Thaddius Franklin’s record day leads Chaminade-Madonna to third consecutive state title

They all held up three fingers proudly screaming as loud as they could “three-peat, three-peak, three-peat.”

The final whistle had just sounded and the Lions of Chaminade-Madonna were a happy bunch. They had just finished off hometown favorite Tallahassee Florida High 35-20 in the Class 3A state championship game on Friday night at Gene Cox Stadium.

And with it meant a third consecutive state championship which put them into the Broward County history books as the Lions became only the second team in Broward history to win three straight titles, joining St. Thomas Aquinas (2014-16).

But when Lions players put on their third championship ring this time, they’ll always be able to thank their teammate, running back Thaddius Franklin.

Why?

Because while the Lions may have gone into the Broward County history books as a team, Franklin, a 2021 University of Miami Hurricanes commit, went into the state championship history books as an individual.

A workhorse of all workhorses, Franklin finished with a whopping 333 yards rushing on 47 carries and scored all five Lion touchdowns.

The 333 yards set an all-time state title game record for all classifications, breaking Frostproof running back Travis Henry’s record of 328 set back in 1996. The 47 carries was also a state title game record, breaking Kelvin Taylor of Belle Glade Glades Day’s record of 44 in 2010.

It was also only fitting that on a night where the players held up their three fingers signifying the three-peat that he finished with 333 on the ground.

“I’m exhausted right now, but I’m happy,” said Franklin. “I knew I had a lot of yards at halftime but I really wasn’t thinking about any records or anything because winning the game was the most important thing and we needed to put it away late. But it’s great to get the record as well and it all just isn’t me, it’s my o-line as well which did a great job of opening things up front for me all night.”

The most important moment of the night came with 8:31 left in the game. Leading 28-7 late in the third quarter, the Lions (12-2) watched their lead disappear quickly as quarterback Willie Taggert Jr., with his father Willie Sr., the ex-Florida State head coach watching in the stands, rallied his team for two quick scores to cut the lead to 28-20. The Lions took over at their own 35 and after a pass from quarterback Brady Kelly to Joshua Jenkins got 13 yards, simply handed the ball off to Franklin for the seven plays, churning out yards and soaking up clock. Franklin scored from 5 yards out with 4:28 left to make it 35-20.

With 313 yards, he still didn’t have the record. But when Charles Williams intercepted Taggert Jr. three plays in to the next drive, Lions coaches, with full knowledge of how close Franklin was to the record, gave it to him a few more times to get him past Henry’s 328 mark.

“From the day he walked in here a few years ago, he’s been a special kid,” said Chaminade head coach Dameon Jones. “He’s humble, works his tail off and is a good teammate to everybody. Tonight was a special night for him and it was a night where we just strapped it up and rode him home. When they cut our lead to eight, we knew who we had to go to put it away.”

To say the Lions and Franklin made a statement early on would be understating the issue.

Chaminade took the opening kickoff and marched 64 yards in 11 plays as Franklin carried it on eight of those for 43 yards, scoring from 4 yards out to put his team up 7-0. After the defense turned in a quick three-and-out, the Lions went right back at it, driving 48 yards in just five plays, Franklin carrying the ball all five times and scoring from three yards out. Just like that it was 14-0 just 7:26 into the game.

But any blowout, at least in the first half was quickly put to rest when, on the very next play after the kickoff, Taggert Jr. dropped back and tossed a deep ball to Ahmnari Harvey who got behind the Lions secondary for an 80-yard touchdown,.

When FSU’s Jordan Gilley picked off a Brady Kelly pass on the next series and returned it 35 yards to the Chaminade 19, the Seminoles were in business poised to tie the game. But the Lions defense bowed up, forcing a fourth-and-11 from the 20. Florida High spurned the field goal attempt and went for it as Taggert Jr. took off running but Lions CB Quadric Bullard made a nice play slamming the quarterback down two yards shy of the first down.

It was time for Franklin to get cranked up again which he promptly did as the Lions drove 89 yards in eight plays and it was Franklin carrying on seven of those including a 65-yard sprint to the Seminoles three. Two plays later, he scored from the one to make it 21-7 early in the second quarter a lead they took to the half.

When Florida High fumbled on the third play of the second half, Brian Dilworth recovered at the Seminoles 37. Guess who, Franklin took it from there going 19 yards on the first play, four more on the second and 14 more into the end zone to make it 28-7 with 9:22 left in the third.

Said Jones: “Three in a row? Wow, that’s really special and to be honest it hasn’t even settled in with me yet. It’s tough just to win one, let alone three and it’s a credit to everyone in this school,”