It all started back in late April with spring football and plenty of optimism on fields and in gyms throughout Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.

With the long summer days filled with conditioning and attending camps, combines and 7-on-7 events that were all designed to get better and make the season ahead a success.

A lengthy nine month off season followed by three months of grinding and trying to win as a team while attracting college attention to continue playing this great game.

For many seniors, tonight’s (7:00) meeting between playoff bound North Miami (6-3) and Hialeah American (4-5) at Milander Park will kickoff the final week of the 2025 regular season.

While several programs will advance to next week’s first round of the state playoffs, tonight, Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be the final time this season that many will get to lineup and represent their school.

Throughout Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, it will be an off-season that will once against winds its way through a new year, where all the negatives from this past season will be channeled into hope for the 2026 season.

For head coach Gerald Cox and his Pioneers and Tim Neal and his Patriots, the honor to kick the last week of the regular season off tonight will give students, administration, friends and family a chance to cheer their favorites on – many for the final time.

NORTH MIAMI PIONEERS

Miami Jackson, W 46-6

North Miami Beach, W 20-13

Miami Dr. Krop, W 18-9

Pembroke Pines Charter, W 42-0

Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian Academy, L 16-12

Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy, L 35-14

Miramar, L 46-6

Miramar Everglades, W 36-0

Miami Booker T. Washington, W 34-31

10/29 - @Hialeah American

HIALEAH AMERICAN PATRIOTS

Miami Edison, L 46-0

Miami Lakes Barbara Goleman, L 42-13

Miami Jackson, W 28-6

North Miami Beach, L 46-0

Miami Belen Jesuit, W 20-14

Miami Dr. Krop, W 23-21

Hialeah, L 35-12Homestead, L 14-13

South Miami, W 35-0

10/29 – North Miami

While North Miami and American will kickoff the final week of the regular season, here is a look at the remainder of the Week 11 schedule:

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30TH
Deerfield Beach Somerset at Key at Miami Ransom Everglades, 7

Fort Myers Bishop Verot vs. No. 10 Miami Palmetto (Tropical), 7

Hallandale at Weston Cypress Bay, 7

Miami Archbishop Carroll at Boca Raton Olympic Heights, 6:30

Miami Beach vs. Miami High (Curtis), 7

Miami Belen Jesuit vs. No. 20 Miami Killian (Southridge), 7

Miami BridgePrep Village Green at Homestead Somerset Silver Palms, 7

Miami Carol City vs. No. 4 Miami Central (Traz), 7

Miami Edison at Doral Academy, 7

No. 9 Miami True North Classical Academy at Miami Westminster Christian, 4

Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy at Vero Beach, 7

Pompano Beach at Oakland Park Northeast, 6:30

Pompano Beach Blanche Ely vs. No. 15 Coconut Creek Monarch (Coconut Creek), 7

Westland Hialeah vs. Miami Springs (Milander), 7

Friday, Oct. 31

Coral Gables vs. Southwest Miami (Tropical), 7:30

Coral Springs Taravella at Coral Springs, 7

Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest at Marathon, 7

Fort Lauderdale Stranahan vs. Fort Lauderdale (Dillard), 7

Hialeah ABF Academy at Miami Palmer Trinity, 4

No. 17 Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy vs. Miami Jackson (Curtis), 7:30

No. 3 Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna at No. 1 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, 7

Hollywood Hills at Davie Nova, 7

No. 8 Hollywood McArthur at Miramar Everglades, 7

Hollywood South Broward at Sunrise Piper, 7

Homestead South Dade at No. 5 Miami Southridge, 7:30

No. 12 Miami Immaculata La Salle vs. Miami Dr. Krop (Ives), 7

Miami Lakes Barbara Goleman at Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace, 7:30

Miami St. Brendan at Miami Gulliver Prep, 4

Miramar at No. 16 Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons, 7

Naples St. John Neumann vs. North Miami Beach (Traz), 7:30

North Lauderdale Somerset Prep at Boynton Beach Somerset Canyons, 6:30

Parkland Douglas at No. 14 Coconut Creek, 7

No. 7 Pembroke Pines West Broward at Davie Western, 7

No. 19 Plantation at South Plantation, 7

Pembroke Pines Flanagan at Cooper City, 7

West Palm Beach The Kings Academy at Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy, 7

Saturday, Nov. 1

BROWARD

No. 6 Fort Lauderdale Dillard at Deerfield Beach, 7

MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD INFORMATION YEAR-ROUND. https://larryblustein.com/

For the past 55 years, we have spent more time on football fields than anyone in the country. From games to practices, camps, combines and 7-on-7 events, we get to as many events as possible to see the athletes LIVE. Follow us on Facebook (Larry Blustein), Instagram (OurBoyBlu) and Twitter (@PrepRedzoneFL). Contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

By Dave Brousseau

HOLLYWOOD – One of the few things in common between the McArthur and South Plantation football teams meeting on Thursday was they both entered the game with a won-loss records of 6-2.

