Class 3A- The Finals

[SPCjessica2004]

It's almost here! The Class 3A Finals that will feature the Chaminade-Madonna Lions and the Oxbridge Academy Thunderwolves.  Both teams have had tremendously successful seasons in 2017 that have featured games against some of the state and nations best.  At the start of the season many people picked Chaminade vs Oxbridge as the 3A Finals, it's the game the fans want and it's the game the teams want.

The history:

This will be third time the teams have faced each other. The teams met in 2015 in round 1 of the Class 3A Finals. Oxbridge won that game 32-24 at home. In 2016 Chaminade returned the favor in Hollywood by knocking off the Thunderwolves 30-13. The all-time series is 1-1. Both teams are senior loaded with capable underclassmen.

How they got here:

Oxbridge Academy enters the 3A finals ranked #15 in Florida (according to maxpreps) and with a 10-1 record. The Thunderwolves only loss came in week 1 against PA powerhouse Archbishop Wood. The Thunderwolves feature a plethora of major D_1 talent behind CJ Smith. V'lique Carter, Keidron Smith and a host other others.  Their defense has been impressive to say the least- in their 3 playoff games they've defeated teams 115-14. That includes only giving up 7 points to a highly vaunted MCC offense.  Many feel that the issue Oxbridge has struggled to get to the 3A finals was due to a grueling regular season schedule that was perhaps too grueling. The Thunderwolves still played a competitive schedule but didn't feature the major Florida powerhouses of years past. The Thunderwolves are healthy because of it and enter the game with no major injuries.

Chaminade-Madonna entered the season with lofty national expectations; however, those expectations were quickly tempered after losing in blowout fashion to Miami Central and American Heritage (Plantation). After the loss to AH-P the seniors on the team held a closed door meeting, since then- they've taken a wrecking ball to every team they've played including state powers University School and Clearwater Central Catholic. Currently ranked #10 by Maxpreps in the State and in the top 80 in all of America- the Lions have one of the most star studded and talented rosters you will see in high school. The Lions didn't duck anybody in creating their schedule, playing a proverbial whose-who of Miami powers.

How they stack up:

Oxbridge Academy runs a more disciplined offense that is a balance of QB GIo Richardson's ability to throw and James Meeks ability to run. The defense is one of the top in all of Florida. Chaminade is more loose on offense, preferring to allow QB Dalean Menard freedom to get the ball to IMHO the best core of WR's in Florida.  No player is more explosive than Auburn committ Shaun Shivers. He will be the focal point of Oxbridge's defense, but Lions have a lot of weapons to throw at Oxbridge. Alabama commit Xavier Williams and Kentucky commits Marvin Alexander and Akeem Hayes are all threats.

The game will come down to Chaminade's ability to run the ball. The trenches will be huge as both teams are big and deep between the tackles. I think the secondary for Oxbridge will be in position to make plays and they also feature enough speed to match the team speed of Chaminade.  For Chaminade they'll have to play sound in the secondary. Chaminade features 3 underclassmen who could form the best secondary in all of Florida for 2018 in Keontra Smith, Tecory Couch and Deidrick Stanley.

Prediction:

At the start of the season I picked Chaminade-Madonna to win the State 3A championship. I still do.  Oxbridge is a very good team that's playing with a sense of urgency and has the tools to compete, but Chaminade-Madonna has a mean third gear that can wind to 120mph on the open highway. Oxbridge can match most of the weapons of Chaminade, but in the 4th quarter Shaun Shivers will start to find running room and the Lions will pull away.

Chaminade-Madonna 28, Oxbridge 21







 

[BrowardHandicapper]

Another great preview and pregame primer, SPCjessica2004!

Looking forward to what I hope is one of the competitive 3A clashes we have seen in a while!

[mbhs69]

a superb recap of both teams. 

I see this matchup as "the irresistible force meets the immovable object".

With that, I'm picking the immovable object - Oxbridge by 2 or 3 simply because of their Defense.  In 11 games they gave up 53 points - so I'm hard pressed to see CM dropping 28 on em.  Can CM with it's burning fuse talent at every key offensive position explode on every drive?   Yep, but don't think it's gonna happen, at least not consistently.  CM gave up 144 in 12 games, so there's opportunity for Ox with an offense that has steadily improved.

Key will be who wins the battle of trenches early, who comes out of the blocks fast, and who consistently controls the edges.  Going deep will be the wild card since both are big play teams.  But points off turnovers are likely with both quality defenses with great DB's, certainly momentum changers.  Both coaches are good at recognizing vulnerabilities and adjusting.   I'd be stunned if this brawl was one-sided in any way.

