FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – In the final game of the Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase, Chaminade-Madonna looked to notch its second win in three years against St. Frances Academy.
Instead, it would be the Panthers closing the 3-day classic by slamming the door shut on the Lions.
Behind a tenacious defensive effort and a consistent ground attack, the Panthers rolled to a 42-13 victory Saturday night at Brian Piccolo Stadium.
”It’s the type of football that we want to be a part of all the time, not just, once a year,” St. Frances Academy head coach Messay Hailemariam said. “(The players) worked really hard in the off-season, and I knew that if we worked the way we worked and then played a football game, the type of players we make, then we would have an opportunity to do exactly what we did today.”
St. Frances Academy exacts revenge
The moment St. Frances Academy lost to Chaminade-Madonna two years ago at the Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase in 2023, the Panthers knew they wanted to get revenge eventually.
Saturday night was their chance to right the wrong of 2023’s 35-14 loss to the Lions and the Panthers did so, and then some.
Hailemariam’s group raced out to a 28-7 lead at halftime and never looked back. What made the victory that much more satisfying was the fact they controlled the line of scrimmage and kept Chaminade-Madonna running back Derrek Cooper at bay, holding the future Longhorn to less than 100 yards rushing.
The Panthers will not have to travel as much as they did a year ago, with a chance to return home and play games in Baltimore. Next time St. Frances Academy returns to the Sunshine State, they’ll be facing rival IMG Academy on Nov. 7.
The Panthers may have the best defense in the country
In seeing teams like Mater Dei, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. John Bosco, some of the country’s most elite defenses were on full display over the last couple of days.
It would be St. Frances Academy’s defense showing that they may have the best unit in the nation.
Featuring a myriad of Maryland commitments up and down the roster, it would be players like five-star EDGE Zion Elee, the No. 1 defensive end of the 2026 class.
Also on the defense is Alabama commit Jireh Edwards and four-star linebacker DQ Forkpa, who just recently transferred in from IMG Academy. There’s not many defenses that feature the kind of talent the Panthers have and it showed on Saturday.
Chaminade-Madonna starts 13-year old QB
When the southpaw No. 14 stood behind center to start the game for Chaminade-Madonna, many folks may have not known how old Lions’ quarterback Malik Leonard is.
Leonard stepped behind center as a 13-year-old signal caller, up against one of the toughest defensive units in the entire country. Not exactly the easiest start one passer could have to start his high school career.
The left-hander looked poised and ended up throwing for over 100 yards and a touchdown against a St. Frances Academy defense that’s loaded with future Power Four level talent.
Though Saturday night’s game ended in a loss for Leonard and the Lions, the freshman quarterback’s future is bright.
“Being the field general of the one of the most prestigious high schools in the nation is one of the best thing ever happened to me, but is not easy,” Leonard said last week ahead of facing St. Frances Academy. “We have an image and standard we have to uphold, which is winning at all cost. I have a lot of support from my coaches, parents and teammates so the transition has been easier than I expected.”