By Marty Pallman
Twitter – @mpallman
Friday, December 9, 10 a.m. at Camping World Stadium, Orlando
2A championship: #4 University Christian (Jacksonville) (9-2) vs. #3 Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah) (11-1)
Head coaches:
University Christian: David Penland III, 6th season overall at UC (58-17), 2 state championships
Champagnat: Dennis Marroquin, 2nd season at Champagnat, (14-8).
State titles: University Christian: 8 (3rd in State) 1973, 87, 89, 91, 92, 94, 2012, 15
Champagnat: 1 – 2013
Road to Orlando:
University Christian: d. FAMU (Tallahassee) 42-6 (regional semifinals); d. North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) 32-14 (regional finals), d. Victory Christian (Lakeland) 43-13 (state semifinals)
Champagnat: d. Community School (Naples) 34-31 (regional semifinals); d. First Baptist (Naples) 13-0; d. Northside Christian (St. Petersburg) 14-3
The skinny: University Christian looks to repeat as 2A state champions after outscoring their opponents 159-52 en route to state title a year ago. Christians lost running back Hussein Howe, who is now at East Carolina, but have been led by senior running back and UCF commit Otis Anderson. Anderson has rushed for almost 1,200 yards and 17 TD’s and adds another three scores receiving. Junior quarterback Clay Boyd does enough passing-wise to keep teams off-balance, throwing for 1,142 yards with 12 TD’s and six interceptions.
Senior linebacker Leon Huey leads the Christians with 61 total tackles and 13 for loss. Christians lost back-to-back games against Coffee County (GA) and Trinity Christian early in the season but have eight game winning streak coming into state championship game and have outscored three playoff opponents 117-33. The Christians run defense had held opponents to -2 yards on the ground in the three state playoff games and 50.7 yards per game all season.
Champagnat won its only state title in its only previous state playoff appearance in 2013, but were kicked out of the state playoffs in 2014 for forfeiting a game a halftime. The Lions went through a coaching change and struggled to a 2-7 record a year ago, but find themselves back in Orlando for the second time in four years.
After struggling past Community School in the opening round, Champagnat allowed only three points combined in two wins over First Baptist and Northside Christian to advance back to Camping World Stadium. Junior linebacker Donovan Georges leads the Lions with 129 tackles and 13 sacks, and brother sophomore Donald Georges adds three sacks. Freshman defensive end Jesus Machado leads Champagnat with 19 sacks, with defensive tackle Tyrik Robinson adding 123 tackles.
Offensively the Lions are very balanced, led by sophomore quarterback Kervin Dessources, who has passed for over 1,500 with 18 TD’s and only 6 picks. Three running backs have more than 330 yards rushing for Champagnat, led by Calvin Montgomery with 621 yards and 10 scores. Four wide receivers have caught between 24 and 28 passes and have between 313 and 455 yards as well through the air.
Prediction: University Christian can tie St. Thomas Aquinas for the second most state titles in Florida high school football, although Aquinas will play for its 10th state championship later Friday. UC was dominant a year ago, and has been the top team in 2A most of this season despite the two early losses. The Christians are playing at the top of their game coming into this state championship game, and are once again a ground-oriented team led by Anderson. Champagnat is no stranger to Orlando, winning a state title in 2013, and they have a tough few years since the championship. Marroquin has helped turned the Lions back around instantly, led by a stingy defense. But this is a step up in competition for Champagnat…University Christian 24, Champagnat 19
