Jaylan Knighton hits the record books and Deerfield Beach advances to state semis
The night belonged to Deerfield Beach running back Jaylan Knighton.
Not only did the senior rush for 93 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries to lead the Bucks to a 35-7 victory over Vero Beach in a Class 8A regional final on Friday, he also became the third back to surpass 5,000 yards in Broward County history.
Knighton, who missed the past week of practice due a bruised left thigh, has 5,054 career yards and is 23 yards shy of becoming second in all-time rushing yards behind the late Tyrone Moss of Blanche Ely.
Deerfield Beach (10-3) advances to the state semifinals for the third time in four years. They will face Miami Columbus next Friday on the road.
It will be the Bucks’ ninth trip to a state semifinal game. They have also defeated Vero Beach in three straight playoff meetings dating back to 2003.
“It’s a testament to all the work Jaylan has put in,” said Deerfield Beach coach Jevon Glenn. “He’s probably the hardest working kid I’ve ever had with our program.
“He’s come here and probably spearheaded this group of seniors more than any player here in Deerfield football history.”
The Bucks added a pair of third-quarter touchdowns. The first a 49-yard pass from Michael Pratt to Xavier Restrepo. The second a 6-yard run by Jaziun Patterson for a 28-7 lead.
Patterson finished with 69 yards on 12 carries. Pratt was 10 of 14 for 177 yards.
Deajaun McDougle finished the scoring for the Bucks on a 5-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
The 122 points through three playoff games for Deerfield is a school record. In the Bucks’ 10 victories this season they have outscored their opponents 471-46, including 122-22 in postseason play.
During the Vero Beach 62-game regular season win streak, they have lost six straight regional playoff games.
The Bucks scored on their opening possession, driving 59-yards on in six plays with Knighton capping the drive with a 9-yard touchdown for the 7-0 lead.
Vero tied the score following a Deerfield punt when quarterback Ryan Jankowski connected with Jaden Meizinger for a 25-yard scoring pass.
Knighton added his second touchdown on a 2-yard run with 6:35 left in the first half for the 14-7 lead at the break.
