the
PHARCYDE
THE BENJAMIN SCHOOL NEWSPAPER
4875 Grandiflora Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
7 October 2020
Volume 41
Issue Special 1
CLASH OF THE MASKS Bucs and Eagles To Battle In 2020 Homecoming Game By Nadia Poncy Social Media Director On Oct. 9th, the Benjamin football team will be having their homecoming game, one of the most exciting events of the first semester where Buccaneers can showcase their school spirit. Even though due to COVID-19, no fans can watch in the stadium, the game is still on and expected to be an exciting time according to the team players. The Buccaneers will again be facing the Calvary Christian Eagles, to whom they lost a hard-fought, 7-0, battle with last season. Senior Captain Khani Johns is looking for this year’s game to provide some redemption “We played Calvary Christian last year and they beat us. It was heartbreaking losing a game we shouldn’t have
lost or even been close to losing.” The difference from this year to last is not only the strong attitude of the team, but also a new freshman quarterback. Johns said, “Tyler Arenson is young but he’s getting the hang of it, he has high shoes to fill as a freshman, and I think he is ready to fit right into them.” In addition to a plethora of fresh, new players, the Bucs welcome back strong veterans, including five seniors : Andrew Weisz, Nic Anderson, Luke Canata, Joey Shmidt, and Khani Johns. Though limited in number, these five players have all been on the team since their freshman year and are very experienced which is very helpful in teaching the new players how to play. The crew faces a daunting and experienced Eagles
Junior Michael Tadros steadies the ball as Junior Marco Chojnacki kicks another one through the uprights. (Photo by Erika Sousa)
squad, one which features 19 seniors, but the Bucs remain optimistic. One particular strength on the Benjamin team is, “our upper class linemen and running backs,” noted Junior Captain Daniel Gonzalez. This advantage will surely provide the opportunity to score big at the game against Calvary Christian’s team. Benjamin’s team is a mix of young players and some veterans. Senior Captain Luke Canata said, “Our offensive line is all strong veterans but besides that we are very young at skill positions. I expect for our underclassmen to step up and fill the roles of the seniors we lost last year.” Indeed, Benjamin has been coping with the loss of several standouts from last year’s class, many of whom are playing on college squads this fall, including Josh Pierre, Roshuan Downie, Vance Hendryx, Addison Matevia, Tommy Rooney, and Daniel McCulla. Calvary Christian’s team also lost two valuable players like Bryce Van Dyken and Luke Davis. However, Jonathan Lane, the player in last year’s game who intercepted a throw from Santino Marrucci and scored the single touchdown for the Eagles, is returning this year as a senior, and the Bucs should beware of his return.
Senior Captain Luke Cannata hopes to celebrate a few more touchdowns this Friday night on Theofilos Field. (Photo by Erika Sousa)
Another disadvantage is a shortened season due to COVID-19 which didn’t allow players to start practicing until late August and has the team playing without some valuable gametime experience. Coming into this game, Benjamin has played two games and Calvary Christian has played three. Calvary has been unbeatable this season, with wins against Cardinal Newman, Everglades Prep, and Clewiston. Benjamin stands at 1-1 following a dominant performance against American Heritage this past week. The loss to Calvary Christian last year definitely makes this goal of beating them this year much
Homecoming Game Friday, October 9th 7:00 pm https://www.thebenjaminschool.org/school-life/athletics/athletics-live-stream
stronger. The outcome will definitely be hard to predict as both teams have numerous strong players. One thing for sure is that the Bucs want this win badly and are going to fight hard for it. This game is definitely going to be a close and interesting one to follow as the two teams face each other head on. Calvary Chiristian’s 2020 Varsity team is currently ranked by MaxPrep Sports as fourth for FL Class 3A High School Football Rankings, while Benjamin’s Varsity team is ranked 16th.