High school football is back! 10 teams to watch, from reigning champs to rising contenders
The most wanted man in South Florida high school football stood at the edge of the field at Monsignor Pace High School, decked out from head to toe in Texas A&M Aggies gear as he got ready for his first practice of the season Monday. College Station, Texas, was the latest stop for Shemar Stewart in his whirlwind recruiting summer and he was finally ready to get back to some real-life football after months of hearing pitches and hypotheticals from college coaches across the country.
He has enjoyed his summer — which also included visits with the Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes — but he was most eager to get back on the field for his senior year, especially after how last season went: 1-4 with a first-round exit from the Florida High School Athletic Association postseason, while he barely got to be on the field because of persistent injuries.
There is undeniable optimism around the Spartans now, though, and their five-star defensive lineman is only part of why. They have a sophomore quarterback named Adrian Posse who has spent his summer piling up offers from teams like Miami and Ohio State. He has two freshman wide receivers named Jeremiah Smith and Joshisa Trader, and they both have scholarship offers pouring in, too. Monsignor Pace, just one year removed from a one-win season, sees a potential multiyear window of contention opening in Miami Gardens.
It makes the Spartans one of the most interesting teams in South Florida for the new high school football season. The region has five defending state champions and a host of rising contenders eager to challenge the region’s recent mainstays. With nearly a month until the season begins, consider this a too-early guide to who’s who in high school football for 2021.
Plantation American Heritage
Last year: 11-2, Class 5A champion
Plantation American Heritage won with defense last year and it will probably be mostly the same this year, but American Heritage should also come with an improved offense in 2021. Junior quarterback Blake Murphy is back for another year as the starter, junior running back Mark Fletcher has a case as the best in South Florida and junior wide receiver Brandon Inniss, a five-star recruit in the 247Sports.com composite rankings, joins the Patriots as a transfer. The defense, however, is still the foundation for American Heritage, with senior defensive linemen Marvin Jones Jr. and Richard Thomas both coming off first-team all-Broward County seasons, according to the Miami Herald, and senior cornerbacks Earl Little Jr. and Jacolby Spells both poised for potential all-county seasons this year.
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Cardinal Gibbons
Last year: 8-1, Class 4A champion
After its second state championship in three years, Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons will have to replace two-time state title-winning quarterback Brody Palhegyi. Junior quarterback Dylan Rizk will be the successor after transferring earlier this year. While Rizk won’t have quite the same cache of weapons Palhegyi had last year, the Chiefs’ defense should once again be excellent, led by senior defensive lineman R Mason Thomas and senior linebacker Tray Brown, who were both first-team all-county selections last year.
Chaminade-Madonna
Last year: 8-2, lost to Jacksonville Trinity Christian Academy in Class 3A championship
Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna narrowly missed out on winning a fourth straight state title last year, falling to Jacksonville Trinity Christian Academy in the Class 3A championship, but the Lions should be right back in the title mix in 2021. Davion Gause, who emerged as one of the best running backs in the county as a freshman last year while Thad Franklin was injured, will take over as Chaminade-Madonna’s workhorse and let the Lions use the same ball-control formula they have used for years. The defense should be as good as ever, too, with defensive ends Kenyatta Jackson and Jamaal Johnson anchoring the line, and cornerbacks Brian Dilworth and Ryan Turner, who’s orally committed to the Ohio State Buckeys, locking down the back end.
Champagnat Catholic
Last year: 11-2, Class 2A champion
Hialeah Champagnat Catholic enters 2021 looking for a three-peat and a fourth state title in five years. While Champagnat loses its first-team all-county quarterback and a pair of first-team all-county wide receivers, the Lions expect senior Benson Prosper to emerge as a true No. 1 wide receiver after he caught eight passes for 100 yards in the Class 2A championship last year and have high hopes for new quarterback Ennio Yapoor. The freshman already has a scholarship offer from the FAU Owls.
Miami Central
Last year: 8-1, Class 6A champion
Miami Central enters 2021 as a contender to win a fourth straight state championship, even as it drops from Class 6A to Class 5A. Junior quarterback Keyone Jenkins is back after earning first-team all-county honors last year and Central has reloaded all around him. Zaylan Reese, a second-team all-county selection last year, is poised for a bigger role this season and senior tackle Daughtry Richardson, who moved to Miami from Tallahassee earlier this year, will slot in nicely as a replacement for Laurence Seymore at left tackle. On defense, the Rockets have four four-star recruits and at least three more players who will probably wind up playing in a Power 5 Conference.
Columbus
Last year: 9-0, tri-county champion for Class 8A
Miami mColumbus didn’t get a chance to defend its first-ever state championship last year when it decided to opt out of the state series and play in the tri-county playoffs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the Explorers enter the 2021 season on a 15-game winning streak and are a threat to win a second state title. Senior quarterback Fernando Mendoza was a revelation in his first season as a starter last year, and Columbus still has Division I talent in the secondary with senior cornerback Ken Moore Jr. and senior safety Cornelius Wright coming off first-team all-county seasons.
Edison
Last year: 4-2, lost to Chaminade-Madonna in Region 4-3A semifinals
Miami Edison made to to a region final for only the third time this century last season and brings back a huge chunk of its top players. Junior Nathaniel Joseph might be the best wide receiver in Miami-Dade County. Senior defensive lineman Francois Nolton is committed to the Florida Gators, and senior interior lineman Jeffrey Bonica is committed to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Senior linebacker Leon Hart and senior cornerback Elijah Mc-Cantos are among the best defenders in the county. The Red Raiders are as talented as virtually any public school in South Florida.
Gulliver Prep
Last year: 5-1, lost to Cardinal Gibbons in Region 4-4A semifinals
Miami Gulliver Prep has been building toward state-title contention for the last few years and is entering a serious window of opportunity as the stars in its highly touted Class of 2023 are now juniors. Five-star wide receiver Jalen Green and four-star running back Sedrick Irvin Jr. help give Gulliver one of the best group of skill players in Florida, and senior quarterback Carson Haggard, who has committed to the Tulane Green Wave, can make the most of them.
Northwestern
Last year: 3-2, lost to Plantation American Heritage in Region 4-5A quarterfinals
Miami Northwestern’s quest for a third straight state title fell short when it ran into American Heritage in the playoffs last year and it gets a little easier for the Bulls this year as they move up to Class 6A and away from the Patriots. Coach Max Edwards and Northwestern always get the benefit of the doubt, too, especially with junior quarterback Taron Dickens already have championship experience, and senior Daverrick Jenkins and junior Andy Jean giving him a good 1-2 punch at wide receiver.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Last year: 8-1, Class 7A champion
Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas almost always wins with this defense. Could this be the year for the offense, though? Quarterback Zion Turner and running back Anthony Hankerson, who have formed the spine of St. Thomas Aquinas’ state championship-winning offense the last two years, are both seniors and trying to cap their careers with a third straight state title. They have plenty of help on offense, too: Tackle Julian Armella is a five-star recruit in Rivals.com’s rankings, tight end Mason Taylor is committed to the LSU Tigers and wide receiver Camden Brown is committed to the Pittsburgh Panthers.
This story was originally published August 2, 2021 at 5:46 PM.
