CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
WHO: Trinity Christian Conquerors (11-1) vs. Chaminade-Madonna Lions (8-1)
WHEN: Wednesday, 7:02 p.m. EST
WHERE: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee – Venue Information (Masks Required due to COVID-19 protocols)
TICKETS: via FSU Ticket Office – $15.00 online only (no on-site ticket sales) – LINK
LIVE STREAM: via Spectrum Sports – $9.99 viewing fee for those who are not a current Spectrum Subscriber – LINK
AUDIO STREAM: via Trinity Christian Athletics Facebook Page – LINK
HEAD COACHES: Verlon Dorminey, Trinity Christian; Dameon Jones, Chaminade-Madonna
TRINITY CHRISTIAN’S PATH TO TALLAHASSEE: d. Baldwin, 20-3 (Regional Quarterfinals); d. Episcopal, 35-0 (Regional Semifinals); d. Florida High, 45-14 (Regional Finals), d. Trinity Catholic, 56-33 (State Semifinals)
CHAMINADE-MADONNA’S PATH TO TALLAHASSEE: d. Somerset Silver Palms, 52-0 (Regional Quarterfinals); d. Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale), 38-6 (Regional Semifinals); d. Miami Edison, 28-0 (Regional Finals); d. Berkeley Prep 23-21 (State Semifinals)
NOTES: This will be the first meeting between Trinity Christian and Chaminade-Madonna since the 2016 season. Trinity Christian won that last meeting in the Class 3A State Championship at Camping World Stadium, 24-13. … Since that previous meeting, Chaminade-Madonna has won three straight Class 3A State Championships. … Trinity Christian has won a total of seven state championships in school all coming under head coach Verlon Dorminey while Chaminade-Madonna has won five state championships in school history with three of them coming under head coach Dameon Jones. … This will be Trinity Christian’s first state championship game appearance since 2016 after the Conquerors moved up to Class 5A for two seasons in 2017 and 2018 failing to reach the state championships during that time and falling in the Class 3A regional quarterfinals in 2019 to Trinity Catholic after playing one of the most difficult schedules in the state. … This will be Trinity Christian’s 10th appearance in a state championship game while this will be 9th appearance in a state championship game for Chaminade-Madonna. … Of things to watch offensively for Trinity Christian, expect things to be balanced in what the Conquerors do on the field. … Senior QB Ja’Cory Jordan, a three-star Bowling Green commit, is 95-of-180 passing through 12 games with 1,496 yards passing with 14 touchdowns going against five interceptions. Jordan also has 82 carries for 201 yards rushing and three more touchdowns on the ground. … Sophomore RB Treyaun Webb, a Georgia commit for the Class of 2023, leads the team with rushing with 837 yards rushing on 121 carries and has scored 12 touchdowns in just 10 games played after missing a couple of games due to injury during the season. However, Webb is not the only show in town for the run game for the Conquerors as Senior RB/WR Kaleb Killian, who has multiple Division I offers with his biggest one being from Florida, has 350 yards rushing on 50 carries and six touchdowns in 10 games while freshman RB Darnell Rogers has 337 yards rushing on 49 carries and has scored six touchdowns on the ground also in 10 games played. … Receiving will be a point of contention of who will get the ball as the Conquerors always have multiple targets on the field including leading senior WR Marcus Burke, a four-star Florida commit, who has 21 catches for 370 yards and two touchdowns this season as well as junior receivers L.J. Kelly and Fred Highsmith. Kelly has 16 catches for 289 yards receiving and two touchdowns while Highsmith has 247 yards receiving on 17 receptions and five touchdowns. … The offensive line itself has a big man upfront in three-star OT Austin Barber who is holding multiple Division 1 offers including those from Miami (FL), Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Virginia Tech to name a few. … Defensively there are multiple key leaders including senior LB Lucius Lattimore, a Florida A&M commit, who leads the Conquerors in tackles with 78 (37 solo) along with 11.5 tackles for loss. Lattimore also has four sacks, has forced three fumbles, and recovered one fumble. Other leaders include DB Corey Coley Jr., a three-star Maryland commit, who has 32 tackles (24 solo), three tackles for loss and is tied for the leader in interceptions at three, plus LB C.J. Ross, a three-star USF commit who has 36 tackles (19 solo), three and a half tackles for loss, and DB Terrell Jackson, a three-star Army commit, who has 19 tackles (13 solo), and is also tied for most interceptions on the team with three. Junior Johnathan Goddard leads the team with seven sacks and has 40 tackles (21 solo) to go along with 14 tackles for loss. … Trinity Christian is on an 11-game winning streak after suffering a 36-12 set to Class 4A State Finalist Bolles at home to open the season. … Chaminade-Madonna will look to pound the ball on the ground more than throwing and that will start with a trio of rushers that starts off with senior RB Thaddius Franklin, a four-star Miami (FL) commit, who has rushed for 795 yards on 91 carries and has scored four touchdowns this season. Franklin has not played since the Lions’ 38-6 victory over Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian in the Regional Semifinals where he suffered an injury, but the depth chart shows that he is possibly going to be back for the biggest game of the season, but likely will not know until the team takes the field if he is healthy enough to play. The other leading rushers include freshman RB Davion Gause who has stepped up in Franklin’s absence and has put on a show for himself with 762 yards rushing on 81 carries and has scored six touchdowns while sophomore RB Jonathan Harris has 44 carries for 445 yards rushing and six touchdowns as well. … The Lions will rely on senior QB Jaylon Tolbert, a two-star Howard commit, to get the ball out in passing situations. Tolbert is 88-of-131 passing for 1,179 yards and has thrown 10 touchdowns to no interceptions in all nine games played so far. … Tolbert’s two favorite targets are expected to be senior WR Joshua Jenkins who has 23 catches for 283 yards receiving and two touchdowns as well as senior WR/FS Michael Edwards who has 16 catches for 288 yards and four touchdowns. … On defense, there are several key athletes that will be leading the way starting with leading tackler junior LB Dylan Reid who has 67 tackles (62 solo) with two tackles for loss along with four sacks. However, that is not all for the defense with several big-time prospects also part of the defensive leadership starting with the junior four-star prospect, DE Kenyatta Jackson Jr. who has amassed multiple Power Five offers including Alabama, Clemson, Miami (FL), Ohio State, and Oregon among many others. Jackson has five sacks and has collected 16 tackles on the season which are all solo tackles and three tackles for loss. junior CB Brian Dilworth, a three-star Auburn commit, is also having a solid season with 29 tackles, a sack, and a team-leading seven interceptions. Others to keep an eye on junior CB Ryan Turner, a three-star prospect with several Power Fiver offers already in hand, who has 18 tackles and an interception as well as another solid cornerback in senior Torrie Cox Jr., an Ohio commit, who has 26 tackles, a sack and six interceptions on the season. Senior DT Allan Haye, a three-star Miami (FL) commit is also expected to make some noise on the field. He has 36 tackles on the season to go along with seven sacks, which is second-most on the team. Junior DE Jammal Johnson, a three-star Miami (FL) commit has a team-leading 12 sacks on the season and has collected 49 tackles.
JOE PINKOS’ PREDICTION: Chaminade-Madonna by 3
FLORIDAHSFOOTBALL.COM PREDICTION: Chaminade-Madonna 30, Trinity Christian 28
