When you look at the talented class of seniors and break down the numbers, there are two 5 stars, ten 4 stars, eight 3 stars and two 2 stars commits. 23 players alone is a class in itself. Now you might be thinking, where would IMG Academy rank nationally if it were an actual Division One college and had recruited its high school senior class? How would that group of seniors rank nationally as a class?

Well, I thought ahead and crunched the numbers. As you might have expected based on the numbers above, this class is one of the best in the nation from a single school. How do they rank against actual top college programs like Alabama, LSU or the most recently crowned National Championship Clemson?

Using, 247Sports’ “Class Calculator”, I entered the names of each of the official commits from IMG and the calculator did the rest. I found that the class would have a projected team score of 275.72. Which yes, is very high.

Now, what does that number represent? According to 247Sports.com, “The 247Sports Composite is a proprietary algorithm that compiles rankings and ratings listed in the public domain by the major media recruiting services, creating the industry’s most comprehensive and unbiased prospect and team rankings.” It’s used to rank classes.

Where does the number 275.72 rank? This is the crazy part. According to 247’s 2017 Football Recruiting Composite Team Rankings, IMG would be ranked 8th in the nation right between LSU and Oklahoma, ahead of Auburn, Florida, Notre Dame and even Clemson. This senior class from IMG is one like none other.

I can imagine, many of you are thinking, “oh my goodness, he’s not about to make the claim that IMG could beat those schools”. Well, yes and no.

First of all, no matter your opinion of IMG Academy and the school itself, the facts are straight. The program is one of the best in the nation as showcased above. The talent and coaching are there. This year’s class is absolutely loaded and these athletes are committed to some of the best college teams in the country.

Could they knock off a top 25 team? No. I think the game would be interesting at first, but the overall level of play and training in college is much higher. The game of college football is a different animal than high school football. However, IMG definitely has some of the best overall talent.

In terms of quality and quantity for a single class, IMG ranks the highest as I noted above with 25 football players signing to Division One schools. Up next would be St. Thomas Aquinas from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Aquinas has 18 total players committed to Division One FBS schools according to MaxPreps. Using the same algorithm from 247Sports, St. Thomas Aquinas’ class has a composite score of 181.49. Although they’ve got two of the nation’s best wide receivers in Mike Harley and Trevon Grimes, not to mention Gator commit and quarterback Jake Allen, they don’t have the quantity compared to IMG. Still, Aquinas’s class would be placed right outside the top 50 in the nation behind Missouri, and in front of Texas Tech and NC State. The Raiders are a top high school team in the nation, but IMG Academy has more athletes with higher individual scores. Remember, I am talking both quality and quantity based off rankings on 247Sports.com.

As a top ten recruiting class in the nation, IMG Academy certainly has some of the best athletes. Of course, “stars” aren’t everything in football as Houston Texan JJ Watt was a two-star recruit. Still, for one high school to have 23 Division I commits and a hypothetical top ten college class is an impressive feat to say the least.

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“High school football coaches have a profound impact on the lives of young athletes. We are honored to recognize these individuals who embody the leadership and commitment to excellence demonstrated by Coach Shula,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “Their dedication to developing young men of character will lead their players to success far beyond the field of play.”

The Miami Dolphins nominated Miami Carol City High School coach Aubrey Hill. Carol City won the FHSAA Class 6A State Championship, 13-6 over Lake Gibson (Lakeland), finishing the season (11-3).

The Jacksonville Jaguars nominated Ponte Vedra High School, coach Matthew Toblin. The Sharks finished (13-1), their only loss in the FHSAA Class 5A State Championship, 35-33 to American Heritage (Plantation).

Finally, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers nominated St. Petersburg High School, Coach Joe Fabrizio. The Green Devils suffered a  tough loss in the first round of the FHSAA 7A playoffs, to Tampa Bay Tech, 48-45 in double overtime. Coach Fabrizio led the team to an (8-2) record.

Coaches aren’t necessarily nominated for the success of their team rather “for their character and integrity, leadership and dedication to the community, commitment to player health and safety, and on-field success,” according to the NFL.

