SFL SPY

I created the thread below concerning Chaminade-Madonna.  30% of their players (13/44) transferred in this season.  Add the 8 that transferred in last year, and approximately half of their current roster joined them between last season and now.  ..nearly their entire starting offense, as far as I can tell.
ST Thomas, Cardinal Gibbons, AHP and University School are building much of their talent from within.  That is not the case at Chaminade.  How can CM build a sustainable program when the kids that go to the school 4 years and pay their dues on JV know there is a good chance they will be passed over for a transfer?  I believe CM has, at most, 7 juniors on the roster that have been at the school 2 or more years.  That is very telling. 
When Dameon Jones came to Hallandale in 2007, Hallandale had a combined record of 2-25 over the prior three seasons.  Year 1 of his arrival Hallandale was 9-3 and Year 2 they were 8-4.  They won a playoff game each year.  Jones left after the 2008 season and the team went 0-11 in 2009.  He returned in 2010 and the team went 7-4 and made the playoffs.  Sorry, but I do not care how good of a coach one is, they don't work those kinds of miracles in one season. And when a program catastrophically collapses like that and then magically resurrects, it raises questions.   
It appears the current coaching staff at CM inherited a program on the mend from Coach Milgrom and within short order was competing for a state title.  Instead of taking a hit this year and building the program, the powers that be chose to keep the train going and play a lot of transfers.  I cannot fault a school if kids are lining up to go there.  But nobody is sticking a gun to anyone's head forcing them to play a kid.  I question how well the coaching staff is promoting the program amongst the "regular" kids at Chaminade, ie the kids that would be going there regardless of how successful the football program is. Unless they are blessed with another slug of talented transfers, the program appears to be facing a substantial drop-off next season.  
Coach Jones and staff might know how to win, but I am not yet convinced of their ability to build a sustainable program from the roots.  The proof is in the pudding.  Where are the kids to replace all of these seniors?  What's the plan?  Some of us have already seen that program collapse once, thus the tough questions/scrutinizing eyes.  
 
 

Hi Jessica, I know you have mentioned previously that Chaminade is a late bloomer and that Dameon Jones teams evolve that way..  Unfortunately, CM has not played big, physical teams later in the season the past 3 seasons, so there is little proof that they could compete with such teams at their supposed peak.  In fact, CM is lacking in "quality" wins regardless of time frame.   
I struggle understanding how a team that is so loaded failed to beat American Heritage Delray and CCC more convincingly.  I believe you predicted CM by huge blowouts in each of those games.  I heard the games were filled with miscues...turnovers, penalties, etc.  That does not sound like a team that is peaking for the postseason. 
Although I could not give the eye test for either of those games, I have to think if they only scored 14-16 points versus those two teams and played with such a lack of focus/discipline, they would have been blown out by any number of south FL teams those nights.  Last year's team took care of business.  This team is obviously floundering.  I could buy an off-night versus AHD.  But a second one versus CCC?  Where there's smoke, there is fire.  And I would say the same for any team that performed that way.  Their performance is arguably the worst to date amongst the big favorites in the playoffs.   
 
  

CM has more "star power" per capita than any school in the state.  CM is one of only a handful of schools in the state in any classification that has 7 or more players with 3 or more recruiting stars.  And they are the only school I know of that has 10 starters who transferred in this past season. With that level of talent, their starters should be able to compete against anyone, regardless of size.  
If depth is a problem for CM, that is their own fault.  It doesn't have to be.  There are numerous smaller schools that have been ranked in national polls in recent years who have overcome the "depth problem" of smaller schools.  I know of numerous schools the size of CM in some Southern states that have no problem dressing out 50 players.  They might not all be great players, but they are well coached and can hold their own if the need arises
CM was never a football school between 1980-2000.  Now they want to be and have certain advantages, like other private schools, that have been discussed ad nauseum on here.  IMO, if they want to be a football school, they need to put on their big boy pants and play with the big boys instead of hanging out in the lower classes and being a bully. 
That is exactly what the Chaminade teams of the late 1960's and early 1970's did, ie play up in class.  Coach Zappone was one of the best coaches in south Florida back then and he never won a state title because he insisted on playing against the big schools.
 

what a freaking game. thanks for the tip on the stream!

It starts from the top and rolls downhill from there. A leader who lacks morals and class will accept it from his staff and players. 
Wondering how long the administration is going to put up with this circus? 

While 3A isn't a particularly deep classification in the number of teams, the top 5-6 teams regularly compete with the states best. This Friday represents the state semi-finals aka the final 4. These teams have had tremendous seasons this year and while it's cliche to say they "deserve" to be here, they are clearly rolling at the right time. One common theme I've seen on social media this past week is that any team that's practicing on Thanksgiving is a pretty good team, these are the teams practicing a week after Thanksgiving.  The following 4 teams are champions already (regional) now it's time to see who represents the north and the south for the state finals.

Class 3A Northern Championship Game
Florida High (8-3) vs West Palm Beach King's Academy (11-1)

Maxpreps Florida Ranking: Florida High #78,   King's Academy #79

Two VERY evenly matched teams will meet up in Tallahassee this upcoming Friday for the right to play for a state championship. Florida High finished the regular season at 6-3. In the playoffs they defeated Pensacola Catholic and Taylor County. The Seminoles have racked up 1336 yards passing and 1648 yards rushing this year. The Seminoles Willie Taggart jr. and Raymond Woodie have been as advertised since transferring in prior to the season but the Seminoles already had a strong class returning in the form of corner Cordell Clay and Javan Morgan.

King's Academy is the very definition of a fairy tale come to life. They knocked off arch rival Benjamin School to close the regular season on a miraculus 2 point conversion and then lightening struck again last week against Orlando First Academy on a 66 yard TD with under 20 seconds remaining to win the game.  The Lions of King's Academy are prolific on offense as Sr. QB Justin Wake has thrown for 1928 yards while team (lead by Rb Presley Arnold) has racked up 2200 yards rushing.

The Pick:  Many people in South Florida jumped on the Lions bandwagon halfway through the season and have become a trendy pick to represent the north in 3A. I can see why, this is an exciting team that's very easy to root for. Florida High, for lack of a better phrase, was the popular pick to represent the north preseason. Florida High lost some luster midseason due to losses to Wakulla, Godby and Madison County.   Those are 3 really good teams.    

