RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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FORT PIERCE — Fort Pierce Westwood’s first victory of the 2026 high school football season was more than 72 hours in the making.
But if you ask head coach LaDaris Vann, the win was the culmination of months of hard work.
The Panthers not only battled Palm Beach Gardens but also Mother Nature on two separate occasions en route to a 21-7 triumph in a regular-season opener Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, at Calvin L. Tripplett Field at Lawnwood Stadium. The game had been postponed after inclement weather prevented the two teams from playing a snap Friday.
Monday’s game also featured an hour-long lightning delay with 8 minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
“It’s a great victory. All the offseason hard work and dedication from my players paid off tonight,” Vann said. “And even though we didn't come out with the victory in Week 0, we played resilient, came out tough, and it all came to fruition in this game.”
The home team never trailed.
Tied 7-7, Westwood took the lead for good in the final seconds of the first half. Sophomore quarterback Elize Pierre went deep on fourth-and-short, connecting with senior wide receiver Jermaine Walker for a 32-yard touchdown pass with five seconds remaining before halftime.
Following a scoreless third quarter, the duo put the game away with an 11-yard touchdown pass with 2:27 remaining.
Pierre, a transfer from Port St. Lucie High School, accounted for all three of the Panthers’ touchdowns. The sophomore opened the scoring late in the first quarter with a 5-yard dump-off pass to senior running back Jorden Swoope.
“What a great coming-out party for that young man. Like I tell everybody, he’s a special one,” Vann said of Pierre.
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 [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Football: Westwood weathers every storm in Week 1 win over Palm Beach Gardens
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