All season long, many have ignored Miami Christopher Columbus as a true threat to win a third straight state title.

Over the past two seasons, head coach Dave Dunn and the Explorers have brought the large school trophy back to Miami-Dade County. But after several key losses on both sides of the ball and not-so-Columbus performance in the spring game and doubt spread throughout the state.

When this team kicks things off as a No. 1 seed in Region 4-7A tonight (7:00) against Boca Raton Spanish River, the expectations will be the same as they are every year – win it all!

While they have three losses on the season, only one game (St. Thomas Aquinas) got out of hand. They battled nationally known Our Lady of Good Counsel, Maryland down to the wire before losing, 14-10. In the Greater Miami Athletic Conference (GMAC) Week contest against Miami Northwestern, they were in the game for all four quarters against the Bulls, losing just 23-18.

In Spanish River, they have a 7-3 opponent under Coach Ian Headley, who has done a tremendous job with the Sharks. But this game with Columbus (6-3) is a huge step up and will be by far the toughest contest of the year.

The winner of this contest will play next Friday against either No. 5 Homestead South Dade (5-5) or No. 4 Lantana Santaluces (8-2).

BOCA RATON SPANISH RIVER SHARKS
Lake Worth Park Vista, W 46-21
Loxahatchee Seminole Ridge, W 27-23
Palm Beach Central, L 40-21
Jupiter, L 28-13
Wellington, W 51-15
Doral Academy, Forfeit
Boca Raton, L 27-12
Boca Raton Olympic Heights, W 90-0
Parkland Stoneman Douglas, W 48-0

MIAMI CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS EXPLORERS
Miami Southridge, W 17-14
Our Lady of Good Counsel, Maryland, L 14-10
Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, L 42-6
Miami Palmetto, W 17-14
Homestead South Dade, W 42-15
Miami High, W 52-6
Coral Gables, W 33-0
Miami Northwestern, L 23-18
Miami Archbishop Carroll, W 35-6
Games to keep an eye on today includes:

1A
No. 6 Somerset Academy Key Lions (6-4) at No. 3 Miami Edison Red Raiders (6-4), Traz Powell Stadium, 4 p.m.

DEERFIELD BEACH SOMERSET ACADEMY KEY
North Lauderdale Somerset Prep, L 53-21
West Palm Beach Berean Christian, W 54-7
West Palm Beach Oxbridge Academy, L 20-14
Hollywood Avant Garde, W 44-12
Miami Gardens TRU Prep, W 43-8
Coconut Creek North Broward Prep, L 31-26
Boca Raton Saint Andrew’s, L 35-8
Miami Country Day, W 40-22
Boca Raton Saint John Paul II, W 35-18
Homestead Everglades Prep, Forfeit, 2-0

MIAMI EDISON
Hialeah American, W 21-0
Miami Central, Forfeit win
Miami Killian, W 27-7
Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, L 56-19
Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace, W 17-14
Hollywood Avant Garde, W 57-0
Miami Southridge, L 40-8
Miami Palmetto, L 42-24
Homestead, L 27-12
Miami Jackson, W 38-14

2A
No. 8 North Miami Beach Chargers (3-7) at No. 1 Miami Booker T. Washington Tornadoes (7-2), 7:30

NORTH MIAMI BEACH
Auburn, Alabama, L 49-0
Delray Atlantic, L 43-7
Punta Gorda Charlotte, L 26-14
Hialeah American, W 31-15
Westland Hialeah, W 51-0
Lake Mary, L, 42-7
Miami Carol City, L 20-6
Miami Springs, W 42-0
Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace, L 14-0
Lake City Columbia, L 42-0

MIAMI BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
Homestead South Dade, W 28-6
Miami Central, Forfeit
Miami Immaculata LaSalle, W 35-20
Lakeland, L 48-13
Miami Springs, W 62-7
Vero Beach, L 24-21
Miami Southridge, W 27-14
Miami Ransom Everglades, W 42-13
Miami Palmetto, W 21-16

4A
No. 6 Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy Mavericks (6-4) at No. 3 Plantation Colonels (6-4), PAL Field, 7

SOUTHWEST RANCHES ARCHBISHOP MCCARTHY
Community School of Naples, W 23-6
Weston Cypress Bay, W 42-6
Miami St. Brendan, W 45-6
Miami True North Classical Academy, L 13-7
Boynton Beach Somerset Canyons, W 42-12
Miami Norland, L 49-16
Plantation, L 18-3
Plantation American Heritage, L 35-0
Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian, W 31-28
West Palm Beach The King’s Academy, W 31-28

