Is Piper for real? The Bengals will show what they’re made of against Monarch | Opinion
Throughout what has been a wild 2024 football season, one South Florida team has managed to navigate its path with an unblemished record.
The Piper Bengals from Sunrise.
Led by a stingy and opportunistic defense, the Bengals have opened eyes throughout a process of improvement that began before this season under coach Quentin Short.
Piper has built upon last year’s 6-5 campaign, which featured its first playoff appearance in five years.
However, the Bengals remain kind of like the Group of 5 college football program trying to prove it can contend with the elite come playoff time.
This week, they will get that chance against Coconut Creek Monarch with the District 13-6A championship at stake.
This matchup highlights the Week 10 slate in South Florida. Let’s take a look at the new South Florida Top 20 and other big games to watch.
THE TOP 20
1. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (7-2); 2. Miami Central (7-1); 3. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (7-2); 4. Miami Norland (6-2); 5. Miami Northwestern (5-3); 6. Plantation American Heritage (4-4); 7. Miami Columbus (5-3); 8. Miami Booker T. Washington (4-3); 9. Miami Southridge (7-2); 10. Miami Palmetto (5-2); 11. Sunrise Piper (7-0); 12. Pompano Beach Ely (6-2); 13. Coconut Creek Monarch (4-3); 14. Davie Western (4-4); 15. Plantation (5-3); 16. Pembroke Pines West Broward (6-2); 17. Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (5-2); 18. Miami Monsignor Pace (5-2); 19. Miami Carol City (5-3); 20. Homestead South Dade (4-4); Dropped out: 13. Homestead (3-4), 17. Fort Lauderdale Dillard (4-2); On the cusp: Miami Edison (4-4), Miami La Salle (6-1), Hialeah (7-2).
GAMES OF THE WEEK
11. Piper (7-0) vs. 13. Monarch (4-3), 7, Thursday, Coconut Creek.
The Bengals have cleared every hurdle so far, but Monarch fits the description of their “biggest challenge yet.”
Piper has wins against Ely — albeit without starting quarterback Omari McNeil — and Plantation last week, 14-7, in a defensive battle. That’s the MO for the Bengals, who have allowed only 39 points this season.
Monarch’s offense can be explosive with two high-end FBS recruit receivers in Samari Reed and Jabari Brady. But the Knights’ offense has been stifled in back-to-back blowout losses to Chaminade and Aquinas.
For Monarch, it honestly comes down to quarterback play and whether who is behind center can be accurate and handle the Bengals, which include junior defensive backs Alex Gammage and Jahmani Chin-suer. Dre’s pick: Piper 14, Monarch 12.
6. American Heritage (4-4) at 3. St. Thomas Aquinas (7-2), 7, Friday.
St. Thomas Aquinas crushed the aforementioned Monarch last week 44-6 as it rebounded from a tough loss the week before to Chaminade. Andrew Indorf looked sharp in the victory and looks to build on that performance against a Heritage defense that continues to yield plenty of points this season.
Aquinas is facing another challenge from a Broward County brand-name team as the Raiders wrap up one of their tougher schedules in recent memory.
Heritage is battle-tested and is finishing the toughest schedule in the state. The Patriots will only have a chance if they can do what Chaminade did to STA and run the ball effectively behind Byron Louis. But they can’t afford to get into another shootout. Dre’s pick: St. Thomas 35, American Heritage 21.
17. Cardinal Gibbons (5-2) at 1. Chaminade (7-2), 7, Friday.
Chaminade routed Gibbons in this game last year, 41-4, when after two special teams miscues resulted in safeties, the Lions completely dominated.
Chaminade is rolling now as well with seven consecutive victories. Gibbons has been able to put up points all season, led by quarterback Jayden Torres. The Chiefs also seem to be hitting stride in recent weeks — a credit to their coaching staff.
But Chaminade, led by former Gibbons running back Derrek Cooper, looks like it’s regained its form and is on another level right now. Dre’s pick: Chaminade 35, Gibbons 7.
THE REST OF THE TOP 20
2. Central (7-1) at Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy (4-3), 7, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Central 48, Somerset 2. Busy week for the Rockets, but more chances for younger players to get reps.
15. Plantation (5-3) vs. 4. Norland (6-2), 7:30, Thursday, Traz.
Dre’s pick: Norland 34, Plantation 8. The Vikings formally lock up the district and bounce back from Central loss.
Miami St. Brendan (3-5) vs. 5. Northwestern (5-3), 7:30, Friday, Traz.
Dre’s pick: Northwestern 47, St. Brendan 3. The countdown has begun to that Central playoff rematch.
Miami Archbishop Carroll (6-3) vs. 7. Columbus (5-3), 7, Tropical.
Dre’s pick: Columbus 35, Carroll 7. It might be a nice draw crowdwise in a rare meeting between these two schools.
