S01E08 - There Can Be Only One
Pahokee
Transcript
00:00Across America, at all levels of the sport, there are great football rivalries that captivate
00:11people's hearts and minds.
00:13In the NFL, there's the Packers and the Bears.
00:16At the college level, there's Ohio State, Michigan, and Auburn, Alabama.
00:22But in the world of high school football, there are rivalries, and then there are rivalries.
00:29And if you're measuring it by the heart of the players, by the passion of the fans, and
00:33by the sheer number of NFL players who've suited up over the years, the battle between
00:38Pahokee and Glade Central, aka the Muck Bowl, stands head and shoulders above the rest.
00:45Go, go, go, shoot it.
00:47First down.
00:50Pahokee and Glade Central, they have commanded so much respect from people and organizations
00:58from all over the country.
01:00It has a lot to do with all of the players that they have produced, that have gone on
01:05to the NFL and done great things.
01:08They make the most out of the little that they have.
01:11Everything that they do is homegrown.
01:14One of the nation's top high school football programs, because of the athletes that have
01:18evolved out of it, you know, the Dolans and the Centennial Homes and these guys.
01:24Pride in the schools and their roster of legendary former players takes many forms
01:29in Muck City.
01:30On the road into Pahokee, there's a billboard-paying tribute to NFL Hall of Famer and Pahokee
01:36native Ricky Jackson.
01:38Ricky played defensive end for me, and he did such a great job there.
01:42It was a pleasure coaching him.
01:44And he always let people know that he was from a little old town called Pahokee.
01:48I say he put us on the map.
01:50Nearby Papa Jimmy's Catfish House, a shrine of photos and news clippings, serves as its
01:56own sort of hall of fame for the Muck Bowl greats of yore.
01:59Everybody would tell you about it.
02:00Everybody comes here.
02:01Very, very popular place.
02:03Belle Glade and Pahokee has a lot of great athletes, some that made it to the NFL, some
02:07that made it to college, some that didn't even make it.
02:10But they were great.
02:11High school football is a big deal.
02:12These towns invest a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of energy into these teams.
02:16You got to play for yourselves, for your dad who may have played, for your brother who
02:20may have played, for the community at large.
02:25Now all the other games that happened before and after the Muck Bowl, they definitely do
02:29mean something.
02:30But when we're talking about the Muck Bowl, this is something that's a part of your life.
02:36Whether you're a player, a coach, a fan, a support staff member, or just even a student
02:42or a community member, this means everything to you.
02:45So you want to go out there and prepare.
02:48You want to go out there and support your team.
02:51Do your part to make sure that your team comes out on top every single year.
02:55Because when you do lose, it's a stinging feeling that never goes away.
03:00For four decades, Pahokee and Glade Central have waged this all-out annual war.
03:06Last year, Glade Central prevailed 22-12, which forced the ouster of Pahokee head coach
03:12Orson Walks.
03:13When you're the head coach, there's no such thing as job security.
03:16You're going to win, or there's going to be another head coach.
03:19You have to find a way to win, whether it's realistic or not.
03:25That's what the community expects.
03:27If you don't win, you won't be the coach very long.
03:31This year, for both coaches, the game is a must-win for a myriad of reasons.
03:36For starters, the teams are fighting for a single playoff berth.
03:41From battled sixth-year Glade Central coach Jesse Hester, a victory would relieve the
03:45pressure that's been mounting after his Raiders team had to forfeit several games due to the
03:50accidental use of an ineligible player.
03:53When that happened, it really did hit them in the wrong way.
03:56A lot of the kids were really distraught, especially the kid in question, you know,
04:04was extremely distraught.
04:06Jesse Hester, he knows the pressure that comes with being a Glade Central head coach.
04:12He knows what the community expects.
04:16He knows what the school expects.
04:19He knows what everybody expects, yet he is brave enough to take the job and do the best he can.
04:28For DJ Bolden, a victory would not only secure a playoff berth, it would erase the bitter
04:33taste of the team's brutal 0-2 start to his first season as head coach at his alma mater.
04:39It's a testament to Coach Bolden that he kept the team together, man, because the town is,
04:43you know, they're very tough.
04:45It's a very tough town when you don't win.
04:47You got the toughest schedule in Palm Beach County.
04:50DJ Bolden has to be respected to the highest degree just for letting his players actually
04:57play that tough of a schedule.
