Marty Pallman – FloridaHSFootball.com https://floridahsfootball.com The Source For Florida High School Football & Girls Flag Football Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:49:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/FHSFfavicon.png?fit=20%2C20&ssl=1 Marty Pallman – FloridaHSFootball.com https://floridahsfootball.com 32 32 21254128 Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) eases past Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) after weather delay https://floridahsfootball.com/2024/09/09/bishop-kenny-jacksonville-eases-past-tocoi-creek-st-augustine-after-weather-delay/ Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:49:18 +0000 https://floridahsfootball.com/?p=60572 On a rough weather night for high school football in Northeast Florida, St. Johns County may have received the worst of it.

Four games in the country were canceled. But after waiting through an hour delay after heavy rain and lightning moved through the area this past Friday night, Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) and Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) kicked off.

The Crusaders are glad they did.

Bishop Kenny (3-0) scored three touchdowns in a span of nine minutes in the third quartar to get to a running clock and the Crusaders stayed unbeaten with a 35-6 romp over Tocoi Creek (2-1) on the Toros homefield.

The first half was pretty sloppy as it was played in a steady, sometimes heavy rain.

The weather didn’t affect Bishop Kenny however, and the Crusaders (3-0) went right down the field on the opening drive. Sophomore running back Caleb Mattison carried the load on the drive, which was all running plays.

Mattison capped the drive with a 14-yard run to paydirt and Bishop Kenny took a 7-0 lead with 6:55 left in the first quarter.

The rest of the half was mostly a defensive battle. Bishop Kenny’s senior quarterback Derek Heideman fumbled a snap late in the opening period with Tocoi Creek recovering at the Crusaders 33-yard line.

But as they did most of the game, Bishop Kenny’s defense held the Toros (2-1) to a four-and-out possession.

Penalties also bogged down a couple of Bishop Kenny drives in the second period. Finally after a short punt by Tocoi Creek, Bishop Kenny took over near midfield with 30 seconds left and two plays later were in the end zone. Mattison rushed for 40 yards to the 11-yard line, and on the final play of the half, Heideman found JP Donovan on an 11-yard fade in the right corner of the end zone for a 14-0 Crusaders lead.

“I don’t want to use the weather as an excuse,” Bishop Kenny coach Tim Krause told Molly McDonald of 92.5 FM in Jacksonville. “The first half wasn’t what I expected, and we weren’t very focused in the first 24 minutes.”

The rain stopped at halftime, and Bishop Kenny came out in the second half and quickly put the game away. After the Crusaders forced a three-and-out from Tocoi Creek on the opening drive of the third quarter, Bishop Kenny quickly got back in the end zone on a 45-yard run to pay dirt by Mattison and a 21-0 lead.

Three minutes later, junior running back Jelani Dawkins ran 52 yards to the end zone as he tiptoed down the right sideline to extend the Bishop Kenny lead to 28-0.

Finally, Heideman scored from 27 yards out on the next Crusaders possession to make it a 35-0 Bishop Kenny lead and a running clock for the entirety of the fourth quarter.

Tocoi Creek did get on the board in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run by senior quarterback Ryan Kilmer.

“I thought we came out in the second half with a lot of resolve and were definitely ready to go,” Krause said to 92.5 FM. “I’m just really proud of these kids and this team for how they have been playing.

Bishop Kenny’s defense, who has allowed only 23 points in the first three games, allowed Tocoi Creek only 155 total yards, 70 of those yards coming on the Toros touchdown drive against the Crusaders second-string defense in the fourth quarter.

The other four games that were canceled in St. Johns County were Bolles at St. Augustine, Menendez at Beachside, Baker County at Ponte Vedra, and Ridge Community (Davenport) at Nease.

Bishop Kenny returns home next week to host rival Bolles in a non-district game. Bolles is 1-1 after their game at St. Augustine was canceled. Tocoi Creek will travel to Clay who is 1-2 on the season.

]]> 60572 CLASS 2M STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Upset of the year makes Berkeley Prep first-time state champions over nationally-ranked Miami Norland https://floridahsfootball.com/2023/12/09/class-2m-state-championship-upset-of-the-year-makes-berkeley-prep-first-time-state-champions-over-nationally-ranked-miami-norland/ Sun, 10 Dec 2023 00:42:06 +0000 https://floridahsfootball.com/?p=58590 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – It had been a perfect season so far for Miami Norland as the entered Saturday’s Class 2M State Championship Game ranked No. 11 nationally by MaxPreps and No. 15 High School Football American with 14-0 record as they had outscored their opponents 606-176 through the 14 games played.

None of this fazed the Berkeley Prep (Tampa) Buccaneers.

And from early on it showed that Berkeley Prep came ready to play against Norland as the first play of the first  was intercepted by the Buccaneers after they had went nowhere on their first drive offensively.

Berkeley Prep held the ball twice as long as Norland

Berkeley Prep held the ball almost 32 minutes and never trailed in knocking off Norland 28-20 at Bragg Memorial Stadium and Ken Riley Field on the Florida A&M campus in Tallahassee.

It’s the first state title for Berkeley Prep (13-2) who had had previously played for the Class 3A title in 2021, losing 21-0 to Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) in a game played at nearby Gene Cox Stadium two years ago.

Both teams get their offenses going

Both teams threw interceptions on their opening possessions. Norland picked off Berkeley Prep on the next drive and returned the interception 99 yards for a touchdown. But the Vikings touchdown was nullified because of a block in the back penalty.

Berkeley Prep put the first points of the game on the board after an 8 play, 48-yard drive that spanned the first and second periods. On third down and 9, freshman quarterback Cooper Hayes threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Dallas Golden for a 7-0 Buccaneers lead.

Norland (14-1) answered on the very next drive. Junior quarterback Ennio Yapoor hooked up with senior receiver Ivory Aikens on a 29-yard touchdown which tied the game 7-7.

Buccaneers defense comes up big

After Berkeley Prep punted on their next possession, Yapoor fumbled for Norland and the Buccaneers recovered at the Vikings 13-yard line. The Buccaneers took a 14-7 lead as junior wide receiver/running back Dallas Golden took it in for a 13-yard score. Berkeley Prep led 14-7 going into the halftime break.

Norland received the kickoff for the second half, and proceeded to go on an 11-play, 71-yard drive down to the Berkeley Prep four-yard line. But on fourth and goal, Yapoor threw incomplete and the Buccaneers took over at their five-yard line.

Berkeley Prep starts to believe after 95-yard drive

Berkeley Prep then went on a 12-play, 95-yard drive that took over six minutes. The drive culminated with Hayes throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to junior running back Joseph Troupe and suddenly Berkeley Prep had a 21-7 advantage.

Norland’s offense woke up and they put together a quick 4-play, 68-yard drive to get back within a score at 21-13. Yapoor scored from 4 yards out on the final play of the third quarter, bringing Norland back within one score.

The Buccaneers drove down to the Norland six-yard line, but this time Berkeley Prep went backwards and turned the ball over on downs. But Norland quickly went three-and-out, and the Buccaneers once again had great field possession at the Vikings 41-yard line.

Long drive for the big touchdowns puts the Buccaneers on the cusp of the upset

This time Berkeley Prep turned it into points as Golden’s 38-yard scamper set up a one-yard touchdown by Hayes giving the Buccaneers a 28-13 lead with a little under six minutes to go.

Norland answered quickly, taking only 1:07 to get back within a score at 28-20. Yapoor threw a 26-yard strike to senior Juan Rodriguez.

Berkeley prep runs out the clock on Norland

But the Vikings defense couldn’t come up with the big stop on the next drive. And as they had most of the day, Berkeley Prep ran the final four minutes and 26 seconds off the clock to seal the state title.

Berkeley Prep was outgained by Norland 374-338 but again the Buccaneers held the ball twice as long as the Vikings.

Golden had a huge game, rushing for 155 yards and a touchdown playing mostly out of the wildcat, and Troupe rushed for 128 yards as the Bucs had 274 yards on the ground. Golden also caught two passes for 38 yards and a score. Hayes completed only four passes, but two of them went for touchdowns. He also rushed for a score.

For Norland, Yapoor completed 15-of-20 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 42 yards on 12 carries and another score. Rodriguez had 72 yards on the ground with 11 carries, and Aikens was Norland’s leading receiver with four catches for 111 yards and a score.

But the day belonged to Berkeley Prep coming a  week after upsetting nationally-ranked American Heritage (Plantation) in the state semifinals, the Buccaneers came to Tallahassee as a sizable underdog. But after taking out the 11th-ranked team in America in Norland, you can say Berkeley Prep really earned this state championship. The Buccaneers had to play the perfect game to beat the Vikings, and they did just that.

