Chaminade football rallies past American Heritage with fourth quarter comeback

Add another fabulous finish to the growing history of the Chaminade-Madonna-American Heritage football rivalry.

The two Broward County powers matched up again on Friday night, and once again, it was a classic.

For the Lions, the outcome also was familiar.

Freshman quarterback Malik Leonard spearheaded a 94-yard drive and hooked up with Jasen Lopez on a 7-yard touchdown pass with 2:42 remaining to lift Chaminade to a 28-24 comeback road victory.

Chaminade (2-1) has won four straight in the series, while leaving the Patriots (1-1) with an agonizing defeat.

“The last five years, it’s come down to the wire, every time,” Chaminade coach Dameon Jones said. “It started off a little shaky. I told the coaches that I have: ‘Hey, the last two drives are going to decide this game. It did.”

Actually, it was the final three drives that told the story.

Behind quarterback Dia Bell’s remarkable night -- unofficially 27-for-33 for 300 yards and three touchdowns -- Heritage was ahead all game until the end.

The key moment came when the Patriots were up, 24-21, in the fourth quarter. They were prime to add on after Bell ran 37 yards to the Lions’ 1.

With a chance to make it a two-score game, Chaminade’s defense toughed and stuffed Jonathan Bueno on three consecutive runs. On fourth down, Bell lost a couple of yards, and the Lions took over at the four.

Chaminade went to work on a 13-play, 96-yard touchdown drive.

Leonard immediately got Chaminade out from the shadows of its own end zone with a 25-yard pass to Lopez.

For most of the game, Heritage contained Chaminade’s passing attack. But on that lengthy drive, Lopez came up big, with another catch for 19 yards.

The Lions dominated the line of scrimmage, and its running attack, led by Derrek Cooper, inspired the comeback.

Temorris Campbell added a 15-yard catch and 10-yard run in the drive.

Penalties also hurt the Patriots.

On second down at the Heritage 7, Leonard found Lopez open for the go-ahead score.

“That’s the thing,” Jones said. “We’re trying to put the ball in our playmakers’ hands. They took some stuff away early. We made adjustments, and it worked out for us at the end.”

Chaminade in the second half also capitalized on some Heritage penalties, including one that gave them first-and-goal on the game-winning drive.

“The defense did a great job,” said Lopez, a Florida State commit. “It all starts with them. Our O-line did a tremendous job. A shout out to them. The coaches and quarterback trusted me with putting the ball in my hands. I just went out there and made a play.”

Still, Heritage and Bell had 2:42 seconds to come back.

Taking over at its own 20, Bell marched the Patriots into Chaminade territory, and Heritage had first down at the 19 with less than a minute remaining.

The Lions defense forced two incompletions and recorded its sixth sack of Bell. On fourth down at the 25, Chaminade took over on downs after an incompletion.

“We just took our foot off the gas,” said Bell, the 5-star and Texas commit. “We got everything we wanted. We just didn’t finish it. That can’t happen against good teams like this.”

For Heritage, receiver Coi Jean-Noel was sensational, with 11 catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns.

Jean-Noel’s 1-yard TD reception put Heritage in front, 24-14, with 45 seconds left in the third quarter.

Jamar Denson of Heritage also came up big, with a 71-yard touchdown catch that gave the Patriots a 14-6 lead at halftime.

Heritage padded its lead to 17-6 in the third quarter on Johnathan Matei’s 40-yard field goal.

Chaminade played catchup all game.

Derrek Cooper scored the Lions’ first touchdown, at 8:31 of the second quarter, on a 20-yard run. The Texas recruit also had two scoring runs of six-yards apiece in the second half.

Chaminade continues to split time at quarterback between Leonard and junior Tyler Chance. But it was Leonard who stepped up on the final drive.

“We’re staying with the guy who is hot,” Jones said. “Both of them are tremendous players. In games like this, it might be your night. We’re going with the guy who is hot. That’s what we did tonight.”

This story was originally published September 6, 2025 at 8:16 AM.