Chaminade-Madonna Prep gets past American Heritage with a hard-fought 42-35 win

Photo Credit: John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel

It was only right that two of the best teams in South Florida slugged it out to see who was the better team. But in a matchup between two Top 15-ranked teams in Chaminade-Madonna Prep and American Heritage, Chaminade squeaked it out.

The game was neck and neck the entire way, as it was tied at 28 halfway through the fourth quarter. But when it mattered most, Chaminade surged, led by junior, four-star running back, Davion Gause. Gause was able to get in the end zone to give Chaminade-Madonna the lead at 35-28.

Turns out Gause’s touchdown was not all Chaminade had in store for the finish of the game. After Chaminade recovered a fumble by American Heritage inside the Chaminade 20-yard line, quarterback, Cedrick Bailey, found junior, five-star wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith, for an 85-yard touchdown, extending Chaminade’s lead to 42-28.

Gause led the way for the Lions with three rushing touchdowns, as his first came in the first quarter with a 1-yard plunge after a 57-yard run. He also got in the end zone in the second quarter with an 18-yard run.

But as expected, American Heritage stayed right with them. Quarterback, Blake Murphy answered Chaminade in the first quarter with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Toney to tie the game at seven, and Murphy found Toney again in the second quarter to tie it at 14.

The run game for American Heritage then took a turn, as Mark Fletcher broke away for a 41-yard touchdown to give the Patriots a 21-14 lead. But Chaminade quarterback, Cedrick Bailey, responded with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Washington to tie the game at 21.

Edwin Joseph then came up with an interception for Chaminade to set up a drive where he would also catch an 18-yard pass for a touchdown to retake the lead at 28-21.

Once again, American Heritage answered. Blake Murphy found five-star wide receiver and Ohio State commit, Brandon Inniss, for a 36-yard touchdown to tie the game again at 28. Chaminade found their rhythm, and took advantage when American Heritage couldn’t answer. The Lions took a two-score lead, and while Mark Fletcher was able to score on a 9-yard run for the Patriots, it wasn’t enough.

Chaminade will take on Gulliver Prep, who is 0-2, next week, and American Heritage will hope to get back in the win column on the road in two weeks against Cardinal Gibbons.