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Deerfield Beach struggled early but found its groove late against visiting Boca Raton in the District 12-8A opener for both teams on Friday night.

Bucks senior quarterback Michael Pratt came back to haunt his former team as he completed 9 of 17 passes for a season-best 331 yards and four touchdowns in the 49-6 victory. Pratt transferred from Boca Raton to Deerfield in August.

“I started playing football in the ninth grade and these are the guys I grew up playing with,” said Pratt, a Tulane commit. “They know me like the back of their and I know them like the back of my hand so we can out here like another practice and we just came out here and executed.

“We just have to get better every single week,” Pratt added. “My timing with the receivers, connection and chemistry is starting to build up. Our offensive line, I am starting to learn them and they are starting to learn me.”

Deerfield Beach (4-2, 1-0) wasted little time in seizing a 7-0 lead as they took the opening kickoff and marched 80 yards in three plays. FSU commit Jaylan Knighton carried all three times and he finished off the drive on a 40-yard gallop around right end for the score. Knighton finished the game with 7 for 100 yards and one score.

Boca Raton (2-3, 0-1) cut the lead to 7-6 on a 20-yard scoring toss from Andrew Caverty to Ashton Gillotte with 4:02 left in the first half. The extra point attempt by Thomas Lofiago was blocked and later also had a 37-yard field goal attempt blocked.

The score snapped a three-game shutout streak by the Bucks in their last three wins – as they defeated Blanche Ely, 46-0, Zachary (La.), 53-0 and Oak Ridge (Orlando), 42-0 – and outscored the opposition 141-0 during the span.

Deerfield Beach broke the game open in the second quarter when Pratt hit Maryland commit Deajaun McDougle for an 83-yard catch and run for a 14-6 advantage and then 21-6 on a 64-yard interception return by Phillip O’Brien. Deerfield Beach made it 28-6 on a 20-yard scoring toss from Pratt to Xavier Restrepo. It was the UM commit’s 8th TD in the last four games.

Pratt connected with Deajaun McDougle two more times in the third quarter from 51 yards and 60 yards for a 42-6 lead. It was his 10th scoring touchdown pass in four games. McDougle had 226 yards receiving on five catches and three TDs.

Back-up quarterback Marquise Pierre hit Jamarion McDougle on a 45-yard TD score in the fourth for a 49-6 Bucks lead. It marked just the fifth time in Deerfield Beach history where they have scored 40 or more points in four straight games.

Pratt missed the first two games of the season, losses to Carol City, 24-12 and St. John’s (Washington, D.C.), 52-20 with a groin injury. Pratt threw for 1,208 yards and 12 TDs at Boca Raton last season. He also ran for 447 yards and three scores for the Bobcats.

Deerfield Beach coach Jevon Glenn said Pratt brings intangibles to the team.

“He handled the whole week pretty well,” Glenn said. “He is a guy that doesn’t ride an emotional roller coaster. He has a steadiness about him and is a little ahead of his time. To be quite honest, if he plays the first two games, we would be undefeated and top-10 in the country right now.”Gary Curreri is a correspondent for the South Florida Sun Sentinel.