For the first time, Don Shula Award nominees from all 32 teams will be invited and recognized in special ways during the NFL’s week-long celebration of football at the 2017 Pro Bowl in Orlando. The coaches will visit Pro Bowl practices, participate in the USA Football National Conference and attend the Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium. The coaches will be made available to media on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 2 PM ET at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

Two finalists will each receive $15,000 from the NFL Foundation, $10,000 of which will go to his high school’s football program. The Shula Award winner will be announced during the third quarter of the 2017 Pro Bowl, airing Sunday, Jan. 29 at 8 PM ET on ESPN, and will receive an additional $10,000 from the NFL Foundation, $5,000 of which will go to his high school’s football program. The winner will be recognized at a press conference on Friday, Feb. 3 during Super Bowl week in Houston and walk the red carpet at NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime award special airing nationally on FOX on Feb. 4, the night before Super Bowl LI.

As for deciding the winner, a panel made of distinguished individuals will choose who is worthy. New to the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award selection panel this year are two-time Super Bowl champion (XLI, 50) and five-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning, Super Bowl XLII champion and Good Morning America contributor Michael Strahan and Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker.

The selection panel also includes:

• Coach Don Shula – the winningest coach in NFL history
• Former Dallas Cowboys Personnel Director and NFL.com contributor Gil Brandt
• 2015 Don Shula NFL Coach of the Year Award Winner Michael Burnett
• Former Indianapolis Colts Coach and current NBC analyst Tony Dungy
• Executive Director of USA Football Scott Hallenbeck
• Retired IBM CEO Samuel Palmisano
• Former Secretary of State, Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution and faculty member at the Stanford Graduate School of Business Condoleezza Rice
• Former Executive Director of the American Football Coaches Association Grant Teaff 
• Aplington-Parkersburg High School Principal and son of the school’s late football coach, Ed Thomas, Aaron Thomas

Make sure to tune into the third quarter of the 2017 Pro Bowl, airing Sunday, Jan. 29 at 8 PM ET on ESPN and watch to see who the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award.

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FHSAA Class 4A Football State Championship
7:00 p.m. EST Thursday at Camping World Stadium, Orlando

State Championship Game Preview Presented By

Game Details, How To Watch/Listen & Live Updates

Tickets: $12 ($15 at the gate) general admission / $17 ($20 at the gate) reserved seating — can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com. Gates open 60 to 90 minutes prior to kickoff. All patrons will enter the stadium from Church Street. Parking is $10. 

Live Updates: On Twitter at @FlaHSFootball | Pregame preview, halftime update, and end of game recaps on Periscope.

TV Broadcast: Spectrum Sports Florida (HD 1147 for Charter Subscribers in Central Florida and Tampa Bay)

Radio Broadcast: Cocoa – WPIO 89.3 FM, Titusville & WEJF 90.3 FM, Palm Bay – webcast (link TBA); Bolles – WJXL 1010 AM, Jacksonville – webcast

Internet Stream: Watch online at MySpectrumSports.com (there is a fee to watch the games)

The Drive To December

Cocoa: Defeated Bishop Verot, 64-0, in regional semifinals; defeated Jones, 36-30, in regional finals; defeated Booker T. Washington, 24-21, in state semifinals.

Bolles: Defeated East Gadsden, 40-0, in Regional Semifinals; defeated Raines, 60-20, in regional finals; defeated South Sumter, 31-26, in state semifinals.

Rankings

Cocoa: Ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by Joe Pinkos; Ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by The Associated Press.  Ranked 25th in the nation by MaxPreps.

Bolles: Ranked No. 3 in Class 4A by Joe Pinkos; Ranked No. 2 in Class 4A by The Associated Press.

FHSAA State Series History

Cocoa: 18 state series appearances, three state titles, 33-14 overall playoff record.

Bolles: 36 state series appearances, 11 state titles, 5 runner-up finishes, 86-24 overall playoff record.

Head Coaches & Coaching Records

Cocoa: John Wilkinson, 15th year (131-25 at Cocoa, 146-40 overall including first stop at Brooksville Central).

