- April 29, 2026
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Father Michael Scheip lowered the microphone, placing it on the table before him. He picked up a bottle of holy water and looked out at the crowd.
Across from him sat rows and rows of Cardinal Mooney football players. He had just spoken to them about the significance of their achievement.
Before sprinkling holy water to bless their championship rings, Scheip shared where it came from — Ireland. It was "top shelf," he said.
That was all-too appropriate. A top team warrants top treatment.
In an April 23 ceremony, the Cougars were presented with championship rings to commemorate their 2025 FHSAA Class 2A state title. The team defeated Jacksonville Bolles, 52-28, on Dec. 10 to secure the third crown in program history.
"It's hard to think about this team without thinking about how talented they were," said coach Jared Clark. "There's no question that this is the most talented team in the history of Cardinal Mooney."
Talent shined in how the Cougars handled their competition. They didn't just defeat opponents — they dismantled them.
Cardinal Mooney posted a 14-1 record last season, losing only to Cherry Creek of Colorado. It piled on an average of 45.3 points and allowed just 13.1 per game.
Power Four prospects featured heavily on both sides of the ball, including defensive end Elijah Golden and wide receiver Kymistrii Young, who are now at Notre Dame and North Carolina, respectively.
April 23 served as the team's formal coronation. It was the moment they dreamed about, sliding comically large rings onto their fingers.
But it was also a bejeweled precursor for what's to come.
Spring practices began April 27 for the Cougars and will run through May 20. A referee scrimmage is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 8 against Manatee and Port Charlotte, staged at Austin Smithers Stadium.
A spring jamboree will also be held May 21 at Ave Maria University, where Cardinal Mooney will play True North Classical Academy and St. John Neumann, starting at 6 p.m.
It's time to focus on Cougars of the present rather than Cougars of the past.
"We turned the page a long time ago," Clark said. "We're going to continue to build our culture. We created a standard, and continue to push that standard and make sure everybody lives up to that."
Defensively, the team will have a new and powerful presence in the trenches — rising senior defensive lineman Kaleb Exume. He's a three-star recruit, per 247Sports, and committed to Louisville on April 19.
This fall will be his first and only season with Cardinal Mooney. He played for Parrish Community in 2025, racking up a team-high 22.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks.
And claiming the Cougars will boast one of the best backfields in the state this fall is no understatement.
Running back Connail Jackson, who tallied 2,452 yards and 39 touchdowns on the ground, will be back for his senior campaign. Pushing himself to the next level won't be an easy task after a monstrous junior year.
Toryeon James enters the picture alongside him. Transferring in from Riverview, he was responsible for 1,941 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior running back for the Rams last season.
Additions to the roster should be welcomed following the loss of a senior class which constituted 44.6% of the Cougars' roster.
"I don't think it's going to be that tough. I trust our team," said rising junior tackle Jackson Snelling. "The kids that we have right now are still going to be really good, and we'll have another chance of being a really good squad."
Cardinal Mooney's signal caller was the talk of the town this offseason.
Rising senior quarterback Davin Davidson, a four-star recruit per 247Sports, held 32 NCAA Division I offers. He named Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky finalists.
He ultimately committed to the Gators on April 9. College distractions won't be an issue for him as preparations for this fall continue.
"I'm just ready to get back on the field and play again. It's been too long," Davidson said. "It's not the same team we had last year, seniority-wise, but a lot of young kids are playmakers and they're ready to go."
The ultimate goal is, of course, back-to-back state titles. That's an exceedingly difficult feat in today's chaotic statewide landscape of high school football.
But this won't be Clark's first rodeo. He attempted it in 2024, coaching the Cougars to the 2A state semifinals en route to a 12-1 finish.
He learned how hard it is to defend the throne.
"It's really important to pay attention to all the little things — pay attention to detail," Clark said. "This is a process... don't get ahead of yourself, build from the ground up."
Cardinal Mooney has a long way to go before scheduling another ring ceremony. More diamond-encrusted hardware will have to be earned first, beginning this spring.
Until then, the team can dream about even higher-shelf holy water, if there is such a thing.
