Western puts together thrilling comeback to secure needed win over West Boca Raton
When high school football delivers, there’s nothing like it in sports.
Western vs. West Boca Raton on Friday was one of those nights. It had it all.
The pageantry of homecoming. The pique of two large classification schools with state championship hopes going at it. A back and forth affair with the drama of overtime.
And a blocked extra point to win it for the home team.
Senior Julian Mendez had the most magical of nights, swatting away West Boca’s extra point attempt in OT to seal Western’s 28-27 come-from-behind win that handed the Bulls their first loss of the year.
“This is the best story I think you can write for a high schooler,” Mendez said, mobbed by family and friends in a jubilant crowd. “Blocked kick, homecoming game, everyone watching. ... I’m at a loss for words right now.”
His coach, Adam Ratkevich, did the talking for him.
“One of my favorite kids I’ve ever coached,” said Ratkevich, whose 2-4 Wildcats proved Friday that they’re far better than their record suggests. “I’ve coached Julian since he was a kid. He’s one of my favorite guys.
“He’s a three star. He’s going to be a great college football player. Captain. Couldn’t have happened for a better guy on homecoming night to go out and win the game with that Davie strong kid.”
While Mendez was the closer Friday, transfer quarterback Sebastian Circo was the workhorse.
He made big throw after big throw to rally the Wildcats back from first a 14-8 and then a 21-14 deficit, including two must-have-its on fourth down.
Western, which somehow won despite not running a single offensive play in the first quarter, faced a fourth-and-21 from the Bulls’ 28 down six late in the third.
But Circo kept the drive alive by rifling a pass to Robert Ortega right at the sticks. The next play, he found Tromon Isaac Jr. for the Wildcats’ first offensive touchdown of the night.
(Western did get on the board in the first half thanks to an 87-yard pick-six by sophomore corner Sherrod Gourdine off Mason Mallory.)
But the Bulls answered right back and led by a touchdown when Western took over for the last time in regulation.
That’s when Circo was at his best, directing a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that took up more than half the fourth quarter. He capped it off with another clutch throw.
Circo connected with Khamarian Young on a 28-yard missile on fourth-and-8, beating tight coverage in Circo’s most consequential throw as a Wildcat.
Circo and Young hooked up again on a broken play in overtime, a 10-yard touchdown pass that gave Western the lead for good.
“I looked for the slant on the inside,” said Circo, who went 16 of 27 for 190 yards and those three scores. “[The West Boca defender] didn’t blitz like I thought so I scrambled. I was gonna run it but he came up so I could pitch it over the top and scored.”
It was the type of game-winning plays that championship teams make, said Ratkevich, who really needed that win. He loaded up the front end of his schedule with Hoover (Ala.), American Heritage, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Chaminade-Madonna -- all games Western lost -- to condition his team for the playoffs.
The Wildcats were determined to go into the postseason battle-tested after losing to Miami-Dade powerhouse Columbus two of the last three years. Gut-check wins like Western had tonight against an excellent West Boca team suggest things might be different this time around.
“We have a big heart,” Mendez said. “Coach Rack is putting this all together. This is a brotherhood and we hang out every single day. We treat each other with kindness, respect. And now we’re going to start winning way more games.”