[SFL SPY]

On ‎12‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 11:35 AM, SPCjessica2004 said:

It's almost here! The Class 3A Finals that will feature the Chaminade-Madonna Lions and the Oxbridge Academy Thunderwolves.  Both teams have had tremendously successful seasons in 2017 that have featured games against some of the state and nations best.  At the start of the season many people picked Chaminade vs Oxbridge as the 3A Finals, it's the game the fans want and it's the game the teams want.

The history:

This will be third time the teams have faced each other. The teams met in 2015 in round 1 of the Class 3A Finals. Oxbridge won that game 32-24 at home. In 2016 Chaminade returned the favor in Hollywood by knocking off the Thunderwolves 30-13. The all-time series is 1-1. Both teams are senior loaded with capable underclassmen.

How they got here:

Oxbridge Academy enters the 3A finals ranked #15 in Florida (according to maxpreps) and with a 10-1 record. The Thunderwolves only loss came in week 1 against PA powerhouse Archbishop Wood. The Thunderwolves feature a plethora of major D_1 talent behind CJ Smith. V'lique Carter, Keidron Smith and a host other others.  Their defense has been impressive to say the least- in their 3 playoff games they've defeated teams 115-14. That includes only giving up 7 points to a highly vaunted MCC offense.  Many feel that the issue Oxbridge has struggled to get to the 3A finals was due to a grueling regular season schedule that was perhaps too grueling. The Thunderwolves still played a competitive schedule but didn't feature the major Florida powerhouses of years past. The Thunderwolves are healthy because of it and enter the game with no major injuries.

Chaminade-Madonna entered the season with lofty national expectations; however, those expectations were quickly tempered after losing in blowout fashion to Miami Central and American Heritage (Plantation). After the loss to AH-P the seniors on the team held a closed door meeting, since then- they've taken a wrecking ball to every team they've played including state powers University School and Clearwater Central Catholic. Currently ranked #10 by Maxpreps in the State and in the top 80 in all of America- the Lions have one of the most star studded and talented rosters you will see in high school. The Lions didn't duck anybody in creating their schedule, playing a proverbial whose-who of Miami powers.

How they stack up:

Oxbridge Academy runs a more disciplined offense that is a balance of QB GIo Richardson's ability to throw and James Meeks ability to run. The defense is one of the top in all of Florida. Chaminade is more loose on offense, preferring to allow QB Dalean Menard freedom to get the ball to IMHO the best core of WR's in Florida.  No player is more explosive than Auburn committ Shaun Shivers. He will be the focal point of Oxbridge's defense, but Lions have a lot of weapons to throw at Oxbridge. Alabama commit Xavier Williams and Kentucky commits Marvin Alexander and Akeem Hayes are all threats.

The game will come down to Chaminade's ability to run the ball. The trenches will be huge as both teams are big and deep between the tackles. I think the secondary for Oxbridge will be in position to make plays and they also feature enough speed to match the team speed of Chaminade.  For Chaminade they'll have to play sound in the secondary. Chaminade features 3 underclassmen who could form the best secondary in all of Florida for 2018 in Keontra Smith, Tecory Couch and Deidrick Stanley.

Prediction:

At the start of the season I picked Chaminade-Madonna to win the State 3A championship. I still do.  Oxbridge is a very good team that's playing with a sense of urgency and has the tools to compete, but Chaminade-Madonna has a mean third gear that can wind to 120mph on the open highway. Oxbridge can match most of the weapons of Chaminade, but in the 4th quarter Shaun Shivers will start to find running room and the Lions will pull away.

Chaminade-Madonna 28, Oxbridge 21







 

Chaminade either blows Oxbridge out or gets beat. I don't see them winning a close game.

[OldSchoolLion]

...highlights from last year's game

 

 

[SFL SPY]

1 hour ago, OldSchoolLion said:

...highlights from last year's game

 

 

So Oxbridge only had TWO big plays on offense? Chaminade's defense was NASTY last year! How many turnovers did they cause in that game? 

Chaminade only had TWO big plays on offense as well? It looks like Oxbridge completely contained Shivers on that muddy field (besides the 90+ yard TD)

This might come down to the kicking game.

