American Heritage senior defensive back Terrance Johnson and Chaminade Madonna senior linebacker and safety Bryant Junius both played key roles in their teams’ runs to the state championship games at Pitbull Stadium on the campus of Florida International University in Miami.
Johnson led the county with 12 interceptions, including two key picks against rival Archbishop McCarthy en route to a second straight 4A championship. They rallied to defeat Orlando Jones for a second consecutive time in the state title game. Johnson had three tackles, but provided a key interception to hold off a Jones rally as the Patriots prevailed 33-28.
Johnson added a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, 3 passes defended, 52 total tackles, including 30 solo and two TDs for the Patriots (9-5), who rallied from a 1-3 start and 4-5 record before the playoffs to win five straight. They also cracked the top-100 rankings to finish 98th in the latest MaxPreps rankings.
Johnson transferred to American Heritage from South Broward and said it was a big difference. He knows that some top defensive backs have preceded him there, including two-time All-Pro Patrick Surtain II, the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.
“I grind it every day, put the work in, and work and dedication paid off,” Johnson said. “It’s a whole different ballgame from public schools. When I actually got here, I saw what they were talking about. They have a lot of good defensive backs who have gone on and had some success in the NFL. I hope to be like that someday.”
Terrance Johnson from American Heritage High School, football player of the year, photographed on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Junius also had a stellar season for the No. 88 Lions (11-3), who dropped a 17-14 decision to Cardinal Newman in the 1A state championship tilt. Junius contributed nine tackles in the loss, which snapped a streak of four state championships in a row.
The Appalachian State University commit ended the season with 102 tackles, 16 tackles for loss (including four sacks), eight pass deflections and two forced fumbles. He was the team captain for the past two seasons and said his career highlight was a pick-6 on ESPN in his sophomore season.
“I want my legacy at the school to be remembered as a selfless team player, willing to do anything for my teammates,” said Junius, whose college destination will be in the cold, something he’s never experienced before. “Daily practices were always highly competitive due to the team’s depth, with both offense and defense pushing each other to improve. “I was a team player, and I’ll do anything for the team for my team, and I can’t do anything without my team and my coaches.”
Bryant Junius from Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory, football player of the year, photographed on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/12/25/broward-4a-1a-football-defensive-player-of-the-year/
