Fernandez: Aquinas shines overseas; Heritage, McCarthy set up showdown | Opinion
For four decades, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas has asserted itself first as a powerhouse in the state of Florida and later as a juggernaut nationwide.
And tomorrow, the world?
Tomorrow might be this Wednesday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London where the Raiders will be able to showcase their talent on a global scale when they face the NFL’s London Academy international squad of elite players.
Kickoff is 6 p.m. local time and 1 p.m. in South Florida.
For those of you (like me) who will watch from home, the game – organized jointly by the NFL and Nike -- will be streamed on YouTube.
A few years ago, Belen Jesuit made the trek to Dublin to play an international game, so it’s not a first for a South Florida team to travel abroad. Orlando Edgewater also played a preseason game against the Academy last season on this side of the pond.
But be sure the collection of talent on the field on Wednesday will be greater than others before it.
Let’s take a look at this opportunity for Aquinas as well as the intriguing matchups of week 8 in high school football, and our latest rankings.
THE MIAMI HERALD’S SOUTH FLORIDA TOP 20
1. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (5-1); 2. Miami Northwestern (5-1); 3. Hollywood Chaminade (5-1); 4. Miami Central (4-1); 5. Miami Southridge (7-0); 6. Fort Lauderdale Dillard (7-0); 7. Plantation American Heritage (3-3); 8. Miami Palmetto (6-1); 9. Hollywood McArthur (4-2); 10. Pembroke Pines West Broward (4-2); 11. Miami True North (3-2); 12. Fort Lauderdale Archbishop McCarthy (5-1); 13. Coconut Creek Monarch (3-3); 14. Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy (6-0); 15. Miami Norland (3-4); 16. Cardinal Gibbons (4-2); 17. Coconut Creek (6-1); 18. Miramar (3-4); 19. Plantation (3-3); 20. Hialeah Gardens Goleman (4-2); On the cusp: Miami Gulliver (3-2), Killian (4-2), Pembroke Pines Flanagan (4-2), Miami La Salle (6-0).
GAMES OF THE WEEK
1. St. Thomas (5-1) vs. London NFL Academy (N/A), 1, Wednesday, London, UK.
A little over 15 years ago, Aquinas broke through on the national stage and made it an annual occurrence to play the nation’s best either around the country or at home. I covered Raiders’ games at Columbus, Ohio, New Orleans and Dallas myself over the years.
This trip will top those in terms of amazing experience for those involved. But from a football standpoint, the key for Aquinas will be to block out the distractions when it comes to kickoff and play mistake-free football to its capabilities.
Quarterback Mason Mallory and his teammates have the talent to match their counterparts and come away with a hard-fought road win here before returning for a run at state title No. 17.
Dre’s pick: St. Thomas Aquinas 31, NFL Academy 21.
15. Norland (3-4) at 7. American Heritage (3-3), 7, Friday.
Heritage’s topsy-turvy season seems to be back on the upswing. The Patriots have won their last two and replacement starting quarterback Leon Strawder is gaining more feel for their offense with each passing week. But the tests are coming again.
They’ll face a desperate Norland team, which can often bring a fierce pass rush, which can cause issues for offenses. Each team needs this one to stay in the race for District 15-4A - one of the state’s deepest, which is likely to send all four members to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Dre’s pick: American Heritage 30, Norland 16.
19. Plantation (3-3) at 12. Archbishop McCarthy (5-1), 7, Friday.
If Heritage prevails against Norland, it could be headed for a district title showdown with McCarthy if the Mavericks continue their ascension this season with a victory over Plantation. The Colonels have had their ups and downs this year, but remain one of the more competitive squads in Broward. But McCarthy has one of the county’s most explosive offenses and their defense is starting to improve. Dre’s pick: McCarthy 27, Plantation 14.
THE REST OF THE TOP 20
2. Northwestern (5-1) vs. Key West (4-2), 7, Saturday, Traz.
Dre’s pick: Northwestern 45, Key West 6. For the next month or so, it’s about staying healthy for the Bulls until the postseason rematch with Central.
Pompano Beach Blanche Ely (3-3) at 3. Chaminade (5-1), 7, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Chaminade 42, Ely 3. Revenge game for the Lions. Oh yeah, I’m sure they haven’t forgotten.
4. Central (4-1) at Fort Lauderdale Stranahan (0-6), 7, Friday, Dillard.
Dre’s pick: Central 51, Stranahan 2. Rockets are getting their younger players some reps before the GMAC title match next week vs. Southridge.
Southwest Miami (2-4) at 5. Southridge (7-0), 7:30, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Southridge 50, Southwest 6. See above line about this being a tune-up for the Spartans just like the Rockets before they face off.