 

 

[OldSchoolLion]

I believe Oxbridge fumbled twice and was intercepted twice.  Outside that big run, Shivers only gained about 40-50 yards.  Impressive how Oxbridge contained him for the most part, muddy field or not.  Would guess Oxbridge will be just as fast or better on defense this year, but think Jessica is likely right that Shivers will pop through at some time.  When he does, it's often a big run and/or TD.  Video below is first play from scrimmage in last year's state championship game.  Like how he breaks loose just as the commentator is talking about him.  Chaminade has two 6'3" 325ish pounders on the o-line this year who can make holes.

I noticed how Chaminade made an effort to spread the ball around to some different receivers again Clearwater.  Maybe a hint of things to come.  Focus too much on Shivers and they have some burners in the receiving corps.

Chaminade's d-line is stout and should be tough against the run.  I think the key for them will be the performance of their secondary, especially considering Oxbridge's big-play ability.  Was a little surprised at how vulnerable Chaminade's secondary looked against AHP, considering how good they are supposed to be.    

We are so lucky to have such great football in Florida.  Not many fans in the US get treated to a weekend like this.   

 

 

[mbhs69]

Expect some different conditions that these 2 fine South Florida teams are used to.

An early AM game time.  Forecasted showers, mid 50's, and windy.   The wind chill feels even lower.

After the first few hits some of that becomes irrelevant,  but probable 15-18 mph gusting winds could remain a factor - specially on the deep pass and kicking game.  But it mostly evens out - both teams face those conditions.

What's the field playing surface like?

[MuckCityChamp]

I'm excited about this one. This may be the best game all weekend.  

[SPCjessica2004]

29 minutes ago, MuckCityChamp said:

I'm excited about this one. This may be the best game all weekend.  

Couldn't agree more! Really excited for this one.

[MuckCityChamp]

Oxbridge’s Safety/WR CJ. Jones is not here. 

[SportsNut25]

9 minutes ago, MuckCityChamp said:

Oxbridge’s Safety/WR CJ. Jones is not here. 

Presume you mean CJ Smith -- per the Sun-Sentinel he broke his hand and is instead visiting Nebraska. 

[Cat_Scratch]

Score stream shows 28 - 21 Chaminade. I was only able to watch the first half. I'm unable to watch the rest of the game. Can someone post the scores plz.

[muckboy561]

31-28 Final

Chamainade

[OldSchoolLion]

...in case you didn't see/hear the game and are interested.

In the first half, Oxbridge was having success running jet sweeps.  Once Chaminade adjusted, Oxbridge's running game was pretty well shut down.   There was nothing to be had running inside the entire game.  Chaminade's D-line was stout and got a fair amount of penetration.  Davoan Hawkins was impressive.

Oxbridge's qb played a fantastic fourth quarter and their coaching staff did a nice job getting creative after their running game got stuffed.  Shaun Shivers played hurt(knee) the second half.  But he turned it up a notch on their final drive to help Chaminade win the game.  He had a fantastic first half, helped by some poor tackling by Oxbridge.   

Oxbridge's kicking game definitely hurt them.  Oxbridge failed on 3, fourth-down conversions, and am guessing that at least two of those were caused by lack of confidence in their kicker.  Also, Oxbridge gave Chaminade some good starting positions on kickoffs, whereby Chaminade's kicker was good for touchbacks most of the day.   

Both teams showed great composure.  Neither team seemed to get rattled after momentum changes.  It's a shame someone had to lose.  The referees let the kids play.  I don't recall many, if any, holding or pass interference calls the entire game.    

  

 

 

 

 

[MuckCityChamp]

It was a great game. Cold, but great. Oxbridge showed some character by fighting back after going down 2 TDs. Shivers is very good. Has great balance to go along with that speed. #55 for Chaminade control the LOS on both sides of the ball. Shivers did good on the last drive, but that QB scramble for 21 was the game saver. 

[OldSchoolLion]

 

#55 is Davoan Hawkins-3 star DE committed to Kentucky.  Also committed to Kentucky from Chaminade this year are 3-star WR's Marvin Alexander and Akeem Hayes.  Hayes had 4 receptions today for 89 yards.   Kentucky also has a commitment from junior Keontra Smith, a 4-star DB, who had some good hits today.

Kentucky got a 3-star WR and 3-star DE from Chaminade last year.  Here is an article on the pipeline Kentucky is building to south Florida.

https://www.seccountry.com/kentucky/kentucky-football-eddie-gran-dameon-jones-chaminade-madonna-recruiting

Looks like they are following Louisville's lead.  Including the three seniors above, Kentucky has six, 3-star commits from Broward County this year.  Great strategy to come to south Florida and get these kids with upside potential who do not get attention like the 4 and 5-star recruits.  

