Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Chaminade looks to build on title game run
HOLLYWOOD — Chaminade-Madonna reached the Class 3A championship game last season against long odds. Dameon Jones had taken over as coach just four months earlier amid the tumult following the previous coach’s surprise departure the weekend before fall practice opened.
Now, as Jones runs his first spring as Lions coach, his team is looking to build on last year’s surprise run to the title game, hoping ultimately to win Chaminade its first championship since 2005.
“We already know what it takes,” said rising senior receiver and Alabama commit Xavier Williams. “Now we’ve got to step our game up even more.”
Junior safety Keontra Smith added, “We can’t make it that far and lose again.”
Players like Williams, Smith and star tailback Shaun Shivers have the look of playoff veterans. Shivers, who watched practice from the sideline Monday, shouting instructions at younger players, is preparing for the state track and field meet this weekend after qualifying in the 100and 200-meter races.
Also Jones, who stepped down as Hallandale coach following the 2015 season, has had time to settle in to his surroundings at Chaminade.
“Going into the second year, I’m a little more comfortable, but I’ve been doing it 15 years – certain things change, but not much,” Jones said. “We’re just trying to grow, just trying to get better. We had a lot of young guys in there. We saw what they can do, and they impressed.” The Lions will have a new starter at quarterback in the fall after Henry Colombi signed to play at Utah State. Rising junior Daelen Menard, who replaced Colombi when he missed time last year with a shoulder injury, is in the lead to start as the returner in Jones’ offense. Quinn Dempsey, an Archbishop McCarthy transfer, is also competing for the spot.
Whoever starts will have an elite national prospect in Williams to throw to, along with American Heritage transfer Marvin Alexander and McCarthy transfer Logan Giordano in the slot.
While Shivers sits until he finishes up track, Jones plans on using Smith in the backfield.
“He’s a four-star at safety, but he could be a five-star at running back,” Jones said. “Grown. Man.”
Monday wasn’t one of Smith’s scheduled work days at tailback, so rising sophomore Deidrick Stanley took a majority of the reps.
The Lions secondary returns all four starters from last year with rising juniors Tecory Couch and James Williams at corner and Smith and senior Justinn Richardson the two safeties. Richardson and Couch intercepted passes in 11-on-11 drills.
Chaminade’s defensive line looked dominant against the O-line when they lined up against each other. Left tackle Davoan Hawkins, committed to Kentucky for defense, says the unit needs to grow together and become more collaborative. His reason for why the D-line was so strong: defensive tackle Corey Prince.
“That’s a man amongst boys right there,” Hawkins said. “That’s the main person I like playing side-byside with every down.”
DE/OLB Zach Dixon, a Flanagan transfer, was swift coming off the edge when pass rushing and also showed he could drop back into coverage, tipping a ball that led to an interception.