National Media & Showcase Platform
FloridaHigh School Football

Patriots Control Lions In Kickoff Classic, 20-13

0 Comment059
Email, RSS Follow
Pin It
Print


Plantation, FL — In the last six years, two of Florida’s best programs American Heritage (Plantation) and Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) have combined for six state titles.  Both teams have at least made it to the state championship game since 2015. On Friday night, the teams met on the field for their preseason exhibition kickoff classic. Heritage got the best of Chaminade on the scoreboard with a 20-13 victory but both teams are positioned to continue their current reigns of dominance.

“We made a lot of big plays and a lot of mistakes,” said American Heritage Head Coach Pat Surtain.  “That’s to be expected in the first game.”

Senior quarterback Edwin Rhodes went 10 of 15 for 143 yards scoring two passing touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown.  The Patriot offense, which is known to have a strong running game over the years struggled running the football. The passing game, which was working for the majority of the night may be the new Patriot way.

“Sometimes you have to adjust to your personnel,” said Surtain.  “We have some dynamic receivers and we have a dynamic quarterback. It may not be like how it was in the past.”

One of those dynamic receivers is sophomore receiver Jacolby Spells who scored first for the Patriots catching a 22-yard pass from Rhodes.  The 2020 QB scored himself using his legs to get into the endzone right before the half with some nifty moves to avoid tacklers. The Patriots took a 14-3 lead into the locker room. 

“I told him this year before the season that I was going to give him the keys to the Cadillac,” said Surtain of Rhodes.  “He took it and ran with it. He has complete control of the offense, he can make all the checks, all the throws, and he showed some mobility tonight.  He is one of the best quarterbacks in Florida.”

Maybe Rhodes’s best throw of the night came in the 3rd quarter when he found fellow senior Douglas Emilien streaking down the sideline for a 35-yard touchdown. 


The Patriots of Plantation were eliminated by their rival Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) last season in the 5A regional final.  Gibbons went on to win the state title and also moved to 4A leaving the 5A state title up for grabs. The back-to-back 6A state champions Miami Northwestern and back-to-back 4A state champions Raines (Jacksonville) both join 5A making the road for the Patriots to continue their dynasty that much harder.   

Chaminade’s Thaddius Franklin was the bright spot on offense for the Lions Friday night.  The junior Miami Hurricanes commit broke out for a fifty-yard run and scored on the next play from five yards out.  Franklin finished with 143 yards rushing and the one TD. 

The Lions of Hollywood are coming off back-to-back state championship seasons and are going for the three-peat under Head Coach Dameon Jones.  The last time Chaminade failed to win the state title was in 2016 when the Lions lost to Trinity Christian (Jacksonville). Trinity moved up to 5A after that season and Chaminade took home two 3A state championships the following two years.  Now that the classes have realigned this year, Trinity and Chaminade find themselves back in the same class of 3A.

The preseason game ran ten-minute quarters and a running clock in the fourth quarter.  

Chaminade kicks off the regular season at McArthur (Hollywood) while Heritage will open the season at home against Monsignor Pace (Miami).

Share
Miami Palmetto Shuts Out Western In Kickoff Classic Previous post

Marcus Benjamin works as the senior writer and editor for FootballHotbed.com. He attended Florida A&M and Florida Memorial University completing a bachelors degree in communications in 2010. He's covered high school football in the South Florida area since 2010 for the Miami Herald, Miami Sports Tribune and ShawSports.net. He is married and lives in Fort, Lauderdale, FL.

Related Articles

Brandon OdoiFloridaHigh School Football December 12, 20240

Cocoa Tops Gadsen County: 38-27 in 2A FHSAA Final

Follow Miami- Defending state champion Cocoa made it three-straight with a 38-27 win Gadsen County (near Tallahassee) Thursday afternoon in FIU’s Pitbull Stadium.  The 2A FHSAA final match up featured Cocoa’s air attack against Gadsen County’s power run attack.  Texas A&M commit and Cocoa Tiger quarterback Brady Hart led the way through the air to the tune of 259 yards passing and 1 TD on 22 of 31 passing.  His leading wideout was Florida State commit, Jayvan Boggs. He caught 6 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown.  The ground game was really the back breaker for Gadsen County, ironically, as the Cocoa Tigers racked up 100 yards on the ground as both Hart and Latrison Lane both rushed for 64 yards a piece.  Hart took sacks that took away 28 team rushing yards but was clutch picking up first downs on scrambles downfield to keep key drives alive.Cocoa began the scoring with a dart from Hart to Boggs, scoring off a Gadsen County turnover. But the Jaguars from Gadsen County would march right back down the field and tie the game on a Kemarrion Battles rushing touchdown.  Battles scored twice, racking up 96 yards on the ground for the Jaguars from the Tallahassee metro area.  The game would go back and forth for the duration until Cocoa broke it wide open on a play in the fourth quarter.  On fouth down, leading by only four, with under two minutes to play, the Coca Tigers tried to draw the Jags off-sides.  It didn’t work. After a time out, they went for it and got not only the two yards needed for a first down, but they also completely iced the game as Lane scored from 42 yards out. It’s the school’s seventh championship, third consecutive and for head coach Ryan Schneider, it cements a legacy.  PLAY CALL OF THE YEAR!!!Cocoa goes for it on 4th and 2 and Latrison Lane scores. That gives the Tigers a 38-27 lead with 1:04 remaining @CocoaFootball @Cocoa_Schneider @LaTrisonLane20 @321preps pic.twitter.com/tdqwPQkgMm— Jon Santucci (@JonSantucci) December 12, 2024