Bolles: Charles “Corky” Rogers, 44th year (327-45 at Bolles Jacksonville, 468-84 overall including first stop at Robert E. Lee).

Coaching Staffs

Cocoa: Lance Jenkins – Defensive Coordinator; Doug Ruggles – Defensive Ends; Charles Stockton – Defensive Tackles; AJ Joiner – Linebackers; Tyrone Giscombe – Cornerbacks; Kevin Freeman – Safeties; Josh Woods – Offensive Line; David Bell – Kickers; Bruce Judson – Offensive Line; Matt Younger – Quarterbacks; Tony Piccalo – Running Backs; Craig Spencer – Wide Receivers; Bud Williams – Head JV Coach; Rod Washington – JV Defense; Winfred Strickland – Defensive Backs; Frank Ochoa-Gonzales – Football Ops

Bolles: Mike Barrett – Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers; Wayne Belger – Offensive Coordinator; Kevin Fagan – Quarterbacks; Colby Peters – Quarterbacks; Lance Picard – Offensive Line; Allan Leavitt – Kicking; Dwayne Dubose – Defensive Line; Rich Thomman – Linebackers; Jeff Crabtree – Offensive Line; Chris Malone – Defensive Backs; Clay Grimes – Linebackers; Jacob Gray – Special Teams; Chuck Olessker – assistant

Players To Watch

QB Bruce Judson, Cocoa, Sr. — Judson is one of four team captains and is one of the most important offensive players on this team. Passing for 1,163 yards and 16 touchdowns, Judson has been to the go-to guy in the final minutes of games from the start of the season to now. The South Florida commit has been phenomenal on and off the field by scoring points for his team and helping recruit players to USF via social media. In addition to his 67% completion rate through the air, the four-star recruit likes to run; 708 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground. Keep your eye on Judson, he’ll be all over the field.

RB Jaylen McCloud, Bolles, Sr. — McCloud will cause havoc for the Cocoa defense. Averaging 8.2 yards per rush, leads the team in both rushing yards (1,402) and rushing touchdowns (17). In the State Semifinals against South Sumter, McCloud scored one touchdown and racked up 134 yards on the ground. If the Cocoa defense wants to slow down the running game of Bolles, they’ll need to try to slow down McCloud who’s been averaging 116 yards per game.

QB Mac Jones, Bolles, Sr. — Mac has been a key reason to why the Bulldogs offense has improved each game during the season. As the leader of the offense, he has been able to make it the best for not himself, but for his teammates. Jones has currently passed for nearly 1,500 yards and 22 touchdowns through the state semifinals.

DE Howard Stewart, Cocoa, Sr. — Stewart leads the team with nine sacks for 48 yards lost. The junior will give plenty of pressure to Bolles quarterback Mac Jones. With 69 total tackles, 40 of them solo, he’ll be critical in keeping the total yards for Bolles to a minimum. However, that will be a difficult task as the Bulldogs average 419 yards of total offense per game.

RB/CB Javian Hawkins, Cocoa, Jr. — Hawkins is a dual threat on offense and defense. Offensively, the junior has rushed for 670 yards and 8 touchdowns, his longest run being 65 yards. He’s caught an additional seven touchdowns from quarterback Bruce Judson. Defensively, Hawkins has two interceptions and has one fumble recovery. If Cocoa can get Hawkins going early, he’ll be trouble for the Bulldogs.

WR/RB Amari Terry, Bolles Jacksonville, Sr. — If it isn’t McCloud who is scoring for Bolles, then it’s probably Amari Terry. The senior has caught 37 passes for 781 yards. Averaging over 20 yards per catch, Terry has caught nine touchdowns. Terry also has scored 13 rushing touchdowns totaling for 512 yards. In the State Semifinals against South Sumter, Terry took a punt return 93-yards in the first half proving he’s an explosive threat on special teams as well. Quarterback Mac Jones will look to target Amari Terry early and often throughout the game, especially in the red zone.

