The largest district in the state. Some think it’s unfair that these teams have to play eight district games, but if you ask the programs in this group – they’ll tell you that playing so many meaningful is a good thing. There are no weeks off for the teams in this district. Especially as more schools are looking to prioritize football, the competition level continues to elevate and the rivalries are becoming more intense.
Doral Academy Firebirds
2016 Record: 8-3 (2016 District runner-up)
Coach: Jase Stewart
2017 Outlook: Doral Academy has all the makings of a football program that is destined for some really good things.
It is an excellent academic institution that offers both middle and high school options, it continues to expand its edifices and the administration has shown that athletics are a priority – through tangible support in the building and through various sport-specific facilities.
Head coach Jase Stewart was the perfect choice to lead the program and he proved it by leading the Firebirds to an 8-3 record and a playoff berth in his first season at the helm.
Stewart, who spent time as an assistant coach in Miami-Dade and Broward counties prior to becoming a head coach, has laid a solid foundation for the program to be built upon.
Looking at the 2017 season, Doral Academy should elevate to the top spot in this district; with rival Mater Academy going through an offseason of major change and the Firebirds bringing back a nice collection of talent.
Doral Academy has a superstar in junior four-star wide receiver Brieon Fuller. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound University of Miami verbal commit, is considered a top 25 pass catcher nationally for the 2019 class. Fuller’s speed and agility allow him to gain separation from defenders and it makes him an explosive playmaker with the ball in his hands.
Losing quarterback Angel Alvarez to graduation won’t hurt the offense as much since senior Miles Hayes transferred in from Punta Gorda Charlotte High.
Sophomore running back Shemar Paul should see an uptick in production since he’ll likely be the No. 1 ball carrier while receivers Khalil Brantley (sophomore) and Natavious Payne (senior) will consistently see one-on-one coverage because opposing defenses will be focused on Fuller.
The Firebirds defense has talented pieces in Brandon Dominguez (senior safety), Bryan Reinstrom (junior transfer linebacker from Barbara Goleman), and Ariel Garcia (senior defensive end) – but a dearth of size could come back to bite them when they line up against Hialeah Champagnat Catholic (Aug. 25) and Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (Oct. 20).
Hialeah Gardens Barbara Goleman Gators
2016 Record: 6-4
Coach: Ariel Cribeiro
2017 Outlook: Goleman is another program that tends to get overlooked and bypassed, but the Gators had a productive 2016 season. Finishing the season 6-4 and fourth in this crowded district is no easy feat.
Head coach Ariel Cribeiro, a 2006 Goleman alumnus, has done a very good job leading the Gators since taking over in 2013.
He continued the tradition of running a “single-wing” or “rugby scrum” offense that – no matter who they matchup against – gives teams difficulties in defending.
What should make the Gators’ offense even more effective in 2017 is the fact that its top two backs from this past season both return. Having experienced players to run a niche offense will always make a coach smile.
John Correa and Derrick Hall finished one and two respectively in total rushing, while Correa also played quarterback for the team.
The Gators defense has a potential centerpiece in 6-foot-2, 235-pound defensive end Joshua Bacallao. Bacallao, who also doubles as an offensive lineman, has the physical tools to be a tone-setter for a Goleman’s defense that held opponents to single digit points five times this past season.
Goleman’s overall success will hinge on its ability to “stay in front of the chains” – staying out of long-distance situations on third downs – and finding a way to hang in with teams that have more athletes it does.
Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy Lions
2016 Record: 11-2 (2016 District champion; Regional finalist)
Coach: Cordarion Clark (1st year)
2017 Outlook: After all of 2016’s success – an undefeated district title and a run to the third round of the playoffs – Mater Academy was dealt a series of significant blows this offseason.
The first and inevitable blow was the graduation of running back Daniel Doriscar and quarterback Kaywon Hanna, who combined accounted for 35 touchdowns in 2016. As well as the team’s top two receivers from 2016.
The next blow was the departure of head coach Rocco Casullo. Casullo, who led the team for two seasons, accepted a job outside of coaching and took with him his years of football experience – which included a state championship while serving as head coach at national powerhouse Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas.
The third blow was another to the Lions’ roster. Four-star linebacker Mikel Jones decided to transfer to independent football superpower Bradenton IMG Academy – leaving a big void in Mater’s defense. Also leaving was offensive linemen Tyler Milord (6-foot-3, 285 pounds) and Frank Melgarejo (6-foot-2, 250 pounds).
