Chaminade-Madonna rolls in long-awaited home opener

HOLLYWOOD — Due to a combination of scheduling and cancellations, Chaminade-Madonna did not get to play a home game until the eighth week of the season.

But Friday’s game was well worth the wait for the Lions.

Chaminade, which went 4-1 in five road contests, picked up a 31-16 victory over Miami Gulliver Prep on Friday night in Hollywood, riding a strong pass defense and run game to a victory.

“I’m happy to finally play at home,” Lions coach Dameon Jones said. “It’s been crazy. You just don’t understand, man. I thought tonight we started out with more energy just by being home.”

The combination of sophomore quarterback Cedrick “C.J.” Bailey and sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith put Chaminade up 14-3 early. The pair of underclassmen connected on two touchdowns.

“Every game, [Bailey] gets better and better,” Jones said.

But Gulliver got three points after an interception allowed the Raiders to start a drive at the Chaminade 7-yard line, and they cut the deficit to four points on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Carson Haggard to five-star junior wide receiver Jalen Brown.

Haggard tossed two touchdown passes on Friday night, but the Lions’ pass defense held him to 19-of-40 passing for 243 yards. Many of those yards came on dazzling catches by Brown and three-star tight end De’Carlo Donaldson. Chaminade held Gulliver Prep to only 19 rushing yards.

“We broke them down all week; our defensive coaches did a great job,” Jones said. “Just kind of (tried to) take away the stuff that they like to do. They still made some big plays, but we’re just trying to take away the things that they like to do.”

The Lions, meanwhile, turned to their rushing game. Davion Gause did the bulk of the work on the ground, carrying the ball 31 times for 164 yards. Duane

Thomas added 92 yards on 15 carries, and Bailey rushed for 61 yards on five attempts.

“We run a fast-paced offense, and [Gulliver got] tired as the game keeps going on,” Gause said. “And that’s when big plays start to happen.”

Gause helped give Chaminade a double-digit lead, carrying the ball to the 2-yard line before Thomas punched in the score to make it 21-10. After Gulliver Prep cut the lead to one score on a 9-yard touchdown pass to Donaldson, Thomas sealed the victory late in the fourth quarter with a 53-yard touchdown run.

“[The running game] has been working for us all year,” Jones said.

MICHAEL LAUGHLIN/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL Chaminade-Madonna quarterback Cedrick Bailey runs past the Gulliver Prep defense during the Lions’ 31-16 win Friday. Bailey threw two touchdown passes in the victory.