Class 4A in South Florida has been largely carried by one stellar program – and it still will be. But a handful of programs have jumped back into the FHSAA pool after playing independently for the past couple of seasons, which will make the race to earn a playoff spot that much more interesting.
Miami Gulliver Prep Raiders
2016 Record: 3-5 (played in District 8-4A)
Coach: Earl Sims
2017 Outlook: How easily folks forget that Gulliver Prep made it to the 2008 Class 2A (what would later become Class 4A) state title game. Folks also seem to gloss over the fact that Gulliver has routinely housed some of South Florida’s top individual prospects over the past half-decade.
What head coach Earl Sims has been able to do at the small affluent private school is quite commendable.
So it is fair to say that the Raiders were greatly disappointed with their 2016 season, which ended below the .500 mark for the first time since 2004. Prior to this past season, Gulliver’s worse year was 2006 – when the team went 5-5 in Sims’ first year as head coach.
Gulliver will be out to prove it still has a winning formula in 2017. It’s hard to think they won’t considering the team’s top two offensive weapons return.
Senior running back James Jackson IV and junior quarterback Will Poses led the team in rushing and passing yards respectively in 2016. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Jackson, who also doubles as a linebacker, is a no-frills, straight-line runner that can be dangerous near the goal line.
Poses will be looking to improve on the numbers he put up during his sophomore campaign and show that the work he put in over offseason will lead to a more balanced and potent Gulliver offense, which will be anchored by senior center Devin Golden (6-foot-3, 280 pounds).
The Raiders defense has a diamond in the rough in 6-foot-3, 190-pound defensive end D’Sean Perry. The junior has earned a handful of offers – from Bowling Green, Florida Atlantic, UCF and Syracuse – already, but he has a great first step off the line and will only get better as he adds weight to his frame.
Miami Immaculata-LaSalle Royal Lions
2016 Record: 7-3 (played in Southeastern Football Conference)
Coach: Matt Dillon
2017 Outlook: Playing in the Southeastern Football Conference (SFC) did LaSalle a lot of good. The Royal Lions tasted winning, which meant a winning attitude and culture permeated throughout the program – most importantly to the young athletes coming up.
Head coach Matt Dillon enters his third year leading LaSalle – 32nd year as a head coach – and has a nice core of players from last year’s SFC quarterfinal team coming back.
Running back Draquan Jones returns for his senior season. Jones rushed for almost 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns this past season and he is a classic example of a player from South Florida that could go on to do great things in their career and have few know of his accomplishments while he was in high school in their backyard.
Also returning are Jones’ backfield mates – senior Cameron Ryals and sophomore Deondre Dozier. The pair added another 500 rushing yards to LaSalle’s offense this past season while also contributing on defense.
It would appear that Francis Coronado is in line to take on the role of starting quarterback in 2017. Coronado didn’t log many snaps in 2016, so Dillon will likely keep the ball in Jones’ – and Ryals’ and Dozier’s – hands as much as possible this season.
The Royal Lions defensive front isn’t scrawny, but it isn’t hulking either. Linebackers Adrian Casas and Erick Fando will have to come up in run support when LaSalle goes up against a team that wants to run between the tackles.
Key West Conchs
2016 Record: 7-4 (played in Gold Coast Conference)
Coach: John Hughes
2017 Outlook: South Florida football fans can tell you that Key West has long been a thorn in the side of many a team from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
Going down to Key West to play the Conchs was always a daunting task – because the team has been more than solid in most years as well as their tangible homefield advantage.
Key West, which lost to Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy in the semifinals of the Gold Coast Conference playoffs this past season, hopes that its brief hiatus on the independent circuit will help the program moving forward.
Returning for John Hughes’ team are three of their top four rushers from this past season.
Senior Alvin Howard is the headliner of that group as he led the team in both rushing (623 yards on 75 carries) and receiving (18 receptions for 263 yards). The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Howard will be the team’s go-to guy again while senior Kolby Kelleher and junior Alonzo Ridgeway serve as secondary weapons.
Senior defensive end Abrian Wynn and senior linebacker Carson Hughes will serve as leaders for their respective units – while senior safety Damien Alvarez patrols the defensive backfield.
Homestead Keys Gate Charter Knights
2016 Record: 4-5 (played in District 8-4A)
Coach: Darrell McMillan (1st year)
2017 Outlook: Keys Gate Charter enters the 2017 season looking to honor the memories of two former athletes who lost their lives this past November and another whose life was forever altered on the same fateful night.
