FORT LAUDERDALE- Looking at how last year played out across the country, Chaminade Madonna vs. St. John Bosco was a dream high school football matchup.
In the end, the club lived up to its expectations despite missing players like Jeremiah Smith, Cedrick Bailey and Caleb Sanchez.
In a game that featured over 35 penalty flags and over 30 players out with cramps, St. John Bosco was able to pull out a 34-27 victory over Chaminade Madonna. The Braves entered the contest ranked No. 3 in the national rankings, while the Lions were ranked No. 7.
Both offenses started slowly from the beginning as each team had a new starter under center. There was a quarterback battle between Tyler Chance and Zac Katz at Chaminade Madonna, with the former getting the nod to start.
The Lions were unable to accomplish much on their first few possessions, which included a botched snap and negative plays.
The Braves sent junior Matai Fuiava onto the field and the signal-caller looked confident from the start. The 6’2″ and 200-pound signal-caller led St. John Bosco down the field midway through the first quarter and scored a 6-yard touchdown from Fuiava to Carson Clark.
Although the passing game was lacking for Chaminade Madonna on the first few series, the running game became the flagship of the Lions offense. Dameon Jones brought in running backs Derek Cooper, Arwin Jackson and even Penn State to run the ball and create momentum.
Chaminade Madonna got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter when Noah Sidan, who transferred from Miami Norland, made a 26-yard field goal. After the field goal, the Lions’ offense picked up speed.
After a St. John Bosco punt, Jones opted for no-huddle instead of a more methodical huddle-up approach that the Lions used on the first two series. It paid off, as Chance found his rhythm in the passing game, drove the team down the field and ended with a 37-yard touchdown to Jansen Lopez (transfer from True North Classical).
The contest became a back-and-forth affair as the Braves immediately answered with a score of their own. It was Fuiava (22 of 37, 260 yards) who entered his own number and scored from 11 yards out to give Bosco a 13-10 lead.
Another rushing series by the Lions put them back on the scoreboard with a 15-yard touchdown from Chance to Howard, putting Chaminade Madonna back in front, 17-13. Bosco went into halftime with a 20-17 lead after Fuiava found the open Daniel Odom with an 8-yard pass.
The Lions took the lead again when Chance Denairius Gray (Auburn player) hit a 12-yard touchdown pass.
Maliq Blackwell-Allen (11 carries, 128 yards) gave St. John Bosco the lead with 4:39 left when the running back broke free on a 71-yard touchdown run. The Braves led 34-27 and focused on pressuring Chance in the final minutes.
Chance finished the night completing 24 of 38 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions rushed for 181 yards as a team, with Derek Cooper rushing for 76 yards on 16 carries.
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–Andy Villamarzo | [email protected] | @sblivefl
