Here are three players that we felt deserved the spotlight in our final State Championship Edition of the Cover 3:

QB Leon Strawder – Miami Northwestern

While he was not perfect, Leon Strawder was a throwing machine for the Bulls. Overall, he went 19-of-27 from the field with an eye-popping 361 yards and four touchdown passes. Three of the four touchdowns came in the third quarter when the Bulls put the car in high gear by scoring 21 in that quarter alone. Strawder also scored the lone fourth-quarter ice cap with a minute and change left in the game. With one more season to go at Miami Northwestern, it might not be a surprising expectation to see Strawder in the title game once more.

WR Nicholas Lennear – Miami Northwestern

Another underclassman, who is shining at the right time under the spotlight, is sophomore wide receiver Nicholas Lennear. Off the throwing arm of Strawder, Linear was targeted eight times in total but caught the ball four times for 121 yards. Of those four catches, Lennear reached the end zone just once. The touchdown he did score was earned in the third quarter on a 48 yard pass with 2:49 left to go in the third quarter.

QB TJ Cole – Raines

The Vikings failed to produce a point in the state championship, but with QB TJ Cole, there were some bright spots to focus on. From behind center, the junior was six of 19 for 45 yards. To Cole’s credit, with the stifling defense of Northwestern looming all over the field, he was not sacked once the entire game. Cole was running for his life up and down the field. The junior ran the ball 16 times for a net gain of 135 yards, with the longest gain being a 25-yarder in the third quarter right off the aftermath of the massive skirmish that overshadowed parts of the game.

The post COVER 3 – STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION: Three athletes that stood out from the 2024 Class 3A State Championship Game appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

However, the expectations of a close, competitive football game against two schools that are very similar in culture, community, tradition, and pride did not pan out, as the hometown Bulls defeated the Vikings 41-0 at South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium Saturday night in front of a crowd of 12,000, the majority of them supporting the Bulls.

Here are seven takeaways from the game:

TEDDY BRIDGEWATER ENTERS ELITE CLUB

Before we can even get started on how this game went down, Teddy Bridgewater became among an elite group of high school football coaches in the state of Florida to not only win a state championship as a player but to come back and win a state championship at the same school they played high school football at in Florida. Bridgewater joins the ranks that include St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) Head Coach Roger Harriott and former Mainland (Daytona Beach) head coach Travis Roland, among the head coaches that have accomplished the feat. Never mind in all of this, he accomplished this in his first year as head coach at Miami Northwestern.

GAME WAS CHIPPY… MAYBE TOO CHIPPY

Still not getting into some of the details of the game, this game was chippy, and given the high stakes both teams placed on the game, we understood there was going to be some chirping back and forth. However, it may have gone too far by the time the mid-third quarter rolled around when a scrum around midfield paused the game for almost 20 minutes, which saw two Northwestern (12-2) players being ejected while one Raines player got ejected. Further along, another Raines (13-1) player appeared to have been ejected. Overall, after the scrum, more security and police presence were added to the field to keep the players and the fans in check.

STRAWDER WENT OFF AGAIN

Leon Strawder, who is only a junior, had another superb night on the field in the most important game so far in his high school career. Strawder threw for four passing touchdowns along with 361 yards passing on 19-of-27 passing completions. Of Strawder’s passing touchdowns, the longest was 65 yards in the third quarter that was hauled in by Elijah Hardy with just less than three minutes taken off the fourth quarter clock that would make it 21-0. Strawder also accounted for one rushing touchdown on the night, the final score of the game to make it 41-0.

SPEAKING OF HARDY

Elijah Hardy contributed nicely to the game, even if his stats do not show it to be as such. Hardy contributed seven carries for 11 yards and a rushing touchdown that came on the first touchdown of the game on a two-yard carry with 5:23 left in the first quarter to make it 7-0. Hardy later hauled in Strawder’s longest touchdown throw of the night in the third quarter as well, and Hardy contributed 83 yards receiving on just three catches.

RAINES’ TJ COLE AND COMPANY SHUT DOWN

TJ Cole, who had come into the game with over 2,800 yards passing and 43 touchdowns, was effectively shut down the entire game as Cole struggled to get anything going as he went 6-of-19 passing for 45 yards and an interception. Cole had more yards rushing than passing, with 135 total rushing yards on 16 carries. Cole did lead the Vikings down to the red zone twice, but both times, the Vikings came up empty-handed and left points off the board that could have made the game more interesting.

LOPSIDED STATS

While Miami Northwestern had 24 first downs and had 431 yards of offense compared to Raines’ 196 total yards of offense, the time of possession, which would usually favor the winning team did not as Raines controlled the ball for 28:30. In contrast, Northwestern had the ball for a total of 19:30 the entire game. However, it did not matter on the time of possession as the Bulls would strike quickly and often during the game behind the high-octane offense that Bridgewater was having Strawder run.

EIGHTH TITLE FOR THE BULLS

The victory in the state championship game for Miami Northwestern not only marked the first title for the Bulls since 2019, but it also goes down as the eighth state championship in program history. As such, the Bulls who were recently tied with Glades Day and newcomer Cocoa with seven state titles, have now joined the company of North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) as both teams that have won eight state championships in the FHSAA state series.

