DEERFIELD BEACH – Roger Harriott brought his six-time defending state champion Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders. Dylan Potts traveled from West Boca Raton with his defending 6A state champion Bulls. Mike Smith came from Plantation with his defending 4A state champion American Heritage Patriots. The Miami Northwestern and the defending 3A state champion Bulls were there.
The Fourth Annual Hotbed Football Media Day attracted some of the best teams and talent in Miami-Dade, Broward & Palm Beach Counties were on hand to kick off the 2025 season.
Media from all over the region came out to talk with players and coaches about the upcoming season – as prospects, who are rated locally, statewide and nationally had the opportunity to tell everyone what they did in the off-season.
“This is a new year,” said Smith about his American Heritage team that returns some quality talent. “Last year was last year, but our schedule is very challenging, and we have some positions to fill.”
With the kickoff classics getting started the week of August 11th and the 2025 season starting the week after, the champions are out to show that they continue to dominate – while those who came close last year believe that they can finish the job this coming year.
Miami Christopher Columbus and veteran head coach Dave Dunn came close last year, dropping the 7A state semifinal game on the road to eventual champion Venice. While he has several positions to fill, he believes that this team has the chance to be special.
“We have a quality schedule, and the players have worked very hard to give us another shot at reaching the state title game,” Dunn said. “But before we can think about that, we have to worry about the teams we play in the regular season.”
Miami Southridge and head coach Pierre Senatus came ever so close to getting to the 6A state title game after dropping a state semifinal on the road to eventual state champions West Boca Raton. The Spartans have been very busy this off-season and are up to the challenge.
“Our players and coaches still think about that loss, and it has driven them over the past nine months,” he explained. “We have the talent and know that we must take one game at a time.”
Speaking about 6A, Coconut Creek Monarch (Coach Calvin Davis), Pembroke Pines West Broward (Coach Brian McCartney), and Sunrise Piper (Coach Quinten Short) all were in the mix in that competitive classification, and all are ready to make a run.
“We have one of the toughest schedules we have ever had,” said Davis. “Before we start thinking about the post season, we have some impressive opponents to worry about.”
Davis and the Knight, McCartney and his Bobcats and Short and his Bengals are also part of the impressive opening week of the season – the Broward County National Showcase.
Monarch will play Florida 2A power Jacksonville Bolles, West Broward will have national power Corner Canyon of Draper, Utah, and Piper will host Peachtree Ridge of Georgia, who makes a return to the prestigious event.
“Great opportunity for our players and coaches to be a part of this event,” McCartney said. “Our schedule is one of the toughest we have ever had, and that is the way we wanted it to be.”
In addition to Monarch, West Broward and Piper, St. Thomas Aquinas (will play No. 1 Mater Dei, California), American Heritage (national power Philadelphia St. Joseph’s Prep) and Fort Lauderdale Dillard (Orlando Dr. Phillips) will also take part in the three-day showcase.
“It’s an honor to play in an event like this,” said Short. “After winning 10 games last year, I believe our players and coaches deserved the opportunity.”
Media Day also attracted other schools who have high hopes as the season is set to begin. Programs that are on the rise and have worked very hard over the past seven to eight months.
“We want to bring in the top schools to this media day every year,” said Football Hotbed CEO Brandon Odoi. “We had plenty of media and recruiting sites on hand who had the chance to give these players, coaches and teams plenty of exposure.”
Among the other schools coming from Miami-Dade County were Miami Lakes Barbara Goleman (7A), Miami True North (1A), Homestead (5A), Miami Killian (2A), North Miami (5A), Doral Academy (6A), Miami Norland (4A), and Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace (2A).
Broward schools that came out were Weston Cypress Bay (7A), Plantation (4A), Coconut Creek (5A), Davie Western (7A), Hollywood McArthur (5A), Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (2A), Pembroke Pines Flanagan (6A), and Fort Lauderdale University School (Independent).
Palm Beach was not left out of the mix as Royal Palm Beach and Delray Beach Atlantic joined West Boca Raton.
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