Booker T. remains threat to Central no matter who starts at QB, plus more Round 2 picks | Opinion
The first week of the high school football playoffs already featured a couple of upsets in South Florida.
Miami Belen Jesuit dusted off the Wing-T offense and implemented it brilliantly in a win over Hollywood South Broward.
And in Palm Beach, West Boca Raton beat Delray Atlantic on a miracle Hail Mary pass as time expired. While that game didn’t involve a Miami-Dade or Broward County team, it removed a major obstacle in Region 3-3M from the path of Coconut Creek, which now will host its second-round game against West Boca as a result.
And so we turn the page to this week’s regional semifinals.
At the top of the list is a rematch as Miami Central takes on Miami Booker T. Washington for the second time this season at Traz Powell Stadium.
Let’s dive into the slate for round 2 on the road to Tallahassee.
THIS WEEK’S TOP GAMES
NOTE: All regional semifinals scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m. unless noted.
Region 4-2M — 10. Miami Booker T. Washington (9-2) vs. 5. Miami Central (7-3), Traz.
It’s the first of two games to decide the three-horse race in Region 4-2M, which might also ultimately decide who wins the Class 2M state championship.
The Rockets have held the upper hand in this longtime rivalry in recent years, winning the past eight meetings between the two powerhouses.
Booker T. has proven it can contend with the state’s best throughout a grueling season. But the Tornadoes are still hoping previous starting quarterback Claudell Sherman can return from a collarbone injury which has sidelined him since Oct. 5.
Sophomore Anthony McQueen has been progressing since taking over the starting job. But he will need help from his running game and the Tornadoes defense to secure this kind of victory if Sherman remains out.
Quarterback situation aside, that Booker T. defense remains one of the best in the state at creating turnovers and changing a game.
Central has been a fast-starting team throughout the season, but has had trouble hanging on to leads in the second half despite a punishing defense and prolific running game.
The Rockets jumped out to a 21-0 lead the last time these two played and then held off a near comeback for a 38-28 win. Central jumped out to a 20-0 lead against Miami Norland and eventually lost in overtime. Even last week, the Rockets led Miami Edison 21-0 before the Red Raiders made it close in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to 21-13.
With Booker T.’s offense still not clicking on all cylinders, it’s imperative it does not fall into such a hole this week. Even if the Tornadoes are without Sherman, expect them to push this to the limit. Dre’s pick: Central 20, Booker T. 16.
Region 4-4M — 9. Miami Palmetto (9-1) vs. 13. Davie Western (8-3), Tropical.
Last season in this round, Western lost its starting quarterback Collin Hurst. The Wildcats couldn’t overcome the setback and were eliminated by Doral Academy. Western has been reliant on offense this season on Virginia Tech commit Davi Belfort, who has had a tremendous year both passing and rushing. The Wildcats’ offense seems to be flourishing at the right time and ready to carry Western further. Palmetto survived a close call against Doral last week before winning 21-7, which raises some questions about whether the Panthers can make their own run in the postseason. Still, Palmetto has one of the better defenses in South Florida when things are working. Dre’s pick: Palmetto 10, Western 9.
Region 4-4M — 18. Homestead South Dade (8-3) at 8. Miami Columbus (9-2), 6, Friday.
Getting quarterback Alberto Mendoza back from injury appears to have cured all of Columbus’ offensive woes. That’s not good news for South Dade despite all its improvement this season.
It’s been a comeback season for the Bucs, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and won their first playoff game since 2018 last week after beating West Broward. South Dade’s defense would need to keep it in this game by creating some early turnovers and running the football well as it has several times this season.
But Columbus is a different level of opponent and with Mendoza back at the helm and two weeks to shake off the rust, the Explorers appear to be back on track toward a possible repeat in Class 4M.
Dre’s pick: Columbus 34, South Dade 13.
Region 4-3M — Miami Belen Jesuit (5-6) at 16. Miramar (7-4).
Credit to Belen’s coaches and players for switching things up gradually on offense to go heavy on Wing-T over the past few weeks and executing that change in a playoff game.