So, you could call 2017 a rebuilding year of sorts for the Lions.
Stepping in to take over the coaching reins is Angel Estrada and Cordarion Clark. Estrada served in multiple roles within the Lions’ program while Clark spent the 2016 season as a part of Miami Carol City High’s coaching staff.
The school also recently announced that it had added former University of Miami offensive lineman Carlos Joseph to its coaching staff to serve as offensive line coach.
As far as the team’s roster goes, none of the Lions’ district opponents will be feeling sorry them – they still have a good amount of talent.
Mater Academy should be a run-heavy team in 2017 because the team has a pair of capable ball carriers.
Senior Lentivone Lesane is a three-star UCLA commit and he’ll be out to show the country what he can do now that he’ll be the No. 1 back in the Lions’ backfield.
Spelling Lesane will be sophomore speedster Takori Thurston. Thurston was tied with Lesane for second-most rushing touchdowns this past season and should serve as the team’s “home run” hitter with his speed around the outside.
The Lions do have question marks on defense.
The secondary has Rayne Tanega-Doster, but it’ll miss T.J. Williams, who transferred to Miami Booker T. Washington. The linebacker corps needs a new leader to emerge and the Lions will need 6-foot-5, 230-pound defensive end Patrick Chery to cash in on his physical tools and become a force on the defensive line.
Miami Springs Golden Hawks
2016 Record: 3-7
Coach: Darryel Bethune
2017 Outlook: Miami Springs is still trying to get back its better days.
The program that produced Indianapolis Colts receiver Eugene T.Y. Hilton and can claim former NFL running back Willis McGahee and Miami-Dade County passing leader Rakeem Cato – even though the latter both graduated from Miami Central High – has had it rough lately.
Since 2014’s 8-2 season, the Golden Hawks have seen their win total decrease in each of the past two years.
Still, head coach Darryel Bethune knows what kind of potential his alma mater has within it and continues to push his players to strive for it.
If Miami Springs sees better fortunes in 2017, it’ll be because of players like Jacoby Clark, Sincyre Gray, Walter Williams, and Philman Roundtree had productive campaigns.
Clark, a junior, was the Golden Hawks’ starting quarterback this past season. Miami Springs will be exponentially better if he’s able to prove that he’s taken the next step forward as a passer and cut down on his turnovers.
Gray is Bethune’s other option at quarterback. Gray had a productive offseason – performing well at 7-on-7 events – and the quarterbacks split time during the spring.
Roundtree could possibly by the anchor of Miami Springs’ defense. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior defensive end has shown the ability to “set the edge” against the run as well as be a solid pass rusher.
Miami Sunset Knights
2016 Record: 3-7
Coach: Mandrell Drake
2017 Outlook: 2016 was a rebuilding year for Sunset – which was to be expected after the team lost the coach and many of the players that were responsible for the great success it had in 2015.
But 2017 should be a better year for the Knights.
Head coach Mandrell Drake enters his second season and the team returns a nice core on offense.
Senior Jamahl Horne and Sunset’s 2016 leading receiver Kenyatis Lewis will both be in the lineup once again this year.
In Horne, the Knights have a special talent that deserves more attention than he’s already received. Horne lined as both a receiver and a quarterback for Sunset this past season. He can affect the game from both positions, though he probably projects as a pure receiver at the next level – either way, he deserves the attention of college.
Also returning for Sunset is junior athlete Sno White. Having, easily, one of the most unique names you’ll ever come across, White is a tough and versatile player that can serve as a shifty ball carrier or a speedy defensive back that’ll stick his nose in the mix despite his 5-foot-5 stature.
If the Knights are s to live up to Coach Drake’s preseason statement of “Sunset is back”, they’ll need players like senior defensive lineman Jonathan Esquivel, senior linebacker Demetrius Tillman and senior defensive end Greg Carbajal to step up 2017.
North Miami A&T Mourning Sharks
2016 Record: 3-7
Coach: Trevor Harris
2017 Outlook: It may not look like it on the surface, but Mourning showed multiple signs of improvement in 2016.
The Sharks had gone through back-to-back 1-9 seasons coming into 2016, so winning three games and being competitive in a couple others is something Mourning head coach Trevor Harris can build on.
Mourning’s offense will revolve around junior quarterback Darren Holt in 2017. Holt took some snaps under center for the Sharks this past season, but he should be the No. 1 signal caller this season.
Size, however, will be an issue for the Sharks on both sides of the ball.
