JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Three high school football teams are playing in the state semifinals on Friday night and after appearances in next week’s state championships. Here’s a glance at the matchups. Looking for predictions? You can find those here.
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Class 4A
St. Augustine (11-1) at Plantation American Heritage (10-2), 7 p.m.
Road here: St. Augustine d. Columbia, 28-0; d. White, 38-14; d. Choctawhatchee, 13-6; American Heritage d. Jensen Beach, 40-7; d. Dillard, 24-14; d. Miami Norland, 35-14.
Winner gets: Orlando Jones or Naples in the Class 4A state championship game on Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Glance: The Yellow Jackets are in the state semifinals for the second straight season and draw a heavyweight in Heritage. The Patriots are 4-0 all-time against area teams in the state playoffs, including wins over Clay (66-8), Ponte Vedra (35-33) and Baker County (44-15) in state championship games. QBs Dia Bell and Malachi Toney, both juniors, have combined for 2,745 passing yards and 33 TDs. Toney’s natural position is at receiver where he’s got 1,008 yards and 12 TD catches. St. Augustine’s defense needed time to gel this season and it has, with last week’s win over Choctaw proof of that. Special teams and a tough offensive game kept giving the Indians the ball in prime field position and the Yellow Jackets held each time, including a couple stops on fourth down in the second half. The offense is going to need to be much better than it has in playoff wins over Columbia and Choctaw to keep pace. QB Locklan Hewlett (2,560 passing yards, 23 TDs) is a gamer and he’s got 1,000-yard back Trendell Anderson (18 TDs) behind him. WR Trenton Jones has been elite this year and it’s probably not a stretch to say he’s been St. Augustine’s most dynamic player. The Yellow Jackets have managed going from four big receivers to two for a bulk of the season. Myles Simmons graduated and Carl Jenkins Jr. hasn’t been healthy for all 12 games. Jones and Somourian Wingo (921 receiving yards, 11 TDs) have been sharp. Like last week, this one will hinge on the defense. Freshman LB Mason Beane has been visible every week. K’yon Wilcox (26 TFL, 13.5 sacks) had a pick last week that set up a TD. DBs Darrell Jenkins, Braylon James and Jimmie Wheeler are multiyear starters with no shortage of big game experience. Jenkins has a team-best six picks. LBs Matteo Bernardi and Christian Coleman have combined for 198 tackles and 19 TFL. St. Augustine is 1-2 in state semifinals under head coach Brian Braddock, losing to Armwood in 2017 and Lake Minneola in 2020 and beating Dunbar last year.
Class 3A
Sarasota Booker (10-3) at Raines (12-0), 6:30 p.m.
Road here: Raines d. Bay, 53-14; d. Wakulla, 63-7; d. Bishop Kenny, 44-15; Booker d. Hardee, 58-6; d. Nature Coast Tech, 43-7; d. Boca Ciega, 42-6;
Winner gets: Eau Gallie or Miami Northwestern in the Class 3A state championship game on Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Notable: The Vikings are 3-2 in the fourth round of the playoffs, including two wins in championship games (2017-18). This is the deepest postseason journey for Raines since the 2018 season that ended with a 27-13 win over Cocoa to wrap up back-to-back titles. They’ve been unbeaten this deep in the playoffs only once, back in the 1997 state championship season. Booker is 1-3 in the fourth round, including a 41-3 blowout loss to Cocoa last year. The Tornadoes have only played one local team in the postseason, a 31-15 loss to St. Augustine in the Class 3A state championship in 2005. Raines has been on a mission this year, averaging 47.6 ppg and has thumped each opponent after Week 1 by 20 or more. QB TJ Cole (2,620 passing yards, 39 TDs) is just eight scoring passes away from tying the FHSAA area record of 47 (De’Andre Johnson of First Coast in 2014). Cole has 47 total TDs, but eight of those have come on the ground. RB Ta’darius Washington (890 rushing yards, 17 TDs) is closing in on a 1,000-yard season. WRs Adron Walker (14 TDs, 705 receiving yards), Ziyon Butler (568 receiving yards, 8 TDs) and Kaleb Lampkins (452 receiving yards, 8 TDs) lead a deep and talented receiving corp. Raines shines on defense, too. DB Eddie Hinton has five of Raines’ 14 picks. LB Tony Williams (93 tackles, 16 TFL), DEs Troy Butler (72 tackles, 19 TFL) and King Massey (59 tackles, 19 TFL), DLs Jyon Simon (62 tackles, 18.5 TFL, 11 sacks) and Geterius Brown (50 tackles, 10.5 TFL). Head coach and Raines alum Donovan Masline has been this deep in the playoffs as an assistant but not when he’s been in charge of the Vikings.
Class 1A
Trinity Christian (10-3) at Chaminade-Madonna (11-2), 7 p.m.
Road here: Trinity d. P.K. Yonge by forfeit; d. Tallahassee Maclay, 28-21; d. University Christian, 27-6; Chaminade-Madonna d. St. John Paul II, 63-0; d. Saint Andrew’s, 70-0; d. Edison, 49-6.
Winner gets: Cardinal Newman or Clearwater Central Catholic in the Class 1A state championship game on Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Notable: The Lions have won six of the last seven state championships, the only miss (2020) coming when Trinity roared back to stun them for 25-22 win in Tallahassee. That earned longtime head coach Verlon Dorminey his eighth state championship and he added No. 9 a year later. Things have changed substantially in the state pecking order since then, with Chaminade becoming one of the most dominant programs in the country. The Lions have running clocked 11 consecutive playoff opponents and 14 of their last 15. Can Trinity change that script? The challenge will be immense for the Conquerors on defense where they will have to try and slow a fast-paced Chaminade passing game. Three different quarterbacks have thrown for 12 touchdowns or more. Bekkem Kritza and Tyler Chance carved up Edison in the regional final. Trinity’s defensive front needs to do everything it can to make things uncomfortable for those players to give defenders like Je’Tye Flornoy, Tre Williams and Kaleel Vereen easier opportunities to make plays. Trinity’s offense has come a long way this season, especially with underclassmen starters playing massive roles. QBs Terel Dallas and Hicks Zarah have combined to pass for 22 TDs. Dallas has three more rushing TDs. Areyion Guyton and Micah Anderson have combined for more than 1,000 yards on the ground and 10 TDs. Dorminey and staff will want to slow down the tempo and try and steadily scratch out first downs to keep it away from Chaminade’s offense, which is averaging 46.3 ppg against a brutal schedule. Its losses have been to California power St. John Bosco and an OT loss to Class 5A Blanche Ely.