Predicting the winner of the 2024 Florida high school football 3A state championship

The Class 3A state playoffs continued in the state of Florida last week and the classification did not disappoint.

Heading into Friday, it helped make for a great state championship matchup, and the talented lineup of teams is now down to just the final two clubs. The state championship game will feature an exciting matchup as two of the state’s most storied programs, Miami Northwestern and Raines, square off at Pitbull Stadium on Saturday night to wrap up the FHSAA state championships.

See who High School On SI predicts who will win the Class 3A state championship game Saturday night at Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Florida.

Andy V’s Quick Hit: Perhaps there is no better way to end the FHSAA state championships in Miami than to feature one of Dade County’s all-time greatest players leading his alma mater to a title game.

It’s been history in the making for Teddy Bridgewater and the Bulls as they descend on Pitbull Stadium with their sights set on claiming the program’s eighth state championship.

Miami Northwestern’s offense is led by quarterback Leon Strawder (2,387 yards, 37 touchdowns) and 2026 phenom Calvin Russell. The key for Raines to win is to slow down the Bulls’ balanced offense, which can also run the ball for a total of over 2,100 on the season.

We just feel that might be easier said than done against Teddy Bridgewater’s Bulls, who have amassed 221 points in four playoff wins and have looked unstoppable at times.

On the defensive side of the ball, Bridgewater’s defense has recorded three shutout wins, which speaks to the high level at which that end of the ball plays. Leading the defense is 6-foot-4 defensive edge rusher Deangelo Thompson, who has a team-high 10 sacks.

Timothy Cole, who has the same number that former NFL legend Brian Dawkins wore when he was at Raines, has been outstanding under center for the Vikings this season, throwing for 2,812 yards, 43 touchdowns while rushing for 872 and added nine scores on the ground.

If the Vikings are going to win this game, they will need Cole to once again be a star against a Northwestern defense that has allowed just 12 points throughout the playoffs.

Ta’darius Washington has been strong alongside Cole in the backfield, rushing for 939 yards and finding the end zone 17 times. Offensive tackle Solomon Thomas (LSU signee) will be key to making sure Cole stays upright and paves the way for running lanes in the trenches.

Defensively, junior outside linebacker Tony Williams leads a strong front seven and has made 101 tackles and 16 goes for a loss.

Expect the Vikings to come out strong with a chance to clinch its first state championship berth since 2018, when Raines won it all in Class 4A.

PREDICTION: Miami Northwestern 35, Raines 24

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— Andy Villamarzo | [email protected] | @sblivefl