MIAMI NORTHWESTERN HEAD COACH TEDDY BRIDGEWATER, AFTER THE GAME

BOX SCORE

Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | OT | Final
Miami Northwestern | 7 | 7 | 21 | 6 | — | 41
Raines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST

MNW – Elijah Hardy 2 rush (Ethan Silva kick), 5:23

SECOND

MNW – Calvin Russell Jr. 6 pass from Leon Strawder (Sliva kick), 0:19

THIRD

MNW – Hardy 65 pass from Strawder (Silva kick), 10:35

MNW – Russell Jr. 6 pass from Strawder (Silva kick), 7:10

MNW – Nicholas Lennear 48 pass from Strawder (Silva kick), 2:20

FOURTH

MNW – Strawder 1 rush (Silva kick missed), 4:10

The post CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Da West is back after Miami Northwestern ran the Bulls through Raines to first state title since 2019 appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

When: Sat. Dec. 14th

Where: South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium, Miami

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. EST

Live Broadcast: NFHS Network – Click To Watch Here

MIAMI NORTHWESTERN BULLS (11-2)

• Head Coach: Teddy Bridgewater (1st year, 11-2 overall)
• State Finals Appearances: 10 – 1995 (5A)*, 1998 (6A)*, 2001 (6A), 2006 (6A)*, 2007 (6A)*, 2008 (6A), 2017 (6A)*, 2018 (6A)*, 2019 (6A), 2024 (3A)

KEY PLAYERS

• #12 QB Leon Strawder (Jr.): Strawder has thrown for 2,677 yards and 41 touchdowns this season. He has a QB rating of 113.9 and has thrown for 2,882 total yards.
• #6 WR Darius Johnson (Sr.): Johnson is the Bulls’ leading receiver with 785 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on the season.
• #14 LB Desmond Johnson (Jr.): Johnson leads the Bulls with 83 tackles.
• #10 DE Deangelo Thompson (Sr.): Thompson leads the Bulls with 10 sacks.

2024 RESULTS – HOW THEY GOT HERE

* – District Game
*** – Playoff Game

• 8/22 – at Coconut Creek, 45-0 (W)
• 8/30 – at Venice, 48-42 (OT) (L)
• 9/6 – at Carol City, 42-7 (W)
• 9/13 – at Miami Norland, 21-17 (L)
• 9/20 – BYE
• 9/27 – Miami Jackson*, 48-6 (W)
• 10/5 – Miami Central, 1-0 (F) (W)
• 10/11 – at Key West, 50-14 (W)*
• 10/17 – Columbus (Miami), 23-18 (W)
• 10/25 – St. Brendan (Miami), 57-7 (W)*
• 11/1 – BYE
• 11/7 – BYE
• 11/15 – Barron Collier (Naples), 69-0 (W)***
• 11/22 – Lely (Naples), 64-12 (W)***
• 11/29 – Cypress Lake (Fort Myers), 48-0 (W)***
• 12/5 – at Eau Gallie (Melbourne), 40-0 (W)***

TEAM STATS

• Passing Yards: 2739
• Passing Yards per Game: 210.7
• Rushing Yards: 2164
• Rushing Yards per Game: 166.5
• Rushing Yards per Carry: 8.5
• Receiving Yards per Catch: 17.4
• Yards per Game: 377.2
• Sacks: 25.5
• Interceptions: 8
• Fumble Recoveries: 6
• Caused Fumbles: 6
• Average Score: 45.4

RAINES VIKINGS (13-0)

• Head Coach: Donovan Masline (5th year, 48-15 overall)
• State Finals Appearances: 6 – 1973 (4A), 1997 (4A)*, 2015 (4A), 2017 (4A)*, 2018 (4A)*, 2024 (3A)

KEY PLAYERS

• #4 QB TJ Cole (Jr.): Cole has thrown forfor 2,812 yards and 43 touchdowns this season. He also threw seven interceptions. He has 3,689 total yards on the season.
• #21 RB Tadarius Washington (Jr.): Washington has rushed for 939 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. He also has 1,174 all-purpose yards.
• #15 DE King Massey (Sr.): Massey leads the Vikings with 23 tackles for a loss.
• #9 DT/DE Jyon Simon (Sr.): Simon leads the Vikings with 11 sacks this season. He has committed to Rutgers. He also received an offer from NC State.
• #1 OLB Tony Williams (Jr.): Williams leads the Vikings with 101 tackles this season.