]]> 58590 CLASS 4M STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Columbus pulls away from Mandarin for second consecutive state championship https://floridahsfootball.com/2023/12/09/class-4m-state-championship-columbus-pulls-away-from-mandarin-for-second-consecutive-state-championship/ Sat, 09 Dec 2023 14:02:21 +0000 https://floridahsfootball.com/?p=58578 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – You could not have a much better start than the Columbus (Miami) Explorers had on Friday in the Class 4M State Championship Game.

Columbus scored touchdowns on their first three possessions to build an early lead and they never looked back, beating Mandarin (Jacksonville) 38-19 Friday afternoon at Bragg Memorial Stadium on the campus of Florida A&M University.

Columbus (13-2) got revenge on the Mustangs for Mandarin (11-4) after defeating the Explorers 37-35 in the 2018 Class 8A state championship game. The victory also allowed Columbus to repeat as Class 4M state champions and also captured their third state title in five years for head coach Dave Dunn.

Columbus jumps on Mandarin from the get go

Mandarin punted on the opening drive of the game, and Columbus took advantage of a short field, driving only 43 yards and taking a 7-0 lead as junior Hector Chavez scored from 2 yards out.

After another Mandarin punt, the Explorers drove 57 yards in just four plays, with junior running back Agyeman Addae rushing for a ten-yard score and a 14-0 Columbus lead.

Then after a Mandarin touchdown cut the Explorers lead to 14-6, Columbus drove 63 yards in seven plays with senior running back Eric Bandy scoring from six yards for a 21-6 lead as the Explorers scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives.

Mandarin gets back in the game

Columbus put together another drive later in the second quarter, but fumbled at the Mandarin 13-yard line. The Mustangs  drove 86 yards in nine plays with senior running back Tiant Wyche scoring from 21 yards out with 33 seconds left in the first half, and Mandarin now only trailed 21-13 at halftime.

Third quarter makes things interesting

With the Explorers, they put together a drive to start the third quarter that resulted in a one-yard touchdown by Bandy to extend the lead 28-13 with less than four minutes chipped off the clock.

Mandarin proceeded to respond quickly to the Columbus score that was in part started thanks to a huge kickoff return by Wyche. That drive, a 41-yard, four play drive was capped off that culminated with junior quarterback Tramell Jones throwing a 30-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Jamie Ffrench.

Mandarin put together an eight play, 54-yard drive on the opening possession of the third quarter, but senior kicker Ben Hipp missed a 36-yard field goal and the Mustangs came up with no points from the sustained driv

Columbus gets back on track and pulls away from Mandarin

From there it was Columbus who would put the game away for good in part to continued special teams miscues after putting together an eight play, 54-yard drive after getting a stop with kicker Ben Hipp missing a 36-yard field goal.

Columbus would score the game’s final ten points in two and half minutes and that was pretty much it for Columbus as they cruised to back-to-back state titles.

Offenses rule the day

Both teams offenses had a pretty good day, with Columbus only outgaining Mandarin 419 yards to 379. Both teams also had one turnover, as each lost a fumble.

Senior quarterback Albert Mendoza had a huge game, throwing for 149 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 138 yards and a score. Mendoza had 287 of the Explorers 419 total yards. Edward Bandy added 90 yards on the ground and two touchdowns as three different running backs had scores for Columbus.

On the Mustangs side, Jones was 19-of-27 for 229 yards and two touchdowns but was sacked four times by the Columbus defense. Ffrench caught seven passes for 101 yards and those two scores, and Wyche led Mandarin on the ground with 94 yards on 11 carries and another TD.

]]> 58578 CLASS 1S STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Cardinal Mooney holds off Trinity Catholic for first state title in 51 years https://floridahsfootball.com/2023/12/08/class-1s-state-championship-cardinal-mooney-holds-off-trinity-catholic-for-first-state-title-in-51-years/ Fri, 08 Dec 2023 23:23:25 +0000 https://floridahsfootball.com/?p=58574 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota) Cougars had used big plays all game in their back-and-forth 1S State Title game tussle Thursday morning.
The biggest play in the final 17 seconds gave Cardinal Mooney it’s first state football title in 51 years, as the Cougars held off Trinity Catholic (Ocala) 31-27 in the 1S State Championship at Bragg Memorial Stadium on the Florida A&M campus.

Cardinal Mooney had previously won the Class A state title in 1972, the last time the Cougars (12-2) advanced to the state championship game. For Trinity Catholic it is their second straight loss in a state championship game. This loss was a heartbreaking one for John Brantley’s Celtics (6-8).

The Celtics broke on top after they took over at the Cardinal Mooney. Seven plays later junior Austin Holder scored from three yards out for a 7-0 Trinity Catholic lead.

Cardinal Mooney answered the Celtics right back with authority. First, sophomore quarterback Drew Mignery found junior wide receiver Chris McCorkle on a 79-yard hookup for a 7-7 tie.

After a four-yard run by senior running back Carson Beach on the second play of the second quarter gave the Cougars a 14-7 edge, Trinity Catholic again had to punt. Cardinal Mooney then came up with their second big play of the game, as senior quarterback Michael Valentino hooked up with UF commit senior wide receiver Teddy Foster, and the Cougars lead widened to 21-7.

Trinity Catholic punted again, but came up with big play on defense to get back in the game. Junior defensive lineman Zach Johnson intercepted a tipped pass and returned it to the Cardinal Mooney 12-yard line. Five plays later the Celtics cut the deficit to 21-14 on a three-yard run by senior running back Jamarius Starkes.
After another quick three-and-out and short punt by Cardinal Mooney, Trinity Catholic went 47 yards in seven plays, capped off by a 16-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Preston Wright to freshman wide receiver Joshua Wright. The two teams went into the halftime break tied 21-all.

The only scoring in the third quarter as senior kicker Nino Scheutz hit a 31-yard field goal early in the period, putting the Cougars back in front 24-21.

Trinity Catholic’s senior kicker Cooper Badics missed a 33-yard field goal that would have tied the game again in the final minute of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter saw three straight punts by Cardinal Mooney, while Trinity Catholic answered with 30 and 49-yard field goals by Badics. The latter kick put the Celtics up 27-24 with 47 seconds left.

But it only took two plays and 30 seconds for Cardinal Mooney to answer when they needed to. Another big play did the trick for the Cougars as Valentino found McCorkle for his second TD of the night, and Cardinal Mooney led 31-27 with only 17 seconds left.

That was just enough time for the Celtics to reach the Cardinal Mooney 46-yard line. But a final Hail Mary attempt from Preston Wright was intercepted in the end zone by McCorkle and the Cougars had their state title.

Cardinal Mooney ended up with 374 total yards of offense with Trinity Catholic managing only 240 yards. Valentino was only 5-for-11 passing but threw for 174 yards and the two scores, while Mignery only attempted four passes, completing three for 138 yards including the 77-yard touchdown strike.
McCorkle ended up with only two catches, but both were for scores as he ended up with 116 receiving yards. Foster added 103 only three receptions including the 82-yard hookup.

For Trinity Catholic, Preston Wright was 19-of-35 for 164 yards with a touchdown and an interception on the final play of the game. Gerald Wright had six catches for 67 yards for the Celtics, with Joshua Wright catching three balls for 58 yards and the one touchdown.

]]> 58574 St. Thomas Aquinas outlasts Edgewater to win the Class 7A State Championship https://floridahsfootball.com/2019/12/14/st-thomas-aquinas-outlasts-edgewater-to-win-the-class-7a-state-championship/ Sun, 15 Dec 2019 04:45:51 +0000 https://floridahsfootball.com/?p=45956 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A year ago, the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders were standing on the turf of Camping World Stadium in Orlando, accepting the runner-up trophy after a 33-20 loss to Lakeland in the 7A state championship game.

Saturday night, at Daytona Stadium, redemption came for the Raiders. But they had to work for it, holding off Orlando Edgewater on the final play of the game to win the 7A state title 28-23.

It’s the 11th state title for St. Thomas Aquinas, tying the Raiders with Jacksonville Bolles for the most championships in FHSAA Football Finals history.
Edgewater (13-2) trailed 28-17 after St. Thomas Aquinas quarterback Zion Thomas found Marcus Rosemy for an 11-yard touchdown with 6:04 left. It looked like the Raiders were pulling away, after trailing by as much as 14-0 in the second quarter.

But the Eagles responded with a 6 play, 76-yard drive capped off by a 26-yard touchdown pass from Canaan Mobley to Tommi Hill. Edgewater tried a fake extra point but the two-point attempt failed, and the St. Thomas Aquinas lead stayed at 28-23 with 4:18 to go.