The Skinny On Bolles

If you just woke from a 30-year long nap, then say hello to the Bolles Bulldogs. You won’t have to dig deep into the FHSAA Football Championship Result Archive to find that the Bulldogs have won the most state championships in state history at 11. In addition, they have 34 tournament appearances, the most in state history as well. Although they haven’t won since the 2011 4A final in which they defeated Booker T. Washington, 33-25, the team was state runner-ups in 2012, 2013 and 2014, all losses to Booker T. Washington. Head coach Charles “Corky” Rogers has an overall record of (11-5) in state finals games so the Bulldogs have the upper hand on coaching experience.

Offensively, the team is led by quarterback Mac Jones who’s thrown for 1,471 yards and 22 yards. The high-powered offense has outscored opponents 603 to 167 and has only punted 15 times the entire season. Between Jaylen McCloud, EJ Porter, and Amari Terry, the rushing attack has literally run all over defense combining for just over 2,500 yards. Jones has only thrown three interceptions and the offensive line has given up 10 sacks on the year.

Speaking of interceptions, the Bolles defense has picked off opposing quarterbacks 15 different times. Besides the close win over South Sumter in the State Semifinal, the defense has been near perfect. In the 4A Regional Final against Raines, the defense didn’t give up a first down the entire second half. If the defense plays a strong game against Cocoa like they did in the second half of the Regional final, expect Bolles to win its 12th state championship in program history.  

The Skinny On Cocoa

They finally did it. After five years of losing to Booker T. Washington in the 4A bracket state semifinals, the Tigers overcame their toughest opponent in the postseason yet, 24-21. Booker T. was the four-time defending 4A state champions and won’t being going for the 5-peat thanks to Cocoa. As for the Tigers, they won three straight state titles from 2008-2010 under head coach John Wilkinson. Every year since 2007, the Tigers have either won the state title or have reached the semifinals. Wilkinson is (3-0) in state final games and is (128-25) overall as head coach of Cocoa. The team has four players who have rushed for more than 650 yards, this includes Lasedrick King who has scored 12 rushing touchdowns.

This season the team faced some pretty tough opponents. It has been a minute but the Tigers upset Trinity Christian Academy in overtime on ESPN2, 26-23. Trinity Christian faces Chaminade-Madonna in the 3A state final Saturday morning. Cocoa’s only regular season loss came a week later out west in Las Vegas against the number team in the nation, Bishop Gorman. Although the score was 19-10 at halftime, the Gaels shut down the Tigers, 46-10. Just last week, Gorman won its 8th straight Nevada state championship. Entering the season, Cocoa had the toughest strength of schedule in the Class 4A according to FloridaHSFootball.com Projections. Bolles wasn’t even in the top ten toughest schedules in the 4A, while Cocoa was ranked 16th statewide in terms of strength of schedule. This experience has shown in the playoffs has Cocoa has outscored opponents 121 to 64, while in the regular season they outscored teams 427 to 177. If Bruce Judson and company want to return to Tiger Trail as state champions, they’ll have to limit the Bolles running game and continue to attack through the air and on the ground.

The Picks

FloridaHSFootball.com: Bolles 35, Cocoa 30
Joe Pinkos: Cocoa 3 over Bolles

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THE INFO: The Noles struck first as quarterback Kaylan Wiggins found tight end Brenden Blyseth for a 21-yard touchdown pass. Minutes later, Seminole was back on offense but was forced to punt as the Panthers’ defense settled into the game. With nearly two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Dr. Phillips junior Tanner Ingle returned the punt 62 yards to the back of the end zone. The Panthers would miss the extra point so Seminole led 7-6 after the first quarter.

Dr. Phillips took their first lead of the game midway through the second quarter. After converting 3rd and one on the Noles’ 24-yard line, Kenny Palmer broke free for the Panthers and scored. With 6:20 left in the first half, the Panthers led 13-7. However, Seminole responded; and they did so quickly.

Aaron Edmunds ran the ball twice to start the drive. Wiggins was brought down on the Panthers’ 39-yard line after a 10-yard quarterback rush. The very next play, the senior found UCF commit Gabriel Davis over the top of the field. Davis caught the ball and brought the defender with him as he scored the 39-yard touchdown.