04:59They have to go through the adversity, they have to go through all the hard times to see
05:04what it's like to actually come out on top.
05:06But more important than playoff berths or putting past missteps behind them, for both
05:11teams, there's a much larger goal at stake, a year's worth of bragging rights and a chance
05:17to cement your legacy as one of the Muck Bowl's all-time greats.
05:21It's going to be kind of like a toss-up this year, but Muck Bowl, you throw the ruckus
05:25out the window.
05:26It's one of those things, it's kind of hard to tell.
05:29We're just looking forward to a good game.
05:32This year's Muck Bowl is being hosted by Glade Central.
05:35And in the first half, the raucous crowd, Glade Central's custom-made all-black uniforms,
05:40and the hard-hitting action on the field lived up to all the hype.
05:44It's like a reunion.
05:46It's bringing back people from all over the country that can come back just to watch this
05:52game and support their school.
05:56Glade Central senior superstar Jim Davis helped carry his team to the game's first score.
06:04His equally stellar play on defense, coupled with the hard-hitting of junior defensive
06:08back Jacob Camacho, kept the Pahokee offense on their heels and out of the end zone.
06:15But a couple of second-quarter adjustments and a critical interception by senior Kerry
06:19Mullins put the Blue Devils in scoring position.
06:23Coach Bolden and offensive coordinator Damian Berry utilized the one-two punch of quarterback
06:28Jermaine Roberson and running back Corey Polk to find the end zone.
06:33But a missed extra point leaves Pahokee trailing Glade Central 7-6 at halftime.
06:39It's cool.
06:40First, we came back and scored.
06:41Because of the crowd, it's like so many people cheering, it's a minority, carrying the focus
06:46on the game.
06:47You be trying to impress the crowd, but you really got to play for the team.
06:54The Raiders' fastest player, Jim Davis, starts the second half by blowing past the Pahokee
07:00defense on the reverse and puts Glade Central back in the red zone.
07:17Freeze.
07:18Don't say nothing.
07:19Don't say nothing.
07:20Freeze.
07:21They don't jump.
07:22Hey, scoot up.
07:23Scoot up.
07:24If they don't jump, go Trojans.
07:25All right.
07:26Restart it.
07:27Hey, freeze.
07:28Back on offense, number two Jermaine Roberson fakes the reverse and explodes for a 45-yard
07:40Back on offense, number two Jermaine Roberson fakes the reverse and explodes for a 45-yard
07:47gain.
07:48No time.
07:49Anybody?
07:50But then the long gain is called back for holding.
07:51Hold up.
07:52On the very next play, Roberson hits a receiver for another long gain.
07:54But the refs blow the whistle again.
07:59Man, you're sticking it to us.
08:10Play around.
08:13Man, you're sticking it to us!
08:18Hey, Ralph!
08:21It's a scream, man!
08:22It's a scream, man!
08:25You're killing me, man!
08:27You're killing me, man!
08:29I'm talking to him.
08:31I don't want to talk to him, man.
08:35Despite the back-to-back penalties,
08:38Jermaine Roberson's quick feet keep the chains moving,
08:41and the Pahokee fans sense another touchdown coming their way.
08:49That is, until Roberson tries to throw over the middle against the grain,
08:53and Glade's central defender, Jacob Camacho, intercepts the pass.
08:59He intercepted by Camacho.
09:02Woo!
09:04Work, work, work, work, work!
09:10We all right.
09:13We all right.
09:14Throw that man that ball.
09:15All right, they got a cloud over him.
09:17Now you read the safety, so the guy's going to the middle of the field.
09:20Backed up on their own goal line,
09:22the Raiders turn to their bruising running back, Desmond Washington,
09:26who carves out some much-needed breathing room,
09:29only to fumble the ball away while stretching for more yardage.
09:35The turnover provides the Blue Devil offense a chance to score
09:39before the end of the third quarter
09:41and gives Jermaine Roberson another chance to showcase his talents.
09:49Pahokee then ties the score with a successful two-point conversion.
09:57Those gathered here tonight know this.
09:59The fourth quarter in a muck ball is like the final rounds in a heavyweight fight,
10:04a furious trading of blows with each team looking to score a knockout.
10:08The muck ball is always the game where it's going to come down to the end.
10:12There's always going to be an opportunity for either team to win the football game.
10:18Back on offense, Glade Central hopes Desmond's brother,
10:21senior receiver Desmond Washington,
10:23will use his long arms and blazing speed to help score that knockout punch.
