4 things we learned from Ocala teams in Week 3 of the football playoffs
Marion County continues to power Florida high school football with a pair of final four qualifiers. Vanguard earns its spot after giving undefeated Lake Wales the boot. Trinity Catholic joins them after shutting out Melbourne Central Catholic in the second half.
It’s all eyes on these two local behemoths as they inch closer to an immortalizing goal. After a pair of dominating performances, it’s been hard to look away.
With our regional champions resting their bruises and preparing for next week, it’s time to look at the aftermath. Here are four things we learned from Week 3 of the playoffs.
'He’d give the clothes off his back': Freddie Swain continues to give back to the Northside
'If I had to pick an MVP': Cooper Badics' kicks continue to buoy Trinity Catholic
'Being something special:' Here's what Vanguard football did to flip Senior Day on its head
It’s a rare occasion
It’s been awhile since two Marion County teams were this deep in the playoffs. For the first time since the 2021 season, two teams are in the state semifinals. That year, Dunnellon and Trinity Catholic danced into the fourth round, but both teams came up short in the final four.
On the road again
Vanguard hasn’t played a game outside of the county in over a month. Until Trinity Catholic traveled to Melbourne Central Catholic, they didn't play on anyone else’s field since returning from Ohio in mid-October. Next week, both teams hit the road in search of a spot in Tallahassee.
The Knights have a 2-2 record on the road during the regular season. The Celtics are 1-4 as the visitors, but the confidence each team has coming into this should help the defense travel.
Another rematch
Vanguard ran into an old opponent Friday night and bulldozed them by 38 points. Next week, Trinity Catholic runs into the team that stopped them from becoming state champions last year.
The Celtics had their eye on a Faith Baptist matchup all season. The dream was to meet in the state final, but taking them down a game before will be just as sweet.
Any more history?
Marion County football is in its 49th season under the FHSAA, and Ocala-area teams have played in 13 state title games. Forest, Dunnellon, and Trinity Catholic lead the county with two state titles apiece.
Since 2000, five of those appearances belong to the Celtics. Vanguard, whose last state title game was in 1994, has one championship game under its belt.
Next week, these two teams have a chance to further history. Until then, they can bask in Trinity Catholic's third back-to-back final four appearances and Vanguard's first in nearly 30 seasons.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: FHSAA football playoffs: What we know about Vanguard, Trinity Catholic
