. Lucie’s returners from last year’s district title winning team were on offense. Getting back on track to try and regroup for the rest of the year has to happen if the Jaguars want to have a shot at the postseason at an at-large berth.
TCPalm’s pick: Port St. Lucie 32, Tradition Prep 15
Wellington (3-2) at Vero Beach (6-0)
Time: 7 p.m.
What to watch for — Wellington: The Wolverines have gained some momentum in their last two games with wins against Royal Palm Beach and on Monday against Forest Hill. Two of their losses this year are to local teams Martin County and Jensen Beach and going into one of the most difficult places to play on the Treasure Coast will be a daunting task for Wellington. Senior Bryant Walker had two touchdowns on Monday in the Wolverines’ victory. Vero Beach: Vero Beach took care of business with a 47-7 win over Fort Pierce Central on Monday to begin District 12-4S play strong. Florida State wide receiver commit Vandrevius Jacobs continued his outstanding year with four more touchdown catches and SMU quarterback commit Tyler Aronson threw five touchdowns in total. As much attention as the offense gets, Vero’s defense continues to have different kids make plays all over the field that creates an energy that is contagious for a team now in a position to do some special things if they maintain their form.
TCPalm’s pick: Vero Beach 44, Wellington 10
Stranahan (3-2) at Martin County (4-2)
Time: 7 p.m.
What to watch for — Stranahan: The Dragons are riding a three-game win streak and downed Hallandale 48-12 last Friday. While 5-star wide receiver and Florida State commit Hykeem Williams gets a lot of acclaim, senior running back Sincere Rodriguez is equally dangerous with the ball in his hands making Stranahan’s offense difficult to bog down. Martin County: The Tigers fought their tails off with starting quarterback Jayden Vega sidelined and had a field goal to win the game blocked late in a 14-13 loss to Centennial. While Vega’s status is unknown for the time being, the offense on Monday had success moving the ball with senior Pauly Boisvert performing admirably hitting a few passes at quarterback. The defense will face a huge test with the talent waiting on the other side which will make it even more important for the offense to control the clock as they did last week.
TCPalm’s pick: Stranahan 27, Martin County 23
Spanish River (0-5) at Fort Pierce Westwood (4-1)
Time: 7 p.m.
What to watch for — Spanish River: The Sharks had a shot to get their first win on Monday but St. John Paul II scored a 28-16 win. Junior quarterback Braydon Mancini threw for almost 400 yards and despite Spanish River’s poor results this year, sophomore wide receiver Blake Wallace had been incredibly productive with 28 catches for 492 yards and three touchdowns so far. Fort Pierce Westwood: In a high pressure game Monday, the Panthers had a strong first half but had to dig in to come away with a 21-14 road win over Okeechobee to begin District 11-3S play. Junior Braylon Vincent nearly ran for 200 yards and scored two touchdowns for the second straight game at running back for an offense that didn’t have many possessions on the night. Fort Pierce Westwood has their biggest game of the year next week at home against Sebring with a win clinching a state playoff berth and will want to come in with momentum.
TCPalm’s pick: Fort Pierce Westwood 40, Spanish River 13
Benjamin (1-3) at South Fork (1-4)
Time: 7 p.m.
What to watch for — Benjamin: The Buccaneers had a week off in Week 6 coming off their first win of the year their last time out. Scoring a 49-30 win over previously unbeaten Jensen Beach, Benjamin hopes they can regain their footing and ride the emergence of junior quarterback Jacob Cosby-Mosley who threw five touchdowns passes in the victory. South Fork: The Bulldogs were also off in Week 6 and are hoping to rebound from their 35-7 loss to Martin County their last time on the field in Week 5. Offense simply has been hard to come by for South Fork all season with only one game where the Bulldogs have scored more than seven points in a game and has put far too much pressure on the defense to perform. Playing against an extremely talented team this week will be a tough ask for the Bulldogs at home.
TCPalm’s pick: Benjamin 41, South Fork 7
Heritage (1-4) at Sebastian River (3-1)
Time: 7 p.m.
What to watch for — Heritage: The Panthers were off in Week 6 and probably would have liked to get right back on the field after their 20-6 upset win over Merritt Island in Week 5. Heritage’s running game was outstanding in the victory rushing for over 250 yards led by Tayshawn Benson’s 108 yards and a touchdown. Sebastian River: The Sharks were also off in Week 6 coming off their 10-6 win against Port St. Lucie in Week 5. Sebastian River’s defense has played very well all season and shined against in their win over the Jaguars allowing less than 250 yards of total offense. Junior Jon Tumblin has emerged into a top two-way player on the area and ran for 100 yards last week to go along with nine tackles and a sack on defense.
TCPalm’s pick: Sebastian River 27, Heritage 17
St. Edward’s (2-2) at Central Florida Christian Academy (3-0)
Time: 7 p.m.
What to watch for — St. Edward’s: The Pirates were off in Week 6 coming off a disappointing 48-6 loss to Westminster Christian in Week 5. St. Edward’s will hope to have found some mojo coming into a game where their opponent can score at will but the Pirates have the firepower to do the same. Players like seniors Sam Thomas and Grant Domenech will need to be at their best to help senior quarterback Dylan Redmon and the team find a big win in SSAC play. Central Florida Christian Academy: The Eagles put up 78 points against Seffner Christian in a win the last time they played on Sept. 23. A prolific offense in three games is led by junior running back Marcus McCrimmon, Jr. (685 yards, nine TD’s), junior quarterback Jacob Cania (853 yards, 11 TD’s) and senior wide receiver Lavon Hudson (18 catches, 406 yards, six TD’s).
TCPalm’s pick: Central Florida Christian Academy 43, St. Edward’s 28
Okeechobee (1-4) at Immokalee (2-3)
Time: 7 p.m.
What to watch for — Okeechobee: In a fight to get a leg up in the District 11-3S race, the Brahmans nearly pulled off a surprise win but fell 21-14 to Fort Pierce Westwood. Okeechobee senior quarterback Michael Burgarelli threw a long touchdown pass and ran in another as the team had chances in the second half to grab a victory but couldn’t quite take them. With their only shot to be in the mix for a district title coming on Oct. 28 at Sebring, the Brahmans will want to gather momentum throwing their eggs into one basket. Immokalee: Immokalee their last time out lost 23-0 to Barron Collier on Sept. 23 and like the rest of Southwest Florida dealt with the impacts of Hurricane Ian. The school fared well and reopened Thursday allowing the team to return to the field. Juniors Trannon Villareal (570 yards, five TD’s) and Luck Jean-Baptiste (392 yards, four TD’s) in the backfield are a potent 1-2 punch for Immokalee.
TCPalm’s pick: Immokalee 31, Okeechobee 13