By Dave Brousseau - BCAA Writer

FORT LAUDERDALE – This was a game the Dillard Panthers football team was required to play.

Technically, the District 14-4A home game against Suncoast took 48 minutes of game clock, but though it was over 2 minutes and 33 seconds into the first quarter where the game was decided.

The undefeated Panthers (6-0) needed only their first seven plays from scrimmage to score three touchdowns enroute to a convincing 65-0 victory on Thursday. In two games over the past two meetings, Dillard outscored the Chargers 121-0.

Panthers starting quarterback and Plantation High transfer Jayden Chico, played only the first quarter finishing with 135 yards passing and three touchdowns in a 42-point first quarter. He also had a five-yard rushing touchdown in the opening quarter.

“We always want to win district games, but for me it’s about four quarters of football,” said Dillard coach Demitris Mincey Sr. “This is a process and is part of the steps we need to take. What I got out of this was the defense played the way it was supposed to look, and the offense was efficient.”

Senior running back Anthony Carey had the first touchdown for the Panthers, two plays after recovering a fumble on the first play from scrimmage.

Freshman quarterback Lamech Rucker Jr. added a pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter. Timothy Rusley had a 52-yard fumble return for a score and Christopher Tillman added a 58-yard scoring run.

The Panthers finished the first half with 370 yards of offense. Suncoast was held to negative 27 yards on offense.

The 65 points equaled the 65-0 victory over Archbishop McCarthy on October 4, 2019. The most points scoring in a singles game over the last 10 seasons was a 77-0 drubbing of Blanche Ely in the annual Soul Bowl in 2018

Dave Brousseau is a veteran journalist who worked at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Need to reach out to him? Contact him at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 
PHOTO CAPTION: Dillard senior quarterback Jayden Chico (No. 5) threw for three touchdowns passes and ran for another in the first quarter of a 65-0 victory over Suncoast