FHSAA football region final updates: Lakeland-Lake Minneola final is 77-48
Six Orlando area high school football teams remain in the state championship chase.
They play regional finals tonight with high hopes of advancing to the Florida High School Athletic Association state semifinal round.
State championships are scheduled for Dec. 7-9 at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.
We’ll be tracking Friday’s games with live in-game updates.
CHECK HERE FOR SCOREBOARD UPDATES
We’ll also have live updates here at SentinelVarsity.com as games unfold.
Here are tonight’s matchups. Region seeding is based on the final FHSAA regular season power rankings.
State semifinal matchups will also be based on those rankings. The No. 1 seed (highest ranking) will be home vs. No. 4 and No. 2 will host No. 3.
Win-loss records are included in parentheses:
No. 5 seed Jacksonville Mandarin defeated No. 2 Sanford Seminole, 28-24
Class 4 Metro Region 1 final
Coverage by J.C. Carnahan
It was a regional championship matchup between worthy opponents.
Mandarin (10-3) did enough down the stretch at Sanford Seminole (10-3) to win its third consecutive game on the road against an Orlando area opponent.
Junior quarterback Tramell Jones connected with Ethan Sherman on a 43-yard touchdown pass with 5:21 remaining to give Mandarin the lead for good.
Seminole turned the ball over on downs four minutes later on the ensuing possession but got one last chance from midfield when the defense forced a turnover-on-downs with 22 seconds to spare.
After an incompletion along the sideline, the ‘Noles were intercepted on a deep pass to the end zone.
“Hats off to Mandarin. Great program over there,” first-year Seminole head coach Karl Calhoun Jr. said. “It hurts. It’s tough. When you work so hard you just want to get the final result, but everybody can’t win every game, and unfortunately we were on the wrong side of it this time.”
Seminole is 53-9 over five seasons since 2019 with a 13-4 playoff record. That includes six postseason victories in its 12-0 state title year in the COVID impacted season of 2020.
Seminole rushed for nearly 250 yards in the first half. It’s first drive stalled inside the 5-yard line when Mandarin recovered a fumble. The ‘Noles were also intercepted late in the third quarter and held to a 40-yard field goal after starting the second half with a fumble recovery on specioal teams.
Jones tossed three touchdowns passes for Mandarin, which defeated Winter Park in the quarterfinals and Lake Mary last week in the semifinals.
“A few plays, like the turnovers early, kind of hurt us,” Calhoun said. “But it’s a regional championship game. They made plays, we made plays. Unfortunately they made a few more plays than we did and that’s how it came out.”
The teams traded TDs on three consecutive drives to close out the second quarter. Seminole QB Karson Siqueiros-Lasky, who rushed for two scores, knotted the game at 14-14 with six seconds to go before the break on a 1-yard run.
Here are the in-game updates:
Seminole threw incomplete along the sideline then had a pass picked off in the end zone with 3 seconds to play.
Seminole forced a fourth down with 22 seconds left. Mandarin went for it on 4th down but the run is stuffed short. Seminole has 17.9 seconds left.
Seminole faced 4th-and-7 at Mandarin’s 41-yard line with 1:39 remaining. Pass deep down the right side of the field is overthrown.
TOUCHDOWN: Mandarin reclaimed the lead six plays later on a 43-yard pass from Tramell Jones to Ethan Sherman with 5:21 remaining. Mustangs lead Seminole 28-24. ‘Noles take over at their own 25.
TOUCHDOWN: Seminole answered to take the lead with a 9-play drive that ended with a 7-yard TD run by Rodney Grant. The TD came one play after Treyvin Clark left with a right leg injury. Seminole leads Mandarin 24-21 with 8:18 to go. Mandarin’s drive starts at its own 33-yard line.
Seminole defense held strong to force a crucial 3-and-out. ‘Noles took over at the Mandarin 45 with 6.6 seconds to spare in third quarter. A 3-yard run by Treyvin Clark has taken us to the 4th with Mandarin leading Seminole 21-17.
Seminole crossed midfield and got to the 43-yard line but was intercepted by Antoine Belgrave-Shorter at the 20 with 1:16 to go in third quarter.
TOUCHDOWN: Mandarin’s Tiant Wyche darted through the middle of the field for a 27-yard TD run on the fifth play of the drive to give the Mustangs a 21-14 lead at 3:46 to go in 3rd quarter. Seminole takes over at its own 20.
