| 3A Title | Berkeley Prep | Chaminade-Madonna |
| Record | 12-0 | 10-1 |
| Last Week | 42-14 over Lakeland Christian | 38-3 over Florida State High |
With the exception of a 28-26 win against Calvary Christian back in week two, Berkeley Prep has won every game by at least two touchdowns this season. The undefeated Buccaneers have also outscored their three playoff opponents 116-36. Five of their wins were shutouts. They have not been pushed to regulation in over three months. It was their usual method of success against Lakeland Christian. The two-headed monster ran wild. 2022 RB Travis Bates had the best game of his high school career as he touched the ball 18 times for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns. He averaged 17.6 yards per touch. See his game highlights here. 2022 RB and Iowa State commit Xavier Townsend added 168 yards and 2 touchdowns on 15 carries.
2025 RB Joseph Troupe got in on the action and provided a glimpse of the future with 6 carries for 46 yards and 1 touchdown. He has made the most of his opportunities as a freshman by averaging 9.1 yards per carry. In total, he has 35 carries for 318 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Buccaneers’ defense was led by 2023 DT Brice Stevenson who had 9 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. 2023 LB Tre Reader was right behind him with 8 tackles. 2022 DB TJ Bullard came down and caused some disruption also as he tallied 2 tackles for loss on 4 total tackles. He is a UCF commit. Fellow 2022 DB Nijier Washington had 1 interception and 3 tackles.
Unfortunately, I don’t foresee a blowout happening in Berkeley Prep’s favor this week. Things won’t come easy against Chaminade-Madonna in the 3A State Championship game. Berkeley Prep figured that out last year during their state semifinal loss to the Lions. The Broward County-based program is 10-1 overall. Their only loss came to American Heritage by a score of 26-24 back on September 3rd. During their three playoff wins, the Lions only allowed 3 points. Those scores were 45-0 over Edison, 48-0 over Cardinal Newman, and 38-3 over Florida State High. Against a difficult schedule, they have averaged 33.6 points per game while allowing just 9.5 points per game. The Lions’ potent offense is led by two sophomores.
Gifted 2024 QB Cedrick Bailey was nearly perfect last week. He completed 15 out of 17 passing attempts for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns. He added 13 yards and 1 touchdown on 2 carries. The ground game revolves around 5’11” 209 pound 2024 RB Davion Gause. He touched the ball 20 times last week resulting in 114 yards and 2 touchdowns. The talented sophomore has accumulated 1,564 yards and 16 touchdowns in 11 games. The Lions also utilize two talented 2023 receivers that the Buccaneers will have to keep track of on Friday. Defensively, they are loaded with talent, especially on the defensive line. They recorded 8 sacks and 1 interception last week.
Undoubtedly, this game is going to have some fireworks. These are two excellent football teams. The final score could go either way. Berkeley Prep has a very talented defensive line of their own. They could end up being the difference-makers in this game. If Stevenson, 2023 DE Keon Keeley, and 2024 DE Titus Bullard can rattle Chaminade-Madonna’s sophomore QB early, it could set the tempo for a great night. The Lions won’t be able to contain Bates and Townsend all night, but 2023 QB Troy Reader will have to make plays when needed also. It will take a full team effort to get the job done, but these guys are ready.
