History will be made even before kickoff of the Florida High School Athletic Association’s state football championship, which begins in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday.
The state title game will be played for the first time in 60 seasons, with Broward County schools pitting Miami-Dade County schools against Miami-Dade County schools for the championship, and twice.
In Class 3M, Fort Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders (13-0) will take on the Homestead Broncos (12-2) at 7pm on Thursday at DRV PNK Stadium. Aquinas, 7th Teams ranked nationally by MaxPreps are looking to break their record of 14 state titles.th Face off against the Homestead team playing in the first-ever state title game.
In Class 2M, the Miami Central Rockets (13-0) will take on the Plantation’s American Heritage Patriots (13-1) on Friday at 7pm. The No. 3-ranked Rockets in the nation won four straight state titles, ninth in program history, and the No. 10-ranked Patriots are chasing the sixth state title in history. They hope to avenge their loss to Central in the playoffs last season.
In Class 4M, Miami’s Christopher Columbus Explorers (13-1) take on the Apopka Blue Darters (11-3) on Saturday at 7pm.rd The ranked Explorers are chasing their second state title in program history after winning their first in 2019.
If Columbus wins Saturday, it will be the second time in FHSAA history that a South Florida school has used the program to win each classification. In 2019, Broward or Miami-Dade schools won his seven state titles.
South Florida has already won one state title this season after national No. 5 Hollywood Chaminade Madonna defeated Clearwater Central Catholic 48-14 in last Thursday’s Class 1M title game.