Vote: Who should be the South Florida football Player of the Week?
With the state football finals now in the rearview mirror, three South Florida schools drove out of Tallahassee with championship trophies.
A bid for a clean sweep in all four metropolitan classifications was denied when Miami Norland was upset by Tampa Berkeley Prep in Class 2M.
Otherwise, for the second straight year, South Florida would have run the table.
Overall, it was another outstanding showing and season for South Florida prep football. The area’s dominance was reflected in the fact five schools competed for four state titles.
On Thursday, Chaminade-Madonna blew out Clearwater Central Catholic, 56-0, for a three-peat in Class 1M. The Lions (14-0) also made their case to be considered national champions.
Columbus, meanwhile, repeated as Class 4M champions with a 38-19 win over Jacksonville Mandarin on Friday.
On Saturday, Norland couldn’t overcome three first-half turnovers in a mistake-filled first half, and lost 28-20 to Berkeley Prep in Class 2M.
The Class 3M finals was an epic game that finished with St. Thomas Aquinas holding off Homestead, 31-28, to win its record five straight state championships.
As we close the curtain on another memorable season, SBLive Sports Florida is conducting its final South Florida Player of the Week poll. Voting will conclude on Sunday, December 17 at 11:59 p.m. Vote as often as you want, and spread the word!
Here are the nominees:
Cedrick Bailey, QB, Chaminade-Madonna: Bailey capped his brilliant prep career with a huge game, completing 17 of 21 passes for 322 yards and four touchdowns. The Lions scored TDs on every one of their possessions on their way to a three-peat. Bailey is committed to North Carolina State, although the Miami Hurricanes made him an offer last month.
Edward Bandy, RB, Columbus: The Explorers relied heavily on the run on their way to repeating as Class 4M champions. Bandy gained 95 yards on the ground on 16 carries, and the speedster scored two touchdowns.
Isaac Brown, WR, Homestead: The outcome didn’t go Homestead’s way, but the Broncos certainly showed why they reached the Class 3M state finals for the second straight year. Brown is a big play maker, and his 43-yard TD reception pulled Homestead to within three points, 24-21, early in the fourth quarter.
Zach Crothers, DE, Chaminade-Madonna: While the Lions’ offense put up 56 points, their defense pitched a shutout against a Clearwater Central Catholic team that came into the game averaging close to 40 points per game. Crothers, a Pittsburgh commit, had eight tackles and 1 ½ sacks.
Bryce Fitzgerald, DB/WR, Columbus: The junior has been sensational in the playoffs, and he came up big in the finals. Along with being a standout in the defensive backfield, Fitzgerald caught a 25-yard touchdown pass in the second half to give Columbus a comfortable lead. Fitzgerald next will join Columbus’ two-time defending state championship basketball team.
Andrew Indorf, QB, St. Thomas Aquinas: After Homestead rallied from 17-0 down at halftime to make it a one-score game in the second half, Indorf had an answer. The quarterback connected on a 48-yard TD pass play to Julius Jones to make it 24-14 late in the third quarter. Indorf answered again with a 69-yard scoring pass to Andreus Madison to give the Raiders a 31-21 lead with 5:25 left in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Lyle, RB, St. Thomas Aquinas: The Ohio State commit was especially tough in the first half, scoring on an 18-yard screen pass, and his 2-yard TD run gave the Raiders a 17-0 lead at halftime.
Alberto Mendoza, QB, Columbus: A year ago, Mendoza caught the championship-winning touchdown pass on a trick play in the state finals. This year, the senior used his arms and legs to lead the Explorers to back-to-back titles. Mendoza played his best overall game of the season, rushing for 138 yards on 20 attempts, and passing for 149, completing 6 of 10 attempts. Mendoza recently decommitted from James Madison, and he’s now planning on taking visits to Indiana and Florida Atlantic University.
Willis McGahee IV, DE, Columbus: The Explorers’ defense stepped up, especially in the second half, and limited an explosive Mandarin offense to just six points. McGahee, a Nebraska commit, helped lead the charge with two sacks.
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Chaminade-Madonna: If there was any doubt about who is the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit, Smith answered that with his dominating performance. The Ohio State commit caught 11 passes for 170 yards, and he scored the first touchdown of the game on a 50-yard reception. While Smith has been locked in on signing with Ohio State, Florida State and Miami continue to heavily recruit the five-star receiver.
Trevor Sommers, DL, St. Thomas Aquinas: Perhaps the biggest defensive play of the game was made by Sommers. Homestead faced 4th and 7 deep in St. Thomas territory, trailing by three points. With St. Thomas in danger of surrendering the lead, Sommers disrupted Homestead’s play and registered the most important sack of the day.
Joshua Townsend, QB, Homestead: Townsend put on a show in the second half, leading the Broncos to four touchdown downs, and nearly pulling off a monumental upset. Townsend had three touchdown passes, and he ran 17 yards for a TD with 2:15 left in regulation to make it a three-point game.
Joshisa Trader, WR, Chaminade-Madonna: Committed to Miami, Trader put on a show with two touchdown receptions. Showing his speed, Trader raced past the CCC secondary for 54-yard TD reception. He also showed great athleticism with an acrobatic 7-yard TD catch, keeping his feet in bounds at the back of the end zone.
Ennio Yapoor, QB, Miami Norland: A disappointing loss doesn’t take away from the sensational junior season by Yapoor, who was 15-for-20 passing for 260 yards in the Vikings’ loss in the finals. Yapoor also scored on a 4-yard run.
