Like most brothers, Nick and Joe Franco have a lot in common.
Born five years apart, both played baseball for the same coaches at Coral Springs High and Palm Beach Community College. Both began coaching shortly after college — Nick finishing at Stetson, Joe at Nova Southeastern — and both took over high school programs in their 20s.
On the field, however, they couldn’t be more different.
“He’s more laid back,” says Joe Franco, Boca Raton’s first-year coach. “I’m very in-your-face.”
“We coach very differently,” says Nick Franco, now in his third year at Dr. Joaquin Garcia. “I’m more of a ‘practice crazy’ person. I’d probably call him practice crazy and game crazy.”
The brothers have developed a friendly rivalry over the years, facing each other 19 times. On Feb. 19, they met for the first time as Palm Beach County opponents, with Garcia rolling to an 11-0 victory over Boca Raton.
Senior right-hander Hunter Butler pitched four shutout innings and struck out seven to lead the Bulldogs (4-1). Butler extended his scoreless streak to 11 innings.
For big brother Nick, it was his 13th victory in what’s become known as the Franco Bowl, which he says makes for “good dinner table conversation at Christmastime.”
For years, the brothers had to cross county lines to play each other. Joe coached for 19 years in Broward, 10 at Monarch and nine at Coral Glades, advancing to the regionals seven times. Nick, who was known for getting the most out of his talent in 19 seasons at Santaluces, left in 2023 to build Dr. Joaquin Garcia’s program from scratch.
When Joe was looking for a fresh start because of “philosophical differences” with his principal, Nick suggested that he consider Boca Raton, which was coming off a 6-21 season.
“The Boca job opened up and my brother told me about it,” Joe said. “He said they had a lot of talent, that it’s not a six-win team.”
After a “great interview” with athletic director Michael Grillo, Joe Franco was hired, and he quickly discovered that his brother’s assessment was accurate.
“This is the deepest, most talented roster I’ve had,” he said. “I was used to having maybe three to five really good players, and then there was a big drop-off. Here, we’re 13 to 15 kids deep. I feel like a kid in a candy store.”
The Bobcats (5-1) have been one of the county’s surprise teams. Two weeks into the season, they’re just one win short of matching last year’s total.
Four seniors have led the way — pitcher/second baseman Chase Walls, pitcher/third baseman Dylan Zidar, catcher Alonso Hurtado and infielder Tyler Dennison — and Franco calls junior Romeo Randazzo “one of the best defensive shortstops in the county.”
Franco also said he tried to “balance” the Bobcats’ schedule, which was one of the county’s toughest last year. “You can’t play all juggernauts,” he said.
Nick Franco’s team isn’t yet a juggernaut, but it’s trending in that direction. The Bulldogs posted a winning record in their second season and appear ready to take another step forward in their third.
Garcia is off to a fast start even though it was the program most affected by the opening of the Wellington Sports Academy, losing four varsity players and three JV players.
“All that did was create opportunities for other guys,” Nick Franco said.
The coach will rely on one of the county’s deepest pitching staffs, led by Butler, Tony Evans and Joaquin Urrutia. Evans pitched a four-inning no-hitter in the season-opening win over Santaluces.
The brothers still have another score to settle. For the first time, the Franco Bowl will have a second chapter, with the teams meeting again March 27 at the Bulldogs’ field.
Dwyer makes a statement
Jupiter, the No. 1 team in the preseason rankings, had a 3-0 opening week capped by a win over state power Fort Lauderdale-St. Thomas Aquinas.
Dwyer was not impressed.
On Feb. 17, the Panthers dominated the Warriors for most of the game and held on for a 7-5 victory, sending a message that north county may have more than state contender.
Sophomore right-hander Kole Griffin, who was roughed up by Jupiter last season, pitched six shutout innings, giving up two hits and striking out seven.
“He’s labeled a sophomore but he plays like a senior,” Dwyer coach Jordan Yamamoto said. “He’s wanted that game since last year. To see that kind of grit in a kid — it’s one of those things that you can’t teach.”
The Panthers (6-1) were just getting started. They finished off a 4-0 week with victories over American Heritage-Delray, Palm Beach Central and American Heritage-Plantation on consecutive nights.
“I’m not shying away from competition,” Yamamoto said. “I don’t care who we play, we’re going to come after you.”
Game of the week
Jupiter Christian 20, Highlands Christian 17: No, that’s not a football score.
In one of the wildest (and longest) high school games in recent memory, Jupiter Christian jumped to an 8-0 lead, Highlands scored nine runs in the bottom of the sixth to go ahead 14-9, and the Eagles answered with an 11-run seventh.
Jupiter Christian still had to put down one final Highlands rally in the bottom of the seventh to earn the four-hour-plus victory on Feb. 16. Leading the offensive barrage for the Eagles were sophomore Harrison Craft (4-for-6, 5 RBIs), senior Stephen Eusey (home run, triple, 6 RBIs) and sophomore Matt Kutsukos (3-for-4, 5 runs, 2 RBIs).
Week 2 standouts
Owen Hewitt, Dwyer: Went 9-for-15, scored five runs and drove in four in the Panthers’ 4-0 week.
Jack Wilhoit, St. John Paul II: Pitched six shutout innings, giving up two hits and striking out 10, in a win over Benjamin.
Bryan Zuniga, Atlantic Christian: Went 5-for-7 with six RBIs and three runs scored in two victories.
Colby Smith, Jupiter: Went 5-for-10 with two home runs and six RBIs as the Warriors went 2-1.
Emmett Hasey, Suncoast: Went 5-for-5, scored two runs and drove in two in wins over Santaluces and Wellington.
Michael Riaboukha, Seminole Ridge: Went 6-for-8, walked four times, scored seven runs and had three RBIs in the Hawks’ 3-0 week.
Isaac Perez, Glades Day: Went 3-for-8 with a triple, scored two runs and drove in two in victories over Moore Haven and Glades Central.
Week 3’s top games
Monday
Dr. Joaquin Garcia at American Heritage-Delray, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday
Benjamin at St. Andrew’s, 3:30 p.m.
Jupiter at Palm Beach Central, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday
St. John Paul II at West Boca Raton, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday
King’s Academy at Dwyer, 6 p.m.
Rick Robb’s Top 10
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Baseball brothers Nick and Joe Franco face off in ‘Franco Bowl’ rivalry
Reporting by Rick Robb, Special to The Post / Palm Beach Post
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