FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, Aug. 22 — This Bell tolls for thee, St. Joseph's.
With an offense dead in its tracks with less than 70 total yards of offense, and already well past the halfway point of the third quarter, the American Heritage [Plantation, FL] Patriots were all but buried in a 28-0 grave.
That is until the Hawks of Philadelphia stumbled onto a Bell they couldn't crack as 5-star Patriots' quarterback Dia Bell started ringing up plays with an urgency they couldn't match. Ultimately, Bell rallied his Patriots to an astonishing 31-28 victory in comeback fashion.
It's as good a comeback as you'll see in the high school ranks, and Bell burnished his bona fides with a Texas-sized comeback that should excite the Burnt Orange faithful in Austin. The senior has been a Texas Longhorns' commit since June 17, 2024, and even gave a shoutout to the Texas fanbase after the game.
Thanks to all the Longhorn who fans that tuned in tonight ! I struggled early against a tough well coached @SJPrep_Football team. Fortunately, I found my rhythm in the 2nd half helping @ahspatfootball to a big game 1 W! 🤘🏽 #HookEm https://t.co/bIcq1RPTmj
— Dia Bell 2026 QB (@DiaBell3QB1) August 23, 2025
Bell, the son of former NBA player Raja Bell, is seen as the heir apparent to Arch Manning whenever the latter chooses to pack his bags for the NFL. In the meantime, the American Heritage star still has a lot of high school football left to play this season, and his No. 9 Patriots' squad is a solid fixture in the national title conversation. Matchups between teams in front of them will give them opportunities to move up, but none of that would have mattered if not for Friday night's epic comeback.
Trailing 28-0, American Heritage finally got on the scoreboard on an 18-yard run by Jonathan Bueno Jr. with just 3:50 remaining in the third stanza. Bueno added a 9-yarder at the 1:04 mark of the period, and suddenly, St. Joseph's lead was cut in half to 28-14.
But even with Bueno's two scores, American Heritage was still trailing when Bell converted a 4th-and-10 with a pass to Jamar Denson to sustain a Patriots' drive at the 7:15 mark of the fourth quarter. Another strike to Denson in the end zone less than 30 seconds later suddenly trimmed the deficit to seven points at 28-21, and you could almost begin to predict the outcome.
A swarming Patriots' defense held the St. Joseph's offense in check, and Bell led his troops back down the field again, leading to another short touchdown run by Bueno. Finally, with the game tied at 28-all, American Heritage forced another punt, and this time, it was botched when the kick hit the back of a St. Joseph's player and was recovered by the Patriots at the Hawks' 35.
Bell moved his team 12 yards into position for a game-winning field goal attempt. American Heritage kicker Kade Bailey then trotted out and calmly sent a 40-yarder through the uprights, completing the Patriots' improbable comeback.
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FINAL: AMERICAN HERITAGE 31, ST. JOSEPH'S PREP 28
|| FOURTH QUARTER ||
And it's officially over. A high school comeback for the ages.
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Just an unreal second half by American Heritage. They add a field goal with four seconds left, and they're going to win this game after trailing 28-0.
4th Qtr: AMERICAN HERITAGE 31, ST. JOSEPH'S PREP 28
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American Heritage scores another touchdown to even things up. Just an unbelievable rally after trailing 28-0.
4th Qtr: AMERICAN HERITAGE 28, ST. JOSEPH'S PREP 28
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American Heritage pulls to within seven on Dia Bell's first touchdown pass of the night. After trailing 28-0, they've pulled to within a touchdown with still more than six minutes to play.
4th Qtr: ST. JOSEPH'S PREP 28, AMERICAN HERITAGE 21
|| THIRD QUARTER ||
And American Heritage finally has the wheels turning on offense. After trailing 28-0, they've added two touchdowns, and while St. Joseph's is still up by a significant margin, you can feel the tide turning.
3rd Qtr: ST. JOSEPH'S PREP 28, AMERICAN HERITAGE 14
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American Heritage finally gets on the board to trim St. Joseph's lead. But it's still three touchdowns in Fort Lauderdale.
3rd Qtr: ST. JOSEPH'S PREP 28, AMERICAN HERITAGE 7
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St. Joseph's adds another one, and on a night when American Heritage can't generate any offense with its 5-star quarterback Dia Bell, that might be enough. There's 7:14 to play in the third quarter, and the Patriots have to get it going right now. With only a quarter and a half remaining, American Heritage has less than 70 yards of total offense.
3rd Qtr: ST. JOSEPH'S PREP 28, AMERICAN HERITAGE
|| HALFTIME ||
Halftime: ST. JOSEPH'S PREP 21, AMERICAN HERITAGE 0
|| SECOND QUARTER ||
After a long lull in action, St. Joseph's Prep blocks a punt and returns it for a touchdown. We've got an upset brewing with American Heritage desperate for answers.
2nd Qtr — ST. JOSEPH'S PREP 21, AMERICAN HERITAGE 0
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|| FIRST QUARTER ||
After forcing a turnover, St. Joseph's drives down and adds to their lead.
1st Qtr — ST. JOSEPH'S PREP 14, AMERICAN HERITAGE 0
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St. Joseph's scores first to take a 7-0 lead.
1st Qtr — ST. JOSEPH'S PREP 7, AMERICAN HERITAGE 0
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WEATHER AND MORE ...
We do have an update from ESPN2 on the weather. This game was originally scheduled for 6 p.m., but it is now set for 6:30 p.m. The good news is the players are on the field getting warmed up.
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As we mentioned above, weather has been wreaking havoc on the opening weekend of Florida's high school football schedule. We're awaiting update on whether things have settled down in the Fort Lauderdale area. Corner Canyon vs. West Broward at Dillard High School is still showing in a rain delay for now, but we'll update you as soon as we know something.
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TOP 25 AND THE GAME OF THE WEEK ...
While you're getting ready for tonight's big game, get yourself up to speed on the preseason edition of The Sporting News High School Football Top 25.
Then check out our TSN Game of the Week Recap featuring the No. 14 Milton (GA) Eagles at the No. 12 Buford (GA) Wolves on Thursday, August 14, 2025.
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OUR PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAMS ...
Finally, don't miss out on The Sporting News Preseason All-American Teams that just debuted today!
The Sporting News High School Preseason All-American Offense 2025
The Sporting News High School Preseason All-American Defense 2025
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We'll check back in here in a while with a look at some more storylines and an update on the weather in the greater Atlanta area.
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