Edgewater then forced a Raiders’ three-and-out and got the ball back on their own 16-yard line with 2:05 left. The Eagles moved down the field to the St. Thomas Aquinas 23-yard line with four seconds left. Mobley tried to hit Hill again in the right corner of the end zone, but Rosemy cut in front of the receiver for the interception to clinch the state title for Aquinas.

Edgewater used two long drives to get out to an early lead. The Eagles moved 99 yards in six plays on their opening drive, with going 54 yards to the end zone for a 7-0 lead with 8:33 left in the opening quarter.

Edgewater stopped St. Thomas Aquinas on fourth down at the Eagle 2-yard line early in the second quarter. Edgewater then drove 98 yards as Leary dashed 75 yards to paydirt for a 14-0 Edgewater lead.

The Raiders finally got on the board on the next possession, as Anthony Hankerson ran 63 yards for a touchdown to draw St. Thomas Aquinas within 14-7. Edgewater held onto that lead into the halftime break.

Edgewater continued to lead until the Raiders Blaine Anderson intercepted Mobley at the Aquinas 44-yard line halfway through the third quarter. Turner then rushed 13 yards for his first touchdown and the game was tied at 14-all.

After a short Edgewater punt, Turner rushed for another 13 yard score and St. Thomas Aquinas led for the first time at 21-14 at the end of the third quarter.

Then the wild fourth quarter happened.

Hankerson rushed for 190 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown, with Turner running for 75 yards and the two scores for St. Thomas Aquinas, who finishes as the only unbeaten high school football team in Florida this season at 14-0.

Leary rushed for 141 yards on only six carries, and Isiah Connelly added 140 yards on 28 carries. Connelly had 157 carries in five games in the postseason, breaking the record of former Alabama and current Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry.

]]> 45956 HOLY COMEBACK! Columbus stuns Apopka to win Class 8A State Championship https://floridahsfootball.com/2019/12/14/holy-comeback-columbus-stuns-apopka-to-win-class-8a-state-championship/ Sat, 14 Dec 2019 05:59:20 +0000 https://floridahsfootball.com/?p=45949

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A year ago, the Miami Columbus Explorers came up two points short of their first state football title, as Carson Beck and Jacksonville Mandarin held off the Explorers 37-35 in the Class 8A State Championship Game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

That loss dropped Columbus to 0-4 all-time in state championship games.
Columbus used that loss as motivation and made it back to the championship game.

However, this time around the Explorers flipped the script on Apopka, scoring two touchdowns in the final 3:25 to stun the Blue Darters 21-20 and win the Class 8A state title at Daytona Stadium on Friday night.

Columbus (11-4) trailed the entire game and were still down 20-7 when Brandon McDuffey hit Henry Parrish with a 15 yard TD pass with 3:21 left. Apopka blocked the extra point, and Columbus still trailed 20-13.

But the Explorers forced an Apopka punt and took over at their own 28-yard line with 1:57 left.

McDuffey then led Columbus on a drive that Explorers fans will remember for years to come.

11 plays later, McDuffey hit Parrish again, this time from 6 yards out for another TD. Columbus trailed 20-19 with 8 seconds left, and Explorers coach David Dunn had a decision to make.
Dunn never had a doubt. He went for the win, and McDuffey hit Jahvar McSween on the two-point conversion attempt. And just like that, history for Columbus and heartbreak for Apopka.

It’s the first state football title for Columbus, as they won in their fifth championship game appearance. The Explorers were playing in their third championship game in six years, including a 30-23 loss to the Blue Darters in 2014.

McDuffey was the hero, completing 34-of-47 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Parrish, who rushed for over 2,300 yards this season and just won the inaugural Nat Moore Trophy for best player in South Florida, was held to only 24 yards rushing on 10 carries. But Parrish caught 11 balls for 53 yards and the two touchdowns. Xzavier Henderson led the Explorers in yards receiving with 105 on eight receptions and also had a touchdown on the ground.

Apopka got on the board first after taking over on the Columbus nine-yard line after a very short punt. Quarterback Jaquan Lowman scored from three yards out and Apopka led 7-0 late in the first quarter.

Columbus answered back, with Henderson scoring from two yards out to even the score at 7-all in the opening minute of the second quarter.

Apopka came right back, as on the ensuing drive Lowman completed his only pass of the game for a 29 yard TD pass to Jalen Williams and the Blue Darters were up 14-7. That was the score going into halftime.

Apopka scored the only points of the third quarter, as Tramar Jackson scored from 10 yards out with 9:21 left. Apopka missed the extra point, but the lead was 20-7 and stayed that way until the fateful fourth quarter.

Apopka (12-2), who was searching for its fourth state title, instead finishes as a runner-up for the second time. The Blue Darters, who have always been a run-first team, rushed for 306 yards. Lowman, who was only 1-for-3 passing, had 24 carries for 249 yards to lead Apopka.

Apopka also held the ball for seven more minutes than Columbus. But in the end, it wasn’t quite enough for the Blue Darters.

And it was a total joy for the Columbus Explorers, who finally got a break from the football gods.

Quotes will be added in an update.
]]> 45949 Madison County thumps Baker to repeat as Class 1A State Champions https://floridahsfootball.com/2018/12/06/madison-county-thumps-baker-to-repeat-as-class-1a-state-champions/ Thu, 06 Dec 2018 23:16:51 +0000 https://floridahsfootball.com/?p=42782 ORLANDO, Fla. — For Madison County, it’s a pretty simple recipe to their success.  Run, run, and then run some more.  But boy is it effective.

The Cowboys repeated as 1A state champions, rushing for 358 yards on only 26 carries and rolling to a 48-6 win over Baker Thursday afternoon in the state title game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Madison County senior quarterback Travis Jay, an FSU commit, rushed for 160 yards on only seven carries, including touchdown runs of 69 and 67 yards, and junior running back Vinsonta Allen ran for 165 yards on 10 carries and two long runs to paydirt of 55 and 61 yards and the Cowboys pulled away by scoring the last 41 points against the Gators.

Madison County struck first just four minutes into the game on the 69-yard run to the end zone by Jay, who is committed to the Seminoles as a cornerback. But Baker answered on the first play of the 2nd quarter, with Junior McLaughlin running in from 15 yards out.  Baker had the extra point blocked, but the Gators were within a point at 7-6.

But from there, the Cowboys took over.  Allen scored his first touchdown just four minutes later and Madison County carried a 14-6 lead into the halftime break.

The running game for Madison County continued to run around and through Baker in the second half.  On the second play of the third quarter, Allen scampered 61 yards to the end zone to extend the Cowboys lead to 21-6.  Then it was time for another big play by Jay. This time it was 67 yards another score and the rout for Madison County was on.

“He [Jay] is the best player I have ever coached and the sky is the limit for him,” Madison County coach Mike Coe said. “He’s tough, he’s never missed a game in three years and is very coachable. I expect to see him playing in the NFL on Sundays after FSU.”

From there two Thomas Miller field goals from 30 and 27 yards and two more rushing touchdowns from Patrick Hampton and Robert Hiers got Madison County to a running clock with 6:26 left in the 4th quarter.

“This one was sweet but a little different than last year,” Coe said. “The score was much easier this time around.”

Baker finishes the season 13-1 after advancing to the state championship game for the second time in three years.  Baker lost in the 2016 1A state title game to Pahokee 34-21, but the Blue Devils later had to vacate the championship due to ineligible players.

The Gators were led by McLaughlin, who rushed for 61 yards on 24 carries and was 5-for-5 passing for 50 yards.  But despite a time of possession advantage of almost 15 minutes over Madison County, Baker only managed 180 total yards.

The Cowboys finished the year 13-1 with their only loss coming 48-24 at 7A Lake City Columbia.

For Madison County, it is their fourth state title in school history and second under Coe. The Cowboys only had the ball for almost 17 minutes and only 37 plays but managed 429 total yards.  Coe says it is hard to compare this state title to last year, but he does see some differences.

https://twitter.com/FLFBRecords/status/1070761446026428416

“I think last year’s team had more big plays and may have been better offensively, but this year we were better on defense and special teams. But it doesn’t matter, you just have to trust the process.”

]]> 42782 American Heritage runs past Baker County to repeat as Class 5A State Champions https://floridahsfootball.com/2017/12/08/american-heritage-runs-past-baker-county-repeat-class-5a-state-champions/ Sat, 09 Dec 2017 01:03:17 +0000 https://floridahsfootball.com/?p=37728 ORLANDO, Fla. — State titles have become a rite of passage for the Plantation American Heritage Patriots.

The latest Class 5A state title, the fourth in five years for American Heritage, involved a bumpy and difficult road to Orlando.

The championship game itself was a breeze, as American Heritage (13-0) rolled to a 37-0 halftime lead and breezed with a running clock in the second half to a 44-15 win over first-time state finalist Baker County.