Due to the fact that the computer polls all have these teams ranked right next to each other it requires us to look at other factors. One factor that jumps out is that Tallahassee is about 450 miles from West Palm Beach. That's a heck of a homefield advantage for Florida High NOT to make that trip. The other factor is strength of schedule. King's Academy has played some good competition and won some tight contests, but Florida High has played some traditional power houses and competed well. I just think that Florida High is more prepared for this game and it will show on the field.

Florida High 35, King's Academy 21

Class 3A Southern Championship Game
Chaminade-Madonna (10-2) vs Clearwater Central Catholic (12-0)

Maxpreps Florida Ranking:  Chaminade #25,  Clearwater Central Catholic #21

To say the Lions of Chaminade started the season as  vast, overwhelming favorites to repeat as state champions is an understatement. The English language does not convey how big of a favorite this team is. Last year, Chaminade-Madonna destroyed CCC 49-3 in a game that was over at half-time. The 2018 version of Chaminade has outperformed the 2017 state championship team by every concernable metric aside from running back. The Lions also closed the talent gap between them and the other south Florida powers. In 2017 the Lions were smashed by Miami Central and American Heritage Plantation. This year, they only lost by 3 to Deerfield beach and Heritage-Plantation had to hold on for dear life to survive Chaminade.

CCC is an excellent football team, but they're very young with only 7 seniors on a 34 player varsity roster. By comparison Chaminade has 27 seniors, which is almost the same size of the entire Marauder roster. Yes, they have a star studded senior class (JerJuan Newton, Rory Hicks, Brett Seither, Kennedy Roberts, Casey Levy), but that underclass is brimming with talent. The Marauders are also very wise to build an infrastructure to keep their momentum going. They just opened a 5 million dollar football only facility and school itself is receiving a 15-20 million dollar renovation.

The Pick: I'm being completely honest here and this isn't a knock on CCC. I have no idea how CCC can compete with Chaminade even as good as they are. While I wouldn't go so far as to say there isn't a CCC player that would see the field at Chaminade, there isn't one position that CCC is better than Chaminade at. Chaminade is bigger, faster, stronger, better coached and now they're angry. Chaminade received a wake-up call last week against American Heritage Delray in a 14-3 win. I seriously doubt they'll get flagged for 20 penalties this week, and I do not think they'll play with CCC. I expect a firm, decisive win against a clearly overwhelmed opponent.

Chaminade: 45, CCC 0






 

I told you awhile back that Jones is clueless and an absolute joke. 
Finally the football world can get a small glimpse of what I have known for a decade or so.
In addition, I was told he did not shake one coach or player's hand from the AHD program after the game.
That, in itself, is disgusting!
 

Congratulating a private school?  What?  Cardinal Gibbons won only its second regional title in 50 years last night.  The last time it did so was in 1990, the one and only year Cardinal Gibbons appeared in a state final.  Last night was only the fourth time the Chiefs have appeared in a region final.
What some may not recognize is that some private schools have paid their dues over the years.  For many years, Chaminade and Gibbons were the doormats of Broward County.  In 10 out of 19 years in the playoffs, Gibbons was knocked out by a public school.
So, would suggest we let them have their time in the sun.  
 
 
 

Jeepers! It's the third round of the playoffs.  First off! Congratulations to all of the teams that have made it to the final 8. I think these are indeed the top 8 teams in 3A and there should be some really good football games this week.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Orlando First Academy at West Palm Beach King's Academy

This has the makings of a classic match-up. King's Academy has gathered steam from a large population that it's the Lions and not the Seminoles of Florida High that will be in Orlando representing the north. That might be true but first the Lions have to deal with First Academy. First Academy defeated Father Lopez last week 40-20 behind a big game from running back Rolous Frazier with 4 TD's.  King's Academy knocked out Holy Trinity behind a stout defensive performance  from Jeremiah and Isaac Scroggins.

THE PICK:  This is a tough pick for the simple fact that I think King's Academy is a very good program but First Academy's offense is lethal. While shopping with my son  we went down the toy isle and he picked up a magic 8 ball. I asked if King's Academy will win on Friday. The response? My sources say no.   Funny thing about magic 8 balls, I never believed them.

King's Academy by 3

Taylor County at Florida High

Taylor County continues to impress and continues a strong playoff performance this week when they take on the Seminoles of Florida High. Florida High knocked off a young but rapidly improving Pensacola Catholic team last week. Taylor County gave St. Joseph's Academy their first loss. This is actually a rare public vs public regional championship game in 3A. While Florida High is officially classified as a "lab" school, they are also considered public.

THE PICK: Both teams have played similar levels of competition and both have some big time players. This is another game that could swing either way. De'Corian Bellamy is having a terrific post season for Taylor County. He's the heart of the machine. Florida High has multiple big name athletes and that will be the difference in this one.

Florida High by 14

American Heritage Delray at Chaminade-Madonna

The Stallions of American Heritage are a small school powerhouse that has fallen on difficult times in the past 2 seasons. This year the program has made a strong push back into the spotlight thanks to a very stingy defense and the running ability of Dallis Small.  Chaminade-Madonna completely trounced over matched Palmer Trinity last week. Trinity made the playoffs for the first time in their schools history.

THE PICK:  While I do not think the Stallions offense will do much against one of the top defenses in Florida, I do think the Stallions defense can frustrate Chaminade for a quarter which would be a win in itself. Outside of their 2 losses Chaminade has completely dominated the first quarter on offense against everybody else.  Due to the Stallions being unable to move the ball on offense Chaminade will likely play the field position game the first few series. Once the Stallions defense is worn down this one will get ugly.

Chaminade Madonna by 45

Tampa Berkeley Prep at Clearwater Central Catholic
This is a rematch from earlier in the season that CCC won 35-14. Berkeley Prep defeated Calvary Christian 21-13 while CCC defeated Tampa Catholic 30-3 last week.

THE PICK: Joshua Youngblood is one of the most prolific/entertaining athletes to watch in Florida. If you haven't seen him play you need to do yourself a favor and watch his senior regular season highlight tape. It gets more and more impressive each week he adds plays. He reminds me of former Berkeley Buc Nelson Agholor. Berekley Prep as a team beyond Youngblood is a capable team and would still be a playoff team, but not a particularly potent offensive team. I'm saying this because I expect CCC to limit Youngblood forcing somebody else to step up and beat them. The question is, who can Berkeley turn to? My guess is that there isn't anybody but boy oh boy will Youngblood give us a game to go out on!

