Dwyer At Glades Central Preview

    You know it is the start of the high school football regular season in Palm Beach County when the Dwyer Panthers visit the Glades Central Raiders in Belle Glade on Friday night. The Raiders had won the first six games in the rivalry until last year when the Panthers were victorious at Blum Stadium in Palm Beach Gardens.
    Dwyer finished a surprising second in their district last year behind Atlantic. They played a first-round playoff game on the road for the first time since 2002 and dominated the Northeast Hurricanes 25-3 in Oakland Park. They fell at home during the second round to the Boyd Anderson Cobras 6-3 in a defensive battle.
    The Panthers lost to the Miami Central Rockets, who are the number one ranked team in the nation, at home 44-13 in a kickoff classic last week. Dwyer kept the same five skilled players on offense from last year with quarterback Daniel Parr and running back Alonso Smith in the backfield. Parr will look for highly recruited wide receivers Johnnie Dixon, Clint Stephens and Ezra Saffold downfield in the offensive attack. Strong safety Shawn Boone will lead the Dwyer defensive force.
    Glades Central got off to one of the worst starts in school history as they lost their first four games of the 2012 regular season. However, they won their final six games, a district title and the Muck Bowl against Pahokee. The team held strong at home in the first two rounds of the playoffs against Rockledge and Merritt Island. They lost the regional final game at home to the Jackson Generals of Miami 33-24 in a game that was not decided until the final four minutes.
    The Raiders scored 41 unanswered points and walked away with an easy win on the road last week as they pounded the Coral Springs Colts 48-7 in a kickoff classic. Glades Central will be led by former kicker and current quarterback Giovanni Lugo. Running back Jerry Jones will get a load of carries from the backfield. Wide receivers Ronquavion Tarver, Isiah Johnson and Jonathan Istache will be the primary targets for Lugo to throw to.