Marcus Benjamin @_benjaminmoney
In the waning moments of the 3A state championship game in Orlando, quarterback Daelen Menard had some confident words for his teammates before their final drive.
“Act like this is the first drive of the game!” Menard said emphatically in the huddle. “We are going to score a touchdown or kick a field goal to win the game and celebrate after!”
Menard and the Lions drove down the field and set themselves up for the game winning score versus Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach) at Camping World Stadium. Just as he said, Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) would score, win and celebrate their first state championship since 2005. The program has three championships overall winning another in 2003.
“Seeing that kick go through the uprights took a big weight off of my shoulders. That game was an emotional rollercoaster. We were up big and they came back and tied it up. It was the greatest feeling ever.”
.@daelenmenard played with an injured throwing shoulder and lead his team to a 3A state championship @FootballHotbed https://t.co/URVbYYOYR9 pic.twitter.com/wlLI1AAd1a
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminMoney) December 9, 2017
Winning a state championship comes with great expectations the following year. Their greatest challenge of last year Oxbridge, is no longer a program in existence which seemingly paves the way for Chaminade to solidify its dominance in its class.
Head coach @Dameon8 says Chaminade is focused on one thing and that’s winning back to back 3A state championships. @FootballHotbed @Nadeboyz @CanesFootball @daelenmenard @getfreshcam @TecoryC_16 @IronMan794 pic.twitter.com/Dpoq7qf4bN
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminMoney) August 4, 2018
“You’ve have to live up to expectations and exceed expectations and I think we are going to do that,” said Menard. “We push ourselves every day in practice to make sure that we don’t fall short of anything that we want.”
Head Coach Dameon Jones has done an exceptional job with this program exceeding expectations. Before taking the job with Chaminade in 2016, he lead Hallandale to five playoff appearances in seven years, the most in his alma mater’s history. In his first year as the coach for the Lions, he made it to the state championship game against powerhouse Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), but was defeated 24-13. Chaminade would return to Orlando in 2017 and take home the title and now expectations for the program are higher than ever as they are looking to reach the title game for the third time in as many years.
“I’m just thankful for Chaminade-Madonna, my coaches and my kids,” said Coach Jones. “Kids in South Florida want to look good, want to play good and want coaches that care about them. Once you do that and do it the right way, your program will take off. I did it at Hallandale and I’m doing it now.”
A returning coach and quarterback from a championship team is rare in the high school world nowadays. Menard is the only returning quarterback from a South Florida state championship team from 2017.
“Menard coming back takes a lot of weight off my shoulders,” said Coach Jones. “He’s another coach out on the field. Having Daelen is truly a load off.”
Chaminade has one of the toughest schedules in the country so going for back to back state championships will not be easy. However, if they can dominate every opponent, the Lions will be in strong contention for the national championship. The schedule includes games against 8A state title contender Deerfield Beach in the opener, playoff team Muscle Shoals in Alabama, defending 5A champion American Heritage (Plantation) and 4A state title contenders in Miami Booker T. Washington and University School (Davie).
“I could definitely see us dominating,” said Menard. “Being in the offense for two years in a row makes it a lot easier. We have to stay focused and not let ourselves get too high or too low and look forward to the next game no matter who we’re playing. We are going to play like we are going to play in the state championship or national championship for every game.”
This team is absolutely loaded with playmakers. The roster includes Miami Hurricanes commits: Three star defensive end Cameron Williams, four star cornerback Te’Cory Couch and four star safety Keontra Smith.
Penn State commit wide receiver John Dunmore has been making a big impact in fall practice along with 2020 wide receiver Jordan Cash and 2019 running back Willie Davis. Menard says he has the best chemistry with 2020 wide receiver Elijah Canion, who has been with the program since his freshman year.
“They are all settling in really well and all will have a big impact on our team.”
Daelen credits Coach Jones with much of his development as a quarterback and truly feels his leadership stems from the leadership of his head coach.
“He came in a tough time when our coach was leaving,” said Menard. “He brought us together and lead us to a state championship. He’s done everything he said he was going to do. He’s kept us focused and gets us better every day.”
Menard began to shine early in his quarterback career as he was a finalist for The Football Hotbed Middle School Invitational Future 4 Competition. He started at Monsignor Pace High School in Miami and was convinced by previous Head Coach Jason Milgrom to come to Chaminade. By way of Massachusettes, Menard has been living in South Florida since his was six years old and his father David played professional football for the Cleveland Browns and the Atlanta Falcons. Menard has an extremely high IQ as he has a 3.8 GPA and scored a 1320 on the SAT. He currently holds offers from Temple, Southern Miss, Valaparaiso, Columbia and Dartmouth.
“I’m going to bring intensity and leadership to any program on the next level. I’ll give a hundred percent every snap and do whatever I need to do to get a victory.”
Chaminade has a chance to make the title game for the third straight year for the first time since 2004.
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