CCC by 21
 

So I didn't post game previews/predictions last week due to some family stuff that was going on. It's all better now, so here's some stuff we dug up for the 2nd round of the 3A playoffs. Here we goooooo!!

Chaminade Madonna (8-2) vs Palmer Trinity (10-2)

First, I want to give a legitimate and heartfelt congratulations to Palmer Trinity and coach Mark Reese for a very good 10-2 season which saw them win a playoff game. The issue is they go from knocking out their rival Westminster Christian to..hmm.. playing the Miami Hurricanes.  Chaminade-Madonna is 100% healthy and coming off 2 weeks of rest. There will be more time to talk about Chaminade in the coming weeks, but this is likely to be the most lopsided score in all of the FHSAA football playoffs for this week. Chaminade has quietly remarked they want to be the first team to win a state championship while not giving up a single point.

The Pick: Chaminade by 50+

American Heritage Delray (8-3) at Benjamin School (9-1)

This has the chance to be a dandy! American Heritage has made strong strides in returning to the powerhouse status of team in Stallions past. The Stallions scored some good early season wins over 8A Belen Jesuit and Monsignor Pace, but stumbled in the middle part of their schedule against Uschool, Bishop Verot, Glades Central. The offense has been hit or miss, but the defense has been stellar for the most part.  Last week the Stallions upended a good Calvary Christian Academy football team 42-14.

Benjamin School has really come on in recent years. The 2018 version is one play away from being 10-0. Overall, the Buccaneers were able to finish just above the Stallions to grad a bye week and prepare for the playoffs.  The Bucs have 3 rushers with 400 or more yards, and a Qb who has thrown for just shy of 1500. Expect star athlete Kaiir Elam to have a solid game in this one.

The Pick:  The strength of schedule argument has merit here. Benjamin's opponents combined records are 56-47 AHD's 65-50, but AHD has played some powerhouses. If AHD can get the passing game on track- a tricky thing to do with Elam and company on the other side of the field, they should win this one by a fair amount.

Heritage Delray 28, Benjamin School 14

Pensacola Catholic (6-5) at Florida High (6-3)

If I could attend any game this week this would probably be my first choice. These teams are very evenly matched, they've both played competitive schedules and I think both have a lot of talent and are well coached. Now that I'm done giving cookie cutter responses, here's how I see it going down.

The Crusaders star RB Ja'kobi Jackson was strong last week against a good Ft. White team as the Crusaders ran for 391 yards.  Florida High presents significant challenges for the Crusaders on defense, particularly the combination of Willie Taggart Jr and Bryson Hill at QB. The Seminoles are pretty well balanced and while they are young in the secondary should have an advantage in the trenches.

The Pick: Florida High was my preseason pick to get to Orlando and I'm sticking with it, but this is going to be a very difficult hill for the Seminoles to climb.

Florida High 34, Pensacola Catholic 31

Calvary Christian (7-4) at Tampa Berkeley Prep (6-3)

This is a Class 3A-Region 3 rematch from week 2 of the regular season. Berkeley Prep won that game 14-7. Fast forward to the 2nd round of the playoffs and the teams meet in Tampa again.  In the first game, Berkeley Prep QB Josh Youngblood was moved to RB as he broke his throwing hand after their week 1 loss to CCC. Youngblood is now back and the offense has been prolific again.

Calvary Christian has caught fire the past 2 weeks. They defeated Lake Highland Prep in Orlando and then defeated Sarasota Cardinal Mooney in Sarasota. Calvary has a very talented QB/RB/WR combination that has given defenses fits this year.

The Pick: This is a really good QB battle between two of the better QB's you will find. The difference this time is that Calvary is pretty beat up along their lines thus my thinking is that for Calvary to advance to their second straight regional final they will need to win a high scoring game.  Berkeley Prep is known for their ball control offense and likely doesn't want to get into a shootout with Calvary.   I think Berkeley Prep gets the job done in a close contest that goes back and forth throughout the game.

Berkeley prep 17, Calvary Christian 10

Tampa Catholic (8-3) at Clearwater Central Catholic (10-0)

Another rematch in Class 3A-Region 3. CCC won in week 3 34-14 in Tampa. Tampa Catholic knocked off Lakeland Christian last week 13-10 in a game that finished under controversy as many LCS fans feel that there was a fumble late in the game that should have been awarded to LCS. I've seen the film and I actually agree. I don't know if LCS would have won the game, but it would have likely forced overtime at worst- still, this is a pretty good Tampa Catholic team that has 3 top notch running backs in Jaylen Bussey, Andrew Ellis and Caleb Tate. DJ Taylor has also stepped up his game in recent weeks. TC's offensive line averages out to 6'4, 292lbs which is the biggest average offensive line in 3A.

CCC appears to finally be healthy for the first time this season which is an interesting statement to make for a 10-0 team. The health issue was exaggerated in week 9 in a road game against Tampa Jesuit as CCC had multiple players ejected. Due to injury, CCC has started a combination of 7 freshmen and sophomores most of the season. If Jerzhan Newton is healthy that changes to entire make-up of the Marauder offense especially with the punch the Marauder WR's are packing. CCC should also be welcoming back some of their key upperclassmen now that they're healthy, but it probably speaks well for the programs depth that the younger plays stepped in and didn't miss a beat.

The Pick: This is a rivalry game first and foremost so tensions are already going to be pretty high. TC will give CCC their A+ game and throw the kitchen sink at CCC, but the Marauders love playing TC at home more than anybody else in the state.

CCC 42, TC 21

Father Lopez(9-3) vs The First Academy (8-1)

Father Lopez is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and knocked off Melbourne Central Catholic 23-21 in round 1. Orlando First Academy had a bye week last week.  The Royals of First Academy have the talent to get to the state semi-finals, bolstered by their wing-t attack and lead by 4 running backs with 200 or more yards the Royals are a potent offensive team.

Father Lopez has had a strong season this year and played competitive teams from bigger classifications with success. QB TJ Lockley and RB Wayne Matthews have been potent for the Green Wave this season.

THE PICK:  Like many other games, these teams are evenly matched but Orlando First Academy should get a W here.

