Class 3A, Week 4 with more Mojo!

[SPCjessica2004]

Lots to cover going into week 4, so let's get to it!!!

Class 3A, top 5 going into week 4

1) Chaminade Madonna (2-1) Remains #1 after dominating performance. C-M started off slow in 2017 before ramping it up after week 5. This C-M team is following a similar path. C-M still has highly interesting games against AHP, Booker T, Uschool on the schedule. I'm also being told not to overlook Piper as they've improved from 2017.  Still, that loss to Deerfield Beach by 3 points is looking more and more impressive as Deerfield has gone on to defeat Buford and Westlake Georgia by wider margins.

2) Clearwater Central Catholic (3-0) The computers had CCC as a 10-13 point favorite over rival Tampa Catholic, but the human element had TC as a 3-10 point favorite since TC was playing at home. It turns out, the computers were correct as CCC dominated the 3rd and 4th quarter en route to a 34-14 win. I know I'm a broken record saying this, but the Marauders are already really, really good and star JR Running Back Jerzhan Newton hasn't seen time at running back due to a leg injury.  Marauders have a few weeks of easier opponents in Tarpon Springs, Northeast and St. Pete Catholic, but Calvary Christian, Jesuit and Cardinal Mooney (combined 8-1) finish their season off. In particular, that CCC at Jesuit game is looking like must see TV.

3) American Heritage Delray (2-0)  Stallions move up a spot by not playing a game. The defense has been lights out and the offense is moving the ball. Quality win over 8A Belen Jesuit in week 1. Really interesting game this week against Monsignor Pace.  I knew the Stallions would return to form in 2018, but I'm impressed with what they've done.  AHD has a couple of marquee games coming up besides this week's game vs Pace. Uschool and Glades Central loom down the road.

4) King's Academy (3-0) While the Lions haven't played the most competitive of schedules, they've performed well enough and have some late season challenges that I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'll keep and eye on them and move them up and down as necessary based on other teams strength of schedule going forward, but for now- the Lions are strong enough that I think they can punch harder than the teams they're playing.

5) Florida High (1-1) I dropped the Seminoles 2 spots, but not out of my top 5. Madison County is a truck load, but I also haven't seen a northern 3A team with an overly competitive schedule to replace them with. Seminoles depth could be an issue as MadCo was able to wear them down and dominate the 2nd half. Seminoles have to move forward, Chiles is up next.

Others I'm looking at:  Sarasota Cardinal Mooney (3-0), Ocala Trinity Catholic (3-0), Melbourne Central Catholic (2-1), Tampa Catholic (2-1), Benjamin School (3-0), Orlando TFA (2-0).

GAMES I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO:
Chaminade and CCC have easier weeks this week, so the top 2 teams should be fine; however, after them- there's some really good, competitive games on tap. Here's what I'm looking forward to:

Tampa Berkeley Prep (1-2) vs Lakeland Christian(2-1)

The Berkeley Prep Buccaneers are a talented bunch and have played a competitive schedule, but a win against rival LCS would right the ship. Berkeley Prep lost 28-19 to Sarasota Cardinal Mooney last week which is a somewhat surprising result considering the Bucs talent level. LCS suffered their first loss to Bishop Verot. When Specturm Sports televised games, this game would always find its way onto their TV schedule and for good reason. This has been a highly entertaining and competitive matchup for years. 

In week 1 vs CCC, QB Joshua Youngblood broke his throwing hand late in the 4th quarter with the game already decided. The Bucs did knock off a potent Calvary Christian team in week 2 ad Youngblood moved to RB, but without Youngblood at QB- the offense has stagnated.  LCS on the otherhand got off to a hot start in weeks 1 and 2 against Teneroc and Auburndale.

My Pick:  Both teams are competing for playoff positioning. Berkeley Prep cannot afford a third loss this early in the season, especially with Tampa Catholic and Mitchell still on the schedule. LCS probably has a bit more wiggle room, but the loser of this game is going to be hurting for playoff positioning.

Berkeley Prep 28, LCS 25

Melbourne Central Catholic (2-1) vs Tampa Catholic (2-1)

After a tremendous 2 year run under new HC Stacy Sizemore, many felt the Hustlers of MCC would slip this year due to a huge graduating class and inexperience in big games. The Hustlers were smacked against Cornith, MS- but against Florida competition the Hustlers are 2-0. Lead by LaAnthony Valentine and strong play in the trenches the Hustlers were able to pound Archbishop McCarthy 30-0 last week.

