COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: No. 74 Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs — 2026 Season Preview, Schedule Analysis, Players to Watch and Playoff Outlook

Cardinal Gibbons has rarely treated rebuilding as an acceptable part of the vocabulary. The Chiefs graduated the engine of a 10-win offense, but Matt DuBuc’s program still has enough experienced pieces to remain relevant deep into November. The question is not whether Gibbons has talent. It is whether that talent can mature quickly enough to survive a schedule that offers very few comfortable Fridays.

CARDINAL GIBBONS CHIEFS (FORT LAUDERDALE)

Head Coach: Matt DuBuc, 11th year District: District 3A-15 2024 Record: 7-5 2025 Record: 10-4 2025 Final FPRI Rating: 66.87 2025 Final State Rank: No. 63 2026 Preseason Rating: 66.24 2026 Preseason Rank: No. 74 2026 Class Rank: No. 9 2025 Playoff / FIT Finish: 2A State Semifinalist

Cardinal Gibbons scored 461 points during its 10-4 run to the 2025 state semifinals, averaging nearly 33 points while producing 5,378 yards of offense. Much of the passing-game machinery has departed, but the Chiefs return multiple running backs, a productive young receiver and several defenders who gained meaningful snaps. This is not a finished roster. It is a roster with enough raw material to become dangerous again.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Category Value Average Opponent Rating 56.02 Opponent 2025 Record 74-43 Opponent 2025 Win Percentage .632 Hardest Opponent Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) District Games 2

The average does not fully capture the challenge. Gibbons faces one of Florida’s premier programs, six opponents rated above 52 and a district rival that went 10-1. There are manageable weeks here, but very few disposable ones.

2026 FULL SCHEDULE

Week Date Time Opponent 2025 Record 2026 Rank (Overall | Class) Preseason Rating 1 8/21 7:00 PM @ Miramar 4-7 No. 175 | No. 30 (4A) 49.98 2 8/28 7:00 PM McArthur (Hollywood) 10-3 No. 153 | No. 25 (4A) 53.11 3 9/4 7:00 PM Monarch (Coconut Creek) 7-5 No. 110 | No. 28 (5A) 59.60 4 9/10 7:00 PM Coconut Creek 9-3 No. 134 | No. 35 (5A) 55.58 5 9/18 7:00 PM Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) 10-3 No. 13 | No. 2 (2A) 88.36 6 9/25 7:00 PM Plantation 7-5 No. 87 | No. 17 (4A) 64.02 7 10/1 7:00 PM Dillard (Fort Lauderdale)* 10-1 No. 70 | No. 6 (3A) 66.88 8 10/9 7:00 PM @ Stranahan (Fort Lauderdale)* 2-8 No. 450 | No. 56 (3A) 15.44 9 10/16 7:00 PM @ Flanagan (Pembroke Pines) 8-3 No. 157 | No. 38 (5A) 52.53 10 10/23 — BYE — — — 11 10/30 7:00 PM Piper (Sunrise) 7-5 No. 143 | No. 36 (5A) 54.66

*District game

The schedule builds instead of blinking. Gibbons gets no extended runway before a brutal midseason sequence, and even the post-district portion includes an eight-win Flanagan team and a respectable Piper finale.

KEY LOSSES

The largest vacancy is behind center. Jayden Torres accounted for 3,230 passing yards, 37 touchdown passes and another 492 yards and nine scores on the ground. He was not merely the quarterback; he was responsible for nearly every structural advantage the offense created.

The receiving corps also loses its three leading senior targets. Gary Hadley Jr. produced 66 catches for 1,042 yards and 11 touchdowns, Merrick Todich added 620 yards and Luke Cichoski contributed 528. Together, that trio supplied 2,190 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. Replacing the catches is one challenge. Replacing the defensive attention they commanded is another.