Samir Barrera and Isaiah West were killed in a car crash November 21st, 2016 when their car violently crashed into a tree. Barrera wrestled for Keys Gate Charter and West played football the Knights.
In the backseat of the car was Isaac Lipscomb. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound wide receiver with multiple offers sustain critical injuries during the accident – most devastatingly a spinal cord injury that required surgery and has left Lipscomb still rehabbing to regain full mobility.
On the field, the Knights have a new head coach in Darrell McMillan. McMillan replaced Chevas Clements after one season and it’ll be McMillan’s job to create a winning formula for Keys Gate Charter.
The Knights offense took a huge hit when dual-threat quarterback Torey “Scooter” Morrison transferred to Homestead South Dade High. Morrison, a freshman who’s been compared to Miami Northwestern’s dynamic dual-threat quarterback Chatarius “Tutu” Atwell, starred for Keys Gate as an eighth grader.
The ball will now belong to sophomore Deandre Examar. The former receiver moves under center and has shown that he’s capable of leading the offense. 215-pound bruising back Jasqueze Martin, a South Dade High transfer, will be a welcomed addition to the backfield and will lessen the learning curve for Examar.
Keys Gate has plenty of capable young skill position players on both sides of the ball – like freshman defensive back Tristin Hope and sophomore defensive back David Thompson Jr. – but the two big points for concern are size along the offensive and defensive line as well as a dearth of upperclassman leadership.
It’ll be interesting to see how Keys Gate maneuvers through what appears to be a favorable schedule.
Miami Edison Red Raiders
2016 Record: 8-2 (played in District 8-4A)
Coach: Travis Johnson (1st year)
2017 Outlook: Edison is starting from scratch. The Red Raiders had a “house clearing” and it has left the program with a clean slate. Almost too clean.
There was a mass exodus of both coaches and players. Which was unfortunate because 2017 was supposed to be the year that the Red Raiders reaped the harvest of all the work that was put in over the two years prior.
The Red Raiders will forge ahead, now under the direction of Travis Johnson. Johnson, a long-time assistant coach who’s worked in both Miami-Dade and Broward County, is relishing his first opportunity to be a head coach.
Johnson has done a lot to re-brand Edison football and is tirelessly working to plant all new seeds in this once-proud program.
With all the subtractions, Edison did get an addition in the form of Florida Christian transfer Corey Del Prado. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound quarterback comes in and was instantly given the keys to the Red Raiders’ offense.
Other bright spots could be a pair of raw, but very athletic defensive ends. 6-foot-3, 180-pound junior Barthelemy Dervil and 6-foot-2, 190-pound freshman Karleon Gray-Johnson have the physical tools needed to make an impact on the football field.
Edison’s schedule – games against Naples High, Coral Gables High, Miami Norland, Miami Central, Booker T. Washington and Homestead South Dade – won’t be forgiving, but it could help the Red Raiders players in the long run.
Miami Monsignor Pace Spartans
2016 Record: 4-4 (played in District 8-4A)
Coach: Joe Zaccheo
2017 Outlook: Here is another “small school” program that has had its fair share of big success and has routinely churned out elite level prospects.
The coach that took this program to the pinnacle – a 2003 Class 3A state championship and a host of district titles – Joe Zaccheo came back to the program before the start of the 2016 season with the hopes of restoring some luster the Spartans football program.
His first season back was up and down, but “Coach Zacc” has shown the fire and drive needed if Monsignor Pace is to climb its way back into the South Florida high school football mix.
“Transfer Season” hit the Spartans hard, though. Gone are three elite-level prospects in athlete Divaad Wilson (Miami Northwestern), receiver Blake Veargis (Miami Norland) and defensive lineman D’Andre Ragin (Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas). Having those three for their senior seasons would’ve put Pace in an even better position for 2017.
But because of where Monsignor Pace’s campus sits and the education the school can offer, it’ll never be devoid of talented athletes.
The Spartans’ defense has a chance to be better than the average unit because of 6-foot-4, 190-pound defensive end Cesar Medina; 6-foot-3, 260-pound junior defensive tackle Fabio Desir and 6-foot-2, 290-pound senior defensive tackle Rodrigue Bichotte.
Pace’s offense got some extra juice when sophomore receiver Jemel Horenstein transferred in from Miramar High and junior quarterback Lorenzo Floyd came in from Miami Carol City.
It was Floyd who helped Carol City capture the 2016 Class 6A state championship, coming in off the bench to help the team when the starting quarterback – who supplanted Floyd earlier in the season – went down with an injury.