The defense will look to senior defensive lineman Pascal Guerrier and junior linebacker Ruben Dorvil for leadership while the offense will lean on Jaden Gelin to help Holt produce yards each week.
Doral Ronald Reagan Bison
2016 Record: 7-3
Coach: John Lopez
2017 Outlook: Little do folks realize, Ronald Reagan is the perfect model for how a new football program can go from humble beginnings to consistently productive.
After winning just five games (5-35) total from 2007 to 2010, the Bison have averaged six victories per season over the past six years – including a 9-1 season in 2012 and last year’s 7-3 season.
The common denominator in both of those fruitful seasons – the Bison had a running back that finished among the leading rushers in Miami-Dade County. In 2012 it was Keenan Springer (1,500 yards & 24 touchdowns) and this past season it was Brandon Cohen, who finished with just under 1,300 yards and totaled 17 scores.
Head coach John Lopez has laid a foundation of playing a physical brand of football and doing everything possible to minimize his team’s faults while magnifying their strengths.
Unfortunately, Reagan won’t be welcoming back Cohen in 2017. After his big junior campaign with the Bison, Cohen elected to transfer to Plantation American Heritage – leaving a void Reagan’s backfield.
The guy that’ll be called upon to fill that void will be senior running back Gabriel Almeida. The 6-foot, 210-pound between-the-tackles runner split time with Cohen in 2016 and racked up nearly 600 rushing yards; so it’s plausible to think he’ll flourish as the No. 1 ball carrier.
Look for 6-foot-4, 280-pound junior offensive lineman Danny Prince to be one of the main hole-openers for Almeida this season.
The Bison defense will be led by senior linebacker Trevin Johnson. Johnson (6-foot-1, 230 pounds) is great as a run-stopper – able to clog running lanes and finish tackles with power that rocks ball carriers.
Reagan’s defense could go up another notch if 6-foot-2, 235-pound defensive end Dylan Perez-McCollum is able to use his hulking frame to produce tangible results.
A playoff berth isn’t out of the realm of possibility for Reagan, it will very likely come down to its September 2nd showdown with Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy.
South Miami Cobras
2016 Record: 2-8
Coach: Ricardo Munne
2017 Outlook: South Miami has to find a way to tap back into the vein of talent that regularly flows through the area in which the school sits.
Not since the 2011 season, when the Cobras went 9-4, has South Miami made the postseason and was a relevant part of the South Florida high school football conversation.
Second-year head coach Ricardo Munne, a South Miami alumni and longtime assistant coach at multiple programs around Miami-Dade County, hopes that the work that he’s put into rebranding the program coupled with the fact that he’s in year two of installing his own philosophies should yield positive results in 2017.
South Miami will be hoping that senior quarterback Antoine Wright Jr. is ready to fully take on the mantle of team leader and offensive playmaker in 2017. Standing 6-foot-4 and able to run in the 4.7 range, Wright has the tools to be an extremely dynamic dual-threat weapon for the Cobras.
A good season for Wright would also mean a good season for 6-foot-1 sophomore receiver Gerand Turner. Turner has turned some heads this offseason – earning his first offer from Florida Atlantic – and could carry that momentum into the season if he and Wright stay on the same page all year.
Just like Turner represents a bright future for the Cobras’ offense, 6-foot-3, 205-pound sophomore defensive end Khaya Wright is South Miami’s defensive building block.
Khaya Wright along with athlete Diori Barnard Jr. will spearhead a Cobras defense that shutout Homestead in the spring and should be an improved unit in 2017.
Westland Hialeah Wildcats
2016 Record: 0-10
Coach: Matthew Van Dusen (1st year)
2017 Outlook: Westland Hialeah moves down to Class 5A – from Class 7A – with the hopes of being more competitive on a weekly basis.
The program is still relatively new. The Wildcats played their first varsity football season in 2009 after the school itself opened in January of 2008.
Westland Hialeah will enter the 2017 season on a 34-game losing streak. The Wildcats have endured three straight winless seasons. Westland’s last victory came on October 5th, 2013 – a 35-9 win over North Miami Mourning High – conversely, the team has scored a total of 31 points in the past three years.
New head coach Matthew Van Dusen takes the reins of the program and will represent the third Wildcats head in as many years. It’ll be Van Dusen’s first go as a head coach after he spent four seasons as an assistant at Palm Beach Lakes High School.
Bald Prediction
Doral Academy is the clear-cut favorite to win this district. The Firebirds are the most talented team and they have a great coach staff.