10:31After a steady 50-yard drive, they target Desmond in the end zone.
10:37But the Pahokee secondary has him on lockdown,
10:40leaving Glade Central to settle for a field goal
10:43and their fans clamoring for an interference call.
10:48Look, you got to take it like it come, man.
10:51You got away with some, we're going to get away with some.
11:03Heading into the final minutes of the game, it's Glade Central 17, Pahokee 14.
11:11Somebody get some water, we got to score this drive.
11:15We got the ball back with four minutes, some seconds left on the clock,
11:19and we went immediately into our four-minute offense.
11:24Coach Bolden's hope is that his offense can chew up enough clock
11:28so that if they manage to score a go-ahead touchdown,
11:31Glade Central won't have enough time to mount a drive of their own.
11:35You got it. Get it. Come on.
11:39All right, let's go down. Control the ball.
11:41Don't try to do nothing fancy.
11:43Just control the ball. That's what you want to do, control the ball now.
11:53We didn't sweat. It was third down a couple times.
11:58On the third and long near midfield,
12:00the Blue Devils hand the ball to running back Corey Polk,
12:04who weaves his way to a first down.
12:07But a few plays later, the Blue Devils find themselves facing a fourth down and long
12:12just inside Glade Central territory.
12:14Once again, Coach Bolden calls Jermaine Roberson's number.
12:20It was 4-for-10. A crowd yelling, you really got to focus.
12:25I said, hey, James Davis, he had came up to try to stop me.
12:30But he had left Jenna Jones wide open downfield,
12:33so when I looked back up, I saw him. I'm like, oh, I threw it to him.
12:39It was like fourth and eternity.
12:45After the catch, everything just erupted.
12:54He had caught it. I was like, oh, my God, we really got a chance to win.
13:11A couple plays up that drive, Jermaine Roberson worked his magic.
13:16We like on the five-yard line, so I'm like, Coach, if they put the ball in my hand, it's going to happen.
13:22He's going to the right. He's going to the left. He's going to hold it. Hold it. Hold it.
13:34We knew we needed an extra blocker in to help with the protection,
13:39and Jermaine helped his own for us, gave Jermaine enough time to work his miracle
13:45and finding Jenna Jones in the corner of the end zone.
13:49Jermaine just floated the ball over, and Jenna caught the ball. I was like, I was shocked.
13:57All right, Paul, you are attempting to run, and it's good.
14:11After that, we got back on defense. It was like 14 seconds left.
14:17The Blue Devil touchdown seems to be the game-clincher.
14:24But this is the Muck Bowl, where anything can happen.
14:29And on the very next play, Jim Davis hauls in a 30-yard pass that puts Glade Central at midfield.
14:41And in position for one final play.
14:48Snap.
14:52Throw.
15:01He's intercepted by the Blue Devil and the ball game.
15:08For Coach Bolden, the win triggers a wave of emotion that spans from the rocky start of the season to the joy of right now.
15:18So for me, being a first-time coach, my hometown, my alma mater, to come in and to win the Muck Bowl, it's pretty big for me.
15:29On the other side of the field, Glade Central coaches, players, and fans are overcome with grief.
15:37Excellent Muck Bowl as far as the game itself.
15:41Just unfortunate that we had to come out on the losing end.
15:45And I just feel like we had to do it.
15:47It was a game that we had to play.
15:52We had to play it.
15:54It was a game that we had to play.
15:59We had to play it.
16:01much more as far as the game itself.
16:04Just unfortunate that we had to come out on the losing end.
16:08But, you know, the kids fought hard at all ways.
16:10Them just little costly mistakes, you know,
16:12mounted up too much where we can't overcome it.
16:15And it's at home, you know, and it's made more painful
16:18because of that home.
16:20You know, the seniors don't want to lose it,
16:21especially at home.
16:23So, that alone really is a painful deal for them,
16:28a hard pill to swallow, so to speak,
16:31knowing that, you know, this is something
16:33they have to live with the rest of their lives.
16:35Man, hey, man, great game.
16:38I like you a whole lot, bro.
16:39Good luck, man.
16:41The traditional post-game handshake
16:43is intended to be the olive branch
16:45that brings a community back together
16:47after a hard-fought game.
16:49Good luck, bro. Good luck, baby.
16:52Good game. Good game, brother.
