JENSEN BEACH — Regardless of Friday’s result, the Jensen Beach High School football team was in a good position to lift another trophy.
If the Falcons lost, they would have been in a three-way tie with Fort Pierce Westwood and Heritage atop the District 13-4A standings and would have had to rely on their ranking at season’s end to be crowned district champions.
Instead, Jensen Beach made sure there would be no reason to wait. The Falcons took care of business and left no doubt.
Behind an outstanding rushing performance from Alex Thornton, Jensen Beach defeated Westwood 42-21 to outright claim the District 13-4A title Friday night at Jensen Beach High School. It is the program’s fourth district championship in the past five years and fifth overall, all under head coach Tim Caffey.
“The kids set out a goal to be district champions, and they accomplished it tonight,” Caffey said.
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Thornton spearheaded the Falcons’ championship push, finishing with touchdown runs of 2, 39, 20 and 7 yards. It marked the first four-touchdown game of his career.
“I’m a dog. That’s what I’m supposed to do: make plays and win the game to help my team out,” Thornton said.
Playing running back on offense and linebacker on defense, the senior was the best player on the field. He was especially dominant after halftime, scoring three of his four touchdowns in the second half.
With Jensen Beach (7-2, 5-0 district) leading 14-7 and receiving the second-half kickoff, Thornton needed just two plays to extend the advantage. He followed a 22-yard run with a 39-yard touchdown sprint. He scored again later in the third quarter when he bounced outside and outran the defense on a 20-yard touchdown run.
Thornton completed his barrage with his toughest run of the night. He barreled through multiple defenders and carried the pile into the end zone on a 7-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
The senior also helped set up Jensen Beach’s first passing touchdown when he broke free for a 65-yard run down the sideline. That led to an 11-yard touchdown pass from Dre Lott to Tyrie McFadden early in the second quarter, giving the Falcons a 14-7 lead.
Thornton finished with 15 carries for 215 yards.
“Normally, we try to give him a break because he plays offense and defense. But he looked at me and said, ‘Not tonight, Coach,’” Caffey said. “He’s an outstanding kid, an outstanding person, and I’m so extremely happy for him.
“He wanted to leave it all out on the field. He knows the district title is on the line.”
Lott added two touchdown passes. His 53-yard scoring strike to Gage Wilson late in the fourth quarter accounted for the final points of the night.
Elize Pierre countered with three touchdown passes for the Panthers (5-4, 3-2 district).
The sophomore quarterback found Jakiem Ellison for a 72-yard touchdown three plays into the game. He later connected with Jermaine Walker on a 51-yard scoring pass in the third quarter. Pierre then escaped pressure before throwing across the field and finding Malik Brown for a 2-yard touchdown pass in the fourth.
“We moved the ball very well tonight,” Westwood coach LaDaris Vann said. “I’m proud of our guys. I’m not proud of the outcome, and I’m not taking any moral victories. But we’ve got to be more disciplined, and we’ve got to execute better.”
This story will be updated.
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Alex Thornton's 4 TDs helps Jensen Beach bring home another district title
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