2024 RESULTS – HOW THEY GOT HERE

* – District Game
*** – Playoff Game

• 8/23 – at Bolles (Jacksonville), 32-23 (W)
• 8/30 – at Sandalwood (Jacksonville), 43-0 (W)
• 9/6 – Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), 48-23 (W)
• 9/13 – Mainland (Daytona Beach), 35-14 (W)
• 9/20 – BYE
• 9/27 – Riverside (Jacksonville), 62-42 (W)
• 10/5 – Ribault (Jacksonville), 52-12 (W)*
• 10/11 – BYE
• 10/18 – at Creekside (St. Johns), 44-14 (W)
• 10/25 – at Yulee, 47-0 (W)*
• 10/31 – Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville), 48-0 (W)
• 11/7 – BYE
• 11/15 – Bay (Panama City), 53-14 (W)***
• 11/22 – Wakulla (Crawfordville), 63-7 (W)***
• 11/29 – Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), 44-15 (W)***
• 12/5 – Booker T. Washington (Miami), 28-23 (W)***

TEAM STATS

• Passing Yards: 2966
• Passing Yards per Game: 228.2
• Rushing Yards: 2207
• Rushing Yards per Game: 169.8
• Rushing Yards per Carry: 7.7
• Receiving Yards per Catch: 16.8
• Yards per Game: 397.9
• Sacks: 53.5
• Interceptions: 15
• Fumble Recoveries: 10
• Caused Fumbles: 14
• Average Score: 46.1

THOUGHTS ON THE GAME

The Class 3A State Championship features two historic Florida programs with high-powered offenses.

Miami Northwestern is looking to win its first state championship since 2019, while Raines is seeking its first state title since 2018. Both teams have a wealth of talent on both sides of the ball and are led by experienced coaching staffs.

Miami Northwestern will look to establish the passing attack led by quarterback Leon Strawder and wide receiver Darius Johnson. The Bulls’ defense will be led by linebacker Desmond Johnson and defensive end Deangelo Thompson.

Raines will be looking to establish a balanced attack with quarterback TJ Cole and running back Tadarius Washington. Raines’ defense features a strong front seven, led by defensive end King Massey and defensive tackle Jyon Simon.

This game is expected to be a close, high-scoring affair. Both teams are familiar with playing in big games. The outcome could be determined by whichever team can limit turnovers and make the most plays on special teams.

PREDICTIONS

• Josh’s Pick: Miami Northwestern
• Chris’s Pick: Miami Northwestern
• Reno’s Pick: Miami Northwestern
• Massey Ratings (via On3): Miami Northwestern 38, Raines 20

An asterisk (*) next to a year in the State Finals Appearances section indicates the team was the state champion that year.

The post CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: Miami Northwestern and Raines meet in what could be an offensive showdown appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

As such, anyone can subscribe to the NFHS Network for just $11.99 per month or for the entire year for $79.99 per year. The subscription allows you to watch other sports broadcasted by NFHS Network Partners and NFHS Network Partner Schools that broadcast high school sports during the school year.

EDITOR’S NOTE: FloridaHSFootball.com could earn a commission from each subscription sold from the NFHS Network. Commissions from subscriptions sold help support FloridaHSFootball.com

Here are the direct links to watch each of the state championship games LIVE from South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium in Miami

CLASS 1A

Clearwater Central Catholic (12-2) vs Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) (12-2)

Wed. Dec 11, 7:30 p.m.

Click to Watch on NFHS Network

CLASS 2A

Cocoa (10-3) vs Gadsden County (Havana) (13-1)

Thu. Dec 12, 12:30 p.m.

Click to Watch on NFHS Network

CLASS 5A

St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) (11-3) vs Lakeland (13-0)

Wed. Dec 12, 7:30 p.m.

Click to Watch on NFHS Network

CLASS 6A

Osceola (Kissimmee) (12-2) vs West Boca Raton (14-0)

Fri. Dec 13, 12:30 p.m.

Click to Watch on NFHS Network

CLASS 4A

Jones (Orlando) (14-0) vs American Heritage (Plantation) (11-2)

Fri. Dec 13, 7:30 p.m.

Click to Watch on NFHS Network

CLASS 7A

Lake Mary (12-2) vs Venice (13-1)

Sat. Dec 14, 12:30 p.m.

Click to Watch on NFHS Network

CLASS 3A

Miami Northwestern (11-2) vs Raines (Jacksonville) (13-0)

Sat. Dec 14, 7:30 p.m.

Click to Watch on NFHS Network

The post How to watch the 2024 FHSAA State Championships on NFHS Network appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

Trinity Christian’s offense headlined by Gators WR signee Marcus Burke, Air Force RB commit Kaleb Killia, and Bowling Green QB commit Ja’Cory Jones. All the Conquerors defense needed to do was be formidable. Fortunately for them, they exceeded expectations.

Chaminade-Madonna has a difference-making defense with Allan Haye Jr. (Miami signee), Kenyatta Jackson Jr., and Jamaal Johnson (Miami commit). However, an offense mostly made up of four-star Miami signee Thaddius Franklin and Howard QB signee Jaylon Tolbert was not enough to get the job done.

Game Recap

Although there were some scores, the first quarter was pretty mundane. Chaminade-Madonna got things started with safety.

But, Franklin was the first player to score a touchdown.

Future #Canes RB Thaddius Franklin with the score for Chaminade-Madonna pic.twitter.com/xR0fIAhRCc

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 17, 2020

Trinity Christian tried to respond to the 9-0 hole quickly. However, a good Lions punt followed by some Jackson Action led to this.

2022 WDE Kenyatta Jackson with the MONSTER SACK on Trinity Christian QB

Offers from #Bama #AllIn #OhioState #Canes etc. pic.twitter.com/e0toNPXIsJ

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 17, 2020

The Conquerors’ most reliable weapon, Burke, wanted to break out. But, Chaminade-Madonna certainly did its homework and clamped Burke in the first half.

