3 takeaways from Boynton Beach football's victory at St. Andrew's

BOCA RATON — The Boynton Beach Tigers beat the St. Andrew’s Scots, 40-35 in a big matchup Thursday evening.

With the win, the Tigers (6-2) are in the driver’s seat to win District 10-2M and have immense momentum going into their bye week.

The Scots (5-2) were down by double digits in the second half but eventually tried to claw their way back. It was too little too late.

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Here are three takeaways from the game:

Dominant Tigers' ground game

There was nothing stopping the running attack from Boynton Beach as brothers Bobby Smith Jr. and Bobby “Fat” Smith terrorized the Scots all night. While he didn’t score, running back Marc Arcelin and quarterback Tyrone Smith even contributed on the ground.

Tigers head coach Clifford Fruge said it isn’t a fluke in terms of the success of the running attack.

“We got three really good running backs. It’s been a focal point, if you try to stop one, it’s gonna be hard to stop the other,” Fruge said. “It’s something we've been focusing on for the last three years. Those guys have been in the system for that long.”

Both players combined for five touchdowns on the night, with Smith Jr. having four. Smith Jr. himself said it felt good to have this type of performance as it was his first game in two weeks.

“We really try to stay conditioned because we run the football a ton,” Smith Jr. said. “The motto was to keep the tempo and keep pounding. So you have to keep the same mindset and stay motivated.”

Overcoming a sloppy start

It wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine for the Tigers, as they committed a couple of turnovers to start the game.

While the Smith brothers had great games, scoring 40 points, both also combined for three fumbles.

Fruge was impressed with the team’s determination and said it’s key to keep the players focused.

“The kids today, sometimes they have other things going on, sometimes football becomes secondary. And the biggest thing as a head coach is to keep them focused on the moment,” Fruge said. “Even during school or after school it’s a big obstacle, so you’re competing with so many different things.”

St. Andrew’s QB Jacob Cashion shines

It was a tumultuous day for the Scots as their defense couldn’t find an answer against the Tigers' run-heavy offense.

Besides distributing the football to his top receivers like Teddy Hoffman and company, he kept drives alive with his legs. He had a 60-yard touchdown run that gave the Scots some hope of a comeback.

While also being the defensive coordinator, Fruge knew how impressive Cashion was and said his ability to use his legs hurt them Thursday evening.

“I watched film, and I said, ‘Wow, this kid can really stretch the game out a little longer. Then I saw it in person. He's something special,” Fruge said. “The way he can extend the play and still improvise. Some of it is design, but some of that is just broken plays and he extends and gets receivers open. It's very impressive.”

After their break, the Tigers will face American Heritage on Oct. 28 and the Scots will look to get back in the win column next Friday against Lake Highland Prep.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: high school football Boynton Beach Smith brothers beat St. Andrew's