First Academy 28, Father Lopez 20

Taylor County (6-5) vs St. Joseph Academy (9-0)

This is the very definition of throw the records out. On paper the Flashes of St. Joseph appear to be a dominant team, the reality is they haven’t played a team of Taylor County’s caliber often preferring to play 2A or teams who do not participate in the FHSAA playoff system. The Flashes do deserve respect since they still needed to win the games on their schedule.

Taylor County might be 6-5, but they’ve played a competitive schedule with Ft. White, CAI, Wakulla, Dixie County, Suwannee and Baldwin. Da’corian Bellamy is in the running for 3A player of the year and the Bulldogs are peaking at the right time.

THE PICK: Chalk one up for a good public school program:

Taylor County 42, St. Joseph Academy 14

Melbourne Holy Trinity (6-4) vs King’s Academy (9-1)

King’s Academy finished the season 9-1 and was rewarded with a bye week. Holy Trinity it the road and pulled off an upset win over a good Cardinal Newman football team. Holy Trinity might not have a huge football roster, but they are talented. Larry Hill the do-everything running back and QB Dru Nickson lead a potent offense on the road for the second week.

King’s Academy is still elated for knocking off rival Benjamin school 2 weeks ago. King’s is a balanced offensive team with QB Justin Wake leading the way with 1600 yards passing and 500 rushing.

THE PICK: Melbourne Holy Trinity has done a lot with a little, but King’s simply has more this week.

King’s Academy 32,  Holy Trinity 14


 

Class 3A, Week 10 rankings:

#1) Chaminade-Madonna: Chaminade scored a quality win over a good, but not great Doral Academy team 47-17. In the game Chaminade had multiple TD's called back and quite honestly could have won 80-7. As mentioned last week, the Lions have hit their stride at this point in the season and it's hard seeing anybody slow them down right now. I kept them ranked #1 this week due to the early season win over Muscle Shoals. The Trojans have gone on to great success and should finish their season in Alabama 8-2.  Also, I'm giving a tip of the hat to their win over Booker T who would then go on to compete for 3 quarters against Carol City. As far as week 10 is concerned, I see another 70-0 type win over hapless Flanagan before setting up a huge week 11 game over the current #1 team in Class 4A, University School.


#2) Clearwater Central Catholic: Many computer polls had  Tampa Jesuit as a top 15 team in the state (highest being Pinkos who had them at #11). Many felt that if CCC was going to pull off the upset it would need to be a high scoring, overtime type game where maybe Jesuit didn't bring their A game. Remarkably, CCC gave up only 2 field goals in the win and shut down the vaunted Jesuit rushing attack.  I'm personally impressed they did this without the services of 4 starters, including superstar Jerzhan Newton.  While I believe this is the best individual win any 3A team has scored this year, I believe Chaminades body of work up to this point is slightly better than CCC's, even with 2 losses. Now, if the Marauders win on Friday against undefeated Cardinal Mooney that could change.

#3) Sarasota Cardinal Mooney:  When it comes to Florida High School football coaches in Florida, few are more respected than Cardinal Mooney coach Paul Maechtle who has racked up 290 victories and 2 state championships in his career. He inherited a highly talented team at Mooney that was ready to make a deep run in the playoffs. RB Trayvon Hall has had a special season in 2018 continually running past defenders.  Mooney has put together a series of quality wins, but they haven't earned that signature win. That could come this week when the CCC Marauders arrive in town boasting a 22 game regular season winning streak.

#4) Benjamin School: Because the Buccaneers play in the same region as Chaminade- it's easy to overlook the quality of play coming out of Benjamin. Benjamin has won 15 of their last 18 regular season games, including being undefeated so far in 2018.  Kaiir Elam is having a phenominal season with 650 all purpose yards and 4 TD's, but it's the Buccaneer rushing attack that has really come to the attention of opposing defenses.  Benjamin has 4 running backs that have run for at least 200 yards this season, 3 of which have rushed for at least 300 yards.  The Buccaneers are playing high quality football and look to finish the season undefeated against rival and also high performing King's Academy.

#5) Tampa Berkeley Prep: There were a lot of teams considered for this #5 spot as there's a proverbial jammed highway here, but it was determined to give the spot to Berkeley Prep.  Berkeley has 2 losses, but they were early season losses to two undefeated teams that are currently in the top 75 of Maxprep and other polls. Berkeley has also scored quality wins over Tampa Catholic, Lakeland Christian and Mitchell.  This weeks comes a defensive challenge from a good 6-3 Tampa Sickles quad to finish the season. If you haven't seen Berkeley Prep QB Joshua Youngblood play, you owe yourself to check out his Hudl highlights.

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP 10

#6) Tampa Catholic: Crusaders continue to impress after a strong 15-3 win over #4 state ranked team Bishop Verot. The hype has already started for 11/2 when Tampa Catholic hosts Jesuit.
#7) Florida High School: The Seminoles fought hard, but eventually dropped the game against a high quality Wakulla team. It doesn't get easier this week with Godby on tap.
#9) American Heritge Delray- The Stallions had a great opening to their season, but have stumbled in previous weeks. Still, at 5-3 AH-D can finish the season strong  against Key West and Everglades Pre.
#10)  Baldwin: The Indians were upset last week against Santa Fe, but Florida High lost as well- thus, if the Indians can win out they stand a good chance to grabbing the #1 seed in the region if Florida High stumbles against Godby.

GAMES OF THE WEEK:
Clearwater Central Catholic (9-0) at Cardinal Mooney (8-0)

This game is likely a preview of a regional finals match in mid November as both teams are expected to finish #1 and #2 in the region.

THE PICK: Cardinal Mooney has had a strong season and will be a formidable foe. I have no doubt that Mooney will make things interesting for a half, but CCC is playing for a 2nd consecutive undefeated season and more importantly, home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

CCC 38, Mooney 14

King's Academy vs Benjamin

North Palm Beach meets West Palm Beach in this is a very interesting Class 3A Region 2 vs Region 3 match.  King's Academy comes in with 1 loss, Benjamin is undefeated.

THE PICK: These are two really good teams that I can see having success in the playoffs. I expect both teams to finish the season at category 1 teams, so there's lots of points on the board.   I don't think either team has played a super challenging schedule, but they've won the games they should.  I expect a close contest, but the Bucs seal it with a late fumble.

