The marquee matchups continue this week as the battle of nationally ranked and unbeaten Chaminade-Madonna heads to American Heritage on Friday night.
Also on Friday, two-time reigning Division II Massachusetts state champion Catholic Memorial brings a 29-game winning streak to Cardinal Newman.
As for last week’s predictions, I missed on the Coconut Creek-Western game as well as the Boca Raton-Boynton contest to close out the week at 8-2 and bring my record to 24-6 for the season.
Chaminade-Madonna (3-0) at American Heritage (2-0) (Friday, 7:30 p.m.): Chaminade-Madonna, ranked No. 6 in the nation by MaxPreps, has been virtually unstoppable this year, rolling past two nationally ranked out-of-state teams and Cardinal Gibbons by a combined score of 137-39. The Lions have won 18 consecutive regular-season games dating back to a 26-24 loss to American Heritage in 2021. Senior wideout and Ohio State commit Jeremiah Smith has caught 27 passes for 433 yards and five scores to lead the Lions. The Patriots, ranked No. 15 in the country, have been paced by sophomore quarterback Dia Bell (398 yards passing, 4 TDs) and junior running backs DeAndre Desinor (101 yards rushing, TD) and Byron Louis (177 yards, 2 TDs), along with sophomore wideout Malachi Toney (170 yards receiving, 3 TDs). Chaminade-Madonna 30, American Heritage 26.
Western (1-1) at St. Thomas Aquinas (2-1) (Friday 7 p.m.): Western struggled to run the ball without Kentucky running back commit Tovani Mizell, who is lost for the season with a torn ACL. The Wildcats will need a strong game from senior quarterback Davi Belfort after dropping a 20-15 loss to visiting Coconut Creek. Dating back to 2004, St. Thomas Aquinas is 8-0 against Western and has outscored the Wildcats 338-63, including 38-0 last season. St. Thomas Aquinas, ranked No. 11 in the country, rallied for a stunning and controversial home win over Cocoa 37-36 last week. The Raiders are gunning for a fifth consecutive state championship. St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Western 7.
Catholic Memorial (Massachusetts) (1-0) at Cardinal Newman (2-0) (Friday, 7 p.m.): Catholic Memorial, the two-time reigning Division II Massachusetts state champion, brings a 29-game winning streak dating back to 2019 to West Palm Beach. Cardinal Newman has been led by Sun Sentinel Super 11 selection and Rutgers commit Kevin Levy. The senior receiver had 112 yards and a score in the season opener, while senior quarterback Luke Warnock has thrown for 481 yards and seven scores. Cardinal Newman 28, Catholic Memorial 24.
Cardinal Gibbons (2-1) at Northeast (St. Petersburg) (2-1) (Thursday, 7 p.m.): The Chiefs hammered Dillard last week and won last year’s game against the Vikings 14-6. Cardinal Gibbons, ranked No. 72 nationally, has averaged 280.7 yards per game. Northeast has outscored its opponents this season 74-27, including 46-0 against Gibbs last week. Cardinal Gibbons 21, Northeast 14.
University School (3-0) at St. Andrew’s (3-0) (Thursday, 6 p.m.): Surprising St. Andrew’s opened the season with back-to-back games of scoring 50 points before squeaking out a 10-7 overtime win over West Boca last week. The Scots topped University School last season 42-6, however this Sharks team is much better, having outscored its three opponents 136-21. Sharks senior quarterback Jett Yurgealitis has thrown for 837 yards and 15 TDs with a quarterback rating of 141.7. University School 28, St. Andrew’s 27.
Deerfield Beach (1-2) at Valdosta (Georgia) (3-1) (Friday, 8 p.m.): After dropping its opener to Washington (OH) 28-17, the host Wildcats have gone on a three-game winning streak by averaging 36.9 points, as senior running back Shakevious Wright ran for 373 yards and two TDs. Deerfield Beach has fallen on hard times this season, winning just one of its first three games. Valdosta 24, Deerfield Beach 20.
Boca Raton (1-1) at Atlantic (3-0) (Thursday, 6:30. p.m.): The Bobcats are coming off their first victory of the season, while the visiting Eagles are looking to open the season 4-0 for the first time since the 2018 season, when they went 10-0 before finishing 10-1 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Western. Boca Raton has only won three times in the eight meetings between the schools and has dropped seven straight in the series since 2013. Atlantic 20, Boca Raton 13.
Gulliver Prep (3-0) at Benjamin (2-0) (Thursday 6:30 p.m.): Benjamin enters the game averaging 38.0 points, while Gulliver Prep is at 25.3. The Raiders have outscored their opposition 76-25, and the host Buccaneers have outscored their opponents 76-27. Going with the home-field advantage on this one. Benjamin 17, Gulliver Prep 16.
West Broward (0-2) at Dwyer (0-3) (Thursday 6:30 p.m.): Both teams have been stretched in the early going. West Broward has only put up one TD all season and hasn’t scored in five quarters. The Panthers are coming off a 17-6 loss to Palm Beach Gardens last week. Dwyer 17, West Broward 14.
Palm Beach Central (2-0) at Pahokee (2-1) (Thursday 6:30 p.m.): After opening the season with a 38-14 loss to Santaluces, Pahokee has out together a two-game winning streak, beating Inlet Grove and Palm Beach Lakes in successive weeks. Palm Beach Central had its game against Park Vista last week rescheduled to Sept. 21 due to COVID concerns. Palm Beach Central 28, Pahokee 21.