So, Trinity Christian looked to spread love across the roster. The run game was not too bad, and Killian got the chains moving. Unfortunately, what looked like a surefire Conquerors score turned into a Chaminade-Madonna pick just before the half.

Trinity Christian QB Ja’Cory Jordan looking to score, accidentally lets Chaminade-Madonna SS Charles Williams pick pic.twitter.com/DQyYHMJPPO

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 17, 2020

The third quarter showed some promise for Trinity Christian. Killian found the endzone and put the blue and white on the board.

Kaleb Killian puts Trinity Christian on the board pic.twitter.com/ucsIa8iiVp

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 17, 2020

After that, the Conquerors conquered, amassing 18 fourth-quarter points. First, a field goal. Then, two clutch touchdowns, courtesy of Marcus Burke.

Wow! JaCory Jordan to Marcus Burke TOUCHDOWN TRINITY ! Extra point to come! 16-16 tied! pic.twitter.com/D0n265ctFI

— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) December 17, 2020

17-16, Trinity Christian. However, Franklin put Chaminade-Madonna back on top for a hot second…

But, Burke called the ballgame.

https://twitter.com/oliviagranaiola/status/1339398800985780232?s=20

Now, Trinity Christian owns 8 state championships.

Quotes

Trinity Christian Head Coach Verlon Dorminey

• “[Losing the first game and then going 12-0] shows a lot about these kids. It shows their hard work… They’ve practiced hard all year, they’ve worked hard all year.”
• “It really was a tale of two halves. [In the beginning], we made some mistakes. I told them before the game to cut down on the mistakes… and you know what? We did it.”
• “Ja’Corey to Burke has been a great thing to watch over the last 2-3 years. It’s going to be tough losing both of those guys next year.”

Players of the Game

For Trinity Christian, Jordan went 9-of-18 for 161 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Burke had 7 receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Lastly, Killian had 98 yards on 21 attempts. Defensively, Caden Morrell and Johnathan Goddard tallied a sack each.

For Chaminade-Madonna, Tolbert went 11-of-19 for 86 yards and Franklin picked up 106 yards and two touchdowns on 26 attempts. Jackson Jr., Haye Jr., and Johnson each had a sack, Dylan Reid recovered a fumble for a touchdown and Charles Williams had an interception.

College Roundup

Today is Early National Signing Day. So, let’s get into it.

First, we’ve got Trinity Christian: WR Marcus Burke signed with Florida, OLB CJ Ross signed with USF, CB Corey Coley Jr. signed with Maryland, CB Terrell Jackson is committed to Army, RB Kaleb Killian is committed to the Air Force and OLB Lucius Lattimore signed with FAMU.

Also, Chaminade-Madonna: RB Thaddius Franklin and DT Allan Haye, Jr. signed with Miami, CB Torrie Cox, Jr. signed with Ohio and QB Jaylon Tolbert signed with Howard.

The post CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Trinity Christian shocks Chaminade-Madonna to win first state championship since 2016 appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

WHO: Trinity Christian Conquerors (11-1) vs. Chaminade-Madonna Lions (8-1)

WHEN: Wednesday, 7:02 p.m. EST

WHERE: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee – Venue Information (Masks Required due to COVID-19 protocols)

TICKETS: via FSU Ticket Office – $15.00 online only (no on-site ticket sales) – LINK

LIVE STREAM: via Spectrum Sports – $9.99 viewing fee for those who are not a current Spectrum Subscriber – LINK

AUDIO STREAM: via Trinity Christian Athletics Facebook Page – LINK

HEAD COACHES: Verlon Dorminey, Trinity Christian; Dameon Jones, Chaminade-Madonna

TRINITY CHRISTIAN’S PATH TO TALLAHASSEE: d. Baldwin, 20-3 (Regional Quarterfinals); d. Episcopal, 35-0 (Regional Semifinals); d. Florida High, 45-14 (Regional Finals), d. Trinity Catholic, 56-33 (State Semifinals)

CHAMINADE-MADONNA’S PATH TO TALLAHASSEE: d. Somerset Silver Palms, 52-0 (Regional Quarterfinals); d. Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale), 38-6 (Regional Semifinals); d. Miami Edison, 28-0 (Regional Finals); d. Berkeley Prep 23-21 (State Semifinals)