That’s where it ended.

The Mustangs had too much offense and physical toughness on defense as they pounded the Paladins 55-0 in a non-district game last Thursday.

The victory extended McArthur’s winning streak to five games, while outscoring their opponents 243-6.

Andrew Stickney threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in the lopsided victory. In addition, senior running back Kenson Louis ran for 101 yards with a touchdown on just six carries.

South Plantation (6-3) struggled defensively over the last three games allowing 149 points.

“Shout out to South Plantation as they are a good football team and it was something we had to prepare for,” said McArthur coach Robert Ortega Sr., who took over his alma mater this season. “Credit to our guys and coaches for preparing against a good team. We showed everything we had tonight, and we just want to keep moving forward.”

“On offense we wanted to start fast,” said Stickney. “Every game we come into we want to dominate, he added.”

The Mustangs defense proved too stingy for the Paladins to break.

Junior running back Kamary Cooper, who entered the game with a BCAA leading 1510 yards on 127 carries and 19 touchdowns, was limited to nine yards on just five carries.

Junior quarterback Nixon Kalish had nearly 2000 yards passing with 19 touchdowns, was held to 128 yards on 15 completions.

McArthur ends its regular season at Miramar Everglades, while South Plantation hosts Plantation in the annual Mayor’s Cup.

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.

The 2025 high school football season is headed into the final week of the regular season, and Miami-Dade and Broward schools with big dreams at the start of the year, are now faced with not making the playoffs.

With most of the state playoff teams already set for next week, many players and coaches will end their season this week – without having the opportunity to play into the post season.

While there were some disappointments over the past three months – with teams falling short of their pre-season goals – there were other programs who will realize the opportunity to compete in the post season.

The final week of the regular season will watch some interesting matchups with prospects getting that final chance to get some film that will sell themselves to colleges and universities in hopes that a coach will see something they like and offer them an opportunity.

While this is the end of the regular season, we will certainly follow and rank these teams until the final weekend of the season in December at Pitbull Stadium in Miami.

Here is a look at this week’s Top 20 area programs:

1. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (5A, 8-1). The Raiders knocked off defending 4A state champion No. 18 Plantation American Heritage, 19-12. THIS WEEK: 10/31 – No. 3 Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

2. Miami Northwestern (3A, 9-0). The Bulls ended the regular season with their third straight shutout, 49-0, against Miami St. Brendan. THIS WEEK: Bye. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

3. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (1A, 7-1). The Lions rolled to a 47-0 win against No. 16 Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons. They outscored their last five opponents, 211-13. THIS WEEK: 10/31 - @No. 1 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

4. Miami Central (3A, 7-1). The Rockets rolled to another district win, 39-0, against Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy. THIS WEEK: 10/30 – Miami Carol City. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

5. Miami Southridge (6A, 8-1). The Spartans had the week off. THIS WEEK: 10/31 – Homestead South Dade. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

6. Fort Lauderdale Dillard (4A, 9-0). The Panthers continued to be the talk of south Florida with a 41-13 district win against Boynton Beach. THIS WEEK: 11/1 - Deerfield Beach. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

7. Pembroke Pines West Broward (6A, 7-2). The Bobcats ran through Miami Dr. Krop in a district game, 49-0. It was the fifth time this year that they scored 40 or more. away from Miramar, 52-8, as they continued to roll along. THIS WEEK: 10/30 - Davie Western. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

8. Hollywood McArthur (5A, 7-2). The Mustangs recorded their fourth shutout and fifth consecutive win of the season – 55-0 over South Plantation. THIS WEEK: 10/31 - Miramar Everglades. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

