How does a team comeback from allowing 30 unanswered points and losing a district game at home? They go on the road and score 49 points in their biggest offensive outing of the season. Oh, and not to mention ruin the home team’s homecoming game. That’s just an added bonus.
The Chiefs did just that last Friday. After a disappointing home loss to Park Vista, the Chiefs rolled into Jupiter and dominated in a 49-21 victory. Coach Drinkwater made it clear before their season opener that the Chiefs would have to become a threat in the air after losing their star running back Diocemy St. Juste.
Just a week after senior quarterback Luis Martinez threw two key interceptions in their district loss to the Cobras; he put up his most impressive stat line of the season: 14-of-22 for 250 and five touchdowns. It’s safe to say Martinez bounced back rather quickly.
“I think I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing,” he said. “I think I can continue to win games for us.”
Martinez’s main target was none other than University of Miami prospect Darrell Langham. Langham finished the day with seven catches for 94 yards including the first touchdown catch of the day from 25-yards out.
More notably, however, was wide receiver Khurazze Williams who finished the day with six catches for 121 yards and was on the other end of three of Martinez’s five touchdown passes. Martinez found Williams in the end zone in the loss to Park Vista as well.
“Our quarterback [Martinez] just put it on the money for us,” said Williams, “he was just getting us the ball and making the right decisions.”
With most of the defense’s attention on Langham and senior Bernard Eberhardt, Williams has been able to thrive with little defensive pressure. He may start to see a bigger spotlight which can open up a lot more with 6’5” Langham lined up on the other end of the field.
“I feel like with Darrell being on the other side, it takes a lot of attention off me,” said Williams. “He takes the safety away so it does get me open a lot more.”
The Langham-Williams duo may become the best wide receiver duo in the district this year. In the last two games, the duo accounted for 22 catches for 351 yards and six touchdowns. Park Vista’s Emmanuel Smith and Marques Gayot have accounted for just six catches 211 yards and three touchdowns.
“It gives us a better chance to win,” said Martinez. “We can go deep with Darrell and we can go short with Khurazze.”
It’s pretty unusual seeing the Chiefs offense steal the show, but the defense stayed as tough as usual. Bouncing back from a tough outing against Park Vista, the defense was able to hold Jupiter to just 21 points and scored a 40 yard touchdown on a fumbled handoff recovered by senior Jean Gabriel.
The Chiefs will need to keep that momentum to face an injury-plagued Palm Beach Central team (2-3) on the road. After losing two quarterbacks and starting off their season to a rocky 1-3 start, the Broncos may have found their answer in former running back/wide receiver Kemar Downer.
After coming off a district loss to Boca Raton, Palm Beach Central hosted fourth ranked Seminole Ridge. Downer led that offense to 371 yards of total offense and threw for two touchdowns. Not bad for a wide receiver. It was just Downer’s second full start at quarterback and his first win. In those two games, he’s rushed for 284 yards and has thrown for four touchdowns.
It will be a key district matchup for the Chiefs who have already lost one district game. The same explosive offense that took down Jupiter may have a tough time playing a defense that kept a Seminole Ridge offense that averaged 30 points per game to just 13 points.
“We have to try to go short on them,” said Martinez, “we won’t try to go deep because of how they press. We’ll also try to run more this game.”
A loss this week would put the Chiefs at an 0-2 start in the district standings. Not the way a team trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2009 would like to start.