Javon Peterson broke up a Mandarin pass at the line of scrimmage on second down. The next pass play fell incomplete to set up a punt situation. Seminole took over at its own 6-yard line but went 3-and-out. Mandarin has possession again at the Seminole 45 with 6:06 to go in 3rd quarter.
FIELD GOAL: Mandarin fumbled the ball away on the opening kickoff of second half. The ball bounced into the hands of Seminole’s Cori Smith, who got it down to the Mandarin 23. The ‘Noles took a shot to the end zone but the pass was broken up and the next two run plays set up a 29-yard FG by William Allen. Seminole leads Mandarin 17-14 at 10:29 in 3rd.
Halftime: Seminole and Mandarin traded TDs on the final three possessions of the first half and head to the locker room tied at 14-14 in Class 4M Region 1 final. Mandarin will receive the kickoff to start second half.
TOUCHDOWN: Seminole responded with more big run plays from Treyvin Clark, Rodney Grant and Karson Siqueiros-Lasky, who kept it on a QB keeper through the left side of the line for a 1-yard TD with 6 seconds left in the half. Seminole and Mandarin now tied at 14-14.
TOUCHDOWN: Mandarin dropped a deep pass in the end zone on 2nd down, the second drop of the drive, then was stopped without a gain on a run play on 3rd down. The 4th-and-10 attempt from Seminole’s 27 resulted in an impressive throw and catch into the end zone from Tramell Jones to Josiah Watkins. The 2-point run was successful. Mandarin leads Seminole 14-7 with 2:38 to go in half.
TOUCHDOWN: Seminole continues to get chunk plays in the run game. After Karson Siqueiros-Lasky completed a 3rd-down pass to Michael Key to move the chains, Treyvin Clark and Rodney Grant did the bulk of the damage out of the backfield the rest of the way. Siqueiros-Lasky rolled around the left end and took a hard hit while diving into the end zone for a 6-yard TD. PAT is good to give Seminole a 7-6 lead vs. Mandarin with 4:02 left in half.
End 1st quarter: Mandarin leads Seminole 6-0.
Seminole has been great at running the ball so far. First pass attempt on the night for ‘Noles is a throwaway out of bounds at 2:51 in 1st after a bobbled shotgun snap. Shovel pass two plays later goes for a 3-yard loss and is followed by a false start penalty that backed up ‘Noles to the 50. Mandarin’s Jackson Copeland recorded a sack for minus-12 yards on third down.
TOUCHDOWN: Mandarin capitalized on the turnover by going 90 yards on 11 plays and reaching the end zone on a 9-yard throw from Tramell Jones to Jaime Ffrench. The 2-point conversion attempt failed. Mandarin leads Seminole 6-0 at 3:52 in the first.
It was 60 degrees at kickoff in Sanford. Nole’s started the game on offense from its own 20. After going nine plays (all on runs) and reaching the 2-yard line, the ‘Noles fumbled the ball away. Mandarin with possession at the 5 at 8:21 in first quarter.
In some news from 4M, defending state champion Miami Columbus won this afternoon and is the first team to punch its ticket to a state semifinal. The Explorers defeated Davie Western 31-13.
Several former Seminole players and coaches are here tonight in Sanford, including head coach Eric Lodge, who led Berkeley to the second round of the playoffs this fall in his first season coaching in South Carolina. Lodge led the ‘Noles to the 2020 large-class state championship in his first season as a head coach. ‘Noles coach Karl Calhoun Jr., a former Seminole player, took over for Lodge and is in his first season as a head coach. Toby Bullock is in his second season as Mandarin head coach. The Mustangs won a state title in 2018 under Bobby Ramsay.
No. 4 seed Jones defeated No. 3 Tampa Bay Tech, 24-21
Class 3 Metro Region 1 final
Coverage by Chris Hays
Jones scored three touchdowns on its first five possessions and George Brown IV came up with a game-clinching interception with 26 seconds left as the Tigers (10-3) held on to win on the road.’
The Tigers will travel to South Florida to face Homestead (11-1) in next week’s state semifinal game. Jones lost to Homestead 30-24 in a semifinal in Orlando last year.
“We came out shooting bullets to go up 21-0 in the first quarter,” Jones coach Elijah Williams said. “But then the third quarter was pretty bad. We got penalty after penalty and we put ourselves in bad situations. Then we shanked a punt at the 20 and they scored But the defense played lights out.”
The TIgers defense kept Oregon commit Dallas Wilson out of the end zone and although he did make a number of catches, the Jones defenders did not make anything easy.