American Heritage went right down the field on a methodical 13 play, 77-yard drive that was capped off by a 1 yard TD run by quarterback Cam Smith. After a Baker County punt, American Heritage put together another 11 play drive covering 69 yards that led to a 33-yard field goal by Jared Elstein and the Patriots led 10-0.  That was the score at the end of the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, the bottom dropped out for Baker County (13-2).

First American Heritage expanded their lead to 17-0 on a 39-yard pass from Smith to Joshua Alexander.  Then after Baker County finally got a drive going offensively, Seth Paige fumbled and defensive lineman Nester Silvera rumbled 57 yards to the end zone and the Patriots lead swelled to 24-0.

American Heritage wasn’t nearly finished though, as they would score on two more 1-play drives before the first half was over.  Smith completed a 43 yard TD pass down the left sideline to Anthony Schwartz to make it a 30-0 Heritage lead with 3:13 left before halftime.  Then after another Baker County punt, the Patriots struck one more time as the speedster Schwartz scored from 37 yards on a jet sweep around right end and the running clock was in effect as American Heritage led 37-0 at the halftime break.

Baker County did show some heart coming out after the halftime break as Nick Lee broke off a 48 yard run to set up a 3 yard TD run by Seth Paige to get the Wildcats on the board to make it 37-7.  Then after Baker County recovered an onside kick, the Wildcats struck right back.  Baker County quarterback John Green completed a short pass to Paige, who threw a 48-yard halfback pass to Lee Graham and Baker County had some life as they trailed 37-15.

“I was proud of the heart my team showed coming out like that in the second half,”Baker County coach Jamie Rodgers said.”That showed with the way we came out and got on the board.”

But American Heritage recovered another onside kick, and with the running clock was able to bleed out most of the second half.  The Patriots put one more score on the board with as Smith scored again from 1 yard out to make the final 44-15.

For American Heritage, Smith was 7 of 11 passing for 144 yards and 2 TD’s passing and ran for 65 more yards and 2 TD’s on the ground.  Schwartz had two catches for 53 yards and a TD receiving and had the 37-yard touchdown run.

Paige rushed for 49 yards on 13 carries and a TD on the ground to go along with the 48 yard TD pass. Baker County only attempted seven passes in the loss, their first state championship since their opening game at St. Augustine.

“Despite the loss, I’m proud of this team and what they’ve accomplished,” Baker County coach Jamie Rodgers said. “To be playing football for 72 years and finally make it to this point, it is something they can always remember.”

For American Heritage coach Patrick Surtain, he is now 27-0 in 2 seasons as Patriots head coach with two state titles.

“We had been talking about the perfect game all season,” Surtain said. “We got close to that in the first half today.  This group has been so close-knit all year. This is well deserved.”

]]> 37728 Class 7A State Championship Preview: Bartram Trail vs. Venice https://floridahsfootball.com/2017/12/08/class-7a-state-championship-preview-bartram-trail-vs-venice/ Fri, 08 Dec 2017 16:56:31 +0000 https://floridahsfootball.com/?p=37718 CLASS 7A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Bartram Trail Bears (11-3) vs. Venice Indians (13-1)

GAME TIME & LOCATION INFO

When: Saturday, December 8

Where: Camping World Stadium, Orlando

Kickoff: 3:07 p.m. EST

Tickets: $12 General Admission, $17 Reserved Seating — purchase online at ticketmaster.com

TELEVISION & ONLINE INFO

Pregame Show: Varsity Sports Network/NFHSNetwork.com (FREE) — LIVE at 9:00 a.m. EST

TV Broadcast: Spectrum Sports, Channel 1147 in Spectrum coverage areas

Online Stream: Boxcast TV via Spectrum Sports ($9.95 fee to watch)

Social Media Updates: @FlaHSFootball on Twitter — Entire game

Halftime Recap: Florida HS Football Facebook Page — LIVE at Half

Postgame Recap: Florida HS Football Facebook Page — LIVE following the game

Postgame Show: Varsity Sports Network/NFHSNetwork.com (FREE) — LIVE at 30 minutes following the Class 6A State Championship Game

ABOUT BARTRAM TRAIL

Head Coach: Darrell Sutherland

Road To Orlando: d. East Ridge 56-14 (Regional Quarterfinals), d. Lincoln (Tallahassee) 49-21 (Regional Semifinals), d. Fleming Island 38-13 (Regional Finals), d. Plant 34-29 (State Semifinals)

Last State Championship Game Appearance: First appearance

Playoff History: Bartram Trail is 20-14 in playoff games with three previous state semifinal appearances (2007, 2011, 2013).

Rankings: No. 10 in the final Associated Press Florida High School poll; No. 12 in Joe Pinkos’ end of regular season rankings.

Top Players To Watch: QB Joey Gatewood, Sr.; QB Riley Smith, Sr.; RB Devin Ellison, Jr.; WR Xavier Hutchinson, Sr.; WR Griffin Helm, Jr.; WR Gunnar Hitzeman, Jr.; OLB Corbein Hagans, Sr.; MLB Johnny Amell, Sr.; DB Harry Bowker, Jr.; DB Timothy Adams, Sr.

The Skinny: Darrell Sutherland has been the only coach of the football program at Bartram Trail since the school opened its doors in 2000. The Bears had three previous state semifinal appearances but finally broke through with a 34-29 state semifinal win over Plant a week ago. Bartram Trail has a two-headed monster at quarterback in Auburn commit Joey Gatewood (1,355 yards passing, 12 TD’s, 1 INT, 150 carries, 1,029 yards, 15 TD’s rushing) and Riley Smith (1,367 yards passing, 17 TD’s, 7 INT’s, 587 yards, 8 TD’s rushing). The leader on the ground for the Bears is RB Devin Ellison (1,197 yards, 8.4 average, 17 TD’s). Both Gatewood and Smith have similar numbers and both are 6-foot-5 and around 230 pounds. Bartram Trail is pretty balanced offensively as well, with 2,817 yards passing and 3,428 yards rushing. The leading target for both QB’s is WR Xavier Hutchinson (68 receptions, 916 yards, 11 TD’s). Griffin Helm and Gunnar Hitzeman are two big-time receiving targets as well for Bartram Trail. The Bears defense has struggled at times, but has played a brutal schedule with games against Georgia power Cartersville and Cocoa as well as St. Augustine. The Bears have been much better at forcing turnovers in the postseason, with 6 turnovers forced in the regional final against Fleming Island and two in the state semifinals versus Plant. LB Johnny Amell leads the Bears defensively with 83 tackles, including 8 for loss and 5 sacks. OLB Corbin Hagans (70 tackles, 6 for loss, and 3 sacks) also contributes to the Bears defense.

ABOUT VENICE

Head Coach: John Peacock

Road To Orlando: d. St. Petersburg 49-13 (Regional Quarterfinals), d. Braden River 41-32 (Regional Semifinals), d. Tampa Bay Tech 48-14 (Regional Finals), d. St. Thomas Aquinas 27-20 (State Semifinals).

Last State Championship Game Appearance: 2000 (Class 5A)

Playoff History: Venice is 26-17 in playoff games including a 5A state championship in 2000 and appearances in the state semifinals in 2002 and 2016.

Rankings: No. 2 in the final Associated Press Florida high school poll, No. 3 in Joe Pinkos end of regular season ranking.

Top Players To Watch: QB Bryce Carpenter, Sr.; RB Brandon Gregory, Jr.; RB Court Doss, Jr.; WR Javon Heiligh, Sr.; ILB Caleb Smith, Sr.; DT Tyrone Barber, Sr.; DE Carson Sullivan, Jr.; DE Riley Prachar, Sr..

The Skinny: Venice finally got over the St. Thomas Aquinas hump, defeating the three-time defending 7A state champions 27-20 in last week’s state semifinal to earn its first state championship game appearance since their only state title in 2000. Now a meeting with a high-powered offense and two-headed quarterback with Bartram Trail’s Joey Gatewood and Riley Smith. Venice has it’s own high-powered attack, as the Indians are led by senior QB Bryce Carpenter who had video game-like numbers (2,837 yards, 42 TD’s, 10 INT’s). Carpenter also rushed for over 1,000 yards and 18 TD’s on the ground, giving him 60 total touchdowns. RB Brandon Gregory (92 carries, 622 yards, 8 TD’s) is the leading rusher among running backs for Venice. The Indians also have a record-breaking wide receiver in Jaivon Heiligh (123 receptions, 2000 yards, 142.9 yards per game, 32 TD’s). Defensively the Venice defensive line is led by Riley Prachar (106 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks). LB Caleb Smith leads the Venice defense with 146 tackles, and Carson Sullivan and Tyrone Barber had 125 tackles each. Venice had 34 sacks as a team and outscored it’s opponents 556-201. The last time Venice was in the state championship game, they set an FHSAA record for points in a title game with a 77-14 win over Dwyer.

