7 Broward teams to open vs. out-of-state foes

There is always plenty to look forward to at the start of a football season, and that will be especially true this year for more than a half-dozen teams from Broward County.

Seven teams will open their upcoming campaigns in South Florida vs. out-of-state opponents as part of the Broward County National High School Football Showcase. The local programs that will compete against teams from around the country are 13-time state champion St. Thomas Aquinas, Chaminade-Madonna, American Heritage, Cardinal Gibbons, Dillard, Stranahan, and Western.

The games will all take place from Aug. 25-27 across four Broward schools, with St. Thomas Aquinas, Western, Dillard and Cardinal Gibbons serving as the competition hosts. Four of the encounters will see nationally ranked teams, per MaxPreps’ preseason list, face off against one another.

Saturday, Aug. 27 will be the biggest day of the showcase, as it will feature three games with Broward County programs, each ranked in MaxPreps’ Top 20, facing ranked opponents at St. Thomas Aquinas.

Two of those showdowns will be broadcast on national television: The fifth-ranked Raiders, who are looking to win a Florida-record-tying fourth consecutive state title, will face No. 29 St. Joe’s of Pennsylvania on ESPN at noon, and five-time state champ American Heritage, ranked 20th, will face 40th-rated California team Los Alamitos on ESPN2 at 4 p.m.

No. 13 Chaminade-Madonna plays in the 8 p.m. nightcap against No. 18 St. John’s (Washington, D.C.).

Several five-star prospects, per the 247Sports composite rankings, are expected to compete in the season-opening showdowns. American Heritage wide receiver Brandon Inniss, who recently committed to Ohio State,

is among those players as is Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Here is the rundown of the seven season openers that will make up the 2022 Broward County National High School Football Showcase along with the teams’ preseason MaxPreps national rankings:

Thursday, August 25

Stranahan vs. Life Christian Academy (Virginia), 4 p.m. at Western Western vs. Johns Creek (Georgia), 8 p.m. at Western Friday, August 26

Dillard vs. Rock Creek Christian Academy (Maryland), 7 p.m. @ Dillard 34. Cardinal Gibbons vs. 32. DeMatha (Maryland), 7 p.m. @ Cardinal Gibbons

Saturday, August 27

5. St. Thomas Aquinas vs.

29. St. Joe’s (Pennsylvania), Noon, *ESPN @ St. Thomas

20. American Heritage vs. 40. Los Alamitos (California), 4 p.m., *ESPN2 @ St. Thomas

13. Chaminade-Madonna vs.

18. St. John’s (Washington, D.C.), 8 p.m. @ St. Thomas

FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL MICHAEL LAUGHLIN/SOUTH St. Thomas Aquinas quarterback Jake Balanovich throws a pass during the spring game May 26.