[mbhs69]

2 hours ago, OldSchoolLion said:

...in case you didn't see/hear the game and are interested.

In the first half, Oxbridge was having success running jet sweeps.  Once Chaminade adjusted, Oxbridge's running game was pretty well shut down.   There was nothing to be had running inside the entire game.  Chaminade's D-line was stout and got a fair amount of penetration.  Davoan Hawkins was impressive.

Oxbridge's qb played a fantastic fourth quarter and their coaching staff did a nice job getting creative after their running game got stuffed.  Shaun Shivers played hurt(knee) the second half.  But he turned it up a notch on their final drive to help Chaminade win the game.  He had a fantastic first half, helped by some poor tackling by Oxbridge.   

Oxbridge's kicking game definitely hurt them.  Oxbridge failed on 3, fourth-down conversions, and am guessing that at least two of those were caused by lack of confidence in their kicker.  Also, Oxbridge gave Chaminade some good starting positions on kickoffs, whereby Chaminade's kicker was good for touchbacks most of the day.   

Both teams showed great composure.  Neither team seemed to get rattled after momentum changes.  It's a shame someone had to lose.  The referees let the kids play.  I don't recall many, if any, holding or pass interference calls the entire game.    

 

--__

Glad mamasan gave me a wakeup liberty pass at 0600 today, and some pre-drive sugar to keep me motivated  - made it to my seat just before kickoff.  Low 50's, gray and overcast, with some 1st qtr sprinkles and gusty winds.  Great game.  Shivers dictated from the gitgo, continuing thru 3 qtrs,  and that 55 Hawkins seemed like he cloned himself - he was everywhere, all the time .  Yer spot on, the CM D Line shut down the OX rush,  inside, outside, it didn't matter where.  The only ground yards Ox seemed to gain were effective scrambles by their junior QB, mostly at key times or on key downs, to sustain their drives.  That QB was on today, he's worth watchin next year.  They worked those short passes and flares consistently well eatin up yards till they made two scores tying it up with just a couple minutes to go, - .  But a number of accurate dropped passes really hurt throughout the game.  as did #4 Lane and 17 CJ Smith not suitin up.

Clean game, didn't seem chippy at all.  Not many penalties throughout.  Great comment about both team's composure.  Both stayed focused,  played their hearts out - definitely spent themselves leavin it all on the field.  Tied at 28 - CM rose to the challenge on their final drive as time wound down, impressive as the OX D seemed to control that last quarter.  They surely earned that winning FG with 8 seconds to go.  Their kicker has the right name - Longman - and a bore-sighted howitzer for a leg.

CM played far better than what I saw of them against CCC.  A tough Ox squad brought out the best in them.  Big congrats to the Lions -deserving state champs.  Happy I live in FLA to see this sorta skill and will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mbhs69]

--__

Glad mamasan gave me a wakeup liberty pass at 0600 today, and some pre-drive sugar to keep me motivated  - made it to my seat just before kickoff.  Low 50's, gray and overcast, with some 1st qtr sprinkles and gusty winds.  Great game.  Shivers dictated from the gitgo, continuing thru 3 qtrs,  and that 55 Hawkins seemed like he cloned himself - he was everywhere, all the time .  Yer spot on, the CM D Line shut down the OX rush,  inside, outside, it didn't matter where.  The only ground yards Ox seemed to gain were effective scrambles by their junior QB, mostly at key times or on key downs, to sustain their drives.  That QB was on today, he's worth watchin next year.  They worked those short passes and flares consistently well eatin up yards till they made two scores tying it up with just a couple minutes to go, - .  But a number of accurate dropped passes really hurt throughout the game.  as did #4 Lane and 17 CJ Smith not suitin up.

Clean game, didn't seem chippy at all.  Not many penalties throughout.  Great comment about both team's composure.  Both stayed focused,  played their hearts out - definitely spent themselves leavin it all on the field.  Tied at 28 - CM rose to the challenge on their final drive as time wound down, impressive as the OX D seemed to control that last quarter.  They surely earned that winning FG with 8 seconds to go.  Their kicker has the right name - Longman - and a bore-sighted howitzer for a leg.

CM played far better than what I saw of them against CCC.  A tough Ox squad brought out the best in them.  Big congrats to the Lions -deserving state champs.  Happy I live in FLA to see this sorta skill and will.

