Blue Devils of Pahokee, Florida
by Stranton Lewis

In the small town of Pahokee, Florida they pride themselves in one thing and that is the Blue Devils football team.  In a poor farm town with less than 7,000 residents, only two stop lights, and no community swimming pool, there are not many activities for the male youth of the town to participate in. Senior Recreation Director Herbert Crawford stated that when the recreation department was created in 1989 it was for the purpose of giving the kids a “nucleus for development”, to “coach them for life”, and to get them into school.  Pahokee Offensive Coordinator Johnathan Johnson said that “football is 90-95% of the males’ only opportunity to get out of Pahokee”.  In a school with an enrollment of 700, eleven current players have offers to major colleges and twelve have signed scholarships with Division I schools over the past two season.  Six former Blue Devils now play for the NFL and this past season the team won their third state title in a row and the fifth in six years.

            This coming Saturday in the neighboring town of Belle Glade, the annual “Muck Bowl” will be held between the Blue Devils and the undefeated Glades Central.  Fred Pickett who is senior running back for the Blue Devils leads his team with 1,107 yards, eight touchdowns, 274 receiving yards and a touchdown catch.

            Named after Arizona Cardinals wide receiver and former Pahokee player Anquan Boldin, the team now plays in a 5,000 seat, $9 million stadium paid for by Palm Beach County.  The cost of the stadium contrasts with the fact that  Pahokee, like most of the US, has fallen on hard economic times, with the median income at only $10,346, unemployment up to 28% and a growing crime rate that is nearly double that of the rest of Palm Beach County and the rest of the state.

            The team has faced many hardships and obstacles over the past year and a half starting with the murder of linebacker Norman Griffith. In May, defensive line coach Demetres Hampton was arrested on drug charges.  In July, defensive backs coach Ulrik Williams was arrested for misdemeanor spousal battery, followed by the team being thrown out of a Nike seven-on-seven passing championship due to speculation that some of the players had stolen gloves from a mannequin display. Then just last week, because of an academically ineligible player, the team was forced to forfeit two wins and placed on administrative probation by the Florida High School Association.

            Despite their hardships, the team and the community are stronger and closer than ever.  As stated by Johnathan Johnson, Pahokee is a close knit community who sticks together and although they face the same economic struggles as the rest of the country they help to take care of each other.  Everyone comes together for the same cause of helping out and supporting the kids both personally and as members of the Blue Devils football team.