‘It pushes me’: Sophomore receiver ready to lead American Heritage on road to redemption
It took Malachi Toney a long time to even start to feel better.
And the pain still hasn’t totally gone away.
Toney, then a freshman wide receiver at Plantation American Heritage, found himself in a spot most players his age don’t in the decisive moments of last year’s Class 2M state championship game.
And he learned how cruel sports can sometimes be.
As the Patriots were moving for a potential game-winning score, Toney hauled in a pass that would have kept the drive going.
But out of nowhere Miami Central linebacker EJ Marcelin’s big hand swiped enough of Toney’s arm to dislodge the ball and allow then teammate Rueben Bain to recover the fumble, tearing away the Patriots’ state title hopes in an instant.
“I couldn’t move on from it for like two or three weeks,” said Toney, who was inconsolable on the field after the game was over.
But Toney, like most of his Heritage teammates returning this season, has since learned to turn that pain into motivation.
And so the upcoming 2023 season will be all about redemption for the talented sophomore prospect and the Patriots.
“(That play last year) pushes me. Every time I might feel sluggish on the football field, it pushes me. I don’t want to feel that way ever again,” Toney said. “I’m ready to show all the doubters that I can do it.”
The road will not be easy though as Heritage, a program with five state championships which enters the season ranked No. 21 nationally by MaxPreps, finds itself in unfamiliar territory after losing 27 seniors.
Toney, who played more of a complementary role last season while learning behind stars like receiver Brandon Inniss (Ohio State) and running back Mark Fletcher (University of Miami), is one of several underclassmen expected to step into leadership roles this season.
Toney finished with the second-highest receiving numbers on the team last season behind Inniss with 35 catches for 621 yards and eight touchdowns.
He’ll be catching passes from another sophomore - new quarterback Dia Bell, who backed up Blake Murphy (Louisiana-Monroe) last season but only threw 21 passes in a reserve role.
“I’m really excited about Dia. He came in since sixth grade to the school,” Smith said. “Always a hard worker. It was just a question of how fast would he mature (physically)? A lot of people have taken notice of him this offseason, but now he has to go see live (action).”
Junior Byron Louis, who ran for 455 yards and 11 touchdowns last season backing up Fletcher, returns and will share the backfield with North Broward Prep transfer Deandre Desinor, a four-star junior who ran for 1,248 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2022. Louisville commit Jimmy Williams, a senior, will anchor the offensive line.
“I’m excited about the team, but it’s a very young group and there are a lot of questions that need to be answered on the field,” Heritage coach Mike Smith said. “When you bring in new kids they have to buy into our standard and what we expect of them at American Heritage. We can’t just start back up in the state game. We have to go through the gauntlet again. The ‘get back’ is one game at a time. And it’s a process so that’s what we’ve been focusing on.”
On defense, senior edge rusher Leviev Kinlock returns after missing his junior season with an Achilles injury. Defensive tackle Timothy Burroughs-Love and linebacker Omar Thornton, a transfer from Western, add experience. Senior safety Xavier Lucas, a Wisconsin commit and transfer from Dillard, and cornerback Zae Thomas, a 3-star 2025 prospect, lead the secondary.
THIS AND THAT
▪ West Broward won only its second district championship in school history last season.
It’s no surprise they are the favorites to repeat in District 14-4M this season when you look at the Bobcats’ roster, highlighted by talented players such as junior receiver Joshua Moore, a three-star 2025 recruit with offers from multiple Power 5 schools like Florida State, Miami, West Virginia and Pitt.
Moore, who ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash this offseason, caught 50 passes for 1,034 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 20.7 yards per catch and 94 yards per game last season.
“I improved on my route running and mobility and body strength, trying to do anything to become a better player and perfect my craft,” Moore said.
Moore will be catching passes again from senior quarterback Jonathan Morillo and joined by senior Jonathan Lawson on the boundaries. Seniors Nicholas Vazquez and Carlos Morales will lead West Broward on defense.
“We’re gonna make a big statement and try to make it to state,” Moore said. “This offense has a lot of weapons so if you think you can double me, you can’t…someone else is gonna be open and make a play.”
▪ Flanagan coach Benjamin Rolle, who was the junior-varsity coach for the Falcons when they won the state championship in 2015 under then-coach Devin Bush, was promoted in late July to be the team’s head coach. He will try to lead Flanagan to the postseason for the first time since 2016.
▪ Veteran coach Rocco Casullo, who won two state titles at St. Thomas Aquinas, is the new head coach at Coral Glades. Casullo hopes to lead the Jaguars back to the playoffs as they are coming off a 6-3 season.
▪ Another veteran coach, Art Taylor, is back as head coach at Cooper City. Taylor led the Cowboys to their only two district titles in school history in 2010 and 2011, which included a victory over Aquinas in 2011. He also coached at Deerfield Beach leading them to the state semifinals in 2007.
PRESEASON SCHEDULE
Wednesday
DADE VS. BROWARD
Miramar vs. Edison (Traz), 7
DADE
Southwest at Florida Christian, 7
BROWARD
Western at Stoneman Douglas, 6
Thursday
DADE VS. BROWARD
Chaminade vs. Northwestern (Traz), 7
Killian at Cypress Bay, 7
North Miami Beach at Piper, 7
Pine Crest at St. Brendan, 7
Everglades at Belen Jesuit, 7
DADE
Palmetto at Doral, 7
Ferguson vs. Miami High (Curtis), 7
Homestead vs. Clearwater Academy International (Harris), 7
Kings Academy at Mater Academy, 7
Palmer Trinity at Boca St. Andrews, 7
John I. Leonard at Palm Glades Prep, 3:30
BROWARD
Plantation at Cardinal Gibbons, 6
Deerfield Beach at Dillard, 7
Coral Springs at Pembroke Pines Charter, 6
McArthur at Nova, 7
West Broward vs. South Plantation (Everglades), 7
Taravella at Cooper City, 6
Delray American Heritage at Coral Springs Charter (Coral Glades), 7
Boca Raton Christian at Pompano Beach, 7
Friday
DADE VS. BROWARD
American Heritage vs. Booker T. (Traz), 7:30
Norland at Blanche Ely, 7:30
Krop at Flanagan, 7
Stranahan at Monsignor Pace, 7:30
Miami Springs at South Broward, 6
Braddock at Hollywood Hills, 4
Northeast at Hialeah Gardens, 4
DADE
Central at Ocala Vanguard, 7
Carol City at Southridge, 7:30
Goleman vs. Hialeah-Miami Lakes (Milander), 7:30
South Dade at Somerset Academy South Homestead (Harris), 7
Archbishop Carroll at Gulliver, 3:30
South Miami vs. True North (Tropical), 7
Sunset at La Salle, 3:30
North Miami at Immokalee, 7
Mourning at Miami Beach, 3:30
Marathon at Varela, 3:30
Somerset Silver Palms at Coral Shores, 7
BROWARD
Monarch at Coconut Creek, 7
North Broward Prep at Westminster Academy, 7
Calvary Christian at Palm Beach Gardens, 6:30
University School at Archbishop McCarthy, 7
Pompano Beach at Boca Raton Christian, 4
Boyd Anderson at Coral Glades, 7
This story was originally published August 16, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
