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(5) Carol City Chiefs vs. (8) Deerfield Beach Bucks
Friday at Traz Powell Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
For the second year in a row, we’ll be treated to a season-opening cross-county matchup between a pair of top teams.
The GMAC/BCAA “Best of Dade vs. Best of Broward” showcase is a two-game set this year and this matchup is the opening act.
Carol City comes into the regular season licking its wounds from its 41-22 preseason kickoff loss to Bradenton IMG Academy. Despite that loss, the Chiefs are still considered a top team in the state and they’ll want nothing more than to show just how elite they are by taking down Deerfield Beach.
The Bucks won their kickoff classic – 10-7 against Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna – but they weren’t happy with the performance overall.
Deerfield Beach is stout defensively. Linebacker Rosendo Louis has taken on the leadership role in the middle and he holds the entire group accountable.
The status of Carol City star junior running back Nayquan Wright is still uncertain – as he’s still trying to return from an injury. If he can’t go, Carol City will put the ball in the hands of senior running back Cam’ron Davis – so they’ll be fine.
This game tilts in the Chiefs’ favor because there are still some question marks surrounding Deerfield’s offense. Carol City’s defense is a solid unit – that’s going to need a big night from Yasir Abdullah – and it should be able to stymie the Bucks.
And, as good as Deerfield Beach’s defense is – it may begin to falter if it is stranded on the field for long periods because the offense can’t sustain drives.
The score predicted below accounts for wet conditions. If the weather is fair, I’d tack on another touchdown for each team. Either way, still giving the nod to the Chiefs.
Bald Prediction = Carol City wins 18-14
