Gibbons upsets No. 3 Aquinas and more from a busy weekend of football in South Florida.
On the weekend Miami-Dade County Public School returned to high school football action, the biggest upset in the country took place a few dozen miles north.
Cardinal Gibbons returned a late interception for a touchdown Friday and stunned St. Thomas Aquinas, the No. 3 team in the country in the MaxPreps rankings, with a 17-10 win in Fort Lauderdale.
Chiefs defensive end Mason Thomas jumped a pass in the flat intended for star running back Anthony Hankerson and took it the length of the field to give Cardinal Gibbons a 17-7 lead with 3:11 remaining. The Raiders added a late field goal, but couldn’t recover a final onside kick and fell to the crosstown rival at home.
The Cheifs have allowed just 25 points in three games this season.
Plantation American Heritage 41, Venice 26
American Heritage forced Venice into seven turnovers, scored two defensive touchdowns and bounced back from its first loss of the season with a statement 41-26 win against the Indians in Venice.
The Patriots opened the game on a 27-0 run, aided by two second-quarter pick sixes. First, star defensive end Richard Thomas grabbed an interception and ran it back for a touchdown. Later in the quarter, star safety James Williams, who is orally committed to the Miami Hurricanes, picked off Indians quarterback Colin Blazek at the goal line and ran it back 99 yards for a touchdown.
American Heritage took a 24-6 lead into halftime against the perennial Sarasota County powerhouse just seven days after being shut out by Jacksonville Trinity Christian Academy in Plantation.
Columbus 16, Killian 7
Columbus won’t defend its Class 8A title this season, but the reigning state champion opened its season with a 16-7 preseason win Friday against Killian in Miami.
The Explorers jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first half and specialist Alejandro Prado made three field goals to help Columbus hold off the Cougars at Tropical Park.
Norland 23, Carol City 19
Norland helped open the 2020 high school football season in Miami on Thursday with a 23-19 upset of rival Carol City in a preseason game at “Traz” Powell Stadium.
The Vikings shut out Carol City in the second half to rally from a 19-17 halftime deficit in the meeting between Miami Gardens rivals. Star running back Katravis Geter, who’s orally committed to the FIU Panthers, scored two touchdowns for Carol City in the loss.