In the end, Brown was the one who came down with TBT’s final pass targeted for WIlson.
“I just went up and got it. I seen it at the high point and I just went up and got the ball,” Brown said of his crucial pick. “Really, we just had confidence in what we can do. We don’t have all that exposure and stuff, but we’ve got some ballers.”
The Jones’ fireworks in the first quarter started with a Jerrian Parker bursting up the middle for a 42-yard touchdown run. On the next Jones possession, quarterback Dereon Coleman hit Vernell Brown III with a perfect pass in stride for a 59-yard touchdown. Two plays into the next Jones series, Coleman threw to Jacquez Varner for an 87-yard touchdown.
That gave the Tigers a 24-0 lead but they were only able to add a Johnley David 26-yard field goal the rest of the way as the lead dwindled.
“The only thing that matters is who has more on that scoreboard at the end,” a relieved Williams said afterward.
Jones, a state runner-up in 2019, reaches a final four for the fourth time in a five-year span under Williams. Before his arrival the Tigers’ only FHSAA state semifinal appearance came in 1990.
Jones rallied to avenge a regular season defeat and dealt the region’s top seed, Edgewater, its first loss last week.
TBT also evenged a regular season loss when it took out second seed Armwood.
TBT also avenged a regular season loss when it took out second seed Armwood.
Here are the in-game updates:
George Brown IV comes up with an interception with 26 seconds to go in this game and Jones is going to escape with the victory at Tampa Bay Tech, 24–21.
Tyrin Randle on the sack for Jones. It’s 4th down with 41 seconds on the clock.
Incomplete pass. Now third down with 46 seconds left.
Oregon commit Dallas Wilson dropped a pass, second down.
Tampa Bay Tech converts the first down and is at the Jones’ 31. A penalty makes it first and long for the Titans.
Unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a shanked punt put Tampa Bay Tech at midfield with 2:15 left in this game.
TOUCHDOWN: Johnye Rosebury scored on another short run for Tampa Bay Tech and the Titans have pulled within 24-21 of Jones with 3:53 left in this game.
Jones forced a turnover on downs and the Tigers takeover at their own 20 yard line. On the next play, Jerrian Parker busted a run for 33 yards and Jones is in TBT territory.
Jones QB Dereon Coleman hit Walki Ambroise with a 40-yard pass to put the Tigers into the red zone. But a field goal try failed.
TOUCHDOWN: Tampa Bay Tech took the opening drive of second half down the field and scored from the 3-yard line. That cut the Jones lead to 24-14 at 6:57 of Q3.
Halftime: Jones 24, Tampa Bay Tech 7.
FIELD GOAL: Jones marched downfield on a possession that ended with a successful 28-yard field goal kick by Johnley David. Tigers lead 24-7 with 3:58 remaining in the first half.
TOUCHDOWN: Tampa Bay Tech’s Jonye Roseberry scored from 1 yard out, and the Titans are on the board. Jones leads at the start of the second quarter 21–7
TOUCHDOWN: Jones quarterback, Dereon Coleman hit Jacquez Varner with an 87-yard scoring pass, and Jones now leads Tampa Bay Tech, 21-0 midway through the first quarter. Jones has three touchdowns on five offensive possessions.
TOUCHDOWN: Two plays later Dereon Coleman throws 59-yard scoring pass to Vernell Brown III, Jones leads Tampa Bay Tech 14-0 at 7:35 Q1.
Jones DB Tariq Hollinger went 75 yards with an interception for a touchdown but it was called back due to a block in the back. Jones has the ball again, at own 40.
TOUCHDOWN: Three plays in and Jerrian Parker of Jones goes 42 yards to score and the Tigers lead Tampa Bay Tech 7–0.
No. 4 seed Jacksonville Bolles defeated No. 3 Bishop Moore, 34-14
Class 2 Metro Region 1 final
Coverage by Max Gamarra
Bolles dominated the first half to take control of a game that Bishop Moore coach Matt Hedrick thought would be much more competive.
“We didn’t play nearly as well as I thought we would, I think we expected to play better,” Hedrick said. “Obviously a couple mistakes early on, got off to a bad start and against a great program like Bolles, you can’t do that.”
Bishop Moore’s nine-game winning streak and season came to a halt as it finished 9-4.
Bolles (8-5) took a 27-0 lead into halftime behind a dominant defensive performance. Bishop Moore was able to drive deep into Bolles’ territory on the opening drive of the game but fumbled the ball away on a bad handoff. It was the last time the Hornets crossed midfield in the first half.