Jeremy Douglas, who rushed for a team-high 713 yards and six touchdowns, is not listed on the 2026 roster provided. The defense must also replace Alexander Carry’s 17 tackles for loss and nine sacks, Alejandro Romay’s 72 tackles and Joseph Cammarata’s 69 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks. That is serious disruption walking out the door.

Gibbons did not lose a few statistical leaders. It lost the spine of both units.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Player Position Class 2025 Production Donte Findeson RB Senior Rushed for 635 yards and six touchdowns on 79 carries; added 20 receptions for 165 yards and one score Javian Norwood WR Sophomore Caught 47 passes for 456 yards and six touchdowns; added 384 return yards Demarcus DeRoche TE/OLB Senior Caught 12 passes for 126 yards and seven touchdowns; added 13 tackles and one sack Nicolas Brissett CB/WR Senior Recorded 30 tackles, two tackles for loss and four pass breakups Amauri Rogers MLB Junior Produced 16 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble in 10 games Nicholas Motosko SS/OLB Senior Appeared in nine games and brings a 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame to the second level Christian Cassidy C Senior Recorded 11 pancake blocks in 10 games and returns as an experienced interior lineman Tyler Fuquay P/K Senior Averaged 33.9 yards on 27 punts with six placed inside the 20-yard line Tyson Henley CB Junior Registered 12 tackles and two pass breakups in nine games Lipton McKenzie RB/SS Sophomore Rushed for 50 yards and one touchdown in limited action as a freshman

Findeson and Norwood are the most obvious returning production, but DeRoche may be the roster’s most consequential chess piece. His seven touchdown catches on only 12 receptions tell the story: when Gibbons reached money territory, he became difficult to solve.

1ST DOWN — THE GAUNTLET

Weeks 3 through 7 will tell us almost everything. Monarch, Coconut Creek, Chaminade-Madonna, Plantation and Dillard enter with a combined preseason rating average of 66.09. Four won at least seven games last season. Two begin the year ranked among the top 70 teams statewide.

The centerpiece is Chaminade-Madonna, whose 88.36 rating is more than 21 points higher than any other opponent on the schedule. One week later comes Plantation, followed by the district game against Dillard. That is a three-game sequence with no place to hide a developing offense.

Findeson’s ability to keep the Chiefs ahead of the chains becomes essential. A productive running game can reduce the burden on an unsettled quarterback room and keep Chaminade-Madonna and Dillard from turning every third down into a pressure laboratory. Defensively, Rogers, DeRoche, Brenner Krohn and Peyton Catronio must help replace a pass rush that lost its three most productive sack artists.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT

Opponent Week/Location 2025 Record 2026 Rank (Overall | Class) Preseason Rating 2025 Finish Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) Week 5/Home 10-3 No. 13 | No. 2 (2A) 88.36 1A State Runner-Up Dillard (Fort Lauderdale) Week 7/Home 10-1 No. 70 | No. 6 (3A) 66.88 4A Regional Quarterfinalist

THE BOTTOM LINE: Gibbons does not need to dominate this stretch, but it cannot emerge damaged by it. A 3-2 run would signal another legitimate postseason team. Anything better would announce that the rebuild happened faster than expected.

2ND DOWN — STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

The opening trip to Miramar is the closest thing Gibbons has to a soft launch, and even that comes on the road. McArthur follows after a 10-win season, then Monarch and Coconut Creek begin raising the weekly physical demand before Chaminade-Madonna arrives.

That progression matters because the Chiefs must identify a quarterback without pretending the answer is already settled. James Laraway attempted 20 passes in 2025, while Dylan Costa and Tyler Chance are also listed in the 2026 quarterback room. Laraway has the most varsity passing experience of the returning options, but 104 yards and three interceptions are not enough evidence to declare the job finished.

The development plan should be straightforward: lean on Findeson, involve Norwood early and use DeRoche as a large target in manageable situations. Cassidy and a young offensive line must give the competition room to breathe. By Week 5, experimentation turns into consequence.