NOTES: This will be the first meeting between Trinity Christian and Chaminade-Madonna since the 2016 season. Trinity Christian won that last meeting in the Class 3A State Championship at Camping World Stadium, 24-13. … Since that previous meeting, Chaminade-Madonna has won three straight Class 3A State Championships. … Trinity Christian has won a total of seven state championships in school all coming under head coach Verlon Dorminey while Chaminade-Madonna has won five state championships in school history with three of them coming under head coach Dameon Jones. … This will be Trinity Christian’s first state championship game appearance since 2016 after the Conquerors moved up to Class 5A for two seasons in 2017 and 2018 failing to reach the state championships during that time and falling in the Class 3A regional quarterfinals in 2019 to Trinity Catholic after playing one of the most difficult schedules in the state. … This will be Trinity Christian’s 10th appearance in a state championship game while this will be 9th appearance in a state championship game for Chaminade-Madonna. … Of things to watch offensively for Trinity Christian, expect things to be balanced in what the Conquerors do on the field. … Senior QB Ja’Cory Jordan, a three-star Bowling Green commit, is 95-of-180 passing through 12 games with 1,496 yards passing with 14 touchdowns going against five interceptions. Jordan also has 82 carries for 201 yards rushing and three more touchdowns on the ground. … Sophomore RB Treyaun Webb, a Georgia commit for the Class of 2023, leads the team with rushing with 837 yards rushing on 121 carries and has scored 12 touchdowns in just 10 games played after missing a couple of games due to injury during the season. However, Webb is not the only show in town for the run game for the Conquerors as Senior RB/WR Kaleb Killian, who has multiple Division I offers with his biggest one being from Florida, has 350 yards rushing on 50 carries and six touchdowns in 10 games while freshman RB Darnell Rogers has 337 yards rushing on 49 carries and has scored six touchdowns on the ground also in 10 games played. … Receiving will be a point of contention of who will get the ball as the Conquerors always have multiple targets on the field including leading senior WR Marcus Burke, a four-star Florida commit, who has 21 catches for 370 yards and two touchdowns this season as well as junior receivers L.J. Kelly and Fred Highsmith. Kelly has 16 catches for 289 yards receiving and two touchdowns while Highsmith has 247 yards receiving on 17 receptions and five touchdowns. … The offensive line itself has a big man upfront in three-star OT Austin Barber who is holding multiple Division 1 offers including those from Miami (FL), Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Virginia Tech to name a few. … Defensively there are multiple key leaders including senior LB Lucius Lattimore, a Florida A&M commit, who leads the Conquerors in tackles with 78 (37 solo) along with 11.5 tackles for loss. Lattimore also has four sacks, has forced three fumbles, and recovered one fumble. Other leaders include DB Corey Coley Jr., a three-star Maryland commit, who has 32 tackles (24 solo), three tackles for loss and is tied for the leader in interceptions at three, plus LB C.J. Ross, a three-star USF commit who has 36 tackles (19 solo), three and a half tackles for loss, and DB Terrell Jackson, a three-star Army commit, who has 19 tackles (13 solo), and is also tied for most interceptions on the team with three. Junior Johnathan Goddard leads the team with seven sacks and has 40 tackles (21 solo) to go along with 14 tackles for loss. … Trinity Christian is on an 11-game winning streak after suffering a 36-12 set to Class 4A State Finalist Bolles at home to open the season. … Chaminade-Madonna will look to pound the ball on the ground more than throwing and that will start with a trio of rushers that starts off with senior RB Thaddius Franklin, a four-star Miami (FL) commit, who has rushed for 795 yards on 91 carries and has scored four touchdowns this season. Franklin has not played since the Lions’ 38-6 victory over Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian in the Regional Semifinals where he suffered an injury, but the depth chart shows that he is possibly going to be back for the biggest game of the season, but likely will not know until the team takes the field if he is healthy enough to play. The other leading rushers include freshman RB Davion Gause who has stepped up in Franklin’s absence and has put on a show for himself with 762 yards rushing on 81 carries and has scored six touchdowns while sophomore RB Jonathan Harris has 44 carries for 445 yards rushing and six touchdowns as well. … The Lions will rely on senior QB Jaylon Tolbert, a two-star Howard commit, to get the ball out in passing situations. Tolbert is 88-of-131 passing for 1,179 yards and has thrown 10 touchdowns to no interceptions in all nine games played so far. … Tolbert’s two favorite targets are expected to be senior WR Joshua Jenkins who has 23 catches for 283 yards receiving and two touchdowns as well as senior WR/FS Michael Edwards who has 16 catches for 288 yards and four touchdowns. … On defense, there are several key athletes that will be leading the way starting with leading tackler junior LB Dylan Reid who has 67 tackles (62 solo) with two tackles for loss along with four sacks. However, that is not all for the defense with several big-time prospects also part of the defensive leadership starting with the junior four-star prospect, DE Kenyatta Jackson Jr. who has amassed multiple Power Five offers including Alabama, Clemson, Miami (FL), Ohio State, and Oregon among many others. Jackson has five sacks and has collected 16 tackles on the season which are all solo tackles and three tackles for loss. junior CB Brian Dilworth, a three-star Auburn commit, is also having a solid season with 29 tackles, a sack, and a team-leading seven interceptions. Others to keep an eye on junior CB Ryan Turner, a three-star prospect with several Power Fiver offers already in hand, who has 18 tackles and an interception as well as another solid cornerback in senior Torrie Cox Jr., an Ohio commit, who has 26 tackles, a sack and six interceptions on the season. Senior DT Allan Haye, a three-star Miami (FL) commit is also expected to make some noise on the field. He has 36 tackles on the season to go along with seven sacks, which is second-most on the team. Junior DE Jammal Johnson, a three-star Miami (FL) commit has a team-leading 12 sacks on the season and has collected 49 tackles.

