What started back in July will end by this weekend as four South Florida teams — three from Broward and one from Palm Beach County — look to repeat as FHSAA state champions at South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium on the campus at FIU in Miami.
No. 11 St. Thomas Aquinas (13-1), ranked the No. 11 team in the country by MaxPreps, will take on its kryptonite as it faces No. 66 Lakeland (12-2), the last team to defeat the Raiders in a state championship game back in 2018.
Since then, the Raiders have won 34 consecutive playoff games and a state-record six consecutive state championships. The Dreadnaughts are 4-2 against the Raiders, losing the Class 5A state final last season, 34-0. The Dreadnaughts also lost 56-7 in 2019. They topped the Raiders at state in 2018, 2006, 2005 and 2004.
No. 21 Chaminade-Madonna has also won nine state championships, including the past four in a row. They have won 26 straight playoff games and 43 of their past 44 playoff contests. The only setback in that playoff streak came in 2020, when Jacksonville Trinity Christian topped the Lions, 25-22 in the Class 3A state championship game. Chaminade rolled past the Conquerors the past two years in the state semifinals, including last week’s 35-0 win.
The Lions (11-3) will take on another familiar foe in Cardinal Newman (11-3), which Chaminade has beaten four consecutive times since a 40-13 loss in 2013.
Defending Class 4A state champion American Heritage (8-5) will face Orlando Jones (12-2) in a rematch of last year’s explosive final, which the Patriots won 41-31.
No. 89 West Boca (12-2), the defending Class 6A champion, faces a surprising West Broward team (12-2) which has won 12 straight after starting the year at 0-2.
I was 5-3 last week in running my overall record to 181-36 (83.4%) for the year.
6A championship
West Broward (12-2) vs. No. 89 West Boca Raton (12-2) (Friday, 12:30 p.m.): West Broward brings a solid defense led by senior linebacker Uryah McCartney (72 tackles, 9.5 TFL) and sophomore Tyler Tindal (93 tackles, 9 TFL) to go along with a strong offense led by quarterback Brandin Mincy (2,483 passing yards, 29 TDs; 437 rushing, 7 TDs) and a running back tandem of Daquon Adderley and Amos Bradford (1,732 rushing yards, 20 TDs). Sophomore A’mir Sears has been a strong two-way player. West Boca senior and UM commit Javian Mallory (1,135 rushing yards, 15 TDs; 147 receiving, 4 TDs), and junior QB Trey Moran (1,294 passing yards, 17 TDs; 544 rushing yards, 8 TDs) have paced the offense, while the Bulls’ defense has allowed just 7.42 points per game. West Boca 20, West Broward 17.
5A championship
Lakeland (12-2) at No. 11 St. Thomas Aquinas (13-1) (Thursday, 7:30 p.m.): Lakeland graduated 28 seniors from last year’s team that reached the state finals in back-to-back years, winning the 4S title in 2023. Sophomore running back Ahnarri Cooper (892 rushing yards, 11 TDs) leads the Dreadnaughts. The six-time defending state champion Raiders have won 13 consecutive games since opening the year with a 26-23 loss to California Mater Dei. For a third straight game, senior QB Mason Mallory accounted for all four scores as the Raider head for a seventh straight state championship. Alcoa High (Tennessee) owns the nation’s longest active consecutive championship streak with 11. St. Thomas Aquinas 38, Lakeland, 28.
4A championship
Orlando Jones (12-2) vs. American Heritage (8-5) (Saturday, 12:30 p.m.): The Tigers have senior quarterback and UM signee Dereon Coleman (2,749 passing yards, 28 TDs; 643 rushing yards, 4 TDs) and senior RB Daunte Wallace (1,368 rushing yards, 20 TDs) while senior WRs Larry Miles (1,111 receiving, 10 TDs) and DJ Hicks (1,036, 14 TDs) are the main targets. For a second straight season, Patriots coach Mike Smith has been a frequent visitor to the hardware store, collecting tape and glue to put his team together for a stretch run. Senior QB Leon Strawder, who led Northwestern to a state title last year with 2,667 passing yards and 41 TDs, has filled in quite well after American Heritage lost five-star QB Dia Bell, a Texas signee, after the third game of the season. Strawder threw for 301 yards and three scores and added a TD on the ground in the Patriots’ semifinal win over Choctawhatchee. American Heritage 35, Orlando Jones 31.
1A Championship
Cardinal Newman (11-3) vs. No. 21 Chaminade-Madonna (11-2) (Thursday, 12:30 p.m.): Cardinal Newman is in rarified air after winning the first state semifinal in school history. The Crusaders feature senior RB Phoenix Donghia (1,379 rushing yards, 23 TDs) and dual threat senior QB Jyron Hughley (1,901 passing yards, 1,405 rushing yards, 34 combined TDs). Senior LB Adam Balogoun-Ali (116 tackles, 17 TFL, 3 sacks, INT) leads the defense. Chaminade-Madonna is playing in its 10th consecutive state final and features an arsenal of weapons on both sides of the ball, including freshman quarterback Malik Leonard (2,756 passing yards, 31 TDs), Texas commit Derrek Cooper (1,424 rushing, 105 receiving, 18 TDs), FSU commit Jasen Lopez (1,110 receiving yards, 13 TDs), and junior RB Arwin Jackson (905 rushing yards, 9 TDs). Seniors Jaiden Roper (111 tackles), Bryant Junius (96 tackles), and junior Temorris Campbell (89 tackles) pace the defense. Chaminade-Madonna 28, Cardinal Newman 24.
