5 things you should know ahead of Chaminade-Madonna vs. St. Thomas Aquinas

Before the two national powers clash in Miami, we give you five things you should know before entering Pitbull Stadium tonight

Chaminade Madonna wide receiver Jansen Lopez running against St. John Bosco’s defense / Matt Christopher

Arguably the biggest game of the year in Broward County is taking place tonight at Florida International University's Pitbull Stadium when the Chaminade-Madonna Lions clash with St. Thomas Aquinas.

The two national powerhouses enter the contest renewing an old rivalry that hasn't been played since 1981. Chaminade-Madonna leads the all-time series 7-4, but the last time the two schools met, St. Thomas Aquinas walked away with a 71-7 victory over the Lions.

Before the two national powers clash in Miami, High School ON SI gives you five things you should know before entering Pitbull Stadium tonight:

1. St. Thomas Aquinas will look to establish control the line of scrimmage early

Matt Christopher

A staple of any St. Thomas Aquinas team is controlling the line of scrimmage and this specific group will look to do nothing different against Chaminade-Madonna. The Raiders feature a solid offensive front, with USF commitment Caleb Harris (6-foot-4, 260 pounds) leading the way. Harris and the line has paved the way for over 1,200 yards on the ground and nearly 2,500 total offensively this season. To win this game, St. Thomas Aquinas will have to control the LOS if they want to defeat Chaminade-Madonna.

2. Who will Chaminade-Madonna have under center tonight?

After capturing its first win last week in an instant classic with American Heritage, Chaminade-Madonna is back in action Thursday night as the Lions host Edison. / Matt Christopher

Down both sophomore Tyler Chance and senior Preston Wright, who will Chaminade-Madonna turn to under center? Whomever Dameon Jones decides on trotting out to run the Lions' offense will be the team's third different starting quarterback this season and it comes against one of the country's top programs. Freshman Peter Pierre and senior Jaquari Lewis are the other two players on the team that have thrown passes this fall, but either or will have plenty of talent at the skill position surrounding him. Having Power 4-level talent like Koby Howard, Kyle Washington, Denairius Gray and Jasen Lopez out wide helps make whoever is throwing the passes a little easier.

3. Raiders' quarterback Andrew Indorf needs to be the X-Factor

St. Thomas Aquinas quarterback Andrew Indorf, who lacks major college offers thus far, showed is worthiness with 198 yards passing and two touchdowns against national power Bishop Gorman on Aug. 24, 2024. / Matt Christopher

We don't just say this because it's a thought, but more so that Indorf will have to make a difference. In the Raiders' six victories this season, Indorf has had to manage the offense and he's done a superb job of that. The one lone loss to Bishop Gorman (Nevada), Indorf threw for nearly 300 yards and was almost the hero if not for a late interception. That's something that the senior signal caller has shrugged off and has played really well, throwing for over 1,100 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. His impact will play a major role in the result down the stretch.

4. How will the Lions slow down sophomore sensation Julius Jones?

Matt Christopher

The answer one would think might be a committee of players in the secondary getting the job done, but Chaminade-Madonna has one of the state's most talented cornerbacks in Chris Ewald. The Miami (FL) commitment stands 6-foot, around 170 pounds and will likely be given the assignment of trying to slow down Jones, who has caught 25 passes for 453 yards and six touchdowns. St. Thomas Aquinas will try feeding Jones the ball early and often, but make no doubt that Ewald will be somewhere nearby checking the sophomore sensation.

5. The stars need to come out tonight at Pitbull Stadium

Matt Christopher

If the recruiting rankings list a star next to your name, you're expected to perform under the bright lights of Pitbull Stadium tonight. There's plenty of names we can list that need to show out, but both Roger Harriott and Dameon Jones need their respective players to come out and shine. With the Sunshine State hurting from the effects of Hurricane Milton, it would be a breath of fresh air to see some high-level football action take place in the 305. Heck, could we see Pitbull make an appearance at the stadium tonight?

---

Follow SBLive Florida throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl