After two tough losses, True North secures first win in rout of Monsignor Pace
True North Classical Academy’s season started with two losses and—maybe even worse—two “lonely, long bus rides,” as Greg Laffere described them, back to Miami after those losses.
True North wanted to test itself this season with a grueling scheduling, featuring a handful of road trips up to the Tampa Bay area to start the year. The idea was for early-season adversity to prepare the Titans for another postseason run. In Week 3, the Titans already started to see their plan pay off with a 49-18 rout of Monsignor Pace on Saturday at Tropical Park.
“We’re trying to become a good football team,” Laffere said, “and the only way to get better is to play good people.”
The Spartans, who opened their season with an overtime win against Gulliver Prep last week, are supposed to be one of those good teams, and True North (1-2) gashed them with a nearly flawless offensive performance and frustrated them with timely defensive plays.
Star quarterback Zach Katz, who orally committed to FIU’s Class of 2027 on Wednesday, threw for 153 yards and three touchdowns, all to star wide receiver Malik Penson, who’s also committed to the Panthers. Cecil Smith ripped off a pair of 60-yard touchdown runs and fellow running back Gregory Florence—only in eighth grade—added another 40-yard touchdown run. The Titans also got a defensive touchdown from linebacker George Harris Jr., who returned one of True North’s three interceptions 35 yards for a score.
“To be good, your good players have to play good,” Laffere said. “Our first couple weeks, our good players did not play great and tonight our good players played pretty well.”
None played better than Smith. On the third play of the game, the junior darted to his left and sprinted untouched 60 yards for a touchdown. Later in the half, the tailback took a speed-option pitch to the left and dashed 67 yards untouched for a touchdown.
In the first half, the Titans scored three touchdowns of 40 yards or longer and Monsignor Pace (1-1) got a 75-yard touchdown run from quarterback Korde Hinch. True North led 35-12 at halftime and triggered a running clock before the end of the third quarter after Katz linked up with Penson for a 34-yard touchdown to put the Titans up 49-12 with 1:25 left in the quarter.
“We needed them two losses,” Smith said. “It only made me hungrier.”
Smith did his damage on few carries: The halfback ran only seven times, but still put up 167 yards and two touchdowns. Katz went 13 of 19 for 153 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 10 yards on three carries, although he did lose a fumble on his last run. Penson turned just four catches into 55 yards and three touchdowns, and Flourance ran for 50 yards and a touchdown on just six carries.
The Titans were wildly efficient and looked every bit like a team stocked with FBS-level talent. Competing for a Class 1A title is daunting with Chaminade-Madonna still the standard, but True North played like a team capable of being the Lions’ fiercest challenger in South Florida.
“We’re going to be ready for state,” Smith said, “because we’re going to states.”
This story was originally published September 7, 2025 at 9:18 AM.