Senior scatback Kisean Bullard will still serve as the offense’s spark plug out of the backfield while Antoine Daniel will look to emerge as the team’s No. 1 receiver.
If Pace’s defensive secondary can prove solid enough, the Spartans could be one of the surprise teams this season.
Miami Booker T. Washington Tornadoes
2016 Record: 9-4 (2016 District 4-8A champion; Class 4A state semifinalist)
Coach: Tim “Ice” Harris
2017 Outlook: I often mention a “Big Boys Table”, talking about a select group of South Florida high school programs that have even surpassed “program” status and elevated to “brand” status.
Booker T. Washington is one of the “O.G.’s” at the “Big Boy Table”.
The small school in the heart of Overtown became a household name because of its run of multiple state championships, 2013 mythical national championship, Miami-Dade County record 41-game winning streak, flowing stream of national recruits and its “F5” mantra.
The man at the center of it all is head coach Tim “Ice” Harris. In his third stint as Booker T.’s coach, Harris has led the Tornadoes for a total of nine seasons – compiling a 108-14 record and three Coach of the Year awards along the way.
Even with all of that, what makes the Tornadoes great is that they’re never satisfied. The coaches continue to challenge themselves as do the players and it breeds a competition level that many other programs can match.
It’ll be the same in 2017.
Booker T.’s roster is brimming with talented athletes and it is considered a favorite to win the Class 4A crown this season.
Coach Harris has a new carrot to dangle in front of this year’s team, though. Booker T.’s 2016 season ended before it wanted to – falling to playoff rival Cocoa High in the Class 4A state semifinals – leaving the program on the doorstep of becoming the first team to win five straight state titles.
Standing in the front of the line for the Tornadoes is junior quarterback Daniel Richardson. Richardson enters his third season as the team’s starting quarterback and has already cemented himself as one of South Florida’s top passers. Because Richardson found early success, he’s in line to become one of Dade’s top statistical passer before his career is over.
Booker T.’s passing game, which was perfected over the offseason through participation in dozens of 7-on-7 tournaments, has a full clip of receivers that will put major pressure on opposing secondaries.
Senior Tyquan Thornton is the headliner of the group. The 6-foot-3, 170-pound University of Florida commit was one of the hottest players over the summer – putting on athletic displays at every event he attended.
Senior Zahir Turner has matured and will look to carve out his own niche, sophomore Jovan Ferguson is the hidden gem, and Hollywood McArthur High transfer junior Estmane Lucdor will add talented depth while learning the “Booker T. way”.
What will make opposing teams throw their hands up in exasperation is the addition of top incoming freshman Jacorey Brooks. Already 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds, Brooks – who has an offer from the University of Miami – will hurt teams because he’ll often be matched with their third or fourth-best defensive back.
Booker T. did lose a big piece – literally – when 2019 offensive lineman Dontae Lucas (6-foot-4, 320 pounds) transferred to Miami High, but senior Rodney Mompremier (6-foot-3, 280 pounds) will anchor the O-Line and protect Richardson.
The Tornadoes’ defense has a lot of youth as well – like freshman defensive end/linebacker Terrence Lewis Jr. – but its leader is linebacker Jaquan Beaver.
Beaver, or “Giant”, might be small for his position at first glance – but he is big on toughness, drive, and swagger. Beaver plays with a “won’t be beat” mentality and it trickles down to the rest of the defense.
Helping Beaver put pressure on quarterbacks will be senior defensive lineman Mantavious Brown (6-foot-1, 265 pounds) as well as 6-foot-2, 185-pound sophomore defensive end Wati Huggins.
The Tornadoes even have a special teams weapon in freshman kicker Andres Borregales, the younger brother of Jose Borregales – who kicked for Booker T. before earning a scholarship to Florida International University.
Because the new playoff point system did away with districts for the smaller classifications, Coach Harris took that as the opportunity to build one of the hardest schedules he could to spar with his team.
Booker T. opened the season in a preseason kickoff classic against defending Class 5A state champion Plantation American Heritage – whom the Tornadoes defeated last year in the same setting.
They’ll follow that up with games against bigger classification schools – Class 6A’s Fort Lauderdale Dillard (Aug. 25) and Miami Central (Aug. 31); defending Class 8A champion Miami Southridge (Sept. 8) and 8A powers Christopher Columbus (Sept. 16) Coral Gables (Oct. 5); as well as defending Class 6A champion Miami Carol City (Oct. 21) and Miami Northwestern (Sept. 22).
Bald Prediction
If Booker T. Washington will be anything in 2017, it will be a battle-tested team.