JOE PINKOS’ PREDICTION: Chaminade-Madonna by 3

FLORIDAHSFOOTBALL.COM PREDICTION: Chaminade-Madonna 30, Trinity Christian 28

The post CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) vs. Chaminade-Madonna appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

Matter of fact Franklin was the man for all five scores that Chaminade-Madonna (12-2) put up on Friday night at Gene Cox Stadium against Florida High in the 2019 FHSAA Class 3A State Championship game.

In that 35-20 win over the Seminoles, the Lions put the weight of trying to win a third-consecutive state championship on the guy who has been their workhorse all year.

As a matter of fact, Franklin had 47 carries, 333 yards, and five touchdowns as the workhorse which broke Travis Henry’s record of 328 yards in the 1996 Class 3A State Championship for Frostproof. Franklin also broke Kelvin Taylor’s record of 44 carries in a state championship game in the 2010 Class 1B State Championship by carrying the ball 47 times on the night.

While this was a neutral site state championship game, the Seminoles were decidedly the home team, with a massive crowd of fans filling the bleachers while Chaminade brought a decent-sized crowd up from South Florida providing an electric atmosphere for both teams to compete in.

With the defending state champs got the ball first and drove right down the field for a score on their first drive with Franklin punching it in from the four-yard line to put the Lions up 7-0 thanks mostly to the previous carries Franklin had on the drive.

Now with the Seminoles having the ball for their first drive, the Lions defense, which came into the game with one of the best units in the state, showed why they were on their way to a third consecutive state championship, putting the pressure on to force a three-and-out on the drive.

With Chaminade-Madonna’s defense, there were constantly in the backfield during Florida High’s during the game, putting the pressure on quarterback Willie Taggart Jr. By the end of the night, the Lions defense had allowed only 259 yards of total offense which has been averaging 383 offensive yards per game.

Chaminade-Madonna would get up to 14-0 lead with 4:34 left in the first quarter thanks to another drive lead by Franklin who scored his second touchdown of the night from four yards out.

However, after that score, the Seminoles ordered up something that got the stadium rocking.

With the ball in hand, Taggart Jr. dropped an 80-yard dime pass to receiver Ahmari Harvey making to cut the Lions’ lead to 14-7 with 4:21 in the first quarter. The score seemingly had put to rest of any shot of Chaminade-Madonna trying to run away with things quickly.

And the momentum that was found on the second drive leading to a third drive after Jordan Gilley picked off a Brady Kelly pass, returning it to the Chaminade-Madonna 19. However, the momentum would be short-lived after failing to convert a fourth-down play to get the first down after having to back things up due to a penalty as the first quarter was coming to a close.

It wouldn’t take long again for Chaminade-Madonna to get the ball back in the hands of Franklin who busted off a 65-yard run in the opening minutes of the second quarter to set up his third touchdown of the night, a one-yard rush to put the Lions up 21-7 with 10:23 left in the first half.

From there Chaminade-Madonna and Florida High traded possessions to kill off the remainder of the second quarter clock and a 21-7 at the half.

In the second half, it appeared that things were going to get ugly pretty quickly after Florida High fumbled the ball away on their first possession of the half on an Alfred Menjor fumble that was recovered by Chaminade-Madonna’s Brian Dilworth at their own 37-yard line.

That fumble would set up Franklin’s fourth touchdown of the night, a 14-yard run up the gut to put the Lions up 28-7 with 9:22 left in the third quarter.

However, the Seminoles were in no mood of folding despite the turn of bad luck to open the second half.

Instead, they got to work.

First, a muffed punt return by Chaminade-Madonna started to turn things around for Florida High after the Lions had forced to punt on their next drive after Franklin’s fourth touchdown run. However, the Seminoles couldn’t find their way to the endzone after driving it down to the Lions’ 10-yard line.

After Chaminade-Madonna exchanged a punt forced by a Seminoles defensive stand that forced the Lions to go three-and-out, the Seminoles would find the green grass on the other side of the goal line on their next possession that carried over to the start of the fourth quarter thanks at 14-yards pass from Taggart Jr. to George Henderson to cut the lead down to a 28-14 score.

With another stand on defense forcing Chaminade-Madonna into their second straight three-and-out, the Seminoles got the ball back thanks to some plays made by Taggart Jr. that would be capped off by a 1-yard Menjor run to cut the lead down to 28-20 after an extra point by Brock Hickman hit the left upright with 8:31 left in the game.

However, all the newfound momentum would be zapped in a flash for Florida High as Chaminade-Madonna got the ball back and started to run down the clock with more Franklin carries that set up his fifth and final touchdown of the night on a 5-yard rush up the gut with 4:28 left to go in the game.

In the end, it was Chaminade-Madonna with their third straight state championship and Franklin setting two new records in an FHSAA State Championship game.

The feeling for Chaminade-Madonna head coach was pretty much simple.

“Happy and blessed,” Jones said. “I am happy for my coaches and my kids and this Chaminade institution.”

However, the feeling had not fully set in yet for Jones.

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” Jones said.

For Franklin, the feeling was pretty much left indescribable who had tears of emotion in his eyes after the game and being told he had set a rushing record for an FHSAA State Championship game.

“I don’t even know what to say. All I can do is thank my teammates and the coaches,” Franklin said.

