FORT LAUDERDALE — The upset at St. Thomas Aquinas arrived on the final play, but Lakeland spent the night proving it belonged on the same field as the nation’s top-ranked team.
Kelin Hendrix connected with Joseph Howard Jr. for the winning touchdown in overtime Friday, lifting the Dreadnaughts past Aquinas 27–24 and delivering the defining result of the inaugural FHSAA Open Division’s opening weekend.
Aquinas entered No. 1 nationally in the MaxPreps rankings. Lakeland left with a victory that immediately changed the conversation in Pool A.
The Dreadnaughts’ breakthrough headlined a four-game opening round that also featured Chaminade-Madonna’s 35–0 shutout of Venice, Columbus’ 40–3 victory over Miami Central and West Boca Raton’s 28–7 win over Raines.
Four teams now have an early advantage. All eight remain alive.
Football Hotbed covered both Pool B games on site, with Brandon Odoi reporting from West Boca–Raines and Travis Thomas supplying updates from Columbus–Miami Central. PolkWay’s live coverage tracked Lakeland’s dramatic finish, while additional reporting helped complete the statewide picture.
Lakeland survives the rally, finishes the upset
The Dreadnaughts absorbed momentum swings, survived a late Aquinas rally and executed when overtime left no room for another mistake.
Hendrix opened the scoring with a 48-yard touchdown run. Aquinas answered before halftime when Zayden Gamble returned a punt for a touchdown, sending the teams into the break tied 7–7.
The Raiders moved ahead in the third quarter on Blake Calixte’s 54-yard touchdown pass to Gamble. Lakeland responded with Hendrix’s second rushing touchdown, tying the game at 14 and setting up a tense fourth quarter.
PolkWay’s updates detailed the sequence that put the Dreadnaughts in position to seize control. With 7:40 remaining, Lakeland forced a turnover and took over at its own 22. Xavion Mitchell then broke an option run for approximately 40 yards, helping set up the touchdown that put Lakeland ahead 21–14 with 5:47 left.
Lakeland recovered a mishandled kickoff at the Aquinas 30-yard line on the ensuing play, giving the Dreadnaughts an opportunity to extend the lead.
But the Raiders stayed within reach. A missed Lakeland field goal left Aquinas down one possession, and the home team made the most of its reprieve.
A late quarterback change helped Aquinas attack on the ground. Jase Watkins scored with 37 seconds remaining, and the extra point pulled the Raiders even at 21–21, ultimately forcing overtime.
There, Lakeland’s defense made the stop that mattered.
Kyle Infante’s 31-yard field goal gave Aquinas a 24–21 lead, but it also gave the Dreadnaughts a clear objective: a touchdown would win it.
Hendrix found Howard to end the night.
The victory snapped Aquinas’ 24-game winning streak and came after the Raiders had beaten Lakeland in each of the previous two Class 5A championship games. This time, Lakeland owned the finish.
The result also illustrated the Open Division’s central difference from a traditional bracket: Aquinas lost a major game without losing its season. The Raiders still have opportunities against Venice and Chaminade-Madonna to recover.
Lakeland, meanwhile, heads into its next matchup carrying a signature victory and a chance to strengthen its semifinal position.
Chaminade-Madonna makes a shutout statement
While Lakeland needed overtime, Chaminade-Madonna established control much earlier in Hollywood.
Junior quarterback Brady Quinn threw three touchdown passes as the Lions built a 28–0 halftime lead and shut out Venice 35–0.
Quinn connected with Tromon Isaac Jr. for a 6-yard touchdown to open the scoring. Isaac later caught a 48-yard touchdown pass with just 2.7 seconds remaining before halftime, a punishing finish to a half already controlled by the Lions.
Amos Bradford and Clinton Jean-Pierre also scored rushing touchdowns. Quinn added a short touchdown pass to Kedarius Rhaney in the third quarter, extending the margin to 35 points and triggering a running clock.
The offensive production was substantial. MaxPreps’ statistical recap credited Quinn with 395 passing yards and three touchdowns and Isaac with 161 receiving yards and two scores. Chaminade finished with 514 total yards, according to that report.
The defense made the margin hold.
Jon Santucci’s USA TODAY Network report noted that Venice threw three interceptions in the red zone and turned the ball over on downs four times in Chaminade territory. Those empty possessions explain how the Indians could move the ball in stretches without producing a point.
Venice running back Dorien Irving-Jones finished with 151 yards on 22 carries, but Chaminade kept him out of the end zone. The Indians’ offense, which generated 496 regular-season points, suffered its first shutout since the 2019 state semifinals.
That combination—explosive passing and repeated stops in scoring territory—made the Lions’ opener more than a comfortable win.
