As we enter a star-studded Week 1 of the 2024 Florida high school football season, let’s take a look at our first batch of “Pick 6” game predictions of the year, which features several matchups from the Broward County High School National Football Showcase.
St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Bishop Gorman (Nevada)
This season’s high profile, out-of-state season opener for St. Thomas Aquinas comes at home against the Bishop Gorman Gaels (Nevada), who opened their 2024 fall campaign last week with a 33-7 home victory over Kahuku (Hawaii).
The Gaels, 1-0, rank as one of the top programs in the country, making this a truly can’t-miss national showdown Saturday afternoon in Fort Lauderdale.
Prediction: Bishop Gorman 20, St. Thomas Aquinas 14
Chaminade-Madonna vs. St. John Bosco (California)
After a dominant 2023 season in which they went undefeated at 14-0 as arguably the state’s top team, Chaminade-Madonna begins 2024 with a high profile national game Saturday night against the St. John Bosco Braves (California).
The California power has been consistently among the nation’s top programs the last decade-plus and will be making their second trip to Florida in as many years after defeating St. Thomas Aquinas 20-7 a year ago.
Prediction: St. John Bosco 27, Chaminade-Madonna 21
Miami Central vs. Lakeland
Despite the Broward County National Showcase taking place this week, don’t sleep on Florida’s slate of in-state Week 1 matchups, headlined by a big showdown between the Miami Central Rockets and Lakeland Dreadnaughts.
Set to take place in Miami, the Rockets, led by quarterback Bekkem Kritza, are among the most talented teams in the state, while Lakeland is coming off a year in which they won their second consecutive state title.
Prediction: Miami Central 30, Lakeland 20
American Heritage (Plantation) vs. Milton (Georgia)
Led by five-star junior quarterback Dia Bell, the American Heritage Patriots kick things off this week against one of the top programs in Georgia, the Milton Eagles.
Milton, 1-0, began their 2024 season a week ago with an impressive 13-10 victory over fellow Georgia power Buford and will provide an immediate test for a Patriots team with state title aspirations this fall.
Prediction: American Heritage 27, Milton 24
Corner Canyon (Utah) vs. IMG Academy
The IMG Academy Ascenders get things started this Thursday out in Utah against one of the top programs in the state, Corner Canyon.
We know how talented the Ascenders are already, but the Chargers, who won a state title last season and return one of the nation’s top senior wide receivers in Jerome Myles, could certainly give IMG an early season test.
Prediction: IMG Academy 28, Corner Canyon 17
Cardinal Gibbons vs. Lake Mary
Lastly, there are a few other in-state matchups that we could go with here such as Jesuit vs. Bishop Verot, Berkeley Prep vs. Clearwater Central Catholic, or Tampa Bay Tech vs. Venice, but it’s hard to not go with this showdown in Fort Lauderdale.
Cardinal Gibbons is always among the top programs in South Florida and will be welcoming a talented Lake Mary team to town led by quarterback Noah Grubbs, a Notre Dame commit.
