LAKE WORTH – The good news is Lake Worth High School’s football team stepped on its home field for a game for the first time in exactly a month.
The bad news is the under-manned Trojans faced an up-and-coming Dwyer squad and got routed 54-6 before a crowd of 175 in Lake Worth on Sept. 28.
In winning the make-up game. Dwyer, guided by first-year coach in Remington Young, moved to 3-3.
Lake Worth also has a new young rookie head coach in Levon Barnett Jr., a former Dwyer star cornerback. But it’s been a trying season under Barnett because of roster shortage that could lead to its own winless season.
But just playing the game felt like a Lake Worth win.
“It was just a great opportunity to even be back on the field to play with our brothers," senior
quarterback Trevis Dominique said. “A month ago, everyone thought the program was in shambles. To even be playing, that’s good to me. We’ll fix up the scoreboard later, but for now we’re happy to have the opportunity to be on the field. A month ago, we didn’t have 25 players."
The last time the Trojans took the field was Aug. 28 when they lost convincingly to John I. Leonard. Two straight forfeits to Santaluces and Dr. Joaquin Garcia followed as the roster size plummeted to 15-to-18 players.
“It was a blessing to get the opportunity for the kids to play," said Barnett, who had never served as a head coach but was a Cardinal Newman assistant in 2025. “It sucks we lost but it’s another opportunity for the guys to play. I’m just happy the season didn’t get cancelled. We got to play tonight even though we lost, unfortunately."
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Lake Worth’s roster stood at 28 Monday night after a heavy on-campus recruitment push. Some players reversed their decision to quit the team. Some players came off the academically ineligible list. Some came in fresh.
“I really wanted us to play and continue the season," Lake Worth senior center/defensive tackle Lamar Williams said. “I did as much as I could to get more guys out there. It was very stressful knowing that we might not have a season."
The coaches and new athletic director, Tate Rowan, who took over for Frank Baxley, canvassed on campus. They rounded up enough players for the Dwyer game scheduled 10 days ago, but the contest got wiped out by heavy downpours.
Hence the month-long hiatus for Lake Worth football.
Rumors flew some players left the team last month because they didn’t want to suit up against a tougher squad such as Santaluces after faring poorly against John I. Leonard. But that’s in the past.
“It was tough but as long as you persevere you can get though any challenges in life," Barnett said. “Football can teach you about adversity and how to battle. There was adversity with the program and I did a good job of keeping the guys spirits high."
This one was never close as Dwyer scored three touchdowns in the first quarter. On the opening possession, Dwyer went 91 yards on 5 plays with Khamani Duncanson racking up 80 yards on the possession, including a 48-yard scamper on the game’s first play from scrimmage.
Duncanson finished with 120 yards. Dwyer, with a roster of 55 strong, used a handful of reserves in the second half after posting a 43-0 lead at halftime.
Barnett had hired a young coaching staff of Gen Zers – former Palm Beach County stars who didn't have much coaching experience, all in their 20s.
That showed in the first half when Lake Worth went for it on fourth-and-long from its own 6-yard line. It was either a giant gamble or the coaches didn’t realize a prior penalty was a loss-of-down infraction, bringing up a fourth down.
The Lake Worth highlight came at the very start of the second half when Dominique found freshman Tritian Janvier on a rollout for a 37-yard TD pass for their only points.
“That felt pretty good," Dominique said. “At halftime, the head coaches and offensive coordinators gave us a good speech to get the team up."
Lake Worth’s biggest issue is more offensive-line woes than skill position. “It definitely will turn around," added Barnett. “From the outside looking in, it looks like we’re at the bottom right now. But at the bottom, the only way is up. Day by day, we will progress as a team and a school.’"
Dwyer has righted the ship
Dwyer, coming off an 0-10 season, has a fresh offense under their new leader, Remington Young, who came over from Inlet Grove. He installed an old-fashioned single wing offense, which means no quarterback and four running backs.
The old-fashioned Single Wing has the center, freshman Gabriel Goodman, snap the ball to a running back. Duncanson, Kendell Newberry, Jacob Murray and Zavion Stringer all line up in the backfield.
Dwyer has thrown 15 passes all season but against Lake Worth, the Panthers were able to connect on a 45-yard touchdown pass thrown by tight end Landen Howard late in the first half for a 36-0 lead.
“Building the offense around our personnel," Young said. “We only run the ball – left, right, middle."
Young said he didn’t feel there was a big-enough arm on the roster and the offensive line’s pass blocking was not up to snuff.
It’s been a breath of fresh air and senior linebacker, Zakhari Millner is grateful his senior year is vastly different. It’s his fourth season on the Panthers and a lot of losing under former coach Willie Smith.
“It’s definitely a good feeling knowing we’re better than last season when we had guys quit on us, not give 100 percent effort,’’ said Millner, who has college football and track in his plans. “Now we have guys who want to win. Now that we’re getting a feeling of winning, we’re learning to win. Last year we didn’t know how to win. Now we have a taste of winning, it feels good to build on it."
“It definitely feels different. The last coaches, they didn’t put enough effort into us," Millner added. “They kind of gave up on us also. These coaches don’t give up on us. They want us to succeed."
This was Dwyer’s third game in seven days. The Panthers last played Friday when it lost a 10-0 halftime lead and fell to Palm Beach Gardens, 14-10. Last Tuesday, on Sept. 22, Dwyer beat Somerset Academy 34-8.
With all that football, Young was very happy to have a breather-type game in Lake Worth as they enter a bye week before facing Seminole Ridge Oct. 9.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lake Worth football celebrates return to field after month-long layoff
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