Chaminade protected every point of its shutout while giving Lakeland several offensive threats to prepare for next week.
Columbus scores 33 unanswered to overwhelm Central
At Tropical Park, Columbus turned an early big play into a night-long advantage, beating Miami Central 40–3 in its Pool B opener.
Travis Thomas’ on-site updates tracked an Explorers team that contributed touchdowns through the air, on the ground and on defense.
Kai Moore found Tony Brown III on the opening touchdown pass, initially reported from the field as covering more than 70 yards. MaxPreps subsequently listed the play as an 82-yard connection.
Central responded with Cole Rodriguez’s 42-yard field goal with 4:45 remaining in the first quarter, cutting Columbus’ lead to 7–3.
The Rockets would not score again.
A 25-yard Columbus field goal with 11:35 left in the second quarter extended the margin to 10–3. Cecil Smith followed with a touchdown run at the 2:29 mark, making it 17–3.
Moore connected with Brian Wilson Jr. for a touchdown with six minutes remaining in the third quarter, pushing the Explorers ahead 24–3.
Columbus then added a 35-yard field goal with 11:51 left in the fourth. Just 16 seconds later, Ajavion Willis returned an interception for a touchdown, extending the advantage to 34–3.
Zacari Isaac capped the scoring with a touchdown run with 2:05 remaining, producing the 40–3 final.
Dave Dunn’s team finished with 33 unanswered points and held Central scoreless over the final three quarters. The Explorers consistently turned their scoring opportunities into points while giving the Rockets little opportunity to recover.
Columbus now takes its 1–0 pool record to Jacksonville, where Raines will be looking to respond to its opening loss.
West Boca answers Raines with 28 straight
West Boca Raton faced an immediate test when Raines quarterback Sa’mon Ellison-Morgan broke loose for a 70-yard touchdown run.
The Bulls’ response defined the rest of the game.
West Boca scored the final 28 points, defeating the Vikings 28–7 and joining Columbus at 1–0 in Pool B. After allowing the opening touchdown, the Bulls kept Raines out of the end zone for the remainder of the night.
Trey Moran connected with Terriel “Wally” Harmon for the tying touchdown in the first quarter, leaving the teams even at 7–7 after one.
In the second, Moran found Billy Clancy III for the go-ahead touchdown, giving West Boca a 14–7 halftime lead.
The Bulls extended their advantage after the break. Quinton Miller Jr. scored, and Harmon added his second touchdown of the night. MaxPreps’ recap identified both second-half scores as rushing touchdowns, complementing Moran’s two first-half scoring passes.
Harmon’s two-touchdown performance gave West Boca a consistent scoring threat, while Clancy supplied the reception that broke the tie. Miller helped the Bulls finish a game in which their defense gave Raines no second opportunity to establish momentum on the scoreboard.
West Boca outscored the Vikings 14–0 after halftime.
Its opening home victory also places added importance on next week’s visit from Miami Central: the Bulls can strengthen their position before traveling to Columbus for their third pool game.
The first advantage belongs to four teams
| Pool | Teams at 1–0 | Teams at 0–1 |
|---|---|---|
| A | Lakeland; Chaminade-Madonna | St. Thomas Aquinas; Venice |
| B | Columbus; West Boca Raton | Miami Central; Raines |
The top two finishers in each pool advance to the semifinals. No team has clinched, and no team has been eliminated.
Pool A’s second round brings two distinct stakes. Lakeland and Chaminade meet with a chance to reach 2–0. Aquinas and Venice meet knowing one will leave with its first pool victory and the other will face the final round at 0–2.
In Pool B, both opening winners face teams seeking a response. Columbus must travel to Raines, while West Boca hosts Central.
The opportunity is clear for the leaders. So is the urgency for their opponents.
Next up: Friday, November 20
| Pool | Matchup | Listed kickoff, Eastern | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Lakeland at Chaminade-Madonna | 6:30 p.m. | Chaminade-Madonna HS, Hollywood |
| A | St. Thomas Aquinas at Venice | 7:30 p.m. | Venice HS, Venice |
| B | Columbus at Raines | 6:30 p.m. | William Raines Senior HS, Jacksonville |
| B | Miami Central at West Boca Raton | 6:30 p.m. | West Boca Raton HS, Boca Raton |
Columbus’ school schedule confirms 6:30 p.m. at Raines, while Aquinas’ calendar lists 7:30 p.m. at Venice. Current Chaminade and Central team schedules list 6:30 p.m. Older listings differ for some games; fans should confirm kickoff with the host school before traveling.
Pool play concludes November 27.
Friday’s results established the first advantage, but Lakeland’s upset also supplied the clearest warning of the new tournament: a ranking will not protect anyone once the games begin.
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