9. Miami True North Classical Academy (1A, 6-2). The Titans won for the sixth straight time, 34-15, against 7A Miami Christopher Columbus. THIS WEEK: 10/30 - @Miami Westminster Christian & 11/3 – Miami Archbishop Carroll (Continuation of a game they lead 28-7). NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

10. Miami Palmetto (7A, 7-2). The Panthers got back on the winning track with a 43-7 district contest against Miami High. THIS WEEK: 10/30 – Fort Myers Bishop Verot. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

11. Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy (4A, 7-2). The Mavericks came up with a huge non district win against Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian Academy, 38-7. THIS WEEK: 10/31 – West Palm Beach The King’s Academy. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

12. Miami Immaculata LaSalle (2A, 9-0). The Royal Lions won for the ninth consecutive time, 21-18, against No. 17 Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy. THIS WEEK: 10/31 - Miami Dr. Krop. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

13. Miami Norland (4A, 5-5). The up and down season for the Vikings took a positive turn with a thrilling 35-34 win against No. 19 Plantation. THIS WEEK: Bye. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

14. Coconut Creek (5A, 7-2). The Cougars got back on the winning track with a district win against Pompano Beach Blanche Ely, 46-6. THIS WEEK: 10/30 – Parkland Douglas. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

15. Coconut Creek Monarch (6A, 5-4). The Knights got back on the winning track with a district championship win against Sunrise Piper. THIS WEEK: 10/30 – Pompano Beach Blanche. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

16. Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (2A, 6-3). The Chiefs dropped a non-district contest to No. 3 Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, 47-0, breaking a three-game winning streak. THIS WEEK: 10/30 – Miramar. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

17. Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy (5A, 7-2). The Lions lost for the second straight week, 21-18, to No. 12 Miami Immaculata LaSalle. THIS WEEK: 10/31 - Miami Jackson. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

18. Plantation American Heritage (4A, 4-5). The defending 4A state champion Patriots lost 19-12 to No. 1 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, ending with a very rare losing regular season. THIS WEEK: Bye. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

19. Plantation (4A, 5-4). The Colonels dropped a heartbreaker to No. 13 Miami Norland, 35-34, in a district contest. THIS WEEK: 10/30 - South Plantation. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

20. Miami Killian (2A, 6-2). The Cougars continued to roll along with their third straight victory – a 55-6 win against Homestead Somerset Academy Silver Palms. THIS WEEK: 10/30 – Miami Belen Jesuit. NEXT WEEK: State Playoffs, TBA.

Here are some other programs that are still in the hunt:

Independent

Doral Ronald Reagan (7-1)

Coral Springs Charter (4-5)

Fort Lauderdale University School (5-5)

Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy (8-1)

Miami Braddock (5-4)

Miami Coral Reef Football (6-3)

Miami Ferguson (4-3)

Miami Florida Christian (7-1-1)

Miami Varela (6-3)

1A

Miami Archbishop Carroll (6-1)

Miami Edison (4-4)

Miami Palmer Trinity (6-2)

Miami Westminster Christian (8-1)

2A

Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian Academy (7-2)

Miami Booker T. Washington (2-8)

Miami Carol City (6-3)

Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace (4-5)

Miami Gulliver Prep (5-3)

Miami Ransom Everglades (5-4)

North Miami Beach (4-5)

3A

Miami St. Brendan (4-5)

4A

Hialeah (6-4)

5A

Miramar (4-5)

North Miami (6-3)

6A

Davie Nova (4-5)

Doral Academy (5-3)

Pembroke Pines Flanagan (7-2)

South Plantation (6-3)

Sunrise Piper (6-4)

7A

Coral Gables (5-2)

Coral Springs Coral Glades (6-4)

Davie Western (4-5)

Homestead South Dade (5-5)

Miami Christopher Columbus (3-7)

Miami Lakes Barbara Goleman (5-4)

Weston Cypress Bay (5-4)

MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD TOP 20

WEEK 1. https://larryblustein.com/news/week-1-top-20-miami-dade-broward-loaded-with-talent

WEEK 2. https://larryblustein.com/news/week-2-top-20-st-thomas-aquinas-moves-to-no-1

WEEK 3. https://larryblustein.com/news/week-3-local-teams-are-starting-to-emerge

WEEK 4. https://larryblustein.com/news/week-4-huge-games-will-test-local-teams

WEEK 5. https://larryblustein.com/news/week-5-new-teams-enter-an-elite-group

WEEK 6. https://larryblustein.com/news/week-6-district-games-will-put-distance-between-teams

