WELLINGTON – Lincoln Graf to Teddy Hoffman.
Get used to it. Because they could be the best quarterback-receiver duo in Palm Beach County.
The veteran Atlantic duo scored nine times for 162 yards and three touchdowns as the Eagles crushed host Palm Beach Central 46-17 in a Kickoff Classic on Thursday night.
“He played quarterback in ninth grade,” Graf said of Hoffman. “So he knows where there are no guys on defense. If I know what he’s thinking and he knows what I’m thinking, how can he stop us?”
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Graf scored a total of five touchdowns in just over three quarters of play. He threw four touchdown passes and scored another touchdown.
“I’ve been here a while and I’m starting to pick things up quicker,” Graf said. “Obviously, we’re always learning new things and it takes a while to get comfortable with new things. … If my offensive coordinator and I continue to build our trust in each other, we can really go far.”
Hoffman (Appalachian State player, No. 99 in the USA Today Florida Network Top 100) caught two touchdowns in the first half – including one on the final play of the half – and another early in the fourth quarter.
Here are some takeaways for Atlantic and Palm Beach Central.
Atlantic
Deandre Desinor, who has committed to West Virginia, will make his first appearance for the Eagles
The Eagles’ star running back finally made his first appearance in a game for the Eagles, opening the scoring drive with a 27-yard run down the right sideline. Desinor (West Virginia commit, No. 40 Top 100) transferred from American Heritage and was therefore ineligible to play in the spring game. He was active in both the running and passing game, converting a screen pass into a first down on the final drive of the first half.
Atlantic’s defense performed well
Given the number of college recruits in Central’s offense (four receivers have either committed to or have offers from Power 4 programs), the Eagles were able to keep the Broncos offense in check for most of the night. Atlantic’s front four was able to generate pressure and the secondary was able to intercept several passes.
Atlantic’s other recipients will have opportunities
If Hoffman’s stellar offseason didn’t grab people’s attention, Thursday’s performance will. Now defenses must decide whether to fill the box to stop a four-star running back or focus on Hoffman. Inevitably, Atlantic’s other receivers will get a chance to shine. Felcian Legend and James Jones also caught touchdown passes on Thursday.
Palm Beach Central
Mistakes hurt the Broncos
Central did itself no favors with penalties and errors. These included a late punt on the final play of the half that gave Atlantic an untimed down, which they scored, and a fourth-down jump on a fourth-and-6 attempt that gave the Eagles a very manageable fourth-and-1. They also allowed a completion on a potential punt on the opening drive because Graf caught the defense off guard. These kinds of plays are hard to overcome against a strong opponent.
Preston Parker Jr. is a mismatch
With Waden Charles (UCF commit) and Kamare Williams (Arkansas commit) demanding attention from the outside, Preston Parker Jr. is a tough opponent coming out of the slot. The 6-foot-4, 175-pound player caught several passes from Chance Rouston, including a touchdown pass in the third quarter. Similar to Atlantic, teams will have to decide which of the Broncos receivers to focus on and which to cover with a defender.
Centrals edge rusher Bryan Hall and Mcownes Innocent played well
Aside from Desinor’s touchdown and a couple of scrambles by Graf, Central’s defense did a good job of controlling the running game. Edge rushers Bryan Hall and Mcownes Innocent both had tackles for loss and were excellent at making a difference in the running game.
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