ORLANDO – If there are any positives to take from King’s Academy’s defeat against Chaminade-Madonna in the Class 3A state final on Saturday morning, head coach Keith Allen didn’t want to hear it.
Despite being severe underdogs to a Chaminade team with five Miami Hurricanes commits and multiple other FBS recruits, King’s Academy had a lead for most of the first half. The Palm Beach County team competed for a good chunk of the second half and turned multiple heads despite its 38-10 loss.
However, Allen said there were no moral victories to take from the game.
“Our goal was to win, our goal wasn’t to make it close. Our goal wasn’t to put on a show,” Allen said. “We fell short of our goal, but it doesn’t take away from the things our kids done. I wouldn’t say moral victory, but I’m proud of our efforts.”
On Chaminade’s first drive of the game, King’s Academy’s Jayvon Wynn intercepted Daelen Menard’s pass and gave the football to Justin Wake and the King’s Academy offense inside Chaminade territory. On third down, Wake found Cory Croteau in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown. Later in the first half, a Bernie Cueto field goal extended King’s Academy’s lead to 10.
In the second quarter, a Te’Cory Couch interception setup Willie Davis’ first touchdown of the game on a 14-yard scamper. It was at that point that Couch felt the Chaminade Lions woke up and the momentum shifted.
“After we scored the first touchdown, we knew the momentum changed,” Couch said. “We knew the game was ours.”
Chaminade would take the lead late in the second quarter after Willie Davis’ 13-yard touchdown. The touchdown marked his second of a Class 3A state final which saw Davis lead all players in rushing with 83.
Despite King’s Academy riding its pair of improbable playoff victories in the first half, the second half was when Chaminade took the game over.
On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Menard connected with Elijah Canion on a 71-yard catch and run. Later in the quarter, he connected with John Dunmore for a 16-yard touchdown.
Chaminade would secure its second state final in as many years in the fourth quarter, when Carter Davis hit a 27-yard field goal. With just seconds remaining, Deidrick Stanley would intercept Wake’s pass for a touchdown.
Following the game, Allen made his focus clear: get his seniors – who made the state final for the first time in school history – some offers.
“I’m going to change all my focus to finding them all colleges,” Allen said. “They all deserve to play college somewhere.”
One of those players is quarterback Justin Wake, who ended his King’s Academy career with 5,613 passing yards, 1,637 rushing yards and 100 total touchdowns. Wake holds no current offers, but plans on taking at least one visit during the offseason.
“I’m just waiting on an offer right now,” Wake said. “I might go JUCO or try to walk on somewhere. I have a visit coming up with Marian University, so we’ll see how that goes.”
