West Boca on Top: Bulls highlight 33rd Lou Groza Awards Ceremony

WEST PALM BEACH – It was clear who the best team was this season in Palm Beach County. 

At the 33rd Lou Groza Awards Ceremony on Monday, Dec. 9, the area’s only remaining undefeated team and only FHSAA state finalist earned the 2024 High School Team of the Year honor.

Palm Beach County’s most prestigious high school football honor went to the West Boca Raton Bulls (14-0) for the first time. They beat out the following fellow finalists:

•Atlantic Eagles (11-2 final record) – Lou Groza Team of the Year in 2015 and 2018

•Cardinal Newman (10-2 final record) – Lou Groza Team of the Year in 2022 and 2023

Led by head coach Dylan Potts, they were thankful for the team award and focused on the mission ahead at the same time.

We received commentary from West Boca Raton head coach Dylan Potts, junior defensive lineman Xavier Reid, and junior quarterback Mason Mallory.

From Reid:

“We worked really hard for it this season,” Reid said. “A well-deserved award.”

From Mallory:

“There’s a lot of work that we put in behind the scenes that people didn’t get to see,” Mallory said. “I’m just proud of my guys.”

From Potts:

“A lot of work goes into this and it’s a long season,” Potts said. “We just kept our head down, kept working. We’re glad to get to this point. But the job’s not done yet.”

West Boca Raton has compiled a record of 29-7 since Potts took over the helm in 2022. This amounts to an impressive 80.5 winning percentage over nearly three full seasons to date.

“It starts with getting good kids in,” said Potts, who coached at Miami Belen Jesuit before assuming the head coach position at West Boca Raton. “We started three years ago with Xavier, Mason, Javian [Mallory], that young ‘26 class. We knew that class had a chance to be very special. When they came in, we just set our goals on Year 3. It’s time to do something big.”

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As one can clearly see, West Boca Raton is focused on one thing right now.

It is all about doing whatever it takes to win the Class 6A state title on Friday afternoon (Dec. 13; 12:30 p.m.) at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. The only thing standing in the way between West Boca Raton and Palm Beach County’s second-ever 15-0 final record – Dwyer achieved this historic feat in 2013 – is Kissimmee Osceola (12-2).

Can West Boca finish the job and hoist its first-ever state title?

We will find out for sure in less than 72 hours.