MIAMI, FLORIDA – They say the third time is the charm.

That was the hope for Clearwater Central Catholic as they rolled into Pitbull Stadium for a Wednesday night date with Chaminade-Madonna, the third straight year the two programs have ended up meeting.

It was the same result as the previous two meetings: a dominant win between Chaminade and Madonna.

The Lions relied on an opportunistic defense, a timely offense and didn’t shy away, defeating the Marauders 42-7 for the Class 1A state championship. It gave the program its ninth state title and one that some began to doubt early in the season.

High School On SI was on hand for the competition and gives you three takeaways from the game.

An 0-2 start after losses to St. John Bosco (Calif.) and Blanche Ely made Chaminade-Madonna feel like the sky was falling. Instead, the Lions won 12 straight games en route to the Class 1A title rematch against CCC and dominated like everyone else in the postseason. This program is unmatched and largely uncontested and has shown time and time again why it is not only one of the best in the Sunshine State, but in the entire country. Wednesday night was just another crowning ceremony for the Lions in their quest to add another piece of hardware to the trophy cabinet.

What almost everyone knows about Chaminade-Madonna over the years is that they like to play fast on offense. Surprisingly, however, it wasn’t Chaminade-Madonna’s offense that would take center stage on the night. No. It was the Lions defense that rose to the occasion with several Marauders attacks that could have ended in points but instead ended in turnovers. Chattanooga signee Kelly SeJour Jr. had a great night recovering a fumble and intercepting a pass in the first half. Because the defense played the way it did, the offense didn’t have to play its best game. Tyler Chance would take the lead at quarterback, completing 14 of 19 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns.

One of the best high school football careers of any Pinellas County player ended Wednesday night, but the problem was he couldn’t even step on the field to do it. CCC’s Jershaun Newton was unable to play in the Class 1A title game due to an injury he suffered in the Marauders’ semifinal win over Cardinal Newman. Without Newton, CCC struggled to find the end zone, although it managed to move the ball. Sophomore Khayse Barrett (12 carries, 120 yards) was at the helm and played well in the playoffs, but was no match in the passing game against a very experienced Chaminade-Madonna defense. The Marauders’ defensive performance was admirable, but with three turnovers in the first half and a few more in the final two quarters, there was no looking back for Chris Harvey’s group.

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–Andy Villamarzo | [email protected] | @highschoolonsi