Poll: Which South Florida football power has best chance of repeating as state champ?
A new high school football season is almost upon us.
Starting next week, South Florida’s best teams will begin their quests to reach the state finals, which will once again be held in December at DRV Pink Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
Four of those squads - Miami Central, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons and Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna - are national powerhouses and enter the 2022 season hoping to repeat as state champions.
But we ask you the reader, who do you believe has the best chance of continuing their championship run this season in light of the Florida High School Athletic Association’s realignment this coming season?
Below is a look at the four teams. Take our poll below to cast your vote. The poll will be open until Wednesday, Aug. 24, around 10 p.m. You may vote as often as you like until then.
Miami Central: The Rockets return a loaded squad led by four-star prospect Rueben Bain and are seeking to win four consecutive state titles for the second time in school history. Central moves into a loaded Class 2M which includes Miami Northwestern, Cardinal Gibbons, American Heritage and several other former state champions.
St. Thomas Aquinas: The Raiders lead the state with 13 state championships all-time. But there is still something they have never done - win four consecutive state titles. That could change this season as Aquinas looks to conquer Class 3M, starting with a district that includes neighborhood rival Dillard.
Cardinal Gibbons: The Chiefs have joined the state’s elite in recent years and have won back-to-back state crowns. Led by UCF-committed quarterback Dylan Rizk, Gibbons faces a tough road back to state in Class 2M with longtime rival Plantation American Heritage once again in its district.
Chaminade-Madonna: The Lions have become a prime example of consistency as they look to become the first team in state history to advance to seven consecutive state finals and secure their seventh state title overall. Chaminade will play in Class 1M where it could collide once again with state power Jacksonville Trinity Christian.
This story was originally published August 17, 2022 at 9:31 AM.