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Miami, FL
Miami Football: Quarterback Cam Ward wins Davey O'Brien Award
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — University of Miami senior Cam Ward has been voted the 2024 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award winner, as announced on ESPN’s The Home Depot College Football Awards Thursday evening.
Ward is the third Hurricane to garner the country’s oldest and most prestigious quarterback trophy, joining Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992).
The 6-foot-2, 223-pound signal caller leads the nation in passing touchdowns (36) and quarterback rating (88.0) while ranking second in passing yards (4,123), points responsible for (254), and total offense (359.9).
Ward set new single-season school records for both passing touchdowns and passing yards, becoming the first Miami player to tally seven straight 300-yard performances.
The Hurricanes’ first-ever ACC Player of the Year has thrown for at least 300 yards and totaled three touchdowns on ten occasions.
A fifth-year senior, Ward matched Houston’s Case Keenum for the most career passing touchdowns (155) at the NCAA Division I level.
Ward and the Hurricanes have mounted the top offense in the country, as Miami paces all FBS programs in scoring offense (44.2), total offense (538.3), yards per play (7.6), first downs (327) and third down conversion rate (56.5).
The West Columbia, Texas native has guided the Hurricanes to their first 10-win campaign in seven years.
During the regular season, Ward tied for the nation’s lead in Davey O’Brien Great 8 selections, racking up five weekly honors.
Ward bested Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders for the 48th Annual Davey O’Brien Award.
The committee’s members (media, college football experts, and former winners) ranked each player (1st, 2nd, 3rd) on their ballots. Additionally, bonus ballots from the Davey O’Brien Fan Vote were added based on social media fan votes recorded on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Ward will be honored in person at the Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner at The Forth Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas, on Feb. 17, 2025.
Miami, FL
Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza is coming to Miami, led by legendary pizzaiolo chef Bun
If you’re a diehard pizza fanatic in Miami, you’ll soon be able to check another renowned style off your list without leaving home. Arriving in October 2026, Royale Pizza Napoletana will debut at 1680 Meridian Avenue, introducing South Florida to the exceptionally precise world of Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza. This highly anticipated opening marks the monumental stateside arrival of legendary Japanese pizzaiolo Chef Bun, the mastermind behind Tokyo’s genre-defining concept, Savoy.
RECOMMENDED: Where to find the best pizza in Miami
The restaurant is the brainchild of banking entrepreneur and restaurateur Jess Varughese, the innovator behind Miami’s ultra-exclusive, members-only hotspot, Haiku. After experiencing Chef Bun’s “perfect pizzas” during a trip to Japan, Varughese envisioned bringing this science-driven culinary movement to sunny South Florida. To ensure absolute authenticity, Varughese assembled an elite culinary team. Alongside Chef Bun, the kitchen features Haiku Executive Chef Albert Diaz and Chef Dalila Sabatino, a rising pizzaiola talent praised by Bun who previously trained at Los Angeles’ acclaimed Pizzeria Sei.
What sets Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza apart is its rigorous, chemistry-like execution. At Royale, the dough undergoes a meticulous 30+ hour fermentation process. Varughese and his team spent hundreds of hours adjusting the recipe, combining artisan flours with the Autolyse technique and even altering Miami’s water softness to match Japan’s famously soft water. Pizzas are then baked fresh in an 800-degree oven. The resulting crust achieves an ethereal balance of lightness, chewiness, char and crunch. As Varughese notes, having Chef Bun’s 20-plus years of innovation on board elevates the entire culinary game.
Royale will be fast-casual, yet polished, with seating for 65 guests including a large community table at its center. Staying true to an accessible vibe, the restaurant will operate on a first-come, first-served walk-in basis with no reservations, though takeout and delivery will be available. You’ll order at a main counter from a carefully curated menu featuring antipasti, two pastas, two mains and seven distinct pizzas—including four traditional options and three specials. This is a pizza spot that deserves the hype, so stay up to date on their progress at @royalenapoletana ahead of the official October launch.
Miami, FL
Girl, 12, shot while sitting in parked car in northwest Miami-Dade, deputies say
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A 12-year-old girl was shot in the arm after gunfire erupted in a northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood early Tuesday morning, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they responded just before 1 a.m. to the area of Northwest 64th Street and Northwest 21st Avenue in the county’s Gladeview area, where they found three vehicles struck by gunfire, including a silver Hyundai.
“The car was parked outside of the residence. It was occupied by three juveniles, so it was the girl and her two siblings that were in the vehicle. The mom was outside of the vehicle at the time, so this could have been a very different outcome,” MDSO Detective Samantha Choon said.
Authorities said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue medics transported the girl to a nearby hospital in stable condition.
A family member of the victim told Local 10’s Jackie Pascale that the girl is now home and doing OK.
They said neither her siblings nor their mother was injured in the shooting.
According to investigators, no arrests have been made, and detectives have not released any suspect information at this time.
Neighbor Marie Grimes said she was shaken after hearing multiple gunshots.
“I heard the booms — boom, boom, boom, boom — and I said, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?’” she said. “Maybe five or six, ’cause look at that right there. I’m just glad the little girl is OK.”
Investigators asked neighbors to check their surveillance or Ring camera footage from around 1 a.m. and contact authorities with any information.
Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. Anonymous tips are accepted.
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Miami, FL
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