The Noles then executed a perfect onsides kick. Nearly 12 seconds after scoring, Wiggins stepped back onto the field and connected with Davis once again. This time for 31-yards as Seminole led 21-13 with 3:45 remaining in the first half. The Noles’ kicker Payton Rivers nailed a 38-yard field goal as time expired in the first half giving Seminole the momentum and a 24-13 lead over Dr. Phillips at halftime.

The defense of Dr. Phillips would respond in the second half. The Panthers scored their 11th defensive touchdown of the season when FAU commit DJ Charles picked off Wiggins on the first drive of the second half. Charles returned the ball 34-yard for the score giving life to his team.

Dr. Phillips then forced a Seminole three-and-out on the next possession. The punt set the Panthers up at the 50-yard line and a few players later quarterback Marvin Washington let the ball fly connecting with Emare Hogan for the 34-yard touchdown pass. The Panthers had their second lead of the game, 27-24 with just less than seven minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Seminole tied the score for the final time in regulation inside the final minute of the third quarter thanks to Rivers who sent a short field goal, taken from inside the 20-yard line, through the uprights. A late drive in the 4th quarter by Seminole set up Rivers again for the potential game-winning walk-off field goal. Rivers kick had the distance but sailed wide left. Seminole and Dr. Phillips were headed into overtime as the fans were going crazy in the stands.

On the first play of overtime, Wiggins ran the ball in himself from 10-yards out. Emare Hogan quickly responded for a 10-yard rushing touchdown of his own sending the game into a second overtime tied at 34 apiece. The Panthers offense started the second overtime and was held to only a field goal giving Seminole a chance to win the game trailing 37-34.

KEY PLAY OF THE GAME: A touchdown would have won the game. However, the Panthers defense had one final goal-line stand in them keeping Wiggins out of the end zone. Rivers was sent back onto the field to send the game into triple overtime. However, that wouldn’t be the case. The ball hit the left upright and bounced back onto the field. The 24-yard field goal was no good and Dr. Phillips won the game shocking the Seminole fans.

DID YOU KNOW: This is Dr. Phillips send time in program history in the state final game as the Panthers reached the title game 6 years ago in 2010. However, in 2010 the Panther lost to Miami Central and due to an ineligible player, all wins from the season were later vacated by the FHSAA. This time around, head coach Rodney Wells and company look for redemption and shot at the school’s first ever football state championship.

QUOTABLE: “It just a series of emotions. It has been an emotional week. Just to see these seniors advance and win that close game, because they’ve been on the other end of those one point and two point losses, it’s just so great to see them consistently work hard and get a chance to play for a state title. Hopefully, this just shows that we can overcome anything. They (Seminole) had a big swing when they got the onside kick then went up and we were down 11 or 12 points at halftime. So we could have gone in at half and tucked our heads but again it’s all about the seniors. It’s the best game we’ve ever played and one of the best I’ve been a part of,” said Dr. Phillips head coach Rodney Wells.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Seminole season comes to an end as the Noles, led by first-year head coach Don Stark. This was their loss the entire season as they finished (12-1) and look to return to the postseason next year. As for the Panthers, they are headed to Camping World Stadium next week. While Dr. Phillips and Seminole were battling it out, so were Deerfield Beach and Miami Southridge. The defense of Southridge appeared to be too much for Alabama commit wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and the rest of the Deerfield offense. Southridge won 26-7 which sets up a Dr. Phillips matchup in the FHSAA 8A State Championship game. The Spartans and the Panthers are set to play next Saturday night, December 10th, at 8pm at Camping World Stadium for a shot at a state title.

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THE INFO: The Patriots jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and then recovered an onsides kick threatening to extend their lead. The Noles defense forced a three-and-out and the team was in business. Vernon Mamwell broke free for a 59-yard touchdown. Minutes later, Carneilous Dennison scored his first of four touchdowns. A 10-yard rush by Dennison gave the Patriots their first lead since the first quarter.

Hampton would have none of it. The senior responded moments later with a 70-yard touchdown of his own setting the score at 14-10 Seminole after the first quarter. However, things were just getting started.

