Somerset-Canyons football breaks out trick plays to beat rival American Heritage-Delray
BOYNTON BEACH — There were a lot of great moments from a lot of great players in Somerset's statement win against rival American Heritage-Delray on Friday.
But if one were to draw a name from a hat following the Cougars' 35-14 victory, Tayegan Briskey certainly made his case to win the MVP raffle.
The sophomore star hauled in two touchdowns, the first of which came on a flea-flicker.
Perhaps you've heard of the Philly Special, Trey Burton's 2018 Super Bowl touchdown pass to Nick Foles, forever etched in Philadelphia history.
That was great and all, but Somerset Special has a pretty nice ring to it, too.
“We have a couple play calls like that, but they only come out when we need them,” Briskey said. “We had a great drive with a minute left, and we got down there and coach chose that play.”
Quarterback Jayden Harrington took the snap and tossed it to Dereion Darby, who launched a beautifully thrown ball down the far sideline to a wide-open Briskey in the end zone.
The trick play capped a drive that took the Cougars (5-2) just 47 seconds, demonstrating that there is far more to the offense than merely running back Tristian Johnson, who scored a hat trick on Friday following his Athlete of the Week recognition.
“We got a look that we wanted and we knew that we wanted to hit him on it,” Somerset head coach Alex Gonzalez said. “He made a helluva play. We tell him, ‘when the ball’s in the air, it’s you and the ball, and you’ve just got to make the best play that you can.’”
The sophomore caught another touchdown pass in the third quarter before padding his stats with a fourth-quarter interception that all but cemented the Cougars’ victory.
Under the lights: An essential guide to Palm Beach County high school football
Somerset fans see what the young star is capable of on a weekly basis — but those less knowledgeable might suggest Friday’s dynamic game was an outlier.
Not so.
“The stats and the type of game I had today is the normal,” Briskey assured. “Every time I step on that field, I expect to do exactly what I did.”
All he’s done is impress since joining Somerset’s ranks in the spring, contributing on both sides of the ball. But apart from his talent, Briskey has also shown rare intangibles that have led to equal praise from his coaching staff.
“He’s been awesome for us on both sides of the ball,” Gonzalez said. “He’s a selfless kid. He’s very coachable. He does what he has to do. He has playmaker ability and wants to get the job done. And he’s only a sophomore, so he’s just scratching the surface.”
At the forefront of that ability is Somerset’s best-ever football season thus far, according to Briskey. The team has yet to raise a district banner, and they’ve already matched their season high for wins.
But that doesn’t appear to be good enough for Briskey — not when the season has so much more to offer.
“I’m definitely hoping more success is coming, and I think I’m going to be a big factor in that success,” he said. “We play St. Andrew's for the district title and I’m excited for that game and for playoffs after that.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Somerset-Canyons football beats rival American Heritage-Delray