WEEK 7. https://larryblustein.com/news/week-7-things-are-beginning-to-get-interesting-for-area-programs

WEEK 8. https://larryblustein.com/news/week-8-it-s-all-about-the-state-playoffs-now

WEEK 9. https://larryblustein.com/news/miami-dade-broward-week-9-playoff-slots-still-up-for-grabs

WEEK 10. https://larryblustein.com/news/miami-dade-broward-week-10-playoff-spots-up-for-grabs

MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD INFORMATION YEAR-ROUND. https://larryblustein.com/

For the past 55 years, we have spent more time on football fields than anyone in the country. From games to practices, camps, combines and 7-on-7 events, we get to as many events as possible to see the athletes LIVE. Follow us on Facebook (Larry Blustein), Instagram (OurBoyBlu) and Twitter (@PrepRedzoneFL). Contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Once again on Monday night the South Florida High School Sports Radio Show took center stage with seven impressive guests.

Each and every week, the FM 104.3 WQAM radio program attracts the newsmakers in high school sports, recruiting college sports – not only locally, but throughout the country.

The show gives listeners an opportunity to hear about college football programs statewide from the media that cover them. It also focuses on the coaches who use the state of Florida – Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in particular.

The show, which has run for nearly two decades, has become a popular listen for recruiting fans as well as high school sports purists, focusing on c

Here is a look at the way Monday went:

It’s the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs this Saturday in Jacksonville as Billy Gonzalez makes his head coaching debut in a huge game. Corey Bender from Gators Online talked about this much-anticipated contest.

COREY BENDER ON MONDAY NIGHT. https://www.audacy.com/podcast/south-florida-high-school-sports-radio-5af98/episodes/corey-bender-of-gators-on-line-ae31b

With all the coaching changes being made, the transfer portal could be very active in the coming weeks before the first National Signing Day arrives in late December. Marcus Benjamin from Rivals.com spoke about some of the prospects who could flip their commitment.

MARCUS BENJAMIN ON MONDAY NIGHT. https://www.audacy.com/podcast/south-florida-high-school-sports-radio-5af98/episodes/marcus-benjamin-rivals-dot-com-1a37c

We have reached the final week of the 2025 high school football regular season and there are plenty of teams still hoping to play for a state title in Miami in December. Drew Johnson from Prep Redzone Florida broke down some of the classifications.

DREW JOHNSON ON MONDAY NIGHT. https://www.audacy.com/podcast/south-florida-high-school-sports-radio-5af98/episodes/drew-johnson-prep-redzone-florida-3e756

He took over his alma mater Hollywood McArthur this year with the hope of turning this football program around. Robert Ortega’s Mustangs are 7-2 going into the final game of the regular season and he talked about the team and how things have turned around.

ROBERT ORTEGA ON MONDAY NIGHT. https://www.audacy.com/podcast/south-florida-high-school-sports-radio-5af98/episodes/head-coach-robert-ortega-of-mcarthur-high-7c093

Heading into their final regular season game of the season this week, the Miami Immaculata LaSalle Royal Lions are 9-0 and wrapped up their first district title in 50 years. Head Coach Helder Valle has been at the school seven years and has helped to turn the corner. He joined the program.

HELDER VALLE ON MONDAY NIGHT. https://www.audacy.com/podcast/south-florida-high-school-sports-radio-5af98/episodes/head-coach-helder-valle-miami-immaculata-lasalle-485c3

Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy senior quarterback Robert Kerns has been at the school since the beginning and has played a huge role in the growth of this district championship team. This two-sport (baseball) athlete talked Mavericks and more.

ROBERT KERNS ON MONDAY NIGHT. https://www.audacy.com/podcast/south-florida-high-school-sports-radio-5af98/episodes/quarterback-robert-kerns-of-archbishop-mccarthy-7d75c

MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD INFORMATION YEAR-ROUND. https://larryblustein.com/

For the past 55 years, we have spent more time on football fields than anyone in the country. From games to practices, camps, combines and 7-on-7 events, we get to as many events as possible to see the athletes LIVE. Follow us on Facebook (Larry Blustein), Instagram (OurBoyBlu) and Twitter (@PrepRedzoneFL). Contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..