CLASS 2M STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: National title implications amplify state title game between American Heritage and Miami Central

NO. 2 AMERICAN HERITAGE (PLANTATION) (13-1) VS. NO. 1 MIAMI CENTRAL (13-0)

WHAT: FHSAA Class 2M State Championship

WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m. ET

WHERE: DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale

TICKET INFO: Ticketmaster ($14 per game advance purchase & $17 day of)

PARKING: Available via ParkMobile App ($24 per vehicle)

CLEAR BAG POLICY: A clear bag policy is in effect for spectators. Click here for more.

INTERNET STREAM: Spectrum Cable ($9.95 fee per game)

ABOUT AMERICAN HERITAGE

COACH: Mike Smith, 1st year (13-1 at American Heritage)

ROAD TO FORT LAUDERDALE: d. Inlet Grove (Riviera Beach), 43-7 (Regional Quarterfinals); d. Boynton Beach, 49-0 (Regional Semifinals); d. Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale), 31-20 (Regional Finals); d. Bolles (Jacksonville), 21-14 (State Semifinals)

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: American Heritage is 5-1 in state championship games. They won state championships in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2020. They finished as state runners-up in 1998.

KEY PLAYERS: DE/OLB Jamarcus Smith, Sr. (93 tackles, 15 TFL, 11 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 PBU, 1 FR, 1 FF); WR Brandon Inniss, Sr. (66 rec, 1,244 yds, 14 TDs; 1 INT on defense, Ohio State commit); CB Damari Brown, Sr. (43 tackles, 3 TFL 1 sack, 2 INTs, 15 PUBs, 1 FR); SS Daemon Fagan (76 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 INTs, 11 PBU, 2 FR, NC State commit); RB Mark Fletcher, Sr. (206 car, 1,824 yds, 22 TDs, Division I FBS prospect); QB Blake Murphy, Sr. (135-of-206, 2,317, 25 TDs, 6 INTs; 42 rec, 276 yds, 5 TDs, Louisiana-Monroe commit), WR Malachi Toney, Fr. (32 rec, 581 yds, 8 TDs), MLB/OLB David Vadala, Sr. (162 tackles, 31 TFL, 8 sacks, 10 TFL, 1 INT, 2 FR, 1 FF, 1 blocked punt)

SCORING AVERAGES: Points For: 39.6 ppg; Points Against: 12.9 ppg

FLORIDAHSFOOTBALL.COM INTERVIEW WITH COACH SMITH

ABOUT MIAMI CENTRAL

COACH: Jube Joseph, 1st year (13-0 at Miami Central)

ROAD TO FORT LAUDERDALE: d. St. Brendan (Miami), 60-0 (Regional Quarterfinals); d. Miami Northwestern, 34-30 (Regional Semifinals); d. Miami Norland, 34-20 (Regional Finals); d. Lakewood (St. Petersburg), 39-21 (State Semifinals)

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Miami Central is 8-1 in state championship games. They finished as state champions in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021. They finished as state runner-up in 2011 but were later declared to forfeit due to an ineligible player.

KEY PLAYERS: DT/DE Rueben Bain, Sr. (52 tackles, 37 TFL, 28 sacks, Miami commit), QB Keyone Jenkins, Sr. (129-of-206 passing, 2,128 yds, 24 TDs, 4 INTs; 50 car, 278 yds, 9 TDs, Auburn commit); MLB/OLB Stanquan Clark, Sr. (89 tackles, 37 TFL, 15 sacks, 1 FR, 3 FF, Louisville commit); WR Corey Washington, Sr. (48 rec, 638 yds, 7 TDs, Western Carolina commit); WR Lamar Seymore, Sr. (34 rec, 596 yds, 8 TDs, Pitt commit); WR Lawayne McCoy, Jr. (20 rec, 491 yds, 3 TDs, Division I FBS prospect)

SCORING AVERAGES: Points For: 40.6 ppg; Points Against: 13.4 ppg

FLORIDAHSFOOTBALL.COM INTERVIEW WITH COACH JOSEPH

PREVIEW

A lot of people thought an all-South Florida state championship would be possible in Class 2M this season and sure enough, it has come to fruition with American Heritage and Miami Central as the two teams left that will go at it. This game will be exciting to watch not only for football fans across the state but for those across the nation as this game has huge national title implications across multiple publications that publish national rankings in high school football. For American Heritage, this is a huge bounce back after sliding back last year coming off a state championship victory in Class 5A in 2020. For Miami Central, they are going for its fourth straight state championship. If the Rockets can accomplish that with a win on Friday night, they will become the first program in Florida history to win the state championship four times in a row – twice, having done so the first time between 2012-2015. When looking at the teams they both have athleticism all over the field and it very much shows in the scoring averages of both teams as they score nearly the same number of points per game. Even on defense, both teams do not give up a lot of points. With that, all in mind will be how well can the Patriots’ offense move against a very aggressive Miami Central defense where two players alone have combined for over 40 sacks this season alone. That will be a challenge there. The other side of it is how well will the Rockets’ offense respond to a defensive effort that American Heritage has given the most amount of points they gave up in one single game all season to Chaminade-Madonna, their only loss. These are questions we will get answers to on Friday night and a great South Florida crowd should be on hand for this one with two great programs ready to go at it for the trophy.

PREDICTION

Miami Central 31, Plantation American Heritage 28