Seminole took control of the game, 21-10 as quarterback Kaylan Wiggins connected with Juri Sabb on a 43-yard passing touchdown. The Patriots were unable to score before half and the Seminoles led 21-10 at home.

Lake Brantley running back Trace Christian began to warm up after a quiet first half. Christian was brought down at the 10-yard line of Seminole. Two plays later, Patriot quarterback Marcus Dequattro scored from 7-yards out and the score was now 21-17 mid third quarter.

The Noles tight end and UCF commit Gabriel Davis caught a ball at the 15-yard line which led to a 15-yard rushing touchdown by Hampton on the very next play. Dennison scored again giving Lake Brantley life trailing 28-23 at the end of the third quarter.

Lake Brantley defense sacked Wiggins and then partially blocked the punt attempt giving their offense a chance to take back the lead. They would do just that. A 10-yard rush by Dennison gave the Patriots their first lead for the first quarter. After the failed two-point conversion, Lake Brantley led 29-28 over Seminole.

Once again, Hampton would have none of it. On the first play of the drive, the senior bounced to the outside and ran 83-yards less than a minute after the Patriots took back the lead. Seminole now led 34-28.

Trace Christian gave Lake Brantley another one-point lead with seven minutes to play on a 33-yard run. And soon enough fans realized it would come down to who would score last in this playoff game.Christian finished the night with 152 yards on the ground.

Wiggins found Davis on back-to-back plays setting the Noles on the 50-yard line with five minutes remaining. Head coach Don Stark was faced with a tough decision as his quarterback faced fourth and third down by one. Wiggins pulled through and converted on 4th and short. The senior quarterback then sailed a pass over the defender and into the hands of Gabe Davis for a 21-yard touchdown catch. Less than four minutes remained as the Noles led 40-35 over Lake Brantley.

The Patriots were able to take a chunk of time off the clock and take back the lead. Dequattro hit as he threw converted a pass to the 32-yard line of Seminole. The Patriots found themselves at the one-yard line with less than a minute in the game. Dennison appeared to fumble the ball at the goal line but was credited a one-yard rushing touchdown. The controversial score gave Lake Brantley a 41-40 with 57 seconds to play. He would finish the game with 136 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries for the Patriots.

KEY PLAY OF THE GAME: All night long, the Patriots were avoiding to kick the ball in the direction of Hampton on the kickoff. However, Hampton felt like he needed to make a big play late in the game. He did just that; returning the ball 80 yard to the 9-yard line of Lake Brantley. The very next play, Hampton rushed to the right side for a nine-yard touchdown icing the game with 39 seconds to go.

The Patriots were able to get the ball to their 38-yard line with one second left in hope of a hail mary touchdown pass. Dequattro hung in the pocket as long as he could looking down field but came up empty handed on the final play of the game.

DID YOU KNOW: The Seminoles are now (11-0) on the year, the first time back in the Regional Finals since 2010. This was the second time this season that these two teams faced each other. Back on September 30, Seminole won 35-28. Tonight, the Noles came out on top  but not nearly in the same fashion as both teams combined for 38 points in the fourth quarter alone.

QUOTABLE: “It was two great teams going at it and two teams that know each other well. We were just able to make one more play than them at the end of the game. I am proud of the way our kids kept fighting and never gave up. It was literally the difference of one play. We talk about it all the time– not flinching and they didn’t flinch this game and I’m very proud of them for doing that. We look forward to going into Winter Park and playing them next week,” said Seminole head coach Don Stark.

WHAT’S NEXT: It’s the end of the line for Lake Brantley and company. The Patriots, led by first-year head coach David Delfiacco, finish the season (7-5) and hope to return to the playoffs next season. As for the Seminoles, they have a tough task at hand. While the Patriots and the Noles were in the middle of a playoff classic, so were Timber Creek and Winter Park just down the road. The Wildcats, District 8A-3 champions, won the rematch 35-21 over the Timber Creek Wolves. The Wildcats (9-3) will host Seminole in the Class 8A-Region 1 Final for a spot in the State Semifinals. The winner of next week’s matchup will play the winner from Region Two between Dr. Phillips or Vero Beach in the 8A North State Semifinal.