PLANTATION
Dillard, W 27-21
Miramar, W 2-0
Pembroke Pines West Broward, W 25-21
Hollywood South Broward, W 29-0
Plantation American Heritage, L 35-0
Pompano Beach Blanche Ely, L 18-16
Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy, W 18-3
Sunrise Piper, L 14-0
Miami Norland, L 37-20
South Plantation, W 38-0

CAN FERGUSON DEFEND ITS GMAC INDEPENDENT CHAMPIONSHIP?
After winning 10 of 11 games and capturing their first ever Greater Miami Athletic Conference Independent championship a year ago, veteran head coach Gene Chew and his Miami Ferguson Falcons (6-5) are back in the title game – this time as an underdog.

Ferguson will square off with 8-1 Miami Coral Reef and head coach Tim Wood tonight (7:00) at Miami Southridge High School.

The Barracudas beat Ferguson a few weeks ago by one point, so this should be an exciting matchup

FERGUSON FALCONS
Hialeah Miami Lakes, W 1-0
Coral Gables, L 19-0
Miami Varela, W 28-0
Westland Hialeah, W 23-7
Southwest Miami, L 21-0
Miami Braddock, W 42-14
Miami Beach, L 42-15
Miami Sunset, W 22-0
Hialeah American, L 19-8
Miami Coral Reef, L 22-21
Hialeah Gardens, W 37-14

CORAL REEF BARRACUDAS
South Miami, W 40-0
Miami Sunset, W 25-2
Miami High, L 40-0
Miami Braddock, W 42-7
Doral Ronald Reagan, W 27-0
Miami Varela, W 41-6
Southwest Miami, W 21-20
Miami Ferguson, W 22-21
North Miami Mourning, W 35-14

Here is a look at Friday’s first round state playoff games:

1A
REGION 4
No. 8 Boca Raton St. John Paul II (4-5) at No. 1 Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (8-2)
No. 5 Miami Archbishop Carroll (6-4) at No. 4 Boca Raton St. Andrew’s Academy (5-5)
No. 2 Miami True North Classical Academy (7-3) at No. 7 Miami Palmer Trinity (5-3)

2A
REGION 4
No. 5 Miami Carol City (7-3) at No. 4 Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (6-4)
No. 6 Miami Ransom Everglades (6-3) at No. 3 Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace (7-2)
No. 2 Miami Immaculata LaSalle (9-1) at No. 7 Miami Gulliver Prep (4-6)

3A
REGION 4
No. 8 Naples Barron Collier (5-5) at No. 1 Miami Northwestern (7-2)
No. 5 Miami Jackson (4-6) at No. 4 Naples Lely (6-4)
No. 6 Fort Myers Cypress Lake (5-5) at No. 3 Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy (7-3)
No. 7 Estero (6-4) at No. 2 Key West (7-3)

4A
REGION 4
No. 8 Jensen Beach (7-3) at No. 1 Plantation American Heritage (7-2)
No. 5 Fort Lauderdale Dillard (8-2) at No. 4 Fort Pierce John Carroll (10-0)
No. 2 Miami Norland (7-2) at No. 7 Hialeah (8-2)

5A

REGION 4
No. 8 Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy (6-4) at No. 1 Delray Atlantic (9-1)
No. 5 Palm Bay Heritage (5-5) at No. 4 Miramar (6-4)
No. 6 Coconut Creek (4-5) at No. 3 Pompano Beach Blanche Ely (7-3)
No. 7 North Miami (6-4) at No. 2 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (7-3)

6A
REGION 4
No. 8 Hollywood South Broward (4-6) at No. 1 Miami Southridge (8-2)
No. 5 Homestead (4-4) at No. 4 Coconut Creek Monarch (6-3)
No. 7 Doral Academy (5-4) at No. 2 Sunrise Piper (9-1)
No. 6 Pembroke Pines Flanagan (7-3) at No. 3 Pembroke Pines West Broward (7-3)

7A
REGION 4
No. 5 Homestead South Dade (5-5) at No. 4 Lantana Santaluces (8-2)
No. 6 Miami Lakes Barbara Goleman (6-4) at No. 3 Boca Raton (9-1)
No. 7 Davie Western (4-6) at No. 2 Miami Palmetto (6-4)

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