GAME OUTLOOK

This has all the makings of a shootout Saturday afternoon at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Venice has scored 556 points in 2017, Bartram Trail 593 points. Venice has the high-powered attack led by quarterback Bryce Carpenter, who has 60 total touchdowns, including 32 TD’s receiving by Jaivon Heiligh, and Bartram Trail has the two-headed quarterback monster of Joey Gatewood and Riley Smith. They could need more lights on the scoreboard at Camping World Stadium on Saturday, but bad weather could affect the offensive festival between these two teams. Venice is in the state title game for the first time in 17 years, and Bartram Trail has never advanced to this level, so there may be nervousness on both sides to start. The difference here seems to be the Venice defense, which allowed 192 less points than Bartram Trail. Someone’s defense will have to make a stop to get a difference between these two teams.

WHO THE COMPUTERS PREDICT

We take a look at the computers and their predictions for the 2017 FHSAA State Championship games:

Joe Pinkos’ Forecast: 

USA TODAY High School Sports Score Predictor: Venice 42, Bartram Trail 35

THE EXPERT PICKS

We gave our media pickers the biggest challenge of the year by not only predicting the winner of each state championship game, but the actual score of each game as well. Here are their picks:

  • Joshua Wilson, FloridaHSFootball.com: Venice 45, Bartram Trail 34

  • Will Turner, FloridaHSFootball.com: Venicer 42, Bartram Trail 35

  • Bill Hammel, Irish Bill’s Twist On Sports: Venice 38, Bartram Trail 35

  • Mike Ridaught, The Prep Zone: Venice 39, Bartram Trail 31

  • Marty Pallman, The Prep Zone: Venice 35, Bartram Trail 28

  • Larry Savage, Gainesville Sun: Venice 31, Bartram Trail 20

  • Corey Davis, DuvalSports.com: Bartram Trail 31, Venice 28

  • Doug Pugh, Big County Preps: Venice 42, Bartram Trail 31

  • Jake Perper, Prep Sports Scouting: Bartram Trail 35, Venice 30

  • Joel Hillsman, Total Sports Coverage: Venice 51, Bartram Trail 45

]]> 37718 Class 5A State Championship Preview: Baker County vs. Plantation American Heritage https://floridahsfootball.com/2017/12/07/class-5a-state-championship-preview-baker-county-vs-plantation-american-heritage/ Thu, 07 Dec 2017 23:51:58 +0000 https://floridahsfootball.com/?p=37675 CLASS 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Baker County Wildcats (13-1) vs. Plantation American Heritage Patriots (12-0)

GAME TIME & LOCATION INFO

When: Friday, December 8

Where: Camping World Stadium, Orlando

Kickoff: 3:07 p.m. EST

Tickets: $12 General Admission, $17 Reserved Seating — purchase online at ticketmaster.com

RADIO, TELEVISION & ONLINE INFO

Pregame Show: Varsity Sports Network/NFHSNetwork.com (FREE) — LIVE at 9:00 a.m. EST

TV Broadcast: Spectrum Sports, Channel 1147 in Spectrum coverage areas

Online Stream: Boxcast TV via Spectrum Sports ($9.95 fee to watch)

Radio Broadcast: Baker County — WFBB 97.5 FM Glen St. Mary/Macclenny & WFBB on TuneIn

Social Media Updates: @FlaHSFootball on Twitter — Entire game

Halftime Recap: Florida HS Football Facebook Page — LIVE at Half

Postgame Recap: Florida HS Football Facebook Page — LIVE following the game

Postgame Show: Varsity Sports Network/NFHSNetwork.com (FREE) — LIVE at 30 minutes following the Class 6A State Championship Game

ABOUT BAKER COUNTY

Head Coach: Jamie Rodgers

Road To Orlando: d. Nature Coast Tech, 24-7 (Regional Quarterfinals); d. Menendez, 37-28 (Regional Semifinals); d. Clay, 29-14 (Regional Finals); d. West Florida Tech, 48-28 (State Semifinals)

Last State Championship Game Appearance: First appearance

Playoff History: Baker County is 10-12 in playoff games with no state championship or state runner-up finishes

Rankings: No. 10 in the final Associated Press Florida high school football poll; No. 6 in Joe Pinkos’ end of regular season rankings

Top Players To Watch: RB Seth Paige, Sr.; WR/FS Lee Graham, Sr.; OT/DE/RB Cooper Hodges, Sr.; QB/WR John Green, Jr.; WR/CB Wesley Belford, Sr.;

The Skinny: Baker County is the epitome of a ground-and-pound team. Seth Paige rushed for four touchdowns and over 300 yards as the Wildcats went to the Panhandle and hammered West Florida 48-28 in the 5A state semifinals. This is the first state championship game appearance for Baker County, who hadn’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs before 2017. Baker County also knocked off Nature Coast Tech, Menendez, and Clay before the long road trip to Pensacola. Josh Haygood was expected to be part of the two-headed rushing attack with Paige, but was injured halfway through the season. Paige has more than picked up the slack, and John Green is also a dual-threat at quarterback but isn’t asked to throw much by Coach Jaime Rodgers. Cooper Hodges anchors both the offensive and defensive lines and scored a touchdown against West Florida as the blocking back. Wesley Belford is the top target for Green when Baker County does throw the ball and is the leader of the Wildcats secondary as well.

ABOUT AMERICAN HERITAGE

Head Coach: Patrick Surtain

Road To Orlando: d. Merritt Island, 42-0 (Regional Quarterfinals); d. Bishop Moore 56-27 (Regional Semifinals); d. Cardinal Gibbons, 58-57/3OT (Regional Finals); d. Immokalee, 28-21 (State Semifinals)

Last State Championship Game Appearance: 2016 (Class 5A)

Playoff History: American Heritage is 27-20 in playoff games including three state championship finishes in 2013 (Class 5A), 2014 (Class 5A), 2016 (Class 5A) and one state runner-up finish in 1998 (Class 2A)

Rankings: No. 1 in the final Associated Press Florida high school football poll; No. 1 in Joe Pinkos’ end of regular season rankings

Top Players To Watch: QB Cam Smith, Sr.; WR/RB Miles Jones, Sr.; RB Jordan Johnson, Sr.; RB Tyler Jones, Sr.; WR Anthony Schwartz, Sr.; WR Josh Alexander, Sr.; LB Calvin Hart, Junior, Sr.; LB Joel Wilson, Sr.; DL Andrew Chatfield, Sr.; DL Nesta Silvera, Sr.; DB Patrick Surtain II, Sr.; DB Tyson Campbell, Sr.

The Skinny: American Heritage is looking to go back-to-back as 5A state champions, and also trying for their fourth state title in five years. The Patriots had to work to win the title a year ago, holding off Ponte Vedra late for a 33-31 win. American Heritage is ranked 3rd nationally by MaxPreps and also ranked in the top five in other national polls. The Patriots are led offensively by QB Cam Smith (94-155 passing, 1,340 yards, 17 TD’s, 8 INT’s, 69 carries, 370 yards) who is another dual-threat guy. American Heritage has three quality running backs in Vanderbilt commit Miles Jones (58 carries, 688 yards, 12 TD’s), Jordan Johnson (119 carries, 753 yards, 7 TD’s), and Tyler Jones (74 carries, 625 yards, 10 TD’s). The Patriots are more of a run-first team, and Smith’s top target through the air is Anthony Schwartz (23 receptions, 434 yards, 6 TD’s). Nester Silvera (98 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 12 sacks) paces the American Heritage defensive line, along with Calvin Hart, Junior (92 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 4 sacks) and Andrew Chatfield (84 tackles, 22 for loss, 14 sacks). The Patriots haven’t lost a game in Patrick Surtain’s two seasons, and outscored opponents 547-183, but had to work to get past Cardinal Gibbons in overtime in the regional final and rallied past Immokalee 28-21 in the state semifinal round to advance back to Orlando.

GAME OUTLOOK

At first glance this seems like a David vs. Goliath matchup. American Heritage is ranked in the top five nationally and is looking for state title #4 in five seasons. Baker County has never played in a state championship game, and had not advanced past the 2nd round until this playoff run. But Baker County has played tough in the postseason, getting through two tough matchups in the postseason in Menendez and Clay before making the long trip to the Panhandle and rolling past West Florida in the state semifinals to advance to Orlando. Seth Paige runs tough, and Baker County will be a run-first offense that will try to out-physical American Heritage. American Heritage has definitely been tested in the 5A playoffs with tough wins over Cardinal Gibbons and Immokalee. The experience and athletic factor definitely favors American Heritage, but if Baker County can effectively run the ball and the weather in Orlando is bad, causing some American Heritage turnovers, the Wildcats could stay in this one. Otherwise the Patriots seem too good.