[MuckCityChamp]

7 hours ago, SportsNut25 said:

Presume you mean CJ Smith -- per the Sun-Sentinel he broke his hand and is instead visiting Nebraska. 

Yes I meant Smith. Yea that’s what the media was told. 

[SPCjessica2004]

This was an amazing game from both Oxbridge and Chaminade-Madonna. Congrats to the Lions for winning the state championship. On message boards, it's very easy to say one team is going to win a classification and be done with it; however, it's the players, coaches and staff that still have to go out and play the game each week. In other words, they can't afford to be bored.

Chaminade was the best team in 3A this year, and I commend them for playing a tough schedule early. I actually think their schedule would have been even tougher if some traditional powers didn't stumble. 

For Oxbridge they are one of the best runner-up's I've seen in ages. They didn't quit and they played to the very end. A few missed tackles at the very end was the difference. Coach Kent and his staff had a great game plan and executed to an almost upset. Gio Richardson is a man out there, he played at a very high level.
Anywho- with Chaminade being the state champions, here is my final top 6 for 3A for the 2017 season.

1) Chaminade-Madonna; State Champions.         
2) Oxbridge Academy: State Runner-Ups.                
3) Clearwater Central Catholic: Region 3 Champs.
4) Melbourne Central Catholic: Regional Finalist.
5) FSU School: Region 1 Champs
6) Tampa Catholic: Regional Semi-Finalist


I'm curious if there are any post state championship games that Chaminade would be eligible for. This is a program that should go national before Shivers/Williams and that loaded Senior class moves on.
 

[SportsNut25]

1 hour ago, SPCjessica2004 said:

I'm curious if there are any post state championship games that Chaminade would be eligible for.

Only if they are ranked by USA Today ... and just checked and they are not ranked as of now. Maybe that'll change.

AHP is at 5 and they'll get an invite. Armwood won't end up with an invite. If C-M can sneak their way into the rankings, they might possibly get an invite. 

[BrowardHandicapper]

What a game....A game that both lived up to the long awaited hype, and both teams played as advertised.  Having seen the game live, breaking down the box score, and reviewing the play by play , as cliche as it sounds but I'll say it again...It is fortunate their had to be a loser in this game.  My thoughts were this game ultimately would go on how CM RB Shivers goes (which I presented why with all of CMs losses over the last 2 years on another thread).  I knew Kentucky commit S/DB Antavious Lane was out with a undisclosed injury but figured with a deep secondary, Oxbridge Academy could wing it and be fine....However when I saw Wells Dusenbury's tweet at 6:15 AM on game day about 4 Star/ 25 offer CJ Smith  https://247sports.com/Player/CJ-Smith-90561

out with with a broken hand (somehow at the last minute)  I said this one could get ugly now and was disappointed that OA would not be at full force in that secondary....I figured CM was going to attack the middle with Shivers to slip through LBs all day with the 6'2", 195 lb bruiser in Smith not being present.  

As good as the OA DL did overall in the game banging with the CM OL every once in a while there were holes that would open that you could drive a golf cart through.  This allowed the shifty Shivers to not only gain speed but lateral movement which ultimately led to chunks of yardage mostly up the middle.  Could CJ Smith's presence possibly have neutralized this?  We'll never know....

Outside of that, the Oxbridge LBs and secondary did a pretty good job containing the CM WRs.  I understand they got beat on a couple but against that stable of WRs coming at you and down to starters back there it was still a fine job of containment IMO.

Oxbridge offensively to me had a great game plan ,  flirted with the run a bit , realized and accepted the fact that they couldn't establish the ground game yet still sprinkled just enough runs in to keep CM honest to allow QB Gio Richardson to surgically pick up first downs when needed, establish drives, and most importantly keep the ball out the Lions hands.  Richardson threw for 286 yards on the day and 3 TDs.  The Junior QB , and Oxbridge were able to complete 3 of 6 fourth downs in the game as the Thunderwolves  masterfully played the  possession game with a 24-14 first down and 7 minute possession advantage.  I will add that although Oxbridge was pretty much shut down on the run, sacked 5 times, QB Gio Richardson scrambled efficiently netting 55 yards on the ground including a TD.

Chaminade-Madonna also played a great game, and did what they do best by punishing teams with big plays.  Even though they gambled a few times overall and lost, CM's DL and LBs got big pressure on Oxbridge's front and QB limiting any kind of large gains.