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On September 23, the Mustangs won 35-7 over the Wildcats, but this time it was a different story. The defense stepped up and quarterback Cameron Lagree made the right plays when his team needed him the most. Lagree led his team in Wekiva territory and launched a 30-yard pass into the end zone. Hit as he let go of the ball, the senior quarterback found Dre Williams over the middle to give the Wildcats a 27-21 lead. The field goal iced the game and Wekiva was unable to score again.

THE INFO: The Mustangs forced a three and out by the Wildcats and jumped on offense early in the first quarter. Wekiva quarterback Trey McGee was picked off by Cameron Brown who ran the ball back 42 yards to put the Wildcats up 7-0 less than two minutes into the game.

Two drives later, the Mustangs responded in the second quarter. After a muffed punt by Winter Park gave Wekiva strong field position, the Mustangs kept the ball moving. McGee passed it to Wesley Touze at the six-yard line. The very next play, Wekiva running back Jaylon Fair knotted the score at 7-7 with 10:38 left in the first half.

The Wildcats caught the special teams of Wekiva off guard and executed a perfect onsides kick to start the second half. However, the Mustangs held their own and forced a turnover on downs. The defense turned into the offense as the Mustangs drove the ball down the field setting up McGee at the 18-yard line. The quarterback then took the ball himself into the end zone giving his team 14-7 lead at the 5:46 mark of the third quarter.

Winter Park, however, did not let up on offense or defense. The Wildcats quarterback found Notre Dame commit Jordan Pouncey who broke free for the 38-yard touchdown. Kevince Brown gave the Wildcats a 21-14 lead near the end of third quarter who tipped the pass by McGee, caught it and ran it home 75 yards to the back of the end zone.

Despite two interception returns for touchdowns, the Winter Park defense wasn’t able to completely shut down the run game of Wekiva. Jaylon Fair scored with 9:43 left in the game on a 45-yard rushing touchdown. Fair finished the game with 151 yards and touchdowns. The score was tied 21-21 with less than ten minutes to go.

KEY PLAYS OF THE GAME: LeGree found John Hodges on the right side of the field for a huge gain on third and five. Hodges was brought down out of bounds on the Wekiva 30-yardline. The very next play, Legree targeted Andre Williams for the go-ahead touchdown pass with 4:06 remaining in the game. The rest was history. This is Winter Park’s first time to the Regional Semifinals since 2013.

STAR OF THE GAME: Not one, not two, but three interceptions were caught by the Wildcats defense, two of which were returned for touchdowns. It’s important to remember, this same defense gave up 35 points to the Mustangs back on Sept. 23rd. The star of the game is indeed the defensive unit and special teams of Winter Park. Two pick-sixes, one returned for 75 yards, and a successful onsides kick, that was the difference from tonight’s game compared to Sept. 23rd.

DID YOU KNOW: This was only the second time in school history the Wekiva Mustangs had reached the postseason. Wekiva finishes the 2016 season (7-4, 2-1) and hopes to return back to the playoffs next season.

QUOTABLE: “The defense all year long for us has gone out and played great and again they did it tonight. They made some great plays, obviously when you have three picks. The defense has been consistent for us all year, and I am proud of them. This a great reward for them. We won and now we get chance to play next week. We made the plays, got the turnover breaks when we needed them and that made the difference tonight,” said Winter Park head coach Tim Shifflet.

WHAT’s NEXT: As I stated above, the season is over for the Mustangs. However, there is more football to be played at Showalter Field for the Wildcats. In the other 8A Regional Quarterfinal, the Timber Creek Wolves, runner-up of District 8A-3, upset the once (9-0) Apopka Blue Darters, now (9-1), in a stunner, 40-39 on the road. The win for the Wolves sets up a matchup between two District rivals, Winter Park and Timber Creek. The two teams, both from the same District, faced off against each other on September 30, a game in which no offensive touchdowns were scored. The Wildcats held on 7-0 over the Wolves behind a pick-six from Jonathan Griffin. However, the playoffs are a fresh start for both teams. Next week, it will be a playoff rematch as Winter Park will host Timber Creek for a spot in the 8A Regional Finals.

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