By Dave Brousseau
HOLLYWOOD – The Chaminade-Madonna drive for yet another state football championship move one-step closer to reality on Friday.
Led by senior running back Derrick Cooper’s 257 rushing yards on 34 carries and a touchdown was the Lions prescription to a convincing 35-14 victory over True North in a Class 1A regional final.
Chaminade (10-2) advances a step closer to their eighth title since 2017, but first they’ll need to defeat Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) in a state semifinal game on Dec. 5.
Since the 2017 championship season, the Lions have recorded 104 victories and only 14 losses.
Collectively, the Lions’ running game was dominant with a season high of 437 yards on 63 carries and four touchdowns.
It was the 10th consecutive game over 200 yards and fourth time this season over 300 yards.
“I know I have a staple of running backs,” said Chaminade-Madonna coach Dameon Jones. “We want to use the running game to open the pass game and that’s what we’ve been doing in the playoffs. The offensive line does a heck of a job and that’s what makes our run game go.”
Trailing 7-0 after the Titans opening possession of the first half on a 7-yard run by Kemari Morrision, the Lions reeled off 35 consecutive points to end any possibility of being upset.
Cooper scored on an 11-yard run that completed a 9-play, 65-yard drive to tie the score at 7-7. Cooper impressive numbers on the season improved to 1,379 yards on 140 carries and 17 touchdowns.
“All the credit goes to the offense line,” said Cooper, a University of Texas commit. “They always set the up the holes for me to hit it. I feel we have the best running back group in the country. The running game is very important because without it can’t move the ball.”
Junior running back Arwin Jackson added a 28-yard scoring run later in the quarter, an indication what the Titans as the game went forward.
Following an interception by Elijah Hardy freshman quarterback Malik Leonard threw a 26-yard scoring pass to Jasen Lopez for 21-7 lead. It was the 11th scoring reception of the year for Lopez.
Junior back Lee Prince Jr. scored the first of his two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to seal game for the Lions.
He first came on the first play of the fourth quarter on an eight-yard run for a 28-7 lead. His second came on a sweep off the right side for seven yards.
The Titans (10-3) added a late score on a 10-yard run by Cecil Smith.
“We knew coming in the Cooper gets a lot of love,” said True North coach Greg Laffere. “He’s great player, but they have a whole bunch of guys that are pretty good.
They do nice job in putting it together in terms of the running game. We knew that was a challenge and we put our defense in a lot of hard spots.”
True North junior quarterback Zachary Katz passed for 250 yards on 20 completions. He finished the season 2,470 yards on 25 TD’s.
OTHER MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD RESULTS
FIT 1A-3A
SOUTH
Cape Coral Oasis 24, Riviera Beach Inlet Grove 0
REGION SEMIFINALS
Miami Booker T. Washington 33, Hallandale 22
North Miami Beach 42, Oasis 0
REGION FINAL
North Miami Beach 20, Miami Booker T. Washington 6
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Dec. 4 – The Villages
No. 1 Dunnellon (7-6) vs. North Miami Beach (6-6), 1 p.m.
REGION 4-1A
Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna 63, Boca Raton St. John Paul II 0
Miami Edison 50, Miami Westminster Christian 7
Miami True North 42, Miami Palmer Trinity 17
Boca Raton St. Andrews 64, Miami Archbishop Carroll 20
REGION SEMIFINALS
Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna 47, Miami Edison 18
Miami True North Classical Academy 62, Boca Raton St. Andrew’s Academy 28
REGIONAL FINAL
Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna 35, Miami True North Classical Academy 14
STATE SEMIFINAL
No. 4 Jacksonville Trinity Christian (9-4) at No. 1 Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (10-2)
REGION 4-2A
Miami Immaculata LaSalle 42, Homestead Somerset Silver Palms 7
Miami Ransom Everglades 20, Miami Gulliver Prep 13
Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons 48, Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace 28
Miami Killian 38, Miami Carol City 21
REGION SEMIFINALS
Miami La Salle 42, Miami Ransom Everglades 16
Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons 38, Miami Killian 35
REGION FINAL
Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons 20, Miami La Salle 17
STATE SEMIFINAL
No. 3 Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (10-3) at No. 2 Jacksonville Bolles (12-1)
REGION 4-3A
Miami Northwestern 70, Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy 0
Key West 44, Fort Myers Cypress Lake 34
Miami Central 54, Miami St. Brendan 14
Naples Lely 52, Estero 26
REGION SEMIFINALS
Northwestern 56, Key West 6
Miami Central 70, Naples Lely 30
REGION FINAL
Miami Northwestern 50, Miami Central 29
STATE SEMIFINAL
No. 4 Orlando Bishop Moore (12-1) at No. 1 Miami Northwestern (12-0)
REGION 4-4A
Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy 49, Hialeah 6
Miami Norland 49, Jensen Beach 14
Plantation American Heritage 50, Fort Pierce John Carroll 20
Plantation 21, Fort Lauderdale Dillard 14
REGION SEMIFINAL
Plantation American Heritage 48, Plantation 7
Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy 24, Miami Norland 14
REGION FINAL
Plantation American Heritage 25, Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy 20
STATE SEMIFINAL
No. 3 Plantation American Heritage (7-5) at No. 2 Fort Walton Beach Choctawhatchee (12-1)
REGION 4-5A
Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas 58, Palm Bay Heritage 7
Coconut Creek 49, Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy 20
Delray Beach Atlantic 55, North Miami 0
Hollywood McArthur 41, Stuart Martin County 13
REGION SEMIFINAL
Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas 45, Coconut Creek 13
Hollywood McArthur 17, Delray Beach Atlantic 16
REGION FINAL
Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas 34, Hollywood McArthur 7
STATE SEMIFINAL
No. 4 Fort Myers Riverdale (12-1) at No. 1 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (12-1)
REGION 4-6A
Miami Southridge 49, Davie Nova 0
Coconut Creek Monarch 39, Doral Academy 0
Pembroke Pines West Broward 56, South Plantation 13
Sunrise Piper 24, Pembroke Pines Flanagan 12
REGION SEMFINALS
Miami Southridge 42, Sunrise Piper 6
Pembroke Pines West Broward 38, Coconut Creek Monarch 12
REGION FINAL
Pembroke Pines West Broward 30, Miami Southridge 27
STATE SEMIFINAL
No. 4 Pembroke Pines West Broward (11-2) at No. 1 Gainesville Buchholz (12-1)
REGION 4-7A
Miami Palmetto 42, Coral Springs Coral Glades 0
Miami Christopher Columbus 28, Lantana Santaluces 3
Boca Raton Spanish River 23, Davie Western 21
Miami Lakes Barbara Goleman 30, Homestead South Dade 28
REGIONAL SEMIFINALS
Miami Lakes Barbara Goleman 56, Boca Raton Spanish River 42
Miami Palmetto 27, Miami Christopher Columbus 10
REGION FINAL
Miami Palmetto 65, Miami Lakes Barbara Goleman 41
STATE SEMIFINAL
No. 4 Miami Palmetto (11-2) at No. 1 Vero Beach (13-0)
Dave Brousseau is a veteran journalist who worked at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and is a longtime BCAA Correspondent. Need to reach out to him? Contact him at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.