JUPITER — Jupiter senior quarterback Andrew Embick had three touchdown passes, senior running back Jayden Roberts scored twice, and the host Warriors held off Palm Beach Central 27-20 in the District 12-7A opener on Friday night.
After a scoreless first quarter, Jupiter trailed 6-0 in the second quarter before Embick helped lead the offense on back-to-back scoring drives to give the Warriors a 14-6 advantage entering halftime.
“We knew we were going to have adversity and we were going to battle through things,” Embick said. “We just came out here and responded. Being aggressive really helped us. We made some spectacular plays tonight. It was amazing. We’re going to prove to everyone that Jupiter is a good team and that we’re going to go far. We’re never satisfied.”
Jupiter coach Jason Kradman praised the development of Embick through the first five games of the season.
“Andrew Embick has done a really great job over the last two years,” Kradman said. “He is just maturing, developing, and becoming the leader that we need both vocally and with his play. He just really made a lot of smart decisions. He didn’t put us in bad spots, protected the football and made some huge throws when he needed to. Credit to our offensive line as well.”
Jupiter, which finished 10-2 last season and reached the regional semifinal, avenged a 26-10 loss to Palm Beach Central from last year.
“Coach Thompson and his staff do a great job over there,” Kradman said. “They have some fantastic players. We are so senior-laden right now. We have 30 seniors on our roster. All those guys have been with us for the most part for their entire careers. It’s great to see their development since freshman year until now and how they have helped lead the program kind of with this resurgence that we had. I am just really proud of our players and coaching staff.”
Jupiter (5-0) forced three turnovers in the second half and pulled away for a 27-6 lead in the fourth. Palm Beach Central (1-4) rallied with two scores late in the contest.
“I just think [Defensive Coordinator] Coach Josh Brooks is just a great young coach,” Kradman said. “He is going to be fantastic head coach one day. He does an unbelievable job preparing our defense every week for whatever opponent we are playing and whatever style they run. He just always puts our guys in the best spot for their ability and takes advantage of our personnel. Credit goes to all our seniors on defense.”
Embick threw a screen pass to junior Nick Bothe for a 48-yard gain on the first play of the game, but the Warriors offense did not capitalize as they failed to convert on fourth-and-1 at the Broncos 23-yard line.
The game was stopped due to a lightning delay with 6:53 left in the first quarter. After a delay of nearly 90 minutes, Palm Beach Central’s opening possession stalled as they missed a 41-yard field goal attempt.
Palm Beach Central senior quarterback Chance Routson fired an 83-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Antoine Perry to make it 6-0 with 9:56 left in the second quarter.
Jupiter answered back as senior KJ Larsen stepped up with a diving catch by the right sideline and into Palm Beach Central territory. The Warriors converted on fourth-and-3 at the Broncos 28 to extend the drive. Embick connected with Bothe for a 19-yard touchdown to give the Warriors a 7-6 advantage with 4:45 remaining in the second quarter. Bothe leaped up over the defender, tipped the ball forward and made a diving catch in the end zone for the highlight-reel score.
“It was a great play,” Bothe said. “The coaches have trust in me. We were locked in. We knew we had this game from the jump after our preparation in practice. I just feel like we came together as a team to win this game.”
The Warriors extended their lead to 14-6 on their next possession. Embick fired a pass over the middle to Larsen for a 40-yard gain to the Broncos 5-yard line. On the next play, Roberts rushed for a 5-yard touchdown with 26 seconds left in the first half.
“This was going to be the most physical team we played,” Roberts said. “They have some great athletes over there. We prepared and worked hard. I am thankful to the coaches for accepting me into this program. It’s a good feeling. I think we can be better. We’re going to push to get to 10-0.”
Jupiter senior Rhys Hall recorded an interception on the opening series of the second half, and the Warriors capitalized with a short field, starting at the Broncos 5-yard line.
“It was a big momentum-changer,” Hall said. “I just followed the plan of my coaches. Our defense came in clutch. We made big stops when we needed to, and the defense is a big reason why we had this win.”
Embick connected with Roberts for an 11-yard score to push the lead to 20-6 with 8:56 left in the third quarter.
Palm Beach Central marched downfield on their next series to Warriors 15. Senior Caden Kimbrell stepped up with an interception in the end zone for the Warriors.
The Broncos defense had a fumble recovery at the Warriors 44 later in the third. Freshman quarterback Isaiah Hamilton entered the game on offense for the next series, but the Broncos failed to score.
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Senior Andrew Stout made a fumble recovery on special teams during a punt at the Broncos 29. On the next play, Embick fired a 29-yard touchdown pass to senior Kai Quinn to increase the lead to 27-6 with 7:52 left in the fourth.
Routson tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Perry to cut the deficit to 27-13 with 6:32 left.
On fourth-and-goal, Routson powered his way for a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 27-20 with 1:54 left.
