MIAMI – A true battle between South Florida and Central Florida brewed on the big stage at Pitbull Stadium last night (Dec. 13).
In the Class 4A state title, No. 1 overall seed American Heritage (Plantation) and No. 2 overall seed Jones (Orlando) gave everything they had from start to finish. A lead change and two ties would go on to produce a remarkable 40-31 state championship win for Heritage Plantation (13-2 final record).
Here is how the Patriots got it done over the Tigers (14-1 final record):
Taking over admirably for injured five-star junior quarterback Dia Bell, we got a masterful performance from Miami signee and athlete Malachi Toney, who completed 15 of 18 passes (83.3 completion percentage) for 188 yards and one touchdown. He added seven carries for 22 yards and another score.
Watch Toney’s 1-yard touchdown run that helped Heritage Plantation get a 17-10 lead over Jones towards the end of the first half.
One noteworthy fact about Toney: The 5-foot-10, 185-pound pound athlete, who is primarily a wide receiver, completed his first 15 passes against the Jones defense. This is a remarkable feat that probably has not been done in FHSAA state championship game history.
While Toney had an amazing championship game as the team’s field general and dual threat, it turned out to be a team effort in all three phases – offense, defense, and special teams.
We will continue with the offense before moving on to defense and special teams.
Senior running back and Florida signed Byron Louis ended his high school football career in the most glorious way possible. He registered 29 carries for 221 net yards and one touchdown, while adding a 10-yard reception to account for 233 total yards of offense on his own.
Both touchdown runs from Louis came in the second half. One of them was a 3-yarder that gave Heritage Plantation a 31-17 lead over Jones (2:51 left in the third quarter), while the other was was an 80-yarder to the house that broke a 31-31 tie to help seal the deal (8:54 left in the fourth quarter).
Watch the Florida signee’s first of two rushing scores right below.
The Heritage Plantation running game would go on and produce a total of 227 net yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, the receiving corps as a whole was admirable in its own right, as junior wide receiver Jamar Denson (six catches, 86 yards, one touchdown), junior wide receiver Jeffar Jean-Noel (five catches, 60 yards), and senior wide receiver Judah Stubbs (two catches, 32 yards) garnered the lions share of their team’s 188 yards in the air.
As a whole offense, Heritage Plantation gained 415 yards and had 21 first downs, while having the ball for 29:06 of this state title showdown.
The defensive side of the ball produced timely stops – mainly in the fourth quarter. While Jones gained 381 yards and had 18 first downs, it was not enough for the Tigers, who fell just short. Only one turnover occurred in the game, but it was a big one for the Patriots.
Watch below.
On special teams, we got several scoring opportunities in this area.
To start the third quarter, junior Brandon Bennett reeled off a 97-yard kickoff return for a score. This gave Heritage Plantation a 24-10 lead.
Senior kicker Gavin Harvey made two field goals and four extra points, as he accounted for 10 of Heritage Plantation’s 40 points. His 28-yard field goal with 4:45 left proved to be the game’s final score.
Head coach Mike Smith spoke on his team’s all-around effort in the 4A state title game.
We also got commentary from the likes of Bell and Harvey.
With the victory, the Patriots have reached the state title summit for the first time since 2020. They now have six state titles in their illustrious history.
VIDEO CREDITS: Shane Robinson / East Coast Exposure and Future Draft Style
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