Benjamin 35, King's 28


OTHER GAMES
Baldwin over West Nasseau by 3. (West Nasseau plays Baldwin on Monday, 10/29- it will be their 2nd game in 3 days).
Berkeley Prep over Sickles by 10
Orlando First Academy over Lake Highland Prep by 28
Calvary Christian (C-Water) over IMG White by 42
Chaminade-Madonna over Flanagan by 50+
North Marion over Ocala Trinity by 21
St. Pete Catholic over Gulf by 14
Pensacola Catholic over Pensacola Pace by 7
Lakeland Christian over Avon Park by 14
University School over Melbourne Central Catholic by 42
AH-D over Key West by 21
Fort White over Newberry by 35+
Glades Central over Cardinal Newman by 20



 

Okay! Time to hold myself accountable. 

I picked CCC over Mooney 38-14 and was in the ballpark. Final was CCC 55-20. I didn't expect CCC's offense to be so prolific in this game with the key pieces of their offense out. Up 55-14 late in the 4th, Mooney put up a TD to give them 20, otherwise- I would have gotten Mooney's point total on the dot.

I picked Benjamin over King's on a late fumble, but it was King's going for 2 to win the game that got them the W 21-20 over Benjamin. This one was always going to go either way. Congrats to both teams on excellent seasons!

Let's look at the rest:
Berkeley Prep over Sickles by 10- I got this one very wrong. Sickles won 20-9 and while Berkeley Prep QB Josh Youngblood had a great game running, the Berkeley offense didn't produce much else.

Orlando First Academy over Lake Highland Prep by 28- Bingo.

Calvary Christian (C-Water) over IMG White by 42-  This was my worst pick of the night. IMG White won 41-40 in double OT. I don't believe Calvary had any injuries. I have no clue why or how Calvary lost this one- but for all the Calvary fans who E-mail me about Calvary not being ranked in any polls let this result be a reminder of how far Calvary still has to go.

Chaminade-Madonna over Flanagan by 50+ - Right on the money! Chaminade won 51-0.  Expect Chaminade to be highlighted quite a bit this week by myself and the national media as they take on Uschool.

North Marion over Ocala Trinity by 21- OTC started off the season strong, but faded in the 2nd half of the season. Still, there's a good foundation to build on going forward. The final score was lopsided so this one was right.

St. Pete Catholic over Gulf by 14- Ha! My Barons have a chance to finish 6-4. We haven't played a tough schedule, but come on- we need to get some wins as they come in.  Bingo on the score.

Pensacola Catholic over Pensacola Pace by 7- Opps! These teams don't play until NEXT Friday.

Lakeland Christian over Avon Park by 14- I expected this to be competitive, but LCS scored early and often en route to a 40-0 win over Avon Park.

University School over Melbourne Central Catholic by 42.  Uschool won 58-0.  MCC had taken some lumps this year, but they should finish 6-4 which is a respectable season considering the level of competition.

AH-D over Key West by 21- AHD won 20-0. Bingo. Good to see the Stallions get back in the W column.

Fort White over Newberry by 35+ - Ft. White won by 37.

Glades Central over Cardinal Newman by 2-  I picked the right winner, but Glades ended up winning by 40 or thereabout. 

Overall, not a bunch of awful picks outside of Calvary/IMG White and Berkeley/Sickles. 

This is going to be a long post since I'm going to do a regional review of Class 3A.  It will probably be broken up into 2 posts.

First, old business- here's meh Class 3A Top 10 going into week 6. Throw out the old rankings: We re-evaluated each team based on their individual merits, compared key wins and losses and also looked at overall strength of schedule. In other words, just because a team is undefeated doesn't mean they're a top ranked team, or just because a team has 2 losses doesn't mean they're out of the top. We also compared injuries and added a small pinch of looking at the forthcoming schedule.

#1) Clearwater Central Catholic (6-0)
#2) Chaminade-Madonna (4-2)
#3) American Heritage Delray (5-0)
#4) King's Academy  (6-0)
#5) Florida High School (5-1)
#6) Sarasota Cardinal Mooney (5-0)
#7) Benjamin School (6-0)
#8) Baldwin (5-0)
#9) Tampa Berkeley Prep (3-2)
#10) Orlando First Academy (5-0)

REGION 1:
At the start of the season many (myself included) felt that Florida High School would be the favorite to represent the north of Class 3A. Little has happened to change anybodies mind; however, Baldwin is playing at a very high level right now and will be a significant challenge for the Seminoles.  Florida High is still the most complete team in the region. Ft. White, despite being bitten by the injury bug- is still playing quality football and can make some noise with a win over Dixie County in coming weeks.  St. Joseph Academy is currently sitting at 6-0, but haven't played a quality team, still- this is a remarkable improvement.

Don't sleep on Pensacola Catholic who is sitting at 3-3 but has played a competitive schedule thus far.   I think Florida High and Baldwin are on a collision course in the Regional Finals, but there will be some excellent games in the first 2 rounds as well.

REGION 2:
No region was more impacted by Oxbridge Academy disbanding football than Region 2. Three teams sit atop the region heads and shoulders above everybody else. Orlando First Academy, Cardinal Newman and West Palm Beach King's Academy. Both King's and Orlando TFA are 6-0 and Newman is right behind them at 5-1. Of all the teams, Newman has played the toughest schedule and will probably end up playing the toughest schedule (Glades Central, Pahokee).   King's has a rivalry game against Benjamin remaining down the road. Orlando TFA plays a good Trinity Catholic team.

Melbourne Central Catholic could play spoiler, but their body of work hasn't shown it yet. They have 2 blowout losses on the books including a merciless 41-0 loss to Tampa Catholic at home.

I'm going with Orlando First Academy and Cardinal Newman meeting in the regional finals.

REGION 3:
This used to be one of the most competitive regions not just in 3A, but in the entire state; however, in recent years it's become CCC and everybody else and 2018 is no different.  CCC is 6-0 and that's with their best  offensive player only taking 2 snaps all year at running back and their top linebacker missing significant time, both players should return in the coming weeks.  Berkeley Prep overcame the early season loss of QB Joshua Youngblood who broke his hand after a week 1 loss to CCC.  Tampa Catholic, which is arguably the most talented team in the region has faltered. They've now lost 2 games, CCC and Berekley Prep and still have a huge rivalry game vs Jesuit on tap.

