SEASON OUTLOOK
Defensive back Deatrick Nichols
Photo by Stuart Browning
It would be easy to look at its road showdown with Don Bosco Prep, which has defeated Sunshine State powers Manatee and St. Thomas Aquinas in recent years, as the team's hardest game. But that distinction likely belongs to the city rivalry with Booker T. Washington, the nation's No. 9 team.
Question mark: How will the team respond to new head coach Roland Smith? Spring was very successful by all accounts, so the transition seems to have gone well. However, playing under the lights on Friday nights in the fall will be the real test.
Local outlook: As usual, Miami is deep with talented teams. Central and Booker T. Washington both rank in the nation's Top 10, while Miami Northwestern should be vastly improved. Broward County is similarly teeming with impressive teams. Up in Palm Beach County, Dwyer has great skill players and will once again be stout on defense.
Overall outlook: Roland Smith and the team seem to be embracing the challenge of the schedule as well as the expectations of the high ranking. Very few teams can hang with the Rockets athletically. If the defense remains disciplined, it could be a special season for Central.
Coach quote: "We're excited. We had a good spring and we're ready to go."
- Roland Smith
