"These kids worked their behinds off": Chaminade-Madonna HC reflects on winning 4th straight Championship after 0-2 start to the season

The Chaminade-Madonna Lions secured their fourth straight state championship on Wednesday against the Clearwater Central Catholic Marauders. The Lions demolished the Marauders 42-7 and ended the season with a record of 13-2.

Chaminade-Madonna started the season with back-to-back losses to St. John Bosco and Blanche Fly. There were question marks over the Lions entering their week three game against the American Heritage Patriots.

However, the Dameon Jones-led side took care of business against the Patriots and started a winning streak that ended with them lifting the championship. Jones spoke about the Lions' win and appreciated his players for working hard to realize their dreams.

"One thing though is it wasn't easy," Jones said, as per SI, adding, "We had a bunch of adversity we had to fight through to get here and it's well deserved. These kids worked their behinds off and this is the gratititude of it."

He also talked about what the title run means to him and the high school.

"It means a lot," Jones said, adding, "I guess I'll think about it more later on what it means to me, but for these kids, it means more to me for (the kids) than about me."

The Lions defeated St. Thomas Aquinas, Norland, Western, and Plantation American Heritage, all of which made the postseason.

Key takeaways from the Chaminade-Madonna Lions' 1A state title on Wednesday

Chaminade-Madonna's fourth state title win on Wednesday against the Clearwater Central Catholic was a display of their dominance. After a 0-2 start to the season, the Lions picked up pace and set a date with the Marauders for the 1A title, their third consecutive championship meeting.

The Marauders have faced defeat the previous two seasons in the ultimate game at the hands of the Lions, and this year was no different. The game was expected to be a close contest between two of the state's best sides, but it turned out to be a 42-7 blowout in favor of Chaminade-Madonna.

The Lions came out firing and scored 28 unanswered points through three quarters to essentially end the game early. Their defense was on fire, with Kelly SeJour Jr. leading the way. He recorded an interception and recovered a fumble in the first half. Offensively, the Lions' quarterback, Tyler Chance, recorded 192 yards and three touchdowns and was their biggest asset.