No matter how you slice it, Mater will take a step back in 2016. Coach Clark is putting in the work, but the player losses will ultimately be too great for the Lions to re-create the success they had in 2016.
September 2nd’s matchup between Mater Academy and Reagan will go a very long way to determining who will be the No. 2 team in this district. I think the gap between the teams has shrunk and 2017’s matchup should be closer than last year’s 33-6 win for the Lions).
I’m not going to give away a free Bald Prediction game pick in the district preview, but I’ll say the team that wins that game will finish second in the district and have a good chance of making the playoffs.
After that, I see this district shaking out almost the same way it did in 2016.
Goleman should once again take the No. 4 spot followed by Miami Springs.
I think South Miami shows improvement in 2017 and jumps up to the No. 6 spot, ahead of Sunset. Mourning will finish eighth while Westland Hialeah goes through another season in the basement of this district.
Predicted Champion: Doral Academy
Predicted Playoff Team(s): Winner of Mater-Reagan matchup
Bold Prediction
With Brandon Cohen gone, look for Reagan’s Gabriel Almeida to put up a 1,000-yard season. Based on the fact that he rushed for nearly 600 yards in 2016 while splitting time, imagine what Almeida will be able to do as the No. 1 ball carrier.
District MVP
MVP honors have to go to the player who is arguably the best overall football in this district – Doral Academy’s Brieon Fuller.
Fuller is one of those special talents that can make plays that others simply cannot. It would be in the Firebirds’ best interest to get him the ball in as many ways as they can, as often as they can.
He can be Doral Academy’s ultimate trump card – especially during district games.
Top Players
Anthony Maldonado – Miami Springs
Antoine Wright Jr. – South Miami
Ariel Garcia – Doral Academy
Brandon Dominguez – Doral Academy
Brayan Vergara – Goleman
Brieon Fuller – Doral Academy
Bryan Reinstorm – Doral Academy
Carlos Coronado – South Miami
Carlos Jacoby – Doral Academy
Chris Pena – Reagan
Christopher Vidal – Goleman
Daniel Jaramillo – Reagan
Danny Prince – Reagan
Darren Holt – Mourning
Darren Sanchez – Mater Academy
David Ealey – Sunset
Demetrius Tillman – Sunset
Derrick Hall – Goleman
Diori Barnard Jr. – South Miami
Dylan Perez-McCollum – Reagan
Elijah Woodley – South Miami
Erik Vento – Doral Academy
Ernesto Gonzalez Jr. – Westland Hialeah
Gabriel Almeida – Reagan
Gerand Turner – South Miami
Gregorio Carbajal – Sunset
Harry Henderson – Doral Academy
Isaac Francois – Mourning
Jacoby Clark – Miami Springs
Jaden Gelin – Mourning
Jalen Harrell – Mater Academy
Jamahl Horne – Sunset
James Payoute – Mourning
John Correa – Goleman
Jonathan Colon – Reagan
Jonathan Esquivel – Sunset
Joseph Rodriguez – Reagan
Joshua Bacallao – Goleman
Joshua Bacallao – Goleman
Joshua Lopes – Doral Academy
Josue Castro – Westland Hialeah
Julio Iglesias – South Miami
Kahlil Brantley – Doral Academy
Kamal Barnes – Goleman
Kenneth Styles – Mater Academy
Kenyatis Lewis – Sunset
Khaya Wright – South Miami
Kyle Fernandez – South Miami
Lentivone Lesane – Mater Academy
Michael Tannehill – Goleman
Miles Hayes – Doral Academy
Montavious Brini – Mater Academy
Myles Smith – Doral Academy
Nasir Diaz – Westland Hialeah
Natavious Payne – Doral Academy
Nate Brinson – Goleman
Nathaniel Price – Miami Springs
Nelson Valiadares – Goleman
Oscar Garcia – Doral Academy
Pascal Guerrier – Mourning
Patrick Chery – Mater Academy
Philman Roundtree – Miami Springs
Rayne Tanega-Doster – Mater Academy
Richard Baxter – Sunset
Ruben Dorvil – Mourning
Samuel Otano – Westland Hialeah
Shawn Guerrier – Mourning
Shawn Hampton – Doral Academy
Shemar Paul – Doral Academy
Sincyre Gray – Miami Springs
Sno White – Sunset
Takori Thurston – Mater Academy
Tavares Bradley – Doral Academy
Trevin Johnson – Reagan
Walter Williams – Miami Springs
Wendol Philord – Doral Academy
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