Class 1M’s Chaminade-Madonna is one of the top football teams in Florida entering the 2022 season, and you don’t have to look hard to understand why.
The defending Class 3A state champions lost only one game in the regular season a year ago, at the hands of American Heritage 26-24. Chaminade-Madonna outscored opponents 152-3 during the playoffs, capped by a 21-0 shutout of Berkeley Prep in the state title game.
The question now facing the Lions the year is simple – can they do it again? The answer is yes, with the Chaminade-Madonna offense a big reason why back-to-back state titles are a real possibility. Here is a look at some of the top names set to return for the 2022 Chaminade-Madonna offense, one that could be among the best in the state this season.
Cedrick Bailey
One of the state’s top quarterbacks in the 2024 class, Bailey, a four-star prospect, returns for his junior season at the helm of the Chaminade-Madonna offense once again. The 6-foot-6 signal caller is coming off a strong sophomore campaign in which he threw for 2,061 yards with a 19:6 TD:INT ratio.
Davion Gause
The other half of the Lions’ exciting backfield duo, Gause also returns for his junior season as one of the state’s top running backs in the 2024 class. The four-star prospect posted an impressive sophomore campaign a year ago, rushing for 1,844 yards with 17 touchdowns.
Jeremiah Smith
Arguably the biggest name from the Chaminade-Madonna offense is that of Smith, a player squarely in the conversation for the state’s top wide receiver in the 2024 class. The five-star prospect ranked among the Lions’ leading receivers a year ago as a sophomore, totaling 667 yards and seven touchdowns.
Edwin Joseph
Smith isn’t the only notable receiver returning for the Lions in 2022, with Joseph also a big name coming back. The rising senior and three-star prospect collected a 561 receiving yards and four touchdowns a year ago.
William Larkins and Deandre Duffus
Of course, a strong offense is impossible without a solid offensive line, and that’s exactly what Chaminade-Madonna has returning in 2022. Headlining that group are rising seniors Larkins and Duffus, both of whom are three-star prospects and are among the top offensive linemen in Class 1M.
Duane Thomas Jr.
The final big name returning for this Chaminade-Madonna offense, Thomas might just be the most-versatile playmaker for the Lions in 2022. The rising senior made an impact in multiple ways last season, rushing for 574 yards and three scores, while also totaling 745 receiving yards with four more touchdowns.
