Chaminade-Madonna storms past Miami-Central

Curtis Janvier picks off two passes; Jeremiah Smith catches two TD passes in Lions’ thriller

Author:
Joe Frisaro
Publish date:
Sep 22, 2023 2:43 AM EDT

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – It was a game South Florida – and the nation -- wanted to see for years – Chaminade-Madonna vs. Miami Central.

The schedule makers delivered, and made it happen. And ESPN2 raised the magnitude of the game by televising it nationally.

On Thursday night, the heavyweight match-up of state champions more than lived up to the hype.

In the end, it was Chaminade-Madonna, behind two touchdown catches from Jeremiah Smith and two interceptions by Curtis Janvier, which held off Miami Central, 31-28, at Nathaniel Traz Powell Stadium.

“The Mecca,” as it is called, was filled with energy, as well as coaches from Florida State, Florida Atlantic, North Carolina, Florida Memorial, and more on the sidelines to see two rosters filled with Power-5 commitments.

About the only negative was the stormy weather, which delayed the opening kickoff about 90 minutes. For 3½ hours, the teams put on an entertaining show. When Central’s last-second Hail Mary pass from midfield fell incomplete, the Chaminade players began celebrating at 12:02 a.m. ET.

“I’m happy,” Lions coach Dameon Jones said. “This game, we’ve been waiting the last two or three years to play. We finally played it, and the city came out and we showed up.”

Central (1-2) came up short, but still will be a serious contender to win another Class 2M state championship.

Chaminade (5-0), meanwhile, is a heavy favorite to repeat as Class 1M state champions, and based on its body of work, the Lions promise to be in the national championship conversation.

“Hats off to coach Dameon Jones and Chaminade,” Central coach Jube Joseph said. “They’ve got a great team, and a real potent offense. It was a great game for South Florida football. Putting it on a national scale and showing South Florida can really play ball.”

Defenses step up in the second half

It's not how the game started but how it finished that ultimately told the story.

Chaminade-Madonna quarterback Cedrick Bailey (North Carolina State commit) threw for 259 yards and four touchdowns in the first half. Two went to Smith, the Ohio State commit, who had eight catches for 99 yards for the night.

The Lions led, 31-21, at halftime, and it looked like the game would be a track meet for four quarters. That all changed in the second half.

Chaminade’s defense was the story, limiting Central to one score in the second half. That came when the Rockets took the kickoff in the third quarter, and scored on King Davis’ 2-yard run.

Curtis Janvier, committed to Florida Atlantic University, stalled a Central drive in the third quarter with an interception. And with 1:13 left in the game, the junior defensive back plucked a tipped ball out of the air for the interception that iced the victory.

Chaminade-Maddona's Curtis Janvier had two interceptions, including this one with 1:13 to play to ice the Lions' 31-28 victory over Miami Central.
Photo by Robson Lopes

“We were telling each other, we’ve got to get off the field,” Janvier said.

What statement did Chaminade make on Thursday?

“We run Florida,” Janvier said. “We really do run Florida.”

“A lot of soldiers, man,” Jones said of his defense. “They were pit bulls when they needed to be. I’m just proud of them.”

Central’s drive for five state titles is still alive

With a couple of close-call losses to Bishop Gorman and Chaminade-Madonna, Central’s bid for a national championship has been derailed. But that doesn’t end the Rockets’ quest for a record fifth straight state championship.

Central promises to be right in the thick of the Class 2M race.

“Everything we want is still in front of us,” Joseph said. “Our drive for five is still alive. We’ve just got to tweak some things, and finish as a team.”

Central is gaining experience with two quarterbacks, Antonio Smith, who handled most of the snaps, and is the primary passing threat, and J.C. Evans, who is a running threat.

Sophomore running back Jayden Ford was one of the most dynamic players on the field, rushing for 178 yards and a TD.

“I think this shows you when we play against elite teams, what we can do,” Joseph said. “We’ve just got to finish now. We’ve got the kids fighting. Now we’ve got to focus and finish. Once we finish, we’ll be a deadly team. We’ll get it together.”

Chaminade-Madonna is conquering a brutal schedule

When you look at their body of work, it’s hard not to put the Lions in the discussion for top team in the country.

They put together a brutal first five games – St. Frances Academy (Maryland), Cardinal Gibbons, Bergen Catholic (New Jersey), American Heritage Plantation and Miami Central.

Chaminade has handled all five.

“When we lined up the schedule, we kind of knew what we were getting ourselves into, but one game at a time, man,” Jones said. “Now, 5-0 against a brutal schedule. That’s big. I’m proud of my team. Some of the games earlier prepared us for this game. Some dog fights. They put us in the right situations. I’m just so excited right now for my kids.”

Photos by Robson Lopes