FloridaHigh School Football October 26, 20240

JV Championship Series: Homestead Outlasts North Miami 26-22

Follow Miami Gardens, FL- The Homestead Broncos Junior Varsity Team earned a birth in the inaugural Football Hotbed JV Championship Series Final this week outlasting the North Miami Pioneers 26-22.  It was a thrilling match that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle. The Broncos showcased their resilience and teamwork, coming from behind to secure the victory. The game was marked by impressive plays, with standout performances from both teams.  The game’s overall MVP was 2027 quarterback Jahmir McCall of Homestead High.  The Broncos’ quarterback delivered a stellar performance, throwing two touchdown passes and maintaining composure under pressure. Freshman running back Jermaine Green caught the first touchdown reception out of the backfield and the go-ahead touchdown was secured by 2028 wide receiver Gemani Smith. Meanwhile, the defense held strong during critical moments, thwarting the Pioneers’ advances with key tackles and interceptions.  The game sealing pass deflection was made by 2028 defensive back Leone Leonidas. The Pioneers played an excellent game, especially offensively led by their sophomore quarterback, Chammbrayy Campbell.  He hooked up with North Miami 2027 wide out Michael Cabre to open the game’s scoring.  The post-corner pass was perfect and Cabre made a great adjustment to the ball for the touchdown reception. Overall, the Pioneers couldn’t overcome playing sloppy toward the end of the game as turnovers and penalties killed drives.  They turned the ball over with a fumble into the endzone and had an interception on the 1-yard line on drives that would have probably ended up as scores. On the final drive of the game, the Pioneers were thwarted by the Homestead defense that had bended but not broken all game.  As the Broncos celebrated their hard-fought win, they set their sights on the upcoming final, determined to bring home the championship trophy. The team’s coaches praised the players’ dedication and spirit, acknowledging their hard work and commitment throughout the season. Fans and community members eagerly anticipate the final match, ready to support their team with unwavering enthusiasm.The historic Football Hotbed event for Junior Varsity teams is full-sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) who is enthusiastic about the events promise in years to come.  Homestead will play Miami Central in the championship held this coming week.   Jahmir McCall with the Portal 305 and Olin Cushion, III JV Championship Series Highlights: Check out this amazing pass and catch from @NMPioneer_FB junior varsity standouts 2027 QB CHAMMBRAYY CAMPBELL to WR MICHAEL CABRE #hotbedworld vid by @ChrisFodde @FHSAA pic.twitter.com/aFXfa8zLf6— Football Hotbed (@FootballHotbed) October 26, 2024 Photos: JV Championship Series @HSHBroncos and @NMPioneer_FB made history. #hotbedworld https://t.co/VWfp1x7Npw— Football Hotbed (@FootballHotbed) October 26, 2024 Arties Knight, head JV Football Coach, Homestead High

Florida May 21, 20240

Spring Football Excitement Across South Florida

Follow There has been a tremendous amount of excitement across South Florida the past several weeks as teams have begun wrapping up spring practices and having inter-squad scrimmages and spring games. These scrimmages and games are an early indicator of the skill and talent level each school will look to display come the fall.  Once again, South Florida took the majority of the state’s football championships at the Metro Division level that is now defunct. Columbus, St. Thomas Aquinas and Chaminade won the 4M, 3M and 1M titles respectively.  Miami Norland finished as the runner up to Tampa’s Berkley Catholic High School.  This spring, established coaches like Southridge’s Pierre Senatus are upbeat about their program’s potential after having a few seasons under his belt.  In juxtaposition, Miami Northwestern’s first year head coach, NFL Veteran Teddy Bridgewater, is working out the kinks after his first intersquad scrimmage and spring game.  Stay with Footballhotbed.com for the developments of this off season across the Southeast. SPRING PRACTICE: Caught up with head coach Pierre Senatus @LifeCoachPierre on the first day of spring practice in year three of his tenure, fresh off a deep playoff run. #hotbedworld @Brandon_Odoi pic.twitter.com/z0u6AQzqjh— Football Hotbed (@FootballHotbed) April 30, 2024 Coach @teddyb_h2o 🗣️NFL Veteran QB Teddy Bridgewater in his first appearance as head coach at Miami Northwestern during his school's first spring scrimmage talks organization and effort. #hotbedworld pic.twitter.com/r7oOKmiew7— Football Hotbed (@FootballHotbed) May 5, 2024

Leave a Reply