Cardinal Mooney has quietly caught fire and is anticipated to be undefeated going into a week 10 game vs CCC if they can overcome a good Bradenton Southeast team this week.  Calvary Christian, who many felt would finally break through under the leadership of Reggie Crume is sitting at 3-3 and haven't looked good in any of those 3 losses outside of the 2nd half of their 49-28 loss to Orlando TFA.   Lakeland Christian could make noise, but will need to do so without their starting QB who is out for the season.  

Trinity Catholic is sitting at 3-2 and could be a dark horse if they can get their offense on track, a win over Orlando TFA could get them going. St. Pete Catholic is sitting at 2-3, but a 4 win season is achievable which would be a good showing for the Barons.

I have no doubt that CCC will host the regional finals even if they slip up and drop a game (as long as it's not to Cardinal Mooney), but who will their dance partner be? You can make cases for Berkeley Prep, Tampa Catholic and Cardinal Mooney.  I think Berkeley Prep gets the nod right now.

REGION 4:
To say Chaminade-Madonna is the favorite would be an understatement. They are the best coached team, have the best athletes and have played the toughest schedule. Last year, they bulldozed class 3A until the state finals.  This year, there will be challengers to the Lions throne. American Heritage Delray is playing at a very high level as is Benjamin School. Westminster Christian is sitting at 6-0 as well.  The question is, can any of these teams compete with a healthy Chaminade team? That remains to be seen. 

While all eyes are on C-M and AHD, there are some quality teams in region 4. Westminster Christian is 6-0, Palmer Trinity is 5-0.  These teams  can't realistically compete with the top ranked regional teams, but it does show there's good football being played.

C-M and AHD are on a collision course for the regional finals. The only question is where the game will be played.

BIG GAME OF THE WEEK

American Heritage Delray vs University School

This is a biggie! Both teams are undefeated. Uschool is ranked #1 in class 4A, AHD is ranked #2 in 2A. There's a lot on the line for both teams, particularly for playoff positioning. Uschool was hit by controversy this week when their offensive coordinator resigned. I happen to think the AHD defensive coaches are top notch and they have the tools in the secondary to contain the Uschool passing attack. The question will come down to slowing down Uschool RB Kenny Mcintosh. 

I don't think there's much advantage across the lines, they seem to match-up pretty well although Uschool is a bit deeper. That means this comes down to a coaching chess match.

THE PICK:   Prior to this week, I would have picked Uschool by 17, but with the latest controversy and the belief that Uschool is going to get AHD's best effort I can see this game being tight.  AHD has the weapons to score in bunches, but I think Mcintosh gets a few key runs in the 4th to provide seperation.  Uschool 35, AHD 21.

Ocala Trinity Catholic vs Orlando First Academy

First Academy is undefeated and their offense is scoring points in bunches behind RB Rolous Frazier. Ocala Trinity Catholic started the season strong and continues to exceed expectations at 4-2. The defense is playing at a high level but the offense needs to help the defense out a bit. Still, QB King Redd has done an admirable job guiding OTC to 4 wins thus far.
 
THE PICK: I'm going TFA 42-28. 

OTHER GAMES:
Berkeley Prep over Miami Edison by 7
Tampa Catholic over Steinbrenner by 28
Land O Lakes over Lakeland Christian by 10
Baldwin over Westside by 42
CCC over FAMU DRS by 28
St. Pete Catholic over Northside by 10
Cardinal Mooney over Southeast by 3
Madison County over Pensacola Catholic by 21
King's Academy over Pine Crest by 35
Bishop Moore over MCC by 21
Benjamin over John Carroll by 24
Florida High over NFC by 17
Ft. White over Providence by 21
Jefferson County over Taylor County by 10






 

The idea of going to a college prep school used to be to get college academic scholarships.   Athletic scholarships were icing on the cake.  University has already collapsed once.  Will not be surprised when/if it happens again.

Interesting story indeed..

They're playing one of the hotter teams in Florida this week in American Heritage Delray. Curious how this impacts the game. 

Interesting story here....this is what I got from a very reliable source:
A dad/coach (Mike Irizzary) on the USchool staff was pressuring the Offensive Coordinator to play and target his son (Jordan Irizzary) who plays receiver. The son was a starter last season, got hurt in the KOC vs. Heritage and lost his job to 2 better/younger players. The dad was complaining about his son losing scholarship opportunities and could care less about the program, their record or the 50+ per game the offense was averaging without his kid in the lineup. Arguments between the 2 ensued and it reached a breaking point.
This all went to the Head Coach (Dan Luque) and he did not have the back of his OC and sided with the dad. The OC basically told Luque to kiss his ass and immediately resigned. 
The new Offensive Coordinator is....yes you guessed it....Mike Irizzary. 
What a circus and what awful leadership by Dan Luque. This is how people lose their jobs.
Story: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/highschool/fl-sp-hs-fb-university-oc-20180928-story.html 

Good day!  Time for week 6 Class 3A stuff.  With the conversation shifting gears to playoff positioning with the FHSAA releasing their initial power points- I wanted to respect Josh's wishes of not discussing them until he can go through them.  So, here's my personal power rankings for the classification:

#1) Clearwater Central Catholic  (5-0) Playing well without services of 5 starters. 4 of them will be back next week including RB Jerzhan Newton.
#2) Chaminade-Madonna     (3-2)   Still favorite to win 3A. 2 tough losses against superpowers. Same spot as last year before taking off.   
#3) American Heritage Delray   (4-0)  Complete game against McCarthy. Stallions hit road to Pensacola Catholic.
#4) King's Academy   (5-0) Another strong win for the Lions against NBP.
#5) Florida High School (4-1) Sole loss was to Madison County, easier week this week before NFC comes calling.
----------
#6) Benjamin School (5-0) Strong win over Key West moved Benjamin to the brink of being ranked.
#7) Baldwin (5-0) Great article written in Jacksonville Times Union about Baldwin and high expectations. Indians playing strong.
#8) Cardinal Mooney (4-0)  See below.
#9) Tampa Catholic (3-1) See below.
#10) Orlando First Academy (5-0) Many feel that TFA and not FSU High is the favorite to be in Orlando.

Games I'm looking forward to this week:

Tampa Berkeley Prep at Tampa Catholic

Berkeley Prep is 2-2, but they've only had QB Joshua Youngblood for their week 1 loss. In the 3 games since, he's either not played or played running back. After the week 1 loss he broke his hand which prevented him from throwing the football.  While Cardinal Mooney is playing at a high level, I've been told that had Youngblood played QB that game may have turned out different. Regardless, that's water under the bridge.