Tampa Catholic started off 2-0 and outscoring their opponents 66-6 before running into Clearwater Central Catholic which accumulated just under 500 yards total offense against a very strong Crusader defense. In the loss, Sr. Rb Jalen Bussey was a bright spot- scoring both Crusader TD's.  TC Jr QB Dylan McCain has a rocket for an Arm.

My Pick:  MCC is a good team, very strong, athletic but young.  TC is loaded with D-1 prospects and goes 4 deep at running back. I can't see TC finishing anything less than 8-2 this year which means they'll win this week. I expect TC to get back on track with the defense leading the way late in the 4th.

Tampa Catholic 28, MCC 21

Other games of note:

Trinity Catholic over Mt. Dora by 17
Calvary Christian (Clearwater) over Zephyrhills Christian by 14
American Heritage Delray over Pace by 7
Chaminade over Northeast by 35
CCC over Tarpon Springs by 35
Ft. White over Taylor County by 10
NFC over Providence School by 10
Holy Trinity over West Oaks by 30
Pensacola Catholic over Milton by 3
First Academy over Tampa Bay Christian by 35

As always, these are just the thoughts of my hubby, myself, brother and pop. Feel free to add information about any of the teams listed!

 

[SFL SPY]

8 hours ago, SPCjessica2004 said:

Lots to cover going into week 4, so let's get to it!!!

Class 3A, top 5 going into week 4

1) Chaminade Madonna (2-1) Remains #1 after dominating performance. C-M started off slow in 2017 before ramping it up after week 5. This C-M team is following a similar path. C-M still has highly interesting games against AHP, Booker T, Uschool on the schedule. I'm also being told not to overlook Piper as they've improved from 2017.  Still, that loss to Deerfield Beach by 3 points is looking more and more impressive as Deerfield has gone on to defeat Buford and Westlake Georgia by wider margins.

2) Clearwater Central Catholic (3-0) The computers had CCC as a 10-13 point favorite over rival Tampa Catholic, but the human element had TC as a 3-10 point favorite since TC was playing at home. It turns out, the computers were correct as CCC dominated the 3rd and 4th quarter en route to a 34-14 win. I know I'm a broken record saying this, but the Marauders are already really, really good and star JR Running Back Jerzhan Newton hasn't seen time at running back due to a leg injury.  Marauders have a few weeks of easier opponents in Tarpon Springs, Northeast and St. Pete Catholic, but Calvary Christian, Jesuit and Cardinal Mooney (combined 8-1) finish their season off. In particular, that CCC at Jesuit game is looking like must see TV.

3) American Heritage Delray (2-0)  Stallions move up a spot by not playing a game. The defense has been lights out and the offense is moving the ball. Quality win over 8A Belen Jesuit in week 1. Really interesting game this week against Monsignor Pace.  I knew the Stallions would return to form in 2018, but I'm impressed with what they've done.  AHD has a couple of marquee games coming up besides this week's game vs Pace. Uschool and Glades Central loom down the road.

4) King's Academy (3-0) While the Lions haven't played the most competitive of schedules, they've performed well enough and have some late season challenges that I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'll keep and eye on them and move them up and down as necessary based on other teams strength of schedule going forward, but for now- the Lions are strong enough that I think they can punch harder than the teams they're playing.

5) Florida High (1-1) I dropped the Seminoles 2 spots, but not out of my top 5. Madison County is a truck load, but I also haven't seen a northern 3A team with an overly competitive schedule to replace them with. Seminoles depth could be an issue as MadCo was able to wear them down and dominate the 2nd half. Seminoles have to move forward, Chiles is up next.

Others I'm looking at:  Sarasota Cardinal Mooney (3-0), Ocala Trinity Catholic (3-0), Melbourne Central Catholic (2-1), Tampa Catholic (2-1), Benjamin School (3-0), Orlando TFA (2-0).

GAMES I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO:
Chaminade and CCC have easier weeks this week, so the top 2 teams should be fine; however, after them- there's some really good, competitive games on tap. Here's what I'm looking forward to:

Tampa Berkeley Prep (1-2) vs Lakeland Christian(2-1)

The Berkeley Prep Buccaneers are a talented bunch and have played a competitive schedule, but a win against rival LCS would right the ship. Berkeley Prep lost 28-19 to Sarasota Cardinal Mooney last week which is a somewhat surprising result considering the Bucs talent level. LCS suffered their first loss to Bishop Verot. When Specturm Sports televised games, this game would always find its way onto their TV schedule and for good reason. This has been a highly entertaining and competitive matchup for years. 