The back half is less severe on paper, but it is not empty. Flanagan went 8-3, and Piper won seven games. Gibbons will have opportunities to stack victories late, provided the first half does not drain the roster.

THE BOTTOM LINE: This schedule is difficult in the right way for a developing team—progressively, then relentlessly. The Chiefs have four weeks to become functional and one week against Chaminade-Madonna to discover whether functional is enough.

3RD DOWN — THE PROVING GROUND

McArthur, Monarch and Plantation are the swing games. None carries Chaminade-Madonna’s statewide profile, but each is good enough to expose a team living on reputation. Those three results will likely separate an eight- or nine-win season from a more uneven finish.

Monarch is an especially revealing matchup. The Knights carry a 59.60 preseason rating and enough athleticism to test whether Brissett, Henley and the rebuilt secondary can survive without the veteran-heavy group that handled most of the work last fall. Plantation, rated 64.02, comes immediately after Chaminade-Madonna and just before Dillard. Emotional recovery will matter as much as game planning.

Norwood also enters these games under a brighter spotlight. His 47 receptions were impressive for a freshman, but he now moves from complementary threat to featured weapon. Opponents will know where he is. The next step is producing anyway.

On defense, Rogers and Motosko must provide stability between the tackles and the secondary. DeRoche’s versatility can alter matchups, but the Chiefs cannot make one player responsible for solving every structural problem.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The glamour games will attract attention. The swing games will define the record. Gibbons’ ceiling depends on beating the solid teams before asking whether it can upset the elite one.

4TH DOWN — PLAYOFF PICTURE

District 3A-15 is simple in shape and sharp at the top. Cardinal Gibbons and Dillard are separated by less than one preseason rating point, while Stranahan enters far behind both. That makes the Oct. 1 meeting with Dillard the district championship game in everything but official designation.

An FHSAA district championship carries an automatic playoff bid, removing the uncertainty of the wildcard process. A loss would not eliminate Gibbons, but it would force the Chiefs to rely on their MaxPreps ranking for wildcard qualification and seeding. That makes the non-district schedule more than preparation. Wins over teams such as Monarch, Plantation, Flanagan and Piper would strengthen the fallback route.

Findeson and the quarterback competition will be central to the Dillard game because empty possessions will be expensive. On defense, Brissett, Rogers, Motosko and DeRoche must prevent explosive plays and give the offense extra chances. Stranahan should be handled, but Dillard is the leverage point.

DISTRICT BREAKDOWN

Team 2025 Record 2026 Rank (Overall | Class) Preseason Rating 2025 Finish Dillard (Fort Lauderdale) 10-1 No. 70 | No. 6 (3A) 66.88 4A Regional Quarterfinalist Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) 10-4 No. 74 | No. 9 (3A) 66.24 2A State Semifinalist Stranahan (Fort Lauderdale) 2-8 No. 450 | No. 56 (3A) 15.44 Missed postseason

THE BOTTOM LINE: The district path runs directly through Dillard. Win that night, and Gibbons controls its entry into the playoff bracket. Lose it, and every quality result elsewhere becomes part of the wildcard résumé.

SEASON OUTLOOK

Difficulty Rating: 8/10

An 8-2 regular season is realistic if the Chiefs establish competent quarterback play, build the offense around Findeson and Norwood and replace enough of last year’s pass rush. The ceiling is another deep playoff run, but offensive inexperience and heavy defensive turnover could pull the projection closer to 7-3 if the midseason gauntlet exposes the rebuild before it is ready.

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: No. 74 Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs — 2026 Season Preview, Schedule Analysis, Players to Watch and Playoff Outlook

A proven contender reloads around a deep backfield, a dangerous young receiving threat and a defense searching for its next wave of closers.

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COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: No. 74 Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs — 2026 Season Preview, Schedule Analysis, Players to Watch and Playoff Outlook

A proven contender reloads around a deep backfield, a dangerous young receiving threat and a defense searching for its next wave of closers.

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