The post Chaminade-Madonna wins third straight Class 3A State Championship with a record-breaking performance appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

Florida High Seminoles vs. Chaminade-Madonna Lions

WHEN: Friday, December 6

WHERE: Gene Cox Stadium, Tallahassee

KICKOFF: 7:00 p.m. ET

TICKETS: $12 – advance purchase (Go Fan); $15 – at the gate

WEB STREAM: Spectrum Cable ($9.99 fee; free for Spectrum Customers)

RELATED: 2019 Class 3A Playoff Bracket

RECORDS: Florida High – 12-1; Chaminade-Madonna – 11-2

RANKINGS: Florida High – No. 2 in Class 3A by FloridaHSFootball.com; Chaminade-Madonna No. 1 in Class 3A by FloridaHSFootball.com

COACHES: Florida High – Jarrod Hickman, 15^th year; Chaminade-Madonna – Dameon Jones, 4^th year

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Florida High –  defeated Episcopal 48-19 in the regional semifinals; defeated Pensacola Catholic 21-14 in the regional finals; defeated Lakeland Christian 42-10 in the state semifinals; Chaminade-Madonna – defeated Somerset Silver Palms 56-0 in the regional semifinals; defeated Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale) 35-0 in the regional finals; defeated Clearwater Central Catholic 28-7 in the State Semifinals

SKINNY: This is Florida High’s first-ever state championship appearance in school history after being denied five previous times under the father and son duo of Mike Hickman and Jarrod Hickman. Jarrod has been the head coach since 2005 after taking over from his father. For Chaminade-Madonna this is their fourth straight state championship game appearance and eight overall in school history. They are going for the third straight state championship. For Florida High keep an eye on quarterback Willie Taggart Jr is the guy that will give Chaminade-Madonna fits with his ability to throw the ball around like he wants to. He has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns this season in leading the Seminoles. He also has nearly 800 rushing yards and 10 more touchdowns on the ground to his credit. With the Lions mixing it up on who is passing the ball, look for them to rely on the services of junior running back Thaddius Franklin who has been a ball hog for them season rushing over 1,900 yards this season and 23 touchdowns. He will be hard to contain and keep out of the endzone.

RELATED: Statewide ‘LIVE’ Scoreboard

OUTLOOK: This is going to be the biggest game of the year for Florida High – their biggest game in school history, as a matter of fact – and their toughest opponent they will have faced all season long. Chaminade-Madonna hasn’t thrown the ball around as much as they have in previous seasons relying mostly on Franklin to get the job done on the field. If Florida High were to win this game they will have to effectively plug up any holes on the defensive line to keep Franklin at bay. On the flip side, Chaminade-Madonna has to be prepared for Taggart Jr’s. arm with his ability to throw it to where here wants to. If the Lions can shut him down and force the Seminoles into the ground-game it could put a lot of pressure on the Florida High defense to keep the game in check. Still the biggest thing at the end of the day is talent and the Lions have talent on both sides of the ball which is why they have been the top team in Class 3A over the last several years and that will likely be the edge for them to repeat as state champions once again in what will likely be a packed house given the fact this is a de facto home game for the Seminoles.

PREDICTION: Chaminade-Madonna 34, Florida High 24

The post CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: Florida High vs. Chaminade-Madonna appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

And as such, the Chaminade-Madonna Lions (12-2) came out on top at Class 3A State Champions for the 2018 season, winning 38-10 over King’s Academy.

King’s Academy (12-2), making their first-ever state championship appearance in school history got off to a hot start on their second drive of the game after Jayvon Wynn intercepted a Daelen Menard pass at midfield and returning it for 37 yards to the Chaminade-Madonna 13.

On that drive for King’s Academy, Justin Wake showed his playmaking abilities hitting Corey Croteau twice, the second pass resulting in a 14-yard touchdown with 7:25 to go in the first quarter.

With the ball back Chaminade-Madonna found themselves with great field position after King’s Academy went for an onside kick after the touchdown giving them great field position at the 37. However, after moving the ball to the King’s Academy 23, Chaminade-Madonna failed to convert on a fourth down.

And King’s Academy took advantage of the turnover on downs, marching down the field with the work of Justin Wake once again by getting down to the 20 before having to settle for a Bernie Cueto 37-yard field goal with just four seconds off the second quarter clock.

After that, the wheels started to fall off for King’s Academy when Te’cory Couch intercepted the first of two passes from Wake today at their own 48.

From there it became the Willie Davis show, rushing four times and capping off a quick drive on a 14-yard touchdown run to cut King’s Academy lead to 10-7.

Davis, who finished 83 yards rushing on 18 carries, would help lead Chaminade-Madonna to their second score of the game to take a 14-10 on a 13-yard touchdown after forcing King’s Academy a three-and-out between the touchdown drives.

In the second half, the rout became more evident when Menard hooked up with Elijah Canion for a 71-yard touchdown reception in just one play to take a 21-10 lead.

Menard finished the day 14-of-22 passing for 218 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Chaminade-Madonna would add a touchdown pass later on the third quarter on a 16-yard catch from Menard to John Dunmore to extend the lead 28-10.