6. Dillard (7-0) at Wellington Dr. Garcia (5-2), 6:30, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Dillard 42, Dr. Garcia 14. Some hardware coming Dillard’s way in what continues to be an impressive season.
9. McArthur (4-2) at Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson (0-6), 7, Saturday.
Dre’s pick: McArthur 48, Boyd Anderson 2. The Mustangs can get their younger players some minutes in this one too.
10. West Broward (4-2) vs. Miami Beach (1-4), 7, Friday, Memorial.
Dre’s pick: West Broward 47, Miami Beach 3. District title time for the surging Bobcats.
11. True North (3-2) vs. Miami Jackson (0-6), 7:30, Friday, Curtis.
Dre’s pick: True North 56, Jackson 2. I’m going to assume this was scheduled a while ago when the Generals were more competitive.
13. Monarch (3-3) vs. Coral Springs (0-6), 7, Thursday, Coconut Creek.
Dre’s pick: Monarch 44, Coral Springs 2. Comfortable bounce back week for the Monarchs.
Pembroke Pines Charter (1-6) at 14. Mater Academy (6-0), 7, Milander, Saturday.
Dre’s pick: Mater Academy 48, Pines Charter 3. The Lions are looking more and more fearsome each week.
16. Cardinal Gibbons (4-2) at Deerfield Beach (1-5), 6, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Gibbons 47, Deerfield 12. The Chiefs are starting to build momentum for a big playoff push.
Delray Beach Atlantic (6-0) at 17. Coconut Creek (6-1), 7, Friday.
Dre’s pick: Atlantic 37, Coconut Creek 17. Tough obstacle for a strong Cougars team that will make the postseason.
20. Goleman (4-2) vs. Davie Western (1-5), 7, Friday, Milander.
Dre’s pick: Goleman 30, Western 27. The Gators secure a district title without the need of a Wildcats’ forfeit.
OTHER GAMES
Thursday - Miami-Dade vs. Broward: Flanagan vs. Krop (Ives), 7; Flan 38-6; Miami Country Day at Pine Crest, 7; PC 42-7; Miami-Dade: Coral Gables at Columbus, 6; Col 42-7; Hialeah vs. American (Milander), 7; Hia 42-8; Homestead vs. Booker T. (Traz), 7; BTW 16-12; South Miami vs. Belen (Tropical), 3:30; Bel 34-14; Braddock vs. Varela (Tropical), 7:30; Var 28-14; Reagan at Hialeah Gardens, 3:30; RR 35-14; Hialeah-Miami Lakes vs. Coral Reef (Southridge), 7; Reef 42-3; Broward: Douglas at Boca Spanish River, 6:30; SR 42-14; Boca Raton at Coral Glades, 7; BR 35-17; Calvary Christian at North Broward Prep, 6; Calv 34-27.
Friday - Miami-Dade vs. Broward: North Miami at Everglades, 7; NM 19-14; NSU University School at St. Brendan, 7; US 24-20; Miami-Dade: Miami High vs. South Dade (Harris), 7:30; SD 38-13; Carol City vs. NMB (Traz), 7:30; NMB 26-21; Westland Hialeah at Monsignor Pace, 7:30; Pace 36-6; Sunset vs. Ferguson (Tropical), 7:30; Ferg 41-7; Miami Springs at La Salle, 7; LaS 34-6; Gulliver at Somerset Silver Palms, 7; Gul 30-14; Archbishop Carroll at Coral Shores, 7:30; AC 35-12; BridgePrep Village Green at Palmer Trinity, 4; PT 42-3; Somerset South Homestead at Moore Haven, 7; MH 34-13; ABF Academy at Florida Christian, 7; FC 35-6; Broward: Cypress Bay at Taravella, 7; CB 44-6; Piper at Fort Lauderdale, 7; Pip 42-7; Cooper City at Nova, 7; Coop 21-9; Northeast at Boynton Beach, 6:30; Boynton 24-12; South Plantation at South Broward, 7; SP 35-16; Hallandale at Hollywood Hills, 4; Hall 27-8; Somerset Academy at Pompano Beach, 7; Som 28-3; Somerset Key at Boca St. Andrews, 7; SA 47-7; Somerset Prep at Victory Charter, 7; SP 14-7; Tradition Prep at Coral Springs Charter, 7; CSC 34-6; Westminster Academy at Indian Rocks Christian, 7; IRC 33-30.
Saturday - SmartEn Academy at Westminster Christian, 1; WC 42-7.
Andre’s record - Last week (Top 20): 17-0; Overall: 42-6; Season (Top 20): 86-13 (.869); Overall: 257-53 (.829).