In week 1 vs CCC, QB Joshua Youngblood broke his throwing hand late in the 4th quarter with the game already decided. The Bucs did knock off a potent Calvary Christian team in week 2 ad Youngblood moved to RB, but without Youngblood at QB- the offense has stagnated.  LCS on the otherhand got off to a hot start in weeks 1 and 2 against Teneroc and Auburndale.

My Pick:  Both teams are competing for playoff positioning. Berkeley Prep cannot afford a third loss this early in the season, especially with Tampa Catholic and Mitchell still on the schedule. LCS probably has a bit more wiggle room, but the loser of this game is going to be hurting for playoff positioning.

Berkeley Prep 28, LCS 25

Melbourne Central Catholic (2-1) vs Tampa Catholic (2-1)

After a tremendous 2 year run under new HC Stacy Sizemore, many felt the Hustlers of MCC would slip this year due to a huge graduating class and inexperience in big games. The Hustlers were smacked against Cornith, MS- but against Florida competition the Hustlers are 2-0. Lead by LaAnthony Valentine and strong play in the trenches the Hustlers were able to pound Archbishop McCarthy 30-0 last week.

Tampa Catholic started off 2-0 and outscoring their opponents 66-6 before running into Clearwater Central Catholic which accumulated just under 500 yards total offense against a very strong Crusader defense. In the loss, Sr. Rb Jalen Bussey was a bright spot- scoring both Crusader TD's.  TC Jr QB Dylan McCain has a rocket for an Arm.

My Pick:  MCC is a good team, very strong, athletic but young.  TC is loaded with D-1 prospects and goes 4 deep at running back. I can't see TC finishing anything less than 8-2 this year which means they'll win this week. I expect TC to get back on track with the defense leading the way late in the 4th.

Tampa Catholic 28, MCC 21

Other games of note:

Trinity Catholic over Mt. Dora by 17
Calvary Christian (Clearwater) over Zephyrhills Christian by 14
American Heritage Delray over Pace by 7
Chaminade over Northeast by 35
CCC over Tarpon Springs by 35
Ft. White over Taylor County by 10
NFC over Providence School by 10
Holy Trinity over West Oaks by 30
Pensacola Catholic over Milton by 3
First Academy over Tampa Bay Christian by 35

As always, these are just the thoughts of my hubby, myself, brother and pop. Feel free to add information about any of the teams listed!

 

I really enjoy your breakdown of 3A each week. Nice job!!

[SPCjessica2004]

Thanks Spy!  We try:-)

I've received quite a few E-mails/DM's and various communication since the start of the season.

I really don't have the time to respond to them all so instead I look for patterns in questions. Here's some questions I'd like to address as message board fodder:

1) Why isn't Calvary Christian at least an honorable mention in any of the 3A Polls. After defeating Anclote 61-13 we are averaging 40ppg and only giving up 9ppg.   (Note: I'm paraphrasing this question, but the concept is the same and most likely coming from Calvary parents).

I like the way Calvary is playing. Qb Harold Cook, WR Richie Illaraza and Rb Niles Jordan are all quality players. The defense has stepped up to the plate. I think Calvary will have a good season, but here's the reality. In Calvary Christian's 2 wins (Umatilla, Anclote), the teams are a combined 0-5.  This was overlooked since Calvary was averaging 55ppg against those 2 teams.  The issue is that once the competition stiffens, the Warriors simply struggle. Calvary's single loss was to Berkeley Prep 14-7, the scary thing about that loss is that Berkeley Prep QB Joshua Youngblood had already sustained his broken hand and was moved to RB.

Calvary is going to have their chances to get votes and break into the rankings.  I believe Calvary is catching Zephrhills Christian at the right time this week as Zephyrhills Christian recently lost their best player to a broken back. Calvary then has a huge contest against Orlando First Academy on the road before returning home and playing a dangerous Cardinal Mooney team.

2) Jess, what's the deal with Region 1? Any love for the panhandle?