Tampa Catholic is sitting at 3-1 and has simply steamrolled everybody behind a gigantic offensive line and the running prowess of Jalen Bussey, Caleb Tate and Andrew Ellis. TC also has a potent deep attack with WR's Tim Young, DJ Taylor and Austin White.

PICK:  I don't want to call a game a must-win, but Berkeley Prep needs this game far more than TC does.  Tampa Catholic has some easier games coming up against lesser competition (Belleview, Cypress Creek, Steinbrenner). Berkeley Prep has games against Miami Edison, Mitchell and Sickles left.  A loss here doesn't knock the Buccaneers out of the playoff hunt, but 3 losses will make it all but impossible to get a first round bye.

Tampa Catholic 35, Berkeley Prep 28
Pinkos Pick: TC by 6

Cardinal Mooney at Calvary Christian (Clearwater)

The Cougars of Cardinal Mooney are officially back as a top small school team. Paul Machetle and staff have done a great job of rebuilding this program in record time. QB Ryan Bolduc has been a very strong presence and he's surrounded by talented playmakers.  Mooney has made strides up multiple polls this season and has broken into the top 100 Florida teams via MP.

On the other side, Calvary Christian is sitting at 3-2. The Warriors have the pieces to be a very good football team but haven't figured out the key to winning. Last week the Warriors were run off the field against Orlando First Academy. This week the offense will need to be sharper and the defense will need to be stout to slow down the punch that Mooney packs.

PICK: Calvary is a good team that's trying to carve out its small piece of the pie and keep its head above water. Mooney is suddenly playing for a lot more than simply a winning season.  I expect Calvary to move the ball well, but Mooney has a few to many playmakers for the Warriors this week.

Cardinal Mooney 30, Calvary 21

Other games:

Chaminade-Madonna over Piper by 28
CCC over SPC by 35
Ft. Meade over LCS by 14
Baldwin over West Nassau by 1
King's over Calvary Christian Academy by 28
Trinity Catholic over South Sumter by 3
American Heritage over Pensacola Catholic by 28
Benjamin over Pinecrest by 35
Florida High over Gadsden County by 28
Westminster Christian over Marathon by 21
Ft. White over Williston by 17




 

Amazing job again Jessica and Co!!
 
We are lucky to have you!!

Time to look at the Polls as I do each week:

AP Sportswriter Poll:
1 CHAMINADE-MADONNA (11)
2 Clearwater Central Catholic (1)
2 Delray American Heritage (1)
4 The King's Academy
5 Tallahassee Florida High
HONORABLE MENTION: Baldwin, Cardinal Mooney, Benjamin School, St. Joseph Academy

For the second week in a row- I'm totally okay with the poll.  I gave CCC a super, tiny nod over American Heritage Delray since Tampa Catholic went on to destroy MCC 41-0, strengthening the Marauders 20 point win in Tampa the week prior.

King's and Florida High round out the top 5.  In the Honorable Mention area, I'm fine with all of the schools. They're all undefeated right now and if King's or Florida High slip up, one of them will end up replacing them.  


JOE PINKOS POWER POLL
The first Pinkos Power Poll was released. This is a computer poll that's one of the more famous polls. Its accuracy is just a touch over 80%. As is the case with most computer polls, it doesn't take into account rivalries and the human element. 

#1) Clearwater Central Catholic 181.4
#2) American Heritage Delray 180.0
#3) Chaminade-Madonna 178.3
#4) Benjamin School 174.5
#5) Cardinal Mooney 173.7

CCC is ranked #1 on the strength of their win over Tampa Catholic since has been a battering ram against everybody else. AHD has some high quality wins (Belen Jesuit, Pace), but the computer polls aren't big on the win vs Holy Trinity.

Chaminade is at #3 despite playing the toughest schedule mostly due to the fact that they didn't meet the spread against Muscle Shoals and Muscle Shoals has gone on to lose another game (granted it was against a top team in Alabama) the computer poll is also penalizing them for playing Blanche Ely and Northeast.

Benjamin school is having a fantastic season thus far. Cardinal Mooney is quickly turning into a solid program again. Cardinal Mooney is benefitting from Bishop Verot having a strong season. Big games remaining against Calvary, Southeast, Avon Park and CCC.

LAZL INDEX
#1) Clearwater Central Catholic
#2) American Heritage Delray
#3) Cardinal Mooney
#4) Baldwin
#5) Tampa Catholic

I think it might be best to give Lazl Index another 2 weeks. Any poll without Chaminade-Madonna is suspect in my opinion. Pinkos and Lazl have the same top 2 and in the same order, but after that they have Mooney, Baldwin and TC.

I'm actually okay with Mooney, Baldwin and TC in the top 5- but not having Chaminade is what is throwing me off. Like the Pinkos poll, I'm thinking that Chaminade is being penalized for playing 2 bad football teams, but losing to Deerfield Beach by 3 points should get Chaminade into the top 3 by itself.

Regardless, I enjoy the Lazl index and will check back in on it often- but I'm thinking it needs another week or two of data.

CALPREPS
#1) Chaminade-Madonna
#2) Clearwater Central Catholic
#3) American Heritage Delray
#4) Florida High
#5) Tampa Catholic
#6) Cardinal Mooney
#7) Baldwin
#8) Trinity Catholic
#9) Berkeley Prep

A lot of individuals use Calpreps as I'm assuming their rankings have proven to be the most accurate. It's another computer poll, but it seems to be pulling information from Maxpreps. I don't have a problem with the top 5.

In this poll, C-M is being rewarded more for losing to Deerfield than any other teams wins. I think that's how it should be. CCC and AHD's schedules are even, but the Marauders win over TC is giving them the nod over AHD's win vs Pace.    Tampa Catholic/Mooney are in a fight for 5th.

If anything- this shows that rankings are subjective. There are polls with C-M or CCC being ranked #1, AHD either close to being #1 or tied for #2.  The remainder of the top 5 will change depending on what you look at.

Phww! That's a lot of polls. I probably won't look at this many going forward but I hope you enjoyed the look!

