DELRAY BEACH − The Eagle's Nest was invaded by a victory-hungry pack of Wildcats on Tuesday.

Royal Palm Beach boys basketball opened up the 2024 season 1-0 with a tight 73-66 season opener win at Atlantic High, making a statement about the senior crew returning for the rebuilding program this winter.

Last year, Royal Palm finished 10-16 while Atlantic ended the year 8-20. Incoming records aside, there was a new kind of energy and excitement for the action that took place on the floor after the inaugural tipoff.

Royal Palm coach Deonte Savage and Atlantic coach Tony Watson, in his first year with the Eagles after leaving Forest Hill, have been hard at work rewriting the narrative that's followed their respective teams in seasons past.

Palm Beach County has taken note.

"We started three years ago. We had this group of guys who are seniors now and they know the system. They play hard. The culture is there. So I feel like this is just a testament to all the work that we've done over the last couple of years," Savage said.

Big things ahead for Wildcats, propelled by Coney and Canales

"He just won because he looks better than me," Watson joked. "Ain't that something?"

"I'm really excited about the season and this just puts a stamp on it because everything we've been talking about since year one is coming to fruition," Savage said. "It's only one game, but I'm excited. I'm happy for the kids."

For Atlantic, you could feel the newfound hope in the bleachers for the basketball team now being led by a coach who's built his reputation on his dramatic transformations at the Hill and his alma mater, Palm Beach Gardens.

For the Wildcats, on the other hand, fans could tell they have something to look forward to this season based on the stat lines alone.

Senior guard Jayden Coney dropped a game-high 26 points, supported by 22 for fellow senior guard Carlos Canales, who posted 16 in the first half. As the teams headed into the locker rooms at halftime, the scoreboard sat tied at 36.

"To me, he's the best mid-range shooter in the county," Savage said of Canales. "6 a.m. workouts − he's always working out. He's a very quiet kid. Great student. I think that helps, too, but he just knows his role and he practices those shots every day and he makes it."

Atlantic's Alix Dieudonne, one of three Eagles to contribute double digits, helped his team catch up to Royal Palm, who led 20-15 at the end of the first quarter, at 22 points after recovering a loose ball. He also had the game-tying basket to see Atlantic hit 36. Dieudonne's 10 points on the night were led by 12 for junior Jabari Henry and a team-high 18 for senior Kevin Ulysse.

Holding Atlantic to just 11 points and scoring 16 in the third quarter helped Royal Palm keep the momentum to build a 10-point lead in the final few minutes of action.

The Eagles weren't to go down without a fight though. With less than a minute to the buzzer, junior Lincoln Graf's defense earned a possession for Atlantic that could've forced overtime.

Seeing his skills on Tuesday, Watson was happy to have gotten "the quarterback" from football coach Jamelle Murray and the Eagles, whose season came to an unexpectedly early end in bittersweet favor of the basketball team.

"To my surprise − I'd heard he could play basketball, but I didn't think he could − but he's actually doing pretty good," Watson said. "We've only had him for a week maybe because they had playoffs, but I think he's going to be fine."

Alas, costly turnovers with less than a minute to the buzzer swiped the Eagles' opportunity.

Against the chippy Eagles, the coach was surprised by the efforts of senior Edward Wood.

"He really banged down there. Atlantic's got some size so when we walked in the gym, we didn't have a chance to scout because nobody played," Savage said. "I was a little frantic at first because I didn't know what Ed was going to give me, but Edward Wood played his tail off tonight."

Wood contributed nine rebounds for the Wildcats and left Eagles down the board contested at the basket.

Under construction

It was still an impressive rally nonetheless for an Atlantic crew that's grown from seven roster members to 17, none returning starters and the majority lacking any varsity experience.

That's where Royal Palm started some time ago, and Watson and Savage alike knew their programs had similar problems coming in.

The biggest being a lack of confidence.

"Not doing what everyone else is doing" is helping the two change that.

"I think everybody else is doing fall league, playing in all these games. For us, we kind of just hunkered down in the gym. We got better,"" Savage said. He knew the "talent was there" and all the Wildcats needed was "a lot of player development."

"Now we're confident and it's starting to show," Savage said.

Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Royal Palm Beach boys basketball claims season opener at Atlantic