Offensively , CM is a absolute machine and I have watched their chemistry develop since preseason.  Bottom line again...You don't stop RB Shaun "Worm"  Shivers particularly for large gains, you are probably not going to beat the Chaminade-Madonna Lions.  CM QB Daelen Menard was composed, efficient and picked up a huge first down on about a 20 yard scamper on the game winning drive.  It was almost as if he was waiting for his spot lulling the Thunderwolf D to sleep on him on that play and Menard came up with the huge play.

Oxbridge's game plan was so good that Shivers rushed for 223 yards, averaged over 7 yards a carry, yet the Thunderwolves still were in the game with a chance to win it.  

A few things I would point out that may have changed the outcome of this game:

- Lane out hurt Oxbridge but add top defensive player CJ Smith on top of that facing one of  the best 3A offenses we have seen to date....

- CM got the ball to start the game but quickly were 3 and out ...until a roughing the punter penalty allowed CM to keep the ball and start a fresh set of down on the Oxbridge 46, 3 gashes by Shaun Shivers later you have a 7-0 football game off the start.  Part of the game but that is one Oxbridge would probably like to have back...

- Maybe I'm wrong but it seemed Oxbridge had the ball inside or near the CM red zone a few more times in the game then versa.  Could they have considered kicking a FG perhaps with the brisk wind on their back if the opportunity was there?  Here are a couple of note:

Just before halftime:

OXBRIDGE ACADEMY drive start at 02:15.

1-10 CM 28 Timeout Chaminade-Madonna, clock 02:15.

1-10 CM 28 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to De'John King.

2-10 CM 28 Gio Richardson rush for 6 yards to the CM22, out-of-bounds (Keontra Smith).

3-4 CM 22 Luis Gonzalez rush for no gain to the CM22 (CJ Williams;Davoan Hawkins).

4-4 CM 22 Gio Richardson sacked for loss of 5 yards to the CM27 (Ernest Felder).

4 plays, 1 yard, 0:49

 

To start the 3rd quarter:

 

OXBRIDGE ACADEMY drive start at 12:00.
1-10 OXB 20 De'John King rush for loss of 3 yards to the OXB17 (Ju. Richardson;Ahmaud Jordan).
2-13 OXB 17 Gio Richardson pass complete to Jordan Cash for 44 yards to the CM39, 1ST DOWN OXB P11
(Te'cory Couch).
1-10 CM 39 V'lique Carter rush for 1 yard to the CM38 (James Williams;Ahmaud Jordan).
2-9 CM 38 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to V'lique Carter (Ahmaud Jordan), QB hurry by Jake
Hoffman.
3-9 CM 38 Gio Richardson pass complete to James Meeks for 14 yards to the CM24, 1ST DOWN OXB (Ju. P12
Richardson;Ahmaud Jordan).
1-10 CM 24 Gio Richardson rush for 4 yards to the CM20 (Davoan Hawkins;CameronWilliams).
2-6 CM 20 James Meeks rush for 1 yard to the CM19 (CJ Williams).
3-5 CM 19 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to Keidron Smith (Te'cory Couch), QB hurry by CJ Williams.
4-5 CM 19 Timeout Chaminade-Madonna, clock 08:36.
4-5 CM 19 PENALTY CM substitution infraction 5 yards to the CM14, 1ST DOWN OXB. X13
1-10 CM 14 Gio Richardson rush for 1 yard to the CM13, out-of-bounds (CameronWilliams).
2-9 CM 13 De'John King rush for 2 yards to the CM11 (Jake Hoffman;CameronWilliams).
3-7 CM 11 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to V'lique Carter, QB hurry by Davoan Hawkins.
4-7 CM 11 Timeout Oxbridge Academy, clock 07:41.
4-7 CM 11 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to De'John King (Keontra Smith).
12 plays, 69 yards, 4:26

 

Start of the 4th qtr:

2-10 CM 28 Start of 4th quarter, clock 12:00.
2-10 CM 28 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to De'John King.
3-10 CM 28 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to Jordan Cash, QB hurry by Davoan Hawkins.
4-10 CM 28 Gio Richardson pass intercepted by James Williams at the CM2, James Williams return 3
yards to the CM5 (Herman Mccray), QB hurry by Keontra Smith.
16 plays, 52 yards, 4:10

 

All water under the bridge, coulda, shoulda, woulda but should OA have chose to opt for a make-able FG on these 3 plays and hypothetically have made one could we be looking a different final score?.....

I think if these teams play 10 times on that field you have a split outcome.  CM was the better team by a wince today.

