St. Thomas Aquinas, ranked No. 14 in the nation by MaxPreps, and No. 20 Chaminade-Madonna begin their quests to repeat as state champions as the FHSAA state football playoffs kick off this week.
Six-time defending state champion St. Thomas Aquinas is looking to build on its current state-record win total, while three-time defending champ Chaminade-Madonna is hopeful of making it four in a row and eight out of the past 10. Jupiter and Dillard aim to keep their undefeated streaks alive into the postseason.
Defending Class 4A state champion American Heritage (4-5 and No. 2 seed in Region 4) may eventually have to face off against top-seeded Archbishop McCarthy (8-2), which topped the Patriots 13-10 for the first time in school history for the district championship a month ago.
I was 12-3 to close out the regular season to run my record to 143-27 (84.1%). Here are some of the top regional quarterfinal matchups with their seedings.
1A Region 4
No. 8 St. John Paul II Academy (3-5) at No. 1 Chaminade-Madonna (7-2) (Friday, 6:30 p.m.): The host Lions face their former athletic director Matt Bishop, who heads up the Eagles’ program now. Chaminade-Madonna has weapons galore on offense, as they have passed for 2,272 yards and run for 2,322, and a stingy defense to boot. St. John Paul II is led by Kawan Ingraham, who averages 97.6 all-purpose yards per game. Chaminade-Madonna 41, St. John Paul II Academy 7.
1A Region 3
No. 7 Benjamin (3-7) at No. 2 Cardinal Newman (7-3) (Friday, 7 p.m.): Benjamin enters the game 3-8 against the Crusaders dating back to 2009 and have dropped the past six straight. The Buccaneers closed out the year with three consecutive losses. When the teams met earlier in the year, Cardinal Newman won the district title 47-0. Cardinal Newman 32, Benjamin 14.
5A Region 4
No. 8 Palm Bay Heritage (4-6) at No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (9-1) (Friday, 7:30 p.m.): The host Raiders feature junior WR Julius Jones (620 yards receiving, 10 TDs), and three runners with more than 410 yards. Their defense is just as exceptional, with junior DE Wyatt Smith (84 tackles, 15 TFL, 7 sacks) and senior LB Phillip Goodrich Jr. (80 tackles, 10 TFL) leading the way. Three of the Panthers’ losses have been by five points or less. St. Thomas Aquinas 48, Heritage 7.
No. 4 Coconut Creek (8-2) at No. 5 Hialeah Gardens Mater Day (8-2) (Friday, 7 p.m.): Both teams beat Miramar this year, with Coconut Creek winning 22-12 and Mater Day winning 22-0. Coconut Creek 25, Mater Day 20.
No. 7 North Miami (7-3) at No. 2 Atlantic (9-1) (Friday, 7:30 p.m.): The host Eagles are coming off their first loss of the season against defending Class 6A champion West Boca, but still average nearly 400 yards a game. Atlantic 40, North Miami 21.
7A Region 3
No. 7 Orlando Dr. Phillips (7) at No. 2 Jupiter (10-0) (Friday, 7:30 p.m.): These two teams met in last year’s regional semifinals, with Dr. Phillips winning 35-0 at home. Jupiter is coming off its first undefeated season and has senior running back Jayden Roberts (1,001 all-purpose yards, 11 TDs). Jupiter 21, Dr. Phillips 17.
No. 6 Palm Beach Central (6-4) at No. 3 Fort Pierce Central (9-1) (Friday, 7:30 p.m.): Both teams enter the game on five-game winning streaks, and Broncos senior quarterback Chance Rouston accounted for four TDs in last year’s 38-0 playoff win over Fort Pierce Central. Palm Beach Central’s four losses have been by a total of 10 points. Palm Beach Central 27, Fort Pierce Central 24.
7A Region 4
No. 8 Coral Glades (6-4) at No. 1 Miami Palmetto (8-2) at Tropical Park (Thursday, 7 p.m.): Coral Glades, led by senior RB Romeo Williams (977 rushing yards, 6 TDs), is making just its second trip to the postseason. The first was in 2021, when it fell in the regional quarterfinals to Miami Palmetto, 55-21. Miami Palmetto 28, Coral Glades 10.
No. 7 Western (4-6) at No. 2 Spanish River (6-4) (Friday, 7:30 p.m.): Western and senior RB Damian Dickenson (840 rushing yards, 6 TDs) saw its three-game winning streak ended by West Broward 35-7 to close out the year. The host Sharks suffered their worst loss of the season, falling 47-13 to Tampa Carrollwood Day. Junior linebackers Jason Mock, Roger Alfernar and sophomore DT Zachary Stelus (74 tackles, 11.5 sacks) lead the Sharks defense. Spanish River 21, Western 14.
6A Region 3
No. 7 Largo (6-4) at No. 2 West Boca Raton (8-2) (Friday, 7:30 p.m.): The defending Class 6A champion Bulls average 400 yards per game (36.8 points per contest), while the defense has allowed just 7.4 points per game. Senior RB and UM commit Javian Mallory (101 all-purpose yards per game, 13 TDs) is key for a Bulls win. Three of the four Largo losses have been by a total of 13 points. West Boca 31, Largo 13.
6A Region 4
No. 7 South Plantation (6-4) at No. 2 West Broward (8-2) (Friday, 7:30 p.m.): Both of these teams have struck paydirt quite frequently. South Plantation and junior RB Kamary Cooper 1,708 rushing yards, 19 scores; 507 receiving yards and four TDs) and junior QB Nixon Kalish (2,462 total yards, 20 TDs) have led the way. The host Bobcats have allowed just 15 points in their past four games and have won eight straight games. West Broward 36, South Plantation 33.
No. 6 Doral Academy (5-4) at No. 3 Monarch (6-4) at Coconut Creek (Friday, 7:30 p.m.): The host Knights have a balanced, high-scoring offense and senior DL/LB Dasean Miller (63 tackles, 10 TFL, 15 sacks) terrorizing opponents, while the Firebirds have scored 221 points and allowed 217 this year. Monarch 36, Doral Academy 17.
4A Region 4
No. 6 Plantation (6-4) at No. 3 Dillard (10-0) (Friday, 7:30 p.m.): Dillard has junior WR Anthony Jennings (averaging 102.9 yards receiving, 12 TDs) and senior LB Demitris Mincey (9.6 tackles per game) wreaking havoc. Plantation rolled past South Plantation 49-0 to head into the game with confidence. The Colonels have won 10 of the past 17 games against the Panthers and their 27-21 victory last year snapped a four-game skid. Dillard 31, Plantation 20.
