After both teams had the week off, Cardinal Gibbons will travel to American Heritage for a key District 12-2M matchup on Friday at 7:30 p.m. It is the featured game in this week’s action.
Other top games on the slate include Chaminade-Madonna at Coconut Creek, Miramar at St. Thomas Aquinas, and in Palm Beach, Miami Northwestern takes on Cardinal Newman.
I missed two games last week, the Miramar-Dillard game and the Coconut Creek-Blanche Ely contest, to finish 8-2 and run my record to 41-9 for the season.
Cardinal Gibbons (3-1) at American Heritage (2-1) (Friday 7:30 p.m.): The host Patriots (2-1), ranked No. 22 in the country by MaxPreps, have won five consecutive games between the two teams since Cardinal Gibbons won 35-7 on Nov. 23, 2018. Patriots’ junior running backs Byron Louis (284 yards rushing, 3 TDs) and DeAndre Desinor (103 yards, 2 TDs) form a potent backfield. The Chiefs, the No. 69 team in the country, is led by senior quarterback Michael Merdinger, who has spread the ball around with five receivers each totaling 100 yards. American Heritage 24, Cardinal Gibbons 20.
Miramar (2-2) at St. Thomas Aquinas (4-1) (Friday 7 p.m.): The host Raiders are starting to fire on all cylinders, winning four straight games to earn a No. 12 ranking in the country and No. 1 ranking in Florida in Class 3M. They have scored 176 points during that span while allowing 64. Miramar self-destructed in its game against Dillard last week with four costly turnovers in a 14-7 loss. St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Miramar 20.
Miami Northwestern (1-4) at Cardinal Newman (4-0) (Friday 7 p.m.): Miami Northwestern has dropped three straight games after a 63-0 shellacking of Miami Jackson. Cardinal Newman held on to defeat previously undefeated Atlantic last week. Cardinal Newman 24, Miami Northwestern 12.
Deerfield Beach (2-3) at West Boca Raton (4-1) (Friday 6:30 p.m.): The up-and-down Bucks open their District 10-3M on the road against West Boca. They are coming off a 22-0 victory over Boyd Anderson. The host Bulls have allowed just 20 points all season, with half coming in a 10-7 OT loss to St. Andrew’s. Bulls sophomore running back Javion Mallory has rushed for 642 yards and 10 scores and added 122 yards receiving and two TDs. West Boca Raton 33, Deerfield Beach 17.
Benjamin (4-0) at Glades Central (0-4) (Thursday 6:30 p.m.): Senior Buccaneers running back Chauncey Bowens has shown why he is one of the top recruits for the University of Georgia, as he has averaged 142 all-purpose yards and five TDs during the Bucs’ undefeated start. Glades Central is on a six-game skid dating back to last year. Benjamin 42, Glades Central 13.
Chaminade-Madonna (5-0) at Coconut Creek (4-1) (Friday 7 p.m.): The visiting Lions, ranked No. 3 in the country, present the toughest challenge for Coconut Creek this season. Chaminade-Madonna has rolled through five nationally ranked opponents and possesses a ton of offensive weapons. On a modest three-game winning streak, Coconut Creek has been impressive defensively in recent wins over Plantation and Blanche Ely. Chaminade-Madonna 30, Coconut Creek 12.
Boca Raton (2-2) at Park Vista (1-3) (Thursday 6:30 p.m.): After opening the year with a 12-7 win over Wellington, Park Vista has dropped three straight. Boca Raton has won two of its past three and is coming off a 49-14 victory over Olympic Heights. Boca Raton 20, Park Vista 17.
Palm Beach Central (4-0) at John I. Leonard (0-5) (Friday 6:30 p.m.): The winless Lancers have allowed an average of 40 points per game, however, they showed some life in their last game, falling 16-12 to Suncoast. Palm Beach Central’s closest game was a 33-30 OT win over Pahokee two weeks ago. The Broncos are also averaging 40 points per game on offense. Palm Beach Central 45, John I. Leonard 7.
Pahokee (3-2) at Dwyer (1-4) (Friday 6:30 p.m.): The Blue Devils topped Palm Beach Gardens 34-18 last week. Senior running back Jennoris Wilcher Jr. leads Pahokee with 403 yards rushing and four TDs. Dwyer is coming off its first win if the year, a 24-21 win over Glades Central. The Panthers have been outscored this season 106-49. Pahokee 28, Dwyer 17.
Plantation (3-1) at South Plantation (3-1) (Friday 7 p.m.) Plantation had a week off following its stunning 36-6 loss to Coconut Creek. Until that game, the Colonels had outscored their previous three opponents 156-31. This week, Plantation takes on South Plantation in a District 12-3M contest. The host Paladins also opened the season 3-0 before falling 16-13 to Cooper City last week. Plantation is 15-3, including nine straight victories, in its last 18 meetings in the annual Mayor’s Cup game between the two schools dating back to 2004. Plantation 41, South Plantation 12.
