STUART: If last season's regional quarterfinal wins hadn't created a rivalry between the two best teams in the area, recent wins over Fort Pierce Central and Martin County might have worked out.
But for Cobras head coach Nick Clements, Thursday's early season win meant a little more.
“This is a great litmus test. But with the win we just got, we can say with confidence that we are probably the best locally,” he said. “Now it's important to go to the next level and be the best in the region. So I think that's what this win means to us.”
In a 20-6 win against Martin County High School on Thursday night, the Cobras took a wire-to-wire lead, punched through a stingy Tigers defense and recorded a near-shutout.
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Fort Pierce Central and Martin County each entered this game undefeated at 4-0. Central gave up seven or fewer points, his fifth in a game thus far, and Treasure joined Vero Beach as his last two undefeated programs on the Coast.
Reigning TCPalm Player of the Year Adrian Rivera led the way for the Cobras. The junior quarterback used his legs and strong right arm to throw three touchdown passes to three different receivers.
None of the strikes she landed were as important as the first. The visitors marched down the field on the game's opening drive, and the 10-play drive ended with Rivera rolling to his left and finding senior receiver Serenity Marte for a 15-yard touchdown reception. These scores represented the first points the Tigers allowed all season.
The Cobras (5-0) got even better late in the second quarter. Aided by a key fourth-down conversion, Rivera connected with fellow junior Tajeya Chance on a short pass to extend FPC's advantage to 13-0 just before the two-minute warning. The team finally lit up the scoreboard in the third when Rivera blasted a pass into the end zone and his junior, Alyssa Llanos, grabbed it.
On the other side of the field, Central took advantage of a Martin County (4-1) offense that looked disorganized at times. The hosts were only able to move the ball in short bursts as a deep shot down the field resulted in a turnover.
Tigers junior quarterback Kalista Skornabacka was intercepted twice by Carla Timothy. The sophomore picked off a deflected pass in traffic for the first time during the second quarter. Then she was in perfect position to bring about the overthrow in the third inning.
“I have a lot of confidence in this team,” Timothy said. “So far, we have shown a lot of progress from last year and I believe that confidence will help us go far.”
The home team showed vigor in the closing stages to avoid a goose egg. After making an acrobatic catch early on the drive, senior receiver Raniya Smalls pulled in a short pass from Skornabacca to put Martin County on the field just before the two-minute warning in the fourth. That was the only offensive highlight on a night when the Tigers couldn't muster anything else.
“We made a lot of mistakes, but I think (the Cobras) had a good plan and did a great job,” Martin County head coach Jeff Padgett said. “When two good teams play each other, it's not always about who plays the best, it's often about who makes the fewest mistakes. They come out and do what they have to do. They came out and scored on the first drive and put pressure on us and we had our backs against the wall early on.”
Thursday was Central's second win over the Tigers. The Tigers had won the previous four meetings between the two teams.
“Hats off to Coach Padgett. He has been an OG here for many years and has been very successful,” Clements said. “To be able to compete with him now is just out of ultimate respect for him and respect for the girls who have worked so hard.”
This story will be updated.
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. Contact him at (772) 985-9692, @PatBernadeau at X, or email pbernadeau@gannett.com.