8. Booker T. (4-3) at Miami Ransom Everglades (5-1), 7, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Booker T. 38, Ransom Everglades 14. Typical to see an Ice Harris-coached team playing its best football as playoffs draw closer.
Miami High (3-5) vs. 10. Palmetto (5-2), 7:30, Friday, Southridge.
Dre’s pick: Palmetto 34, Miami High 3. For the Panthers, the real victories need to come in a few weeks in the playoffs.
Fort Lauderdale (2-4) at 11. Piper (7-0), 7, Monday.
Dre’s pick: Piper 42, Fort Lauderdale 2. It’ll either be a quick bounce back or another step on the road to an unbeaten season for the Bengals.
12. Blanche Ely (6-2) at Coconut Creek (3-3), 7, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Ely 24, Coconut Creek 12. A chance for the Cougars to prove they can still contend, but the key word there is ‘prove.’
14. Western (4-4) at Deerfield Beach (1-5), 7, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Western 44, Deerfield Beach 6. The Wildcats should be unchallenged until the playoffs.
16. West Broward (6-2) at Miami Dr. Krop (3-4), 7, Friday, Ives.
Dre’s pick: West Broward 38, Krop 6. The Bobcats hope to upend the contenders in Class 6A in a few weeks.
North Miami Beach (3-5) at 18. Monsignor Pace (5-2), 7:30, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Monsignor Pace 27, NMB 16. The Spartans have flown a bit under the radar, but have had a strong season.
19. Carol City (5-3) at Miami Belen Jesuit (2-6), 7, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Carol City 40, Belen 7. After some ups and downs, last week’s win over Homestead was huge for the Chiefs.
Coral Gables (4-3) vs. 20. South Dade (4-4), 7, Thursday, Harris.
Dre’s pick: South Dade 27, Coral Gables 7. The Bucs appear to be figuring things out just in time for the postseason.
MORE GAMES
Wednesday - Miami-Dade: Varela vs. Coral Park (Tropical), 7; Var 21-6; Miami-Dade vs. Broward: Goleman vs. Taravella (Milander), 7; Gol 42-2.
Thursday - Miami-Dade: Homestead vs. Edison (Traz), 3:30; Hom 20-19; Hialeah vs. Miami Springs (Milander), 7; Hia 38-3; HML at Hialeah Gardens, 3:30; HG 37-2; Reagan at Mourning, 3:30; RR 17-14; Broward: Flanagan at South Broward, 7; SB 34-14; Dillard at Boynton Beach, 7; Dil 27-14; Stoneman Douglas vs. Coral Springs Charter (Glades), 7; CSC 19-14; Northeast at West Palm Beach Dr. Garcia, 6:30; Garcia 38-13; Stranahan at Pompano Beach (Lockhart), 7; Stran 27-12; Somerset Prep at Avant Garde (Ives), 7; SP 14-6.
Friday - Miami-Dade vs. Broward: NSU University School at Gulliver, 4; US 28-20; Miami-Dade: Southwest at Doral, 7; Doral 38-7; Key West vs. Jackson (Curtis), 7:30; Jax 20-14; Coral Reef at Ferguson (Tropical), 7:30; Reef 27-14; Killian at Somerset Silver Palms, 7; Kil 18-12; La Salle vs. Mater Academy (Milander), 7; LaS 20-14; Palm Glades Prep at Miami Beach, 3:30; Beach 31-20; ABF Academy at Palmer Trinity, 4; PT 28-6; Everglades Prep vs. Somerset Homestead (Harris), 7; EP 16-6; SmartEn Sports Academy at Florida Christian, 7; FC 35-7; Broward: Miramar at Everglades, 7; Mir 27-7; Boyd Anderson at Hollywood Hills, 7; BA 23-8; Cooper City at Cypress Bay, 7; CB 26-14; Coral Glades at Nova, 7; Nova 27-7; Coral Springs at Fort Lauderdale, 7; FTL 10-7; Pines Charter at Hallandale, 7; PPC 21-7; McArthur at South Plantation, 7; SP 22-20; Calvary Christian at Archbishop McCarthy, 7; Calv 34-24; Pine Crest at North Broward Prep, 6; NBP 17-14; Somerset Key at Boca St. John Paul II, 7; SJP 24-21.
Saturday - Miami-Dade: Westminster Christian vs. True North (Tropical), 7; TN 38-16; American vs. South Miami (Milander), 7; Amer 35-3.
Monday - Broward: Nova at Cooper City, 7; Nova 21-14.
ANDRE’S RECORD
Last week — Top 20 games: 14-2; Overall: 46-11; Season — Top 20 games: 95-21 (.819); Overall: 336-84 (.800).
This story was originally published October 22, 2024 at 12:59 PM.