Either way, thank you Oxbridge Academy and Chaminade-Madonna on making one if the best 3A State Championships, with perhaps the two best teams on the field at the same time in recent history.  Great game and BOL to both teams next year!

 

 

Here is the official box score and other numbers from the FHSAA if anybody is interested:

http://www.fhsaa.org/sites/default/files/orig_uploads/sports/football/archives/2017-18/state/3a/3a_final.pdf

[OldSchoolLion]

 

38 minutes ago, BrowardHandicapper said:

What a game....A game that both lived up to the long awaited hype, and both teams played as advertised.  Having seen the game live, breaking down the box score, and reviewing the play by play , as cliche as it sounds but I'll say it again...It is fortunate their had to be a loser in this game.  My thoughts were this game ultimately would go on how CM RB Shivers goes (which I presented why with all of CMs losses over the last 2 years on another thread).  I knew Kentucky commit S/DB Antavious Lane was out with a undisclosed injury but figured with a deep secondary, Oxbridge Academy could wing it and be fine....However when I saw Wells Dusenbury's tweet at 6:15 AM on game day about 4 Star/ 25 offer CJ Smith  https://247sports.com/Player/CJ-Smith-90561

out with with a broken hand (somehow at the last minute)  I said this one could get ugly now and was disappointed that OA would not be at full force in that secondary....I figured CM was going to attack the middle with Shivers to slip through LBs all day with the 6'2", 195 lb bruiser in Smith not being present.  

As good as the OA DL did overall in the game banging with the CM OL every once in a while there were holes that would open that you could drive a golf cart through.  This allowed the shifty Shivers to not only gain speed but lateral movement which ultimately led to chunks of yardage mostly up the middle.  Could CJ Smith's presence possibly have neutralized this?  We'll never know....

Outside of that, the Oxbridge LBs and secondary did a pretty good job containing the CM WRs.  I understand they got beat on a couple but against that stable of WRs coming at you and down to starters back there it was still a fine job of containment IMO.

Oxbridge offensively to me had a great game plan ,  flirted with the run a bit , realized and accepted the fact that they couldn't establish the ground game yet still sprinkled just enough runs in to keep CM honest to allow QB Gio Richardson to surgically pick up first downs when needed, establish drives, and most importantly keep the ball out the Lions hands.  Richardson threw for 286 yards on the day and 3 TDs.  The Junior QB , and Oxbridge were able to complete 3 of 6 fourth downs in the game as the Thunderwolves  masterfully played the  possession game with a 24-14 first down and 7 minute possession advantage.  I will add that although Oxbridge was pretty much shut down on the run, sacked 5 times, QB Gio Richardson scrambled efficiently netting 55 yards on the ground including a TD.

Chaminade-Madonna also played a great game, and did what they do best by punishing teams with big plays.  Even though they gambled a few times overall and lost, CM's DL and LBs got big pressure on Oxbridge's front and QB limiting any kind of large gains.

Offensively , CM is a absolute machine and I have watched their chemistry develop since preseason.  Bottom line again...You don't stop RB Shaun "Worm"  Shivers particularly for large gains, you are probably not going to beat the Chaminade-Madonna Lions.  CM QB Daelen Menard was composed, efficient and picked up a huge first down on about a 20 yard scamper on the game winning drive.  It was almost as if he was waiting for his spot lulling the Thunderwolf D to sleep on him on that play and Menard came up with the huge play.

Oxbridge's game plan was so good that Shivers rushed for 223 yards, averaged over 7 yards a carry, yet the Thunderwolves still were in the game with a chance to win it.  

A few things I would point out that may have changed the outcome of this game:

- Lane out hurt Oxbridge but add top defensive player CJ Smith on top of that facing one of  the best 3A offenses we have seen to date....

- CM got the ball to start the game but quickly were 3 and out ...until a roughing the punter penalty allowed CM to keep the ball and start a fresh set of down on the Oxbridge 46, 3 gashes by Shaun Shivers later you have a 7-0 football game off the start.  Part of the game but that is one Oxbridge would probably like to have back...

- Maybe I'm wrong but it seemed Oxbridge had the ball inside or near the CM red zone a few more times in the game then versa.  Could they have considered kicking a FG perhaps with the brisk wind on their back if the opportunity was there?  Here are a couple of note:

Just before halftime:

OXBRIDGE ACADEMY drive start at 02:15.

1-10 CM 28 Timeout Chaminade-Madonna, clock 02:15.

1-10 CM 28 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to De'John King.