The panhandle is the toughest region for me to cover outside of Florida High and that's because Florida High has lots of coverage this season. I would love more information on Pensacola Catholic, Ft. White, Taylor County, Providence School, St. Josephs.  One team that I have my eye on right now is Baldwin. They're 3-0 and have a very solid offense with depth along the lines. This is a team that will likely start getting votes in the 3A poll. It'll be easier to receive information on some of these teams around week 5 or 6 when newspapers starting writing their mid-season recaps.  When I make my posts, they aren't intended to be defacto facts- they're simply observations based on opinion. 

3) Will JaxTCA return to 3A? Any major changes coming for the class?

A lot of will depend on how the FHSAA handles football for 2019. Right now the focus is on all sports except football thus I don't see anything changing for football. The cutoff between 3A and 4A is 636 so the immediate change will be Tampa Catholic and American Heritage Delray will be forced into 4A since both schools are over 800 enrolled students for 2018. Historically, Tampa Catholic has fought to stay in 3A and is one of the few schools that has consistently won appeals to move down in class, I don't see that happening this time. They have a better shot of going further in the playoffs in 4A than 3A, plus they can keep all of their natural local rivalries in 4A.  Heritage Delray will probably petition to stay in 3A, but if the 636 cutoff doesn't move (or moves down) then it's going to be a hard sell having a team with 800 students (and K-12 as well) in 3A.

I don't see JaxTCA returning to 3A, they're doing just fine in 5A. Keep in mind the reason why JaxTCA moved to 5A in the first place was because they couldn't fill a 10 game schedule without having to go out of state multiple times.  Assuming C-M wins the state championship, they'll be in the same boat- teams just aren't going to play them plus being a 2 time champion with 3 finals appearances in a row will result in much peer pressure to move up for more competition.

We need to see where the cutoff between 3A and 4A will be and where 2A and 3A will be.

4) Biggest surprise so far in 2018?

Cardinal Mooney being 3-0 is surprising. They defeated their rival Bishop Verot in week 1 and then knocked off Berkeley Prep in week 3, most people had them splitting those games. That's a good start for the Cougars.  St. Joseph Academy returning to classification play and starting 3-0 is a pleasant surprise.   Most other results were anticipated at this point. I'll revisit this topic later though.








 

[SPCjessica2004]

 As I do each week, here is the 3A Sportswriters poll and some thoughts about it:

Class 3A

1. Chaminade-Madonna (9) 2-1 103 4
2. Clearwater Central Catholic (2) 3-0 95 1
3. American Heritage-Delray 2-0 90 3
4. King's Academy 3-0 67 5
5. Tallahassee Florida 1-1 60 2
Others receiving votes: St. Joseph Academy 13, Benjamin 6, Cardinal Mooney 6

How about this? My top 5 and the Sportswriters top 5 are the exact same. Chaminade should have never fallen out of the #1 position even after losing to Deerfield Beach, but last week they were ranked #4 (HUH??). Thankfully, that's been corrected this week as the Lions picked up 9 first place votes.  Chaminade should remain #1 unless they have 2 losses and even then the team that jumps them needs a strong resume.

CCC drops to #2 but still picks up 2 first place votes. They are now on a 16 game regular season winning streak which includes multiple wins over Tampa Catholic, Cardinal Mooney, Berkeley Prep and a road win over Rockledge.

American Heritage- Delray is in a great spot right now at #3. They picked up 90 votes, which means only 13 votes separate #1 and #3.  A win over Monsignor Pace this week will solidify the Stallions as a 3A powerhouse once again.

King's Academy comes in at #4. Per my post above, they don't have the most impressive resume, but they've won big which tells me they are capable of more going forward. In addition, the teams below them haven't done enough yet to definitively say they're better. Good call putting the Lions #4.

FSU School drops to #5. I'm glad there wasn't an overreaction to kick them out of the top 5. They lost to the #1 team in 1A and a traditional small school power Madison County. They simply didn't have the depth to compete for 4 quarters, but they started off up 17-0. 

This week only 3 teams received votes St. Joseph's Academy, Benjamin School and Cardinal Mooney.    St. Joseph's Academy is a good story- and I'm okay with them getting votes, but this isn't a team that could seriously challenge any of the top 5 teams in the class at this point.  Benjamin School continues to win and Cardinal Mooney is looking like a contender going forward.  I actually think Cardinal Mooney will go into their week 10 game against CCC undefeated for a must-see week 10 match-up.