2024 FHSAA Football Title Recap

     South Florida high school football teams finished with five FHSAA state championships in 2024. It was the best yearly showing by the tri-county area since 2020 when it had five state titles. It turned out to be an upward trend for high school football championships in the region for the first time in six years. 

     The Florida High School Athletic Association scrapped their previous classification slate after two seasons. The organization set up new classifications in 2024. 

     The state title games were held in two locations for the third straight year. The Florida International University campus held seven championship contests on South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium. They included games from Class 7A, Class 6A, Class 5A, Class 4A, Class 3A, Class 2A and Class 1A. It was the first time the FHSAA Football Finals were held in Dade County since being played at Dolphin Stadium in 2006 and at FIU since 2005. South Florida hosted the state title game for the third time in the past four years. 

     Three Broward County high schools won state championships in 2024. The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders shut out the Lakeland Dreadnaughts 34-0 in the FHSAA Class 5A state championship game. The Raiders won their unprecedented sixth consecutive state title and increased their state record with their 16th FHSAA football championship. 

     The Chaminade-Madonna Lions made their state-record ninth straight state title appearance and dominated the Clearwater Central Catholic Marauders 42-7 in the FHSAA Class 1A state championship contest. The Lions won their seventh state title in the last eight years and their ninth overall. 

     The American Heritage Patriots held off the Jones Tigers 40-31 in the FHSAA Class 4A state title game. The Patriots won their first state championship since 2020 and their sixth overall state title in school history. 

     A Palm Beach County high school finally won a FHSAA football state championship for the first time since 2013. The West Boca Raton Bulls captured their first football state title in their 20-year history as they defeated the Osceola Kowboys 26-7 for the FHSAA Class 7A state championship. 

     There was just one representative from Dade County that had the opportunity to play in the FHSAA Football Finals in their hometown. The Miami Northwestern Bulls walloped the Raines Vikings 41-0 in the FHSAA Class 3A state championship game. It was the eighth overall state title for the Bulls.