Their treacherous schedule will sharpen this team and make lining up against Class 4A competition come late November and into December seem like a breeze.
The Tornadoes will earn a playoff spot and be the team to beat in their region of the bracket – if not the whole bracket. I know Booker T. has its eyes, hearts, and minds set on another showdown with Cocoa High – the team that knocked the Tornadoes out of the playoffs this past season and derailed their hopes of a fifth straight state title.
I hope they get it, too. Because that will be a great game to see.
I think Key West earns a playoff spot out of this group. The Conchs have a solid roster and good coaching, that will make them dangerous.
Gulliver should be better this season, at least hitting the five-win mark but probably missing the postseason.
The only reason Pace is slated behind Gulliver is because it will play a tougher schedule. The Spartans should show flashes in just about every game, but it will be a matter of how many times they can put together a solid 48 minutes that determines how many games they win.
I think LaSalle will have a better season on the whole than both Miami Edison and Keys Gate Charter. Edison is starting from scratch and Keys Gate, even with its favorable schedule, may still struggle at times in 2017.
Playoff Teams: Booker T. Washington, Key West
Bold Prediction
A double dip here: Booker T.’s Daniel Richardson will throw for 2,500 yards and 20 touchdowns and LaSalle’s Draquan Jones will hit the 1,000-yard mark in rushing once again this year.
If the Tornadoes make it to the Class 4A state title game, put me down for a 30-touchdown season for “Doc” Richardson.
District MVP
There is no structural district here, but even if there was the choice would still be the same.
Booker T. Washington’s Daniel Richardson is in line to break just about every passing record in Miami-Dade County this season between his final two high school seasons and he is the catalyst to the Tornadoes’ offense.
As Richardson goes, so goes Booker T. – and that is one of the basic elements of someone being the “most valuable player”.
Top Players
Abrian Wynn – Key West
Adrian Casas – LaSalle
Alvin Howard – Key West
Amari Carter – LaSalle
Amin Hassan – Gulliver Prep
Andres Borregales – Booker T. Washington
Antoine Daniel – Monsignor Pace
Axel Rizo – Gulliver Prep
Barthelemy Dervil – Edison
Brian Mondesir – Edison
Bryner Joseph – Monsignor Pace
Carson Hughes – Key West
Cesar Medina – Monsignor Pace
Christopher Caleron – Gulliver Prep
Corey Del Prado – Edison
D’Sean Perry – Gulliver Prep
Damien Alvarez – Key West
Daniel Burke – LaSalle
Daniel Richardson – Booker T. Washington
David Thompson Jr. – Keys Gate Charter
Deandre Examar – Keys Gate Charter
Deltron Holloway – Booker T. Washington
Deondre Dozier – LaSalle
Devin Golden – Gulliver Prep
Draquan Jones – LaSalle
Eddie Jackson – Booker T. Washington
Ernesto Cachon – Gulliver Prep
Estmane Lucdor – Booker T. Washington
Fabio Desir – Monsignor Pace
Gregory Reddick – Booker T. Washington
Isaac Archer – Key West
Isaac Lipscomb – Keys Gate Charter (Honorary)
Isaiah Rogers – Edison
Jacorey Booker – Booker T. Washington
Jalin Wilson – Keys Gate Charter
James Jackson IV – Gulliver Prep
Jaquan Beaver – Booker T. Washington
Jemel Horenstein – Monsignor Pace
Jesse Garcia – Key West
Jimmy Vargas – LaSalle
Johnny Harris Jr. – Edison
Jojo Edwards – Key West
Jovan Ferguson – Booker T. Washington
Justin Diaz – LaSalle
Karleon Gray-Johnson – Edison
Kisean Bullard – Monsignor Pace
Kolby Kelleher – Key West
Larry Norman – Edison
Lorenzo Floyd – Monsignor Pace
Mantavious Brown – Booker T. Washington
Patrick Barnett – Key West
Paul McIntyre – Keys Gate Charter
Roderick Grisson – Keys Gate Charter
Rodney Mompremier – Booker T. Washington
Sean Moore – Gulliver Prep
Tavaris Phillips – Booker T. Washington
Terrence Lewis Jr. – Booker T. Washington
Thomas Willis – Monsignor Pace
Travis Pittman – Booker T. Washington
Tristin Hope – Keys Gate Charter
Tyquan Thornton – Booker T. Washington
Wati Huggins – Booker T. Washington
Westley Neal – Gulliver Prep
Will Poses – Gulliver Prep
Willie Davis – Booker T. Washington
Zahir Turner – Booker T. Washington
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