How American Heritage regrouped and reached the 4A title game

Patriots returned to title game for second time in three years

American Heritage receiver Malachi Toney (1) gets to the sidelines after a long completion in a win against Western. Toney is now leading the Patriots as its quarterback. / Joe Frisaro

PLANTATION, FLORIDA – It was only a matter of time before American Heritage squared off against Orlando Jones for all the marbles.

For years, a championship showdown between these storied programs seemed inevitable.

“I feel like we’ve been on a collision course with Jones for about 10 years now,” Heritage coach Mike Smith said.

On Friday night, the dream matchup becomes a reality.

Heritage (11-2) and Jones (14-0) is the marquee game of the entire playoffs, with the Class 4A state title game landing the enviable 7:30 p.m. Friday time slot at Pitbull Stadium at Florida International University.

“There’s nothing we haven’t seen at this point,” Smith said. “So, we’ve just got to play the game.”

 The Patriots are back in the finals for the second time in three years. In 2022, they came up short, 38-31, to Miami Central.

Now, after overcoming so much adversity all season, Heritage looks to bring home the championship trophy.

High School on SI breaks down how Heritage overcame early season struggles to be in position to win it all.

The magic of Malachi Toney

Who knew one of the state’s top receivers also could play quarterback at a high level? Toney has done just that, literally rescuing the Patriots’ season.

After five-star Texas commit Dia Bell went down with a right leg injury against Dillard, Toney (Miami signee) took over at quarterback. Heritage trailed 14-0 early in the third quarter when Bell was hurt, and Toney took over and guided a 24-14 comeback in the playoffs. The following week, Toney delivered again in a 35-14 victory over Miami Norland in the regional finals. Last week, in a 38-28 win against St. Augustine in the state semifinals, Toney was 12 of 15 passing for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Additionally, the shifty receiver-turned-quarterback ran for 73 yards and another score.

Toney has been on a mission to win the title ever since he fumbled as a freshman late in the 2022 championship game. It’s all on the line Friday.

Byron Louis is a big-time back

The Patriots have a long history of great backs, including Sony Michel and Mark Fletcher. Louis ranks up there with the school’s all-time greats.

The Florida Gators signee has led the ground game all season, with Toney also being a threat to run.

Against St. Augustine, Louis rushed for 102 yards on 17 carries. Against Dillard, the bruising back grinded out 207 yards, and for the season, he’s amassed 1,496 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The Patriots feature a hard-hitting defense

From where they were early in the season when they lost 48-45 at Chaminade-Madonna to where they are now is night and day for the Patriots’ defense.

The intensity level has really picked up in the playoffs, as has their physical play. Linebacker Dylan Bennett makes plays all over the field, as has defensive end Kymani Morales. The two juniors are difference makers. Bennett has a whopping 132 tackles, while Morales counters with 118. Bennett has nine sacks and 23 tackles for losses, while Morales has 18 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and three sacks. It’s also worth noting that defensive linemen Cory Simon and Omarian Abraham each have nine sacks.

The Patriots create offensive impact with speedy wide receivers

The downside of Toney playing quarterback is, the Patriots have lost the services of their top receiver. Remember, Toney paces the team with 58 catches for 1,008 yards and 12 touchdowns. Now that he’s throwing passes and not catching them, the Patriots are relying on the rest of the receiving corps. Brandon Bennett is a speedster who missed a few games early in the year. The junior has become a primary target, and he’s a deep threat, averaging 22.1 yards per catch (440 yards total), and seven touchdowns. Coi Jean-Noel is another junior who has impressed, with 29 receptions for 440 yards and five touchdowns. Jamar Denson is yet another junior who has 677 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns.

X Factor in Xavier Thomas

Facing some of the top passing teams in the state is nothing new for the Patriots. Cornerback Xavier Thomas is regularly assigned the opponents’ top receiver, and that should be no different Friday. St. Augustine provided a challenging task last week in the semifinals. Yellow Jackets quarterback Locklan Hewlett threw for 350 yards on 40 attempts. With the game on the line, however, Thomas came through with an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final minutes. Thomas added nine tackles in the game. Also against St. Augustine, Adonis Ferguson came up with a huge interception late in the fourth quarter.