2-10 CM 28 Gio Richardson rush for 6 yards to the CM22, out-of-bounds (Keontra Smith).

3-4 CM 22 Luis Gonzalez rush for no gain to the CM22 (CJ Williams;Davoan Hawkins).

4-4 CM 22 Gio Richardson sacked for loss of 5 yards to the CM27 (Ernest Felder).

4 plays, 1 yard, 0:49

 

To start the 3rd quarter:

 

OXBRIDGE ACADEMY drive start at 12:00.
1-10 OXB 20 De'John King rush for loss of 3 yards to the OXB17 (Ju. Richardson;Ahmaud Jordan).
2-13 OXB 17 Gio Richardson pass complete to Jordan Cash for 44 yards to the CM39, 1ST DOWN OXB P11
(Te'cory Couch).
1-10 CM 39 V'lique Carter rush for 1 yard to the CM38 (James Williams;Ahmaud Jordan).
2-9 CM 38 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to V'lique Carter (Ahmaud Jordan), QB hurry by Jake
Hoffman.
3-9 CM 38 Gio Richardson pass complete to James Meeks for 14 yards to the CM24, 1ST DOWN OXB (Ju. P12
Richardson;Ahmaud Jordan).
1-10 CM 24 Gio Richardson rush for 4 yards to the CM20 (Davoan Hawkins;CameronWilliams).
2-6 CM 20 James Meeks rush for 1 yard to the CM19 (CJ Williams).
3-5 CM 19 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to Keidron Smith (Te'cory Couch), QB hurry by CJ Williams.
4-5 CM 19 Timeout Chaminade-Madonna, clock 08:36.
4-5 CM 19 PENALTY CM substitution infraction 5 yards to the CM14, 1ST DOWN OXB. X13
1-10 CM 14 Gio Richardson rush for 1 yard to the CM13, out-of-bounds (CameronWilliams).
2-9 CM 13 De'John King rush for 2 yards to the CM11 (Jake Hoffman;CameronWilliams).
3-7 CM 11 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to V'lique Carter, QB hurry by Davoan Hawkins.
4-7 CM 11 Timeout Oxbridge Academy, clock 07:41.
4-7 CM 11 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to De'John King (Keontra Smith).
12 plays, 69 yards, 4:26

 

Start of the 4th qtr:

2-10 CM 28 Start of 4th quarter, clock 12:00.
2-10 CM 28 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to De'John King.
3-10 CM 28 Gio Richardson pass incomplete to Jordan Cash, QB hurry by Davoan Hawkins.
4-10 CM 28 Gio Richardson pass intercepted by James Williams at the CM2, James Williams return 3
yards to the CM5 (Herman Mccray), QB hurry by Keontra Smith.
16 plays, 52 yards, 4:10

 

All water under the bridge, coulda, shoulda, woulda but should CM have chose to opt for a make-able FG on these 3 plays and hypothetically have made one could we be looking a different final score?.....

I think if these teams play 10 times on that field you have a split outcome.  CM was the better team by a wince today.

Either way, thank you Oxbridge Academy and Chaminade-Madonna on making one if the best 3A State Championships, with perhaps the two best teams on the field at the same time in recent history.  Great game and BOL to both teams next year!

 

 

Here is the official box score and other numbers from the FHSAA if anybody is interested:

http://www.fhsaa.org/sites/default/files/orig_uploads/sports/football/archives/2017-18/state/3a/3a_final.pdf

I had the same question about OA not attempting a field goal.  I thought kicking/special teams game made a huge difference in this game, beyond the winning field goal.  OA gave CM the ball on CM's 40 yard line or better on the opening kickoff and after each of OA's first two scores.  CM's kicker made OA start four of their drives on the 20, and OA only scored on one of those drives.  Give CM's offense an opportunity like that and make your offense drive 80 yards against a defense like CM's, and you are putting yourself behind the eight ball.  I just read CM's kicker made 19/20 field goals this season-quite a season.      

Along with OA's secondary challenges due to injury, Chaminade's qb played the game with a torn muscle in the shoulder of his throwing arm.  Heard he injured it this week during practice and had trouble raising the arm yesterday.  With the cold weather, that arm must have been hurtin' come the fourth quarter.  

[SportsNut25]

Not sure what Oxbridge’s kicking game has been like this season, but a quick MP check reveals their two kicking options are their starting QB or a sophomore. Quite sure you wouldn’t insert your starting QB into that role for state title game and have no clue how the sophomore is.