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CLASS 1A: Harmony 13, Coconut Creek 6
In the first trip to the Final Four both teams, the Harmony Lady Longhorns and the Coconut Lady Cougars gave each other a battle for about two-and-half quarter before a pick six changed the course of the game for Harmony to get the win and a spot in today’s Class 1A State Championship game.
The first touchdown of the game was scored in the second quarter by running back Sheldy Apollon with just about eight minutes left in the first quarter to give Coconut Creek a 6-0, a lead that would carry into halftime.
The Lady Longhorns took the half to regroup quickly and with about five minutes left in the third quarter, a pick six was taken in from 21 yards out by junior Bree Pope to tie the game up at 6-6 going to into the third quarter.
With just under five minutes left Shaye Herman found Abby Fitzpatrick for a 7-yard touchdown pass that put the Lady Longhorns up 13-6 and was able to hold off Coconut Creek to advance to their first ever state championship game in Flag Football.
CLASS 2A: Seminole Ridge 40, Hialeah 12
If there is a lesson to be learned from playing the best team historically in Flag Football in your first year as a program. Hialeah got it with this game as they fell to Seminole Ridge 40-12.
Seminole Ridge took the opening possession on a 12-play drive that finished in the paydirt with a pass from Madeline Harding to Yazmin Saiguero from 5-yards out to get things going with just over five minutes left in the first quarter to put the Lady Hawks up 7-0.
With Hialeah having its first possession of the game things quickly going south when Harding made the interception to give the ball back with just under three minutes left in the first quarter. Harding would take the ball in on her two plays later from 7-yards out to give the Lady Hawks a 13-0 lead.
The Lady Hawks would go on to add two more touchdowns to close out the first half of play with a 28-0 lead.
In the third quarter, the Lady Hawks quickly forced Hialeah into a three-and-out situation to get the ball back which would result in another touchdown run by Harding to put Seminole Ridge up 34-0 and putting any attempt of a Hialeah comeback to bed for good.
However, Hialeah wouldn’t let the goose egg on the scoreboard stand for much onger as they finally put together 12-play capped off with a 19-yard TD pass from Ja’Keira Betties to Brianna Sweeting as the third quarter came to a close, cutting the score deficit to 34-6.
Seminole Ridge and Hialeah each would trade off one more touchdown before the game was ended with 2:00 left as they game as declared mercy ruled with more than a 19-point margin.
CLASS 2A: Martin County 19, Plant 6
In a battle of two first time teams in the state final four, the expectation was for a tight ball game to happen – and it did for the first half of the game and some of the second half.
In the first quarter which saw a battle back and forth between both the Martin County Lady Tigers and the Plant Lady Panthers, neither teams was giving each other the edge. As they kept trading punts back and forth to each other
However, early in the second quarter, Plant was able to capitalize on things quickly when the put together a six play drive that gave them a 6-0 lead on an 18-yard pass from Payton Paro to Madison Huszar.
Although it appeared that Martin County was getting flustered at times with the plays they were trying to run against Plant, a regrouping effort at halftime had an effect on the team.
With just seconds left in the third quarter, the first of three pick-sixes occurred when a Paro pass landed in the hands of Keke Smith who returned it for 29 yards to tie the ball game up at 6-6.
At that point things started to unravel for Plant.
Paro came back out on the field looking to get Plant down the field to retake the lead, but quickly within two plays threw it into the hands of Jessica Levy who returned for 20 yards to put Martin County up 13-6. Carolyna Puentes would make the last interception that gave points to Martin County after a short drive to up 19-6 to seal game up to move on to their first state championship game.
CLASS 1A: Robinson 7, Godby 6 (OT)
Sometimes they say they save the best for last and it doesn’t happen, but there was no doubt that the final game of the evening between the Robinson Lady Knights and the Godby Lady Cougars was the best of all four games.
If you want to really summarize this up quickly on everything for the first four quarters, it was either interceptions or punts ending the drives for both Robinson and Godby which was playing tough and tight in a rematch from the Capital City Classic last month.
However, Robinson was very close to sealing the deal at the end of regulation when Emily Draper made an interception with 12 second to go, but the offense was unable to get it in the end zone sending it into overtime.
Godby took the ball first in overtime, taking all four plays before finally putting up the first points of the night on a Shelby Hartley four yard touchdown pass to give Godby a 6-0 lead. However, the attempted extra point was missed and would be the tipping point of the game.
With Robinson taking the ball at the 10 for its chance at points and to win the game, it took the Lady Knights four tries like Godby, but quickly tied the game up with an Olivia Salzman 1-yard TD pass to Megan Bohan with Salzman adding the extra point after to win the game 7-6.
TODAY’S STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES:
Class 1A: Harmony vs. Robinson, 3:00 pm
Class 2A: Martin County vs. Seminole Ridge, 5:00 pm