WHO THE COMPUTERS PREDICT

We take a look at the computers and their predictions for the 2017 FHSAA State Championship games:

Joe Pinkos’ Forecast: American Heritage by 14

USA TODAY High School Sports Score Predictor: American Heritage 39, Baker County 14

THE EXPERT PICKS

We gave our media pickers the biggest challenge of the year by not only predicting the winner of each state championship game, but the actual score of each game as well. Here are their picks:

  • Joshua Wilson, FloridaHSFootball.com: American Heritage 31, Baker County 17

  • Will Turner, FloridaHSFootball.com: American Heritage 49, Baker County 28

  • Bill Hammel, Irish Bill’s Twist On Sports: American Heritage 38, Baker County 24

  • Mike Ridaught, The Prep Zone: American Heritage 39, Baker County 20

  • Marty Pallman, The Prep Zone: American Heritage 38, Baker County 30

  • Larry Savage, Gainesville Sun: American Heritage 34, Baker County 24

  • Corey Davis, DuvalSports.com: Baker County 31, American Heritage 30

  • Doug Pugh, Big County Preps: American Heritage 24, Baker County 21

  • Jake Perper, Prep Sports Scouting: American Heritage 30, Baker County 23

  • Joel Hillsman, Total Sports Coverage: American Heritage 24, Baker County 21

]]> 37675 Class 2A State Championship Preview: Champagnat Catholic vs. University Christian https://floridahsfootball.com/2017/12/07/class-2a-state-championship-preview-champagnat-catholic-vs-university-christian/ Thu, 07 Dec 2017 23:08:20 +0000 https://floridahsfootball.com/?p=37670 CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Champagnat Catholic Lions (8-2) vs. University Christian Fighting Christians (10-2)

GAME TIME, LOCATION & TICKET INFO

When: Friday, December 8

Where: Camping World Stadium, Orlando

Kickoff: 10:07 a.m. EST

Tickets: $12 General Admission, $17 Reserved Seating — purchase online at ticketmaster.com

TELEVISION & ONLINE INFO

Pregame Show: Varsity Sports Network/NFHSNetwork.com (FREE) — LIVE at 9:00 a.m. EST

TV Broadcast: Spectrum Sports, Channel 1147 in Spectrum coverage areas

Online Stream: Boxcast TV via Spectrum Sports ($9.95 fee to watch)

Social Media Updates: @FlaHSFootball on Twitter — Entire game

Halftime Recap: Florida HS Football Facebook Page — LIVE at Half

Postgame Recap: Florida HS Football Facebook Page — LIVE following the game

Postgame Show: Varsity Sports Network/NFHSNetwork.com (FREE) — LIVE at 30 minutes following the Class 6A State Championship Game

ABOUT CHAMPAGNAT CATHOLIC

Head Coach: Dennis Marroquin

Road To Orlando: d. St. John Neumann, 44-12 (Regional Semifinals); d. Moore Haven, 47-0 (Regional Finals); d. Cambridge Christian, 38-0 (State Semifinals)

Last State Championship Game Appearance: 2016 (Class 2A)

Playoff History: Champagnat is 10-1 in playoff games including one state championship finish in 2013 (Class 2A) and one state runner-up finish in 2010

Rankings: Tied for No. 1 in the final Associated Press Florida high school football poll; No. 1 in Joe Pinkos’ end of regular season rankings

Top Players To Watch: QB Desjuan Kearse, Sr., RB/LB Keyshon Gardner, Sr., RB Calvin Montgomery, Sr.; WR/CB Johnquai Lewis, So.; WR Marc Britt, So.; DE/WR Gregory Rousseau, Sr.; LB Donovan Georges, Sr.; LB Donald Georges, Jr.; DE Jesus Machado, So., CB Noah Pierre, Sr.

The Skinny: Champagnat Catholic returns to the 2A state championship game and they face the same team they played a year ago in University Christian. The Lions dropped a sometimes ugly 24-8 decision a year ago at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. This is the only rematch of state finalists from a year ago. Champagnat is a fairly balanced offense, with 171 rushes for 1,626 yards or 9.5 yards a carry and throwing for 1,610 yards on 100 pass completions. QB Desjuan Kearse leads the offense, completing 74 of 92 passes for 1,192 yards and 17 TDs and only 5 INTs. It’s a two-headed rushing attack for Champagnat with Keyshon Gardner (52 carries, 612 yards, 11.8 average, 8 TD’s) and Calvin Montgomery (61 carries, 533 yards, 11 TD’s). The receiving numbers are fairly balanced, led by Marc Britt (23 receptions, 411 yards, 7 TD’s). Defensively the Lions have allowed only 88 points this season, and only 12 points in three playoff games. DE Jesus Machado leads the Champagnat defense (76 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 19 sacks), and Gregory Rousseau (75 tackles, 10 for loss). Donovan Georges and Donald Georges have combined for 106 tackles, and Donovan has 16 tackles for loss as well as a kick return for a touchdown. CB Noah Pierre leads the secondary with 4 INT’s and also has a punt return for a TD.

ABOUT UNIVERSITY CHRISTIAN

Head Coach: David Penland III

Road To Orlando: d. FAMU DRS, 35-0 (Regional Semifinals); d. North Florida Christian, 26-13 (Regional Finals); d. Victory Christian, 28-7 (State Semifinals)

Last State Championship Game Appearance: 2016 (Class 2A)

Playoff History: University Christian is 42-19 in playoff games including nine state championship finishes in 1973 (Class A), 1987 (Class A), 1989 (Class A), 1991 (Class A), 1992 (Class A), 1994 (Class 2A), 2012 (Class 2A), 2015 (Class 2A), 2016 (Class 2A) and one runner-up finish in 1990 (Class A)

Rankings: Tied for No. 1 in the final Associated Press Florida high school football poll; No. 2 in Joe Pinkos’ end of regular season rankings

Top Players To Watch: QB Clay Boyd, Sr.; RB Jalen Dunning, Sr.; RB Max McClendon, So.; WR Jon Jones, Jr.; WR T.J. Ciresi, Sr.; LB Shannon Mickens, Sr.; TB Uriah Ratliff, Jr.; TB Josh Worthy, Sr.; FS Dyrell Stubbs, Sr.; DT Chris Lewis, Sr.

The Skinny: University Christian is back to Orlando, looking to three-peat as 2A state champions. Running backs Hussein Howe and Otis Anderson was the story in the last two state championship wins for the Christians, but this year the offense leans on quarterback Clayton Boyd. Boyd rushed for 528 yards and threw for 1,210 yards in leading University Christian to a 10-2 record with the only losses coming at 1A state finalist Madison County and 5A playoff team Green Cove Springs Clay. Boyd is a dual-threat QB, but University Christian is a run-heavy team with RB’s Jalen Dunning and Max McClendon leading the ground game. Jon Jones and T.J. Ciresi are the leading targets through the air for Boyd. Shannon Mickens and Uriah Ratliff are the leading tacklers for the Christians with Chris Lewis anchoring the UC defensive line. Josh Worthy helps lead the linebacking crew, and Dyrell Stubbs leads the team in interceptions in the secondary. University Christian had a tougher road to Orlando than Champagnat but only allowed 20 points in their three regional playoff wins.

GAME OUTLOOK

This is the only rematch from last year’s state championship game, as University Christian completed a repeat as 2A state champions with a 24-8 win over Champagnat Catholic at Camping World Stadium a year ago. Unlike their 61-16 win over Cambridge Christian in the 2A title game in which UC ran wild, last year’s title game victory for the Christians over the Lions was more about defense and special teams. The defense will be at a premium once again in this championship game, as Champagnat has allowed only 88 points in 10 games this season, and only 12 points in the postseason, including back-to-back shutouts against Moore Haven and Cambridge Christian in the regional finals and state semifinals. University Christian has allowed only 20 points in their three playoff games, with 13 of those coming in a win over North Florida Christian in the region finals. Experience shouldn’t be a factor as both teams were here a year ago, but it may be a difference at quarterback as Clay Boyd is the first Northeast Florida quarterback to start three state title games in a row since Union County’s Andrew Zow from 1994-96. That may be the difference in this game, as Boyd is battle-tested, with Champagnat QB Desjuan Kearse making his first state championship game start Friday morning in Orlando. This will be a grind-it-out game between two excellent defenses.