16:55Good game. Good game, coach.
16:57Good game, brother.
16:59Even with emotions riding high,
17:01the players line up and bid farewell to their rivalry
17:04until next year.
17:07As the Pahokee players and coaches
17:08celebrate their victory on Glade Central home turf,
17:11one of the last people to leave the field
17:14is defensive coordinator Emmanuel Hendricks.
17:17Though he coaches at Pahokee and is a Blue Devil alumnus,
17:20Hendricks teaches science at Glade Central,
17:23so the victory comes with mixed emotions.
17:25And I'm just drained and weak and filled with joy right now.
17:30Overdrawn with emotions.
17:32It feels like I'm ascending to the heaven, man.
17:35♪♪
17:37That is old. SC1.
17:39Looking forward to next year.
17:41Time to go to the playoffs.
17:42♪♪
17:47♪♪
17:51It's the Martin Luther King Parade here in Pahokee,
17:53kind of one of the biggest events in Pahokee.
17:56Special time of year for our community.
17:59It's also a special time for Coach Bolden.
18:01Pahokee's Muck Bowl victory helped fuel a playoff run
18:05that carried them all the way to the semifinals
18:07before enduring a heartbreaking one-point loss
18:10to North Florida powerhouse Madison County.
18:13But the team's surprise performance
18:15and the grit they demonstrated in rebounding
18:17from their 0-2 start earned Coach Bolden
18:20the coveted title of Palm Beach County's Coach of the Year.
18:23I'm being honored for the Coach of the Year Award.
18:26Such a prestigious award.
18:28I'm kind of happy I got the award
18:30my first year as a football coach.
18:32So just to, you know, be in a parade
18:34and drive around in the community
18:36and everybody recognizing just the hard work
18:39that was put forth this season.
18:41Congratulations, D.J.
18:42♪♪
18:45Coach of the Year is bigger than an Oscar.
18:46He the one Muck Bowl, too.
18:49Yeah, that's how come they gave him that award.
18:51Not only he did a good job coaching,
18:53but he won Muck Bowl.
18:56On the other side of Muck City,
18:58Glade Central mulls over a season
19:00where standout performances both in the classroom
19:03and on the field were tarnished by the ineligibility issue
19:08that upended the team's season.
19:10Shortly after the loss to Pahokee,
19:12Jesse Hester was let go as the head coach of the Raiders.
19:16Today, he's seeking solace in the same place
19:19that was so influential in shaping his kind-hearted,
19:22players-first approach to coaching.
19:24Any time you can come to church,
19:26it's definitely a stress reliever.
19:28Get to listen to the Word
19:30and, you know, kind of put things in perspective
19:33to your real reasoning for doing what you're doing.
19:36You know, being here today
19:38most certainly helped refresh my mindset
19:41that something good come out of this.
19:43♪♪
19:47After being honored during the MLK Day parade,
19:50Coach Bolden and his big brother,
19:52former NFL star Anquan,
19:54joined their father, Carl Bolden,
19:56at a church service in Pahokee,
19:59not far from the field where both their names
20:01are now legendary.
20:02I called my sons, and I invited them,
20:05and they said, yes, we will be their dad.
20:07And it does a father's heart good
20:09knowing that you've raised young men
20:12who are now having their own families.
20:14They're raised in the church.
20:16That's first and foremost.
20:17Your faith will take you places your talents can't.
20:21In Jesus' name, amen.
20:24As for Anquan, he believes little brother DJ,
20:28who for so long toiled in the shadow,
20:31has found his true calling as coach of their alma mater.
20:34I felt it would be a great opportunity
20:36not only for him but for Pahokee football as well.
20:40You know, Pahokee hit a point in time
20:42where we slipped a little bit.
20:45Didn't live up to the expectations
20:47that we have for the Glades area on a yearly basis.
20:51So having DJ come in and be the head coach,
20:55I thought would be a great opportunity.
20:56So what's the biggest takeaway from this season?
20:59Bettering myself, first and foremost.
21:03We always have the expectation of the kids,
21:05and we always want to observe the kids.
21:07But I think it's important for me to observe myself
21:10and how I led not only the kids
21:13but the coaches that was there.
21:16I think the sky's the limit.
21:17I think you've seen the valleys and the peaks of this year,
21:21but I think one thing that the kids understand now
21:24and they know is he knows what he's doing.
21:30Expectations really high.
