BOCA RATON — It wasn’t pretty, but Atlantic football got the job done in its 2026 regular season opener.
The Eagles smothered Spanish River 18-7 in a lights-out defensive effort that helped new transfer quarterback Max Griner start his tenure on the right foot.
Penalties, sloppy play, and extended referee discussions turned Friday night into one of the longest regulation games in recent memory, lasting three hours and 40 minutes.
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Omari St. Fort will run over you
It takes a lot to take UCF commit Omari St. Fort to the ground.
Spanish River (0-1) discovered that the hard way.
The senior running back made good on his Division I credentials, evading multiple tackles for a long touchdown run in the third quarter.
Facing a Sharks team that had just taken the lead, St. Fort’s run sucked the life out of the home stadium.
“That speed is unmatchable,” Atlantic head coach Jamelle Murray said. “He’s a guy that’s been dedicated to our program and it shows, so it’s good to see. It’s really good to see what he brings. The leadership, the speed and his talent.”
Atlantic (1-0) lacked consistency on offense throughout Friday night’s game, and the running game suffered as a result — especially when pitted against a defense peppered with Division I talent.
But when St. Fort had the ball, good things tended to happen, a trend that should continue to become more prevalent as the offense settles into its identity this year.
Max Griner, Atlantic offense fight through growing pains
There was very little spectacular about Max Griner’s performance, and he will be the first to suggest that it was not his best night.
“Really sloppy, and a lot of penalties,” Griner said. “We’re going to go back to the drawing board with that.”
But as seasons kick off, growing pains and shaky starts are often part of the process.
Griner threw two interceptions in the contest, but context matters.
The first came on a late fourth down pass in the first half. It was, effectively, better than a punt. The next came on a long third down throw. Once more, it shifted the field position.
A year removed from a stellar start with Royal Palm Beach football, Griner may not be thrilled with his stat-sheet, but when he needed to ice the game, he did.
Scrambling outside of the picket on third and goal, Griner found Javari Bradley for a sliding touchdown grab that put the game put of reach.
“One of my best receivers, best hands, just follows me when I run, when I roll out, anything,” Griner said. “We train that in practice, so I’m just grateful for him to know I’m trying to make a throw instead of running.”
Murray knows that the scoreboard was closer than the game felt at times, and part of that stems from the offense’s inconsistencies on Friday night.
With Vero Beach up next, the veteran coach knows things in that department need to improve. When it came to Griner, he acknowledged it was a bit of a mixed bag in the opener.
“We saw some good things,” Murray said. “He got the ball in the right places at times and then a few mistakes. So just keep learning and going from that.”
Smashmouth Atlantic football is here to stay
There are two ways the tale of this game could be told. In one rendition, the offenses worked through early-season struggles.
In the other, both defenses simply made life miserable for the other team.
The two teams combined for seven takeaways — six of which occurred in the second half. And Atlantic always seemed to come out on the better end of those defensive trades.
“We knew what they wanted to do,” said Kyrell Thomas. “We were just studying the game plan and we were dominating. When we came in here, it was no problem.”
Murray lauded the efforts of players like Kendrick Pierre and Tristan Horne in the secondary, while the front-seven tallied a number of sacks amid constant quarterback pressure, eventually forcing Spanish River to rotate quarterbacks in search of an answer on offense.
Thomas says that Palm Beach County can expect more of that.
“We’re going in like that all season,” he said.
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Atlantic football downs Spanish River with smashmouth defense
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Reporting by Alexander Peterman, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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