WHO THE COMPUTERS PREDICT

We take a look at the computers and their predictions for the 2017 FHSAA State Championship games:

Joe Pinkos’ Forecast: Champagnat Catholic by 14

USA TODAY High School Sports Score Predictor: Champagnat Catholic 16, University Christian 14

THE EXPERT PICKS

We gave our media pickers the biggest challenge of the year by not only predicting the winner of each state championship game but the actual score of each game as well. Here are their picks:

  • Joshua Wilson, FloridaHSFootball.com: University Christian 21, Champagnat Catholic 17

  • Will Turner, FloridaHSFootball.com: University Christain 24, Champagnat Catholic 21

  • Bill Hammel, Irish Bill’s Twist On Sports: Champagnat Catholic 27, University Christian 13

  • Mike Ridaught, The Prep Zone: Champagnat Catholic 31, University Christian 21

  • Marty Pallman, The Prep Zone: University Christain 24, Champagnat Catholic 20

  • Larry Savage, Gainesville Sun: Champagnat Catholic 21, University Christian 13

  • Corey Davis, DuvalSports.com: Champagnat Catholic 27, University Christian 21

  • Doug Pugh, Big County Preps: Champagnat Catholic 22, University Christian 21

  • Jake Perper, Prep Sports Scouting: Champagnat Catholic 40, University Christian 20

  • Joel Hillsman, Total Sports Coverage: University Christian 42, Champagnat Catholic 10

]]> 37670 Trinity Christian ties state record with fourth straight state championship win in Class 3A https://floridahsfootball.com/2016/12/10/trinity-christian-ties-state-record-fourth-straight-state-championship-win-class-3a/ Sat, 10 Dec 2016 19:50:05 +0000 http://floridahsfootball.com/?p=32883 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME COVERAGE POWERED BY

scorestream

ORLANDO, Fla. — It wasn’t pretty, but the Trinity Christian Conquerors were effective enough Saturday at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

The Conquerors held off Chaminade-Madonna 24-13 to win their fourth consecutive 3A state championship and tie a state record held by four other schools.

Trinity Christian (11-3) had to work from behind in this game, as Chaminade-Madonna junior running back Shaun Shivers ripped off an 80 yard TD play on the first play from scrimmage.  Shivers, an Auburn commit, finished with 140 yards on 20 carries for the Lions (10-4).

The Conquerors answered right back to tie the game on a 7 play, 80-yard drive.  Senior quarterback and FSU commit D.J. Matthews lobbed a 17 yard TD pass to Isaiah Washington to tie the game at 7, and that was the score at the end of the opening quarter.

Jordan Williams intercepted a pass from Trinity’s Austin Thomas late in the first quarter, and eventually, the Lions settled for a 23-yard field goal to re-take the lead 10-7.  Trinity Christian answered right back on another 80-yard drive and six plays and regained the lead 14-10 as UNC commit Rasheed Martin ran it from 13 yards out.  Martin paced the Conquerors rushing attack with 156 yards on 27 carries.

On the next drive, Ohio State commit Shaun Wade picked off Chaminade-Madonna quarterback Henry Colombi with a diving play on the sideline at the Lions 30.  4 plays later Matthews rushed for a 21-yard score on 4th and 1 to extend the Trinity Christian lead to 21-10 and that was the score at halftime.

The third quarter didn’t see any scoring but did see some extremely strange plays.  Chaminade-Madonna punter Jason Merry dropped a snap early in the third, and Trinity Christian recovered at the Lions 37.  But on 4th and 9, Frankie Onate lined up for a 39-yard field goal and instead Wade, the holder, tried to pass to Onate on a fake field goal. The pass was missed, and picked up by Chaminade-Madonna and taken back for a touchdown.  But the play was blown dead as Wade had his knee down before he attempted the pass.

Chaminade-Madonna  gets to keep the ball and made it down to first and goal on the three-yard line, but Colombi was sacked by Andrew Brown on third down and the Lions settled for a 30-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to cut Trinity Christian’s lead to 21-13.

Tyreke Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards to set up a 52-yard field goal by Onate, and the Conquerors lead was extended back to 24-13 with 8:50 left.

Trinity Christian’s defense took over for the rest of the game, stopping Chaminade-Madonna on 4th down and picking off Colombi on the last two Lions possessions to put the game away.

For Trinity Christian, Matthews rushed for 101 yards and a score on nine carries and was 5 of 8 passing for 58 yards and another TD.  Colombi was 8 of 16 passing for 81 yards and two interceptions in a game that was dominated by defenses and the running game.

Trinity Christian ended up with 280 total yards, 222 of those coming on the ground, and had three turnovers while enjoying five minutes more of time of possession than Chaminade-Madonna.  The Lions ended up with 171 total yards, 90 rushing, and 81 passing, and had two turnovers on interceptions.

Trinity Christian is the fifth team to four-peat as state champs, joining Suwannee (1987-90), North Florida Christian (1998-2001), Miami Central and Miami Booker T. Washington (2012-15).  Central didn’t qualify for the 6A playoffs this year, and Booker T. Washington was eliminated in the 4A state semifinals 24-21 by eventual state champion Cocoa.

HEAD COACH VERLON DORMINEY AFTER THE GAME

]]> 32883 American Heritage squeaks by Ponte Vedra to claim Class 5A State Championship https://floridahsfootball.com/2016/12/09/american-heritage-squeaks-ponte-vedra-claim-class-5a-state-championship/ Sat, 10 Dec 2016 00:59:43 +0000 http://floridahsfootball.com/?p=32846 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME COVERAGE POWERED BY

scorestream

ORLANDO, Fla. — This time, Plantation American Heritage had to work for it.

The Patriots fell behind Ponte Vedra 13-0 less than three minutes into the 5A State Championship Game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando but rallied to win a 35-33 thriller to capture their third state title in four years.

American Heritage finished the season 14-0 but had to recover an onside kick with three minutes left to finally hold off the pesky Sharks, who were making their first state championship game appearance.

Ponte Vedra (13-1) struck two plays into the game as Marshall Few took a short, five-yard pass from Nick Tronti and outran the American Heritage defense 76 yards to the end zone.  The Sharks didn’t attempt the extra point due to a bobble on the hold but led 6-0 only 45 seconds into the game.

On the ensuing kickoff, Ponte Vedra tried a short kick and recovered at the American Heritage 45 yard line.  Four plays later, running back Hal Swan caught a 15 yard TD pass from Tronti down the left sideline to put the Sharks up 13-0 only 2 minutes and 37 seconds into the game.

American Heritage woke up, though and moved down the field 63 yards in only 2 minutes as Patriots quarterback Jason Brown finished off the drive with a 12 yard TD run.  The American Heritage defense then forced a Ponte Vedra punt again on the next drive, and Patrick Surtain returned the Tronti punt to the 17-yard line. Miles Jones finished off the short drive with a 3-yard run and American Heritage took their first lead at 14-13.

The Patriots added to the lead halfway through the second quarter on a 5 yard TD pass from Brown to Dontavius Butler and American Heritage led 21-13 with 6:26 left before halftime.

Ponte Vedra’s offense had cooled off after a hot start, but on the next drive, the Sharks got back on the board. On fourth-and-10 from their 45, Tronti, who also serves as the Ponte Vedra punter, completed an 18-yard pass to Few to keep the drive going.  Tronti finished off the drive with another TD pass to Few, this one from 15 yards, and Ponte Vedra only trailed 21-20 at the halftime break.

There was no scoring in the third quarter, but American Heritage got back on the scoreboard on the first play of the fourth quarter.  Brown finished off a 15 play, 80-yard drive with a 5-yard scoring run to once again extend the Patriots lead to 8 at 28-20.  Ponte Vedra once again answered, with Tronti scoring his first touchdown rushing from 5 yards out. The Sharks two-point pass was incomplete, but the lead was only 28-26 for American Heritage with 7:57 left.

The play of the game came on the ensuing kickoff for American Heritage as Anthony Schwartz returned the kick 59 yards to the Ponte Vedra 25.  4 plays later Brown ran in from 1 yard out for his third rushing touchdown of the game, and the Patriots lead extended to 35-26 with 5:39 left.

Ponte Vedra wouldn’t go away all night and put together another drive as Tronti scored on a 2 yard run to finish off a 9 play, 80-yard drive that took only 2 minutes and 33 seconds.  The Sharks tried an onside kick with 3:06 left but American Heritage recovered and ran out the clock to finish off another state title.

American Heritage outgained Ponte Vedra 359-325 and had the ball for 26:24 to the Sharks 21:36. Neither team had a turnover.

For American Heritage, Brown was 13-of-16 passing for 81 yards with one TD passing and ran for 72 yards on 11 carries and the three rushing scores.  Running back Jordan Johnson paced the Patriots on the ground with 21 carries for 132 yards.