The cat is out of the bag now, though. And Miramar’s “Dark Side” defense, as usual, is one of the best around. If the Wolverines are to pull off a second surprise in a row, they will need their defense to pull it off against what’s been an inconsistent Miramar offense. If they do, they keep the game close. Keep an eye on Belen’s Khamani Alexander (more than 200 yards rushing last week). How he plays against Miramar’s defense will also be a factor. Dre’s pick: Miramar 14, Belen 10.
GMAC independent championship: Miami Braddock (9-1) vs. Miami Ferguson (9-1), 2:30, Tropical, Thursday.
Identical records. Similar offenses. And a longtime rivalry that goes back nearly 30 years. That formula was enough early in the season to pack Tropical Park with more than 4,000 fans to watch the teams duel to a 29-26 Braddock victory, which ended up being Ferguson’s only loss. Expect another huge crowd.
The Bulldogs’ lone defeat was a three-point loss to Coral Gables, which nearly made the FHSAA state playoffs. Braddock quarterback Justynn Fundora (3 TD passes when the teams first played) and Ferguson running back Manuel Rodriguez (more than 200 yards rushing in first meeting) are two playmakers to watch. Dre’s pick: Braddock 28, Ferguson 27.
OTHER GAMES
Region 4-1M — Hollywood Avant Garde (5-5) at 1. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (10-0), 7, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Chaminade 50, Avant Garde 2. Chaminade was off last week. But it’s felt like the Lions have been off for more than a month since they haven’t played anyone on their level over that span.
Region 4-2M — Miami Monsignor Pace (7-4) vs. 2. Miami Norland (11-0), 7, Thursday, Traz.
Dre’s pick: Norland 48, Pace 12. Pace picked up its first playoff win since 2017 by beating Gulliver last week. But the Spartans run into the team poised to become the new kings of Class 2M this week and it won’t be pretty.
Region 3-3M — 14. Pompano Beach Blanche Ely (9-2) at 3. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (10-1).
Dre’s pick: St. Thomas Aquinas 38, Blanche Ely 14. Aquinas has been steamrolling opponents for two months and despite the Tigers’ strong season, this won’t be much different.
Region 3-2M - West Palm Beach Kings Academy (9-2) at 4. Plantation American Heritage (8-1).
Dre’s pick: American Heritage 37, Kings Academy 14. This is a solid Kings Academy team that will be made to look inferior by the Patriots’ uber-talented roster.
Region 4-3M — Miami Southridge (7-4) vs. 6. Homestead (9-1), Harris.
Dre’s pick: Homestead 36, Southridge 12. Although this is one of the better rivalries in Dade, Homestead has shown it is on a higher level than anyone in this region.
Region 3-3M — West Boca Raton (9-2) at 7. Coconut Creek (9-2), 7, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Coconut Creek 33, West Boca Raton 13. No miracles in this one. Just Creek punching its ticket to the big show vs. Aquinas next week.
Region 3-2M — Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian (8-3) at 11. Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (8-3), 7, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Cardinal Gibbons 38, Calvary Christian 10. The Chiefs don’t struggle against an opponent like this. That’s next week unless they change the narrative against Heritage.
Region 3-4M — Lantana Santaluces (8-3) vs. 12. Coconut Creek Monarch (9-2), 7, Friday, Deerfield Beach.
Dre’s pick: Monarch 42, Santaluces 21. The Knights are rolling and shouldn’t slow down against Santaluces, which is led by former Champagnat Catholic coach Hector Clavijo.
Region 4-1M — Miami Westminster Christian (5-5) at 17. True North (8-2), 7, Thursday, Tropical.
Dre’s pick: True North 42, Westminster Christian 6. The Titans continue to improve and should cruise as they hope for another deep playoff push in Class 1M.
Region 4-1M — Miami Palmer Trinity (6-3) at Miami Archbishop Carroll (9-1), 3, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Carroll 28, Palmer Trinity 17. It’s hard to face a team three times in a season. This will be the second year in a row that happens with these two teams. But this year, Carroll is a year older and wiser and won’t let Palmer sneak up on it.
Dre’s record — Last week (Top 20): 15-1; Overall: 17-3. Season (Top 20): 155-22 (.876); Overall: 457-85 (.843).
This story was originally published November 14, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