For good measure in the fourth quarter, Chaminade-Madonna added two more scores with a Carter Davis 31-yard field goal and a Deidrick Stanley 36-yard punt return to make it 38-10.

“I am happy for these young men and my coaches and the Chaminade-Madonna community,” Coach Dameon Jones said after the win. “We worked hard for this. We had doubter and naysayers, so I am just happy for these kids. They went through a lot, long season. They are just blessed.”

The post Chaminade-Madonna runs past King’s Academy to repeat as Class 3A State Champions appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

The post PHOTO GALLERY: Class 3A State Championship Game – Chaminade-Madonna vs. Jax. Trinity Christian appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

ORLANDO, Fla. — It wasn’t pretty, but the Trinity Christian Conquerors were effective enough Saturday at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Trinity Christian celebrating as they tie the state record of winning 4 state championships in a row. #flhsfb pic.twitter.com/r046VtUYKz

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 10, 2016

The Conquerors held off Chaminade-Madonna 24-13 to win their fourth consecutive 3A state championship and tie a state record held by four other schools.

Trinity Christian (11-3) had to work from behind in this game, as Chaminade-Madonna junior running back Shaun Shivers ripped off an 80 yard TD play on the first play from scrimmage.  Shivers, an Auburn commit, finished with 140 yards on 20 carries for the Lions (10-4).

The Conquerors answered right back to tie the game on a 7 play, 80-yard drive.  Senior quarterback and FSU commit D.J. Matthews lobbed a 17 yard TD pass to Isaiah Washington to tie the game at 7, and that was the score at the end of the opening quarter.

Jordan Williams intercepted a pass from Trinity’s Austin Thomas late in the first quarter, and eventually, the Lions settled for a 23-yard field goal to re-take the lead 10-7.  Trinity Christian answered right back on another 80-yard drive and six plays and regained the lead 14-10 as UNC commit Rasheed Martin ran it from 13 yards out.  Martin paced the Conquerors rushing attack with 156 yards on 27 carries.

On the next drive, Ohio State commit Shaun Wade picked off Chaminade-Madonna quarterback Henry Colombi with a diving play on the sideline at the Lions 30.  4 plays later Matthews rushed for a 21-yard score on 4th and 1 to extend the Trinity Christian lead to 21-10 and that was the score at halftime.

The third quarter didn’t see any scoring but did see some extremely strange plays.  Chaminade-Madonna punter Jason Merry dropped a snap early in the third, and Trinity Christian recovered at the Lions 37.  But on 4th and 9, Frankie Onate lined up for a 39-yard field goal and instead Wade, the holder, tried to pass to Onate on a fake field goal. The pass was missed, and picked up by Chaminade-Madonna and taken back for a touchdown.  But the play was blown dead as Wade had his knee down before he attempted the pass.

The aftermath of a scuffle here. Punches thrown #flhsfb pic.twitter.com/7Eppj57v0n

— ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴘᴇʀ (@thehoopvibe) December 10, 2016

Chaminade-Madonna  gets to keep the ball and made it down to first and goal on the three-yard line, but Colombi was sacked by Andrew Brown on third down and the Lions settled for a 30-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to cut Trinity Christian’s lead to 21-13.

Tyreke Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards to set up a 52-yard field goal by Onate, and the Conquerors lead was extended back to 24-13 with 8:50 left.

Trinity Christian’s defense took over for the rest of the game, stopping Chaminade-Madonna on 4th down and picking off Colombi on the last two Lions possessions to put the game away.

For Trinity Christian, Matthews rushed for 101 yards and a score on nine carries and was 5 of 8 passing for 58 yards and another TD.  Colombi was 8 of 16 passing for 81 yards and two interceptions in a game that was dominated by defenses and the running game.

Trinity Christian ended up with 280 total yards, 222 of those coming on the ground, and had three turnovers while enjoying five minutes more of time of possession than Chaminade-Madonna.  The Lions ended up with 171 total yards, 90 rushing, and 81 passing, and had two turnovers on interceptions.

Trinity Christian celebrating as they tie the state record of winning 4 state championships in a row. #flhsfb pic.twitter.com/r046VtUYKz

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 10, 2016

Trinity Christian is the fifth team to four-peat as state champs, joining Suwannee (1987-90), North Florida Christian (1998-2001), Miami Central and Miami Booker T. Washington (2012-15).  Central didn’t qualify for the 6A playoffs this year, and Booker T. Washington was eliminated in the 4A state semifinals 24-21 by eventual state champion Cocoa.

Trinity Christian celebrating their 2016 Class 3A State Championship win! #flhsfb pic.twitter.com/VCIUkz9a4Z

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) December 10, 2016

HEAD COACH VERLON DORMINEY AFTER THE GAME

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#FLHSFB Tweets

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The post VIDEO: Trinity Christian Head Coach Verlon Dorminey after Class 3A State Championship win appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.

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Follow our LIVE BLOG for the Class 3A State Final between American Heritage Delray and Trinity Christian-Jacksonville.

The post LIVE BLOG: Class 3A State Final – America Heritage-Delray vs. Trinity Christian – Jacksonville appeared first on FloridaHSFootball.com.