 

Spy,

You're not the first person to say this. The computer polls (Joe Pinkos, Lazl) etc both pick AH-P by 21 or more.  Maxpreps has AH-P.   A lot of respected posters are picking AH-P to invade Chaminade and come out with a win.  I believe the Miami Herald is picking C-M and that's the only entity outside of myself picking the Lions. Not sure what Sun Sentinel is picking.

I picked Chaminade on the strength of their defense, but AH-P really hit the accelerator since coming back from NJ.

 

I have American Heritage Plantation beating Chaminade by 2 TDs but they will probably win by more.

After this week we will be at the halfway mark of the regular season. Pretty insane to think that it feels like we were talking about big week 1 and week 2 matchups. Week 5 has some doozy's on it though. Let's get to it!

UPDATED CLASS 3A RANKINGS (Going into Week 5)

#1) Chaminade-Madonna.  Lions made short work of clearly overmatched Oakland Park Northeast running out to a 42-0 lead in the 2nd quarter. Lions didn't dress the entire team.  C-M now gets ready to face their biggest test of the season so far- American Heritage Plantation.  The Patriots have caught fire recently, this will clearly be one of the biggest matchups in South Florida.

#2) Clearwater Central Catholic.  Marauders dominated class 5A Tarpon Springs 47-6. In the game, CCC's passing attack continued to impress while the running game continued to produce without superstar Jerzhan Newton.  CCC heads to St. Pete to take on an improving St. Pete Northeast team.

#3) American Heritage Delray.  If it wasn't apparent already, the Stallions are back. After completely dominating Monsignor Pace, the Stallions have announced their presence as a threat in class 3A. Stallions hit the road for a few weeks, but at this time it's hard seeing them hit any snags until a match-up with University School.  Stallions also jumped from 101 to 57 in the Maxpreps Florida rankings, one of the biggest jumps for any team in Florida this week.

#4) King's Academy. Lions rhomped Miami LaSalle last week racking up over 300 yards of offense (205 on the ground). Next up is a date with North Broward Prep.

#5) Florida High.  FSU School, coming off a loss, fell behind 10-0 to Chiles, but a strong second half helped the Seminoles eek out a win.  Seminoles play Santa Fe next.

Next up: Baldwin, Tampa Catholic, Cardinal Mooney, Orlando TFA, Benjamin.

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

Ocala Trinity Catholic looks really good. They're now 4-0 and could be heading into a late season contest with Orlando TFA undefeated. Ocala Trinity is fighting for a top 4 spot in the region right now. I would put OTC at #3 in the region right now.

Tampa Catholic demolished Melbourne Central Catholic 41-0 in Melbourne.  Tampa Catholic and Berkeley Prep both have bye weeks this week and then play each other on 9/28 at TC. Huge game for playoff positioning.

Baldwin continues to impress at 4-0. Interesting game against Union County this week.

Calvary Christian Academy knocked off Key West last week. Conchs are usually pretty good. CCA making noise in a loaded region 4.

I think Sarasota Cardinal Mooney might go into their week 10 game against CCC undefeated.

Lakeland Christian lost to Berkeley Prep last week 28-7, mostly due to the LCS QB breaking his leg the week before. LCS isn't out of the playoff hunt, but they'll need some big wins in the coming weeks.

American Heritage Delray travels to Pensacola Catholic. Delray beach to Pensacola by bus.. I would need at least 10 bathroom breaks to make that drive.

GAMES TO WATCH

American Heritage- Plantation(3-1) at Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (3-1)

The Patriots are ranked #1 in class 5A, the Lions are ranked #1 in 3A according to the most recent sportswriter polls. AHP is also ranked #8 in Florida, while C-M is ranked #10 in Florida according to Maxpreps.  Both teams are littered with major D-1 talent. Both teams are ranked in the top 100 teams in America.  Both teams are defending state champions.

Chaminade lost to Deerfield Beach, the #1 8A team 13-10 in week 1. In the game, the Lions fell behind early and a late rally came up short.  American Heritage ran into a buzzsaw in Miami Carol City who is playing at another level right now.

Pick:  Chaminade has come up short against the states elite- either because of depth issues or injury.  In this one, there is no excuse. The Lions are as close to 100% healthy right now as they will be for the remainder of the season, playing at home and had extra time to prepare for the Patriots due to playing last Thursday and not Friday.  AH-P is going to be a tough out, but it's time for Chaminade to live up to the expectations of being an elite team and not a team stockpiled with talent that under achieves.  I think they finally get it done:

C-M 24, AHP- 21.

Orlando First Academy (2-0) vs Calvary Christian (3-1)

Orlando First Academy currently owns a 22 game regular season winning streak dating back 2016. The Royals stingy defense and Wing-T based offense has confused and bewildered opposing defenses. Calvary Christian (Clearwater) feels they're next in line to be a state power. They have coaching, players, tools and most importantly finances to be in the conversation. The program is lacking big wins though.  Last year, the Royals defeated the Warriors 26-24 in Clearwater. 

Pick:  Calvary Christian has run up the score on some pretty poor teams (Umatilla, Anclote), lost to Berkeley Prep and struggled against a good Zephrhills Christian team that was without its top 2 players.  If Calvary can go to Orlando and snap TFA's streak, that would be a huge feather in the Warriors cap- but there is a reason TFA hasn't lost a regular season game in awhile.

TFA 35, Calvary 21

OTHER GAMES I'M INTERESTED IN:
Baldwin over Union County by 10
Cardinal Mooney over Lemon Bay by 21
MCC over Somerset Academy by 42
Ft. White over Bradford by 21
Ft. Meade over Lakeland Christian by 28
Ocala Trinity Catholic over Dunnellon by 17
Benjamin over Key West by 7
Kings' Academy over North Broward Prep by 20

COMING NEXT WEEK:
I'm going to try and put together a nice  mid-season post.


 

Exactly!
That why Muscle Shoals (something like a 35 point underdog) took CM to the wire. Chaminade was so out-coached in that game it was laughable. 
To the people not in the SFL loop, Chaminade and Dameon Jones seem reputable. But that is far, far, far from the truth.
I never post on here but I just had to about this fraud!!
 

You people are so wrong.
I can't wait to see US beat CM by at least 2 TDs (baring major injuries to US)
Wish I could make some money off of this one!!
 

You people are so wrong.
I can't wait to see US beat CM by at least 2 TDs (baring major injuries to US)
Wish I could make some money off of this one!!