It has been a long road. For many teams and prospects, 11 months long.
One of the last areas of the state to officially launch this season in what has truly been a disaster in south Florida and for countless programs throughout Florida who followed the FHSAA’s lead and began in late August, only to close things down because of Covid cases.
With Broward County public schools on deck to open up the high school football season this week, Miami-Dade stepped into the spotlight last week.
In a week that saw the area’s No. 1 team, St. Thomas Aquinas drop a local game to Cardinal Gibbons, the spotlight was shining directly on The “Mecca” – Traz Powell Stadium – for the annual showdown between Miami Northwestern and Miami Central.
As the calendar says late October, this is the time of year when teams are competing for playoff position, but this year has been much different.
When longtime rivals and national powers Miami Central and Miami Northwestern clash this evening (7:30) at Traz Powell Stadium, bragging rights and national ranking will be at stake as these two defending state champions have already secured a playoff spot in a blind draw.
The wait was long, the promises were many – and as a pandemic of a lifetime took hold – the 2020 high school football season begins for Miami-Dade County schools today.
Months and months of quarantine and frustration by coaches, players, parents and fans, the sport makes its return to public schools with a few Thursday games.
It was a good news/bad news Friday for St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Roger Harriott and his team.
The good news was that last year’s co-national champion, an undefeated team was opening the season against unbeaten TRU Prep Academy (aka NSU University School).