The top two teams in the state of Florida will matchup tomorrow night, as Miami powerhouses Booker T. Washington and Central tangle at Traz Powell Stadium. Maxpreps has put together a nice little preview video and story for the upcoming game:
The Miami Herald also has a nice little preview of the game here.
Fans of all three of the state schools have a reason to watch this one with an eye on the future. While the Hurricanes are best represented in this matchup (OL Trevor Darling and RB Joe Yearby of Central, DL Chad Thomas, DL Demetrius Jackson and DB Nigel Bethel of Washington,) both Florida (Central RB Dalvin Cook and junior WR Da'Vante Phillips) and Florida State (Washington QB Treon Harris, Central DT Frederick Jones) also have a rooting interest in this game.
That doesn't even begin to touch on all the future FBS talent in this game, however. Washington WR Lamar Parker is headed for West Virginia. Central DB Deatrick Nichols has already given a pledge to South Florida. There are literally dozens of other players competing in this game, especially among the underclassmen, who will suit up for one of the Big Three schools, or another BCS-caliber program down the road.
In other words, this game is a big deal. In fact, it might be the be the most impressive collection of talent on one field since another matchup between the top two high school teams in the country: Long Beach Poly and Concord De La Salle out of California on Oct. 6, 2001. That game featured future pros Darnell Bing, Winston Justice, Derek Landri, Marcedes Lewis and Maurice Jones-Drew (then just known as Maurice Drew.) Numerous top prospects who went on to attend Michigan, Notre Dame, UCLA and USC, among other top programs also took part in the game. Even Brian Banks, the linebacker who was exonerated on rape charges in 2012 and spent training camp with the Atlanta Falcons this summer, also took part in the game.
Oh, by the way, De La Salle won the game in at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach, 29-15, before an announced crowd of 17,321. Drew accounted for 152 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in a winning effort. The Spartans ran their national-record winning streak to 116 games that night (it would eventually reach 151 before De La Salle finally dropped a contest in Seattle to Bellevue, Wash. in 2004.) The Jackrabbits, it should be noted, had come in to the game having won 57 of their last 59.
In terms of Florida history, the most recent game that comes to mind in the 2006 Class 5A state final between Lakeland and St. Thomas Aquinas. The Dreadnaughts, who won a 45-42 shootout in overtime to clinch the mythical national championship, got a herculean performance from future Florida Gator and Pittsburgh Steeler Chris Rainey, who rushed for 276 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. Lakeland also featured future NFL offensive linemen Maurkice (Pittsburgh) and Mike Pouncey (Miami). St. Thomas Aquinas could claim eventual Chicago Bears safety Major Wright among it's talented roster, which also featured Leonard Hankerson, now a receiver for the Washington Redskins.
So, will the game live up to the hype? Maybe it will, maybe it won't. But it's No. 1 and No. 2. For fans of college and/or football, it's a game worth watching at 7:30 PM on Friday night. If you don't happen to have a date or something.
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