Ponte Vedra receiver another huge performance from their senior quarterback Tronti.  The Charlotte commit was 16-of-21 passing for 265 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another 23 yards with the two TD’s on the ground.  Few ended up with six receptions for 154 yards and two TD’s receiving, but Ponte Vedra was held to only 60 yards rushing.  Senior running back Hal Swan managed only 37 yards on 13 carries for the Sharks.

AMERICAN HERITAGE HEAD COACH PATRICK SURTAIN AFTER THE GAME

]]> 32846 Cocoa clinches fourth state championship; denies Bolles 12th state championship https://floridahsfootball.com/2016/12/09/cocoa-clinches-fourth-state-championship-denies-bolles-12th-state-championship/ Fri, 09 Dec 2016 05:20:00 +0000 http://floridahsfootball.com/?p=32816 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME COVERAGE POWERED BY

scorestream

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Cocoa Tigers couldn’t have been more one-dimensional in their 4A state championship game against Bolles.

Luckily for them, that one dimension was more than enough for a 31-17 victory for Cocoa Thursday night at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Cocoa rushed for 430 yards and only attempted one pass in winning the fourth state title in school history and first since 2010, denying Bolles from extending their state record to 12 state championships.

Running back Javian Hawkins put the Tigers (11-1) on the board only 71 seconds into the game on the first long run of the night, a 70 yarder to paydirt to give Cocoa the early lead.  Hawkins finished the evening with 118 yards on only nine carries.

Lasedrick King punched in the first of his two scores on a 10 yard run with 3:55 left in the opening period to put Cocoa up 14-0.

Bolles (12-1) answered early in the second quarter and made it a one touchdown game on a 5 yard TD pass from Alabama commit Mac Jones to E.J. Porter.  But it only took four plays for the Tigers to answer, as senior quarterback and USF commit Bruce Judson tore off a 75-yard run to put Cocoa back up 21-7.  Judson was only 0-1 passing on the game but ran for 158 yards on only 18 carries.

Cocoa added a 22-yard field goal by Alex Petruzzello in the final minute of the first half to extend the Tigers lead to 24-7 at halftime.

A 28-yard field goal by Bolles Jamey Brophy was the only scoring of the third quarter, and Cocoa entered the final period with a 24-10 lead.

King then ripped off a 73 yard run to the endzone for his second score of the night, and the Tigers lead was extended to 31-10 with 10:27 left. Cocoa had three touchdown runs of 70 yards of more in the evening, and King was the third Cocoa player over 100 yards on the night, finishing with 132 yards on the ground on only 12 carries.

Bolles added a late 1 yard run by E.J. Porter to get to within 14 points again with 4:40 left, but Cocoa recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock from there.

Jones was 10 of 18 passes and a TD pass for Bolles, but only threw for 61 yards and was held to 25 yards rushing on seven carries. Jalen McCloud was the Bulldogs leading rusher with 91 yards on 16 carries.

Bolles lost in the state title game for the fourth time in five years, once again denying coach Corky Rogers his 11th state championship as Bulldogs head man.

Cocoa actually had only 46 plays in the game, 11 less than Bolles, but averaged 9.4 yards a rush on 45 carries.  To get back to Orlando for the first time in six years, Cocoa knocked off the four-time defending state champion Booker T. Washington 24-21 in the 4A state semifinals.  Washington defeated Bolles in 2012, 2013, and 2014 4A state title games.

COCOA HEAD COACH JOHN WILKINSON AFTER THE GAME

]]> 32816 Class 7A State Championship Preview: Plant vs. St. Thomas Aquinas https://floridahsfootball.com/2016/12/08/class-7a-state-championship-preview-plant-vs-st-thomas-aquinas/ Fri, 09 Dec 2016 01:20:41 +0000 http://floridahsfootball.com/?p=32813 Plant Panthers (13-0) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders (11-2)

FHSAA Class 7A State Football Championship
8:00 PM EST Friday at Camping World Stadium, Orlando

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 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 recap on Periscope.

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

Radio Broadcast: None

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

The Drive To December

Plant: defeated Winter Haven, 59-6, in regional quarterfinals; defeated Lakeland, 25-21, in regional semifinals; defeated Viera, 35-7, in regional finals; defeated Lee, 27-19, in state semifinals.

St. Thomas Aquinas: defeated Palm Beach Lakes, 35-0, in regional quarterfinals; defeated Dwyer, 37-0, in regional semifinals; defeated Mater Academy, 50-10, in regional finals; defeated Venice, 46-8, in state semifinals.

Rankings

Plant: Ranked No. 2 in 7A by the Associated Press; Ranked No. 3 in 7A by Joe Pinkos.

St. Thomas Aquinas: Ranked No. 1 in 7A by the Associated Press; Ranked No. 1 in 7A by Joe Pinkos; Ranked No. 8 by MaxPreps; Ranked No. 6 by USA Today.

FHSAA State Series History

Plant: 20 state series appearances, three state championships, one runner-up appearance, 44-15 overall playoff record.

St. Thomas Aquinas: 34 state series appearances, nine state championships, seven runner-up appearances, 96-25 overall playoff record.

Head Coaches & Coaching Records

Plant: Robert Weiner, 13th year at Plant (144-26 overall)

St. Thomas Aquinas: Roger Harriott, second year (24-3 at Aquinas, one state championship) 10th year overall (101-18 overall after eight years at University School, one state title there).

Coaching Staffs

Plant: Robert Weiner – Head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach; Rob Smith – running backs; Sean Love – offensive line; Robert Marve – wide receivers; Jeff Murphy – tight ends; Mike Walsh – assistant offensive line; Neil Gallon – assistant wide receivers; Tyrone Thomas – assistant running backs; Kelly Everhart – assistant wide receivers; Hugh Dehnert – assistant offensive line.

St. Thomas Aquinas: Ryan Schneider – offensive coordinator; Ameer Riley – defensive coordinator; Reginald Harris – special teams coordinator; Steven Scott; Dave Billitier, Rob Biasotti, Adam Bolanos, Kelcey Brooks; Jim Gazzillo, Glenn Holt, Mike Kahn, Lee Martin, Thomas Mygrant, Vincent Panetta, Garin Patrick, Darryl Williams, Willie Wright.

Players To Watch

QB Jake Allen, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sr. – The Florida commitment led St. Thomas Aquinas back to the state championship game after a season where he threw for nearly 2,000 yards, 25 TD’s with only 6 interceptions. Allen will try to end his high school career with three consecutive state titles.

RB Michael Epstein, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sr. – Epstein leads the Raiders balanced offensive attack in rushing with 1,037 yards and 16 TD’s on the ground.

LB Andrew White, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sr. – White led Aquinas with 61 tackles, including 9.5 for loss.  Aquinas defense has allowed only 18 points in four playoff games.

QB Dante Frantzen, Plant, Sr. – Dual-threat QB for Panthers gained over 3,700 total yards and 49 total TD’s, with 30 TD’s and only five INTs through the air.  

LB Thomas Allen, Plant, Sr. – Indiana commit leads Plant defense with 137 total tackles and a whopping 52 tackles for loss, including six sacks.

The Skinny On Plant

The Plant Panthers have been one of the most successful programs in the state of Florida since Robert Weiner became head coach 13 years ago.  Plant won four state titles in six years between 2006-11, but this is the first trip back to Orlando for the Panthers since the 2011 state championship.  Plant allowed only 145 points in 13 games to this point and had some close calls in the playoffs against Lakeland and Lee.  Frantzen has been a dual-threat stalwart all year, and running back Whop Philyor also helps lead the Plant offense.  This game will be a step up in competition for the Panthers, however.

The Skinny On St. Thomas Aquinas

The Raiders come in on an eight-game winning streak and have moved back to #6 nationally according to USA Today.  Aquinas lost their opening game 27-23 at then four-time defending 4A state champion Booker T. Washington and then dropped a three-overtime heartbreaker in a nationally televised game at Bishop Gorman in week five.  But the Raiders come into this state championship game on fire and have outscored their four playoff opponents by a combined 168-18 with two shutouts.  And Aquinas blasted the third-ranked team in 7A, Venice, 46-8 last week in the state semifinals.  Allen and Epstein lead a balanced offensive attack, and White leads the defense along with Lashawn Paulin, who has 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks to lead the Aquinas defense.  This team has D-1 talent all over the field, and despite the fact Plant is also an excellent program, the Panthers haven’t seen anything like this St. Thomas Aquinas team.

The Picks

FloridaHSFootball.com: St. Thomas Aquinas 45, Plant 13
Joe Pinkos: St. Thomas Aquinas 8 over Plant

]]> 32813