21:31Guy's transferring in.
21:33A lot of people are excited about Pahokee.
21:35Do you have anything coming up from JV?
21:37Yes, we do.
21:38We have a lot of linemen.
21:41I'm excited about the future
21:43and what they're going to bring to the program.
21:46I think anything in life, you never do it on your own.
21:49I don't care what type of success you have.
21:52It's never on your own merit.
21:53I feel like it's always on the backs of others
21:56who love you and truly support you.
21:58To have my father's support
21:59and my brother's anchoring support.
22:02I think that'd be wonderful if you could just maintain
22:06the discipline, the enthusiasm
22:08that the kids go through for the season.
22:10I think it'd be a great thing.
22:11Absolutely.
22:13The bar is no doubt set high for Coach Bolden,
22:17as well as for his players,
22:18both those who will return to defend the Muck Bowl title
22:22and those who are new to the program.
22:25These shoes are a metaphor to what's leaving,
22:28but also an insight to what's to come.
22:31Bunch of shoes to be filled.
22:33A lot of guys transitioning out of here.
22:36A lot of new guys coming back in.
22:39One newcomer will be Glade Central
22:41standout running back Desmond Washington,
22:44who is transferring to Pahokia
22:46so he can play for Coach Bolden
22:48alongside his good friend Mack Williams.
22:51Mack can be a quarterback.
22:52Mack can do a lot of stuff.
22:54He's just dedicated to being a quarterback,
22:56but he said he's going to play some receiver this year,
22:59so we'll see how that goes with him.
23:01Mack began this career as a quarterback
23:04and has been a great role model for his team.
23:08Mack began this past season as Pahokia's starting quarterback
23:11before giving way to the hero of the Muck Bowl,
23:14outgoing senior Jermaine Roberson.
23:17Spring practice hasn't even started,
23:18but it's clear Mack is back
23:21and angling to take the reins as team leader.
23:23I should lead the team because I'm a general.
23:26I feel like I'm a general, but I'm going to go to receiver
23:28because we don't have no targets.
23:29We only got short receivers.
23:30We need somebody to throw the ball to,
23:32ball, ball, like fade,
23:33and we got the two-yard line or something like that.
23:36I'm taken away by how beautiful his posture is
23:40and his ball delivery,
23:42and I never really had a left-handed quarterback.
23:45Bro, such a beautiful, tight spiral.
23:47My dream for next year
23:51is to get more offers and go to college,
23:54and I want to go to the NFL.
23:59And I want my dad to be in the stands and watch me.
24:02Somebody got some man of steel blood.
24:05Yeah, I'll get it from you.
24:13Awards, parades,
24:17bands gathering to talk about next season.
24:21These are landmarks on the Muck City landscape,
24:25where the cycles of football repeat
24:28and rejuvenate the community,
24:30year by year, player by player,
24:34student by student.
24:37Great kids of character, great kids of integrity.
24:41The Muck isn't just athletics.
24:43Athletics is just what they do.
24:44It's not who they are.
24:46And at the end of the day, each one of these kids,
24:48whether they're going to school to play a sport or not
24:51or they're taking up a trade,
24:54they all have the same dream of coming back
24:56and making change in their community,
24:57which just shows that it's always bigger than sports.
25:00It's just about the love of community here.
25:02It's that same love of the Muck
25:04that fuels not only players and community leaders
25:07like Katie Fletcher,
25:08but Muck City's de facto artist in residence,
25:11Lester Finney.
25:12I step back and I look at it and then come back.
25:16Like so many residents of the Muck,
25:18for Lester, the rivalry between Pahokee and Glade Central
25:21will always be more than just a game.
25:24It's what drives him to make every mural.
25:26I'm home.
25:27This is home.
25:30Every T-shirt.
25:32A few modifications.
25:34And every quirky Muck-inspired creation
25:37that helps make this big-hearted,
25:39football-crazed community like nowhere else in America.
25:43Christmas trees don't grow in the Muck,
25:45but this is my Chris Muck tree,
25:49made out of pure 100% Muck.
25:53We lit a state black this year
25:54and had that shower of lights on it.
25:57That was pretty cool.
25:59Tree made out of Muck.
26:01And this is our third year.
26:03Next year, we're gonna make it even bigger.
26:06Ha, ha, ha.
26:07Next year, raiders are gonna be hard.
26:09Look out, Pahokee.
26:11Look out.