“That stuff can’t happen,” Hedrick said. “A scoring opportunity right there for sure that we gave away. And then we lost the field position battle badly, we were coming out of our end zone all night, struggled on punt team, just made too many mistakes.”
Bolles senior quarterback DJ Moore finished the game with three touchdowns, including a 74-yard pass after avoiding a sack to sophomore wide receiver Naeem Burroughs to open the scoring.
On two of his three touchdown passes, Moore was able to evade pressure and move around in the pocket, allowing his receivers to get open.
“That’s one of the great things about him,” Bolles head coach Matt Toblin said. “When everything is going right, everything is on schedule, he does a great job of running the offense. But when things break down and he’s got to make an off-schedule play, that’s where he’s really electric.”
Bolles stands second in state history with 11 state championships – the most recent in 2011
The Bulldogs beat the Hornets 27-10 in a region semifinal last season.
Here are the in-game updates:
TOUCHDOWN: Bishop Moore junior ATH Gabe Diaz dove into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown. PAT was good. Bolles 34, Bishop Moore 13 with 4:24 in 4Q.
TOUCHDOWN: Bishop Moore senior RB Dain Sweeney ended the shutout, breaking off a 19-yard run up the middle of the field for a touchdown. PAT was good. Bolles 34, Bishop Moore 7 with 8:04 in 4Q.
Bolles lead is 34-0 going into the final quarter.
Bishop Moore crossed midfield for the first time since its opening drive, but turned the ball over on downs. Bolles junior QB Ethan Drumm replaced senior QB DJ Moore to start its series.
TOUCHDOWN: Bolles senior QB DJ Moore avoided multiple sacks before firing a ball 33 yards down the field to junior WR Chase Collier, who was wide open in the end zone for a touchdown. PAT was good. Bolles 34, Bishop Moore 0 with 10:50 in 3Q.
Halftime: Bolles 27, Bishop Moore 0.
On the ensuing possession, Bishop Moore junior QB Bjorn Jurgensen threw a pass down the left sideline that was intercepted by Bolles junior DB CJ Ennis. Bolles took possession on its own 47-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN: Bolles junior RB Tyrone Neal took a routine carry up the middle into scrum filled with both teams’ players. As the Bolles offensive line pushed the pile forward, Neal broke out of the pile and sprinted to the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. PAT was good. Bolles 27, Bishop Moore 0 with 3:34 in 2Q.
TOUCHDOWN: Bolles junior WR Chase Collier went up over his defender to pull down a pass from senior QB DJ Moore on the left sideline for a 38-yard touchdown. PAT was good. Bolles 20, Bishop Moore 0 with 5:45 remaining in the 2Q.
TOUCHDOWN: Bolles junior RB Emmett Grzebin found his way into the end zone for a 5-yard rushing touchdown to capitalize on the turnover-on-downs. PAT was blocked. Bolles 13, Bishop Moore 0 with 8:25 in 2Q.
TOUCHDOWN: Bolles senior QB DJ Moore escaped a collapsing pocket and found sophomore WR Naeem Burroughs wide open in the middle of the field. Burroughs made a defender miss and had nothing but green grass ahead of him as he ran into the end zone for a 74-yard touchdown. PAT was good. Bolles 7, Bishop Moore 0 with 10:29 in 2Q.
End of 1Q: Bishop Moore 0, Bolles 0. There were five possessions in the first quarter between the two teams. Bishop Moore lost a fumble on the first possession of the game and then each team punted twice.
Bishop Moore was able to shut down the Bolles’ offense on its opening drive, forcing a punt that was fair caught at the Bishop Moore 4-yard line.
A poor exchange on a Bishop Moore handoff led to a fumble that was recovered by Bolles senior DB Jacob Campen on the Bolles 12-yard line.
Bishop Moore senior RB Dain Sweeney picked up a first down on 4th-and-1 from the Bolles 24-yard line with a 3-yard rush to extend the opening drive.
Bolles kicked off to Bishop Moore to start the game.
No. 1 seed Jacksonville Trinity Christian defeated No. 2 Orlando Christian Prep, 48-20
Class 1 Metro Region 1 final
Trinity Christian (9-3) ended a playoff run for OCP (10-2) for the third consecutive season.
The Conquerors took a 28-0 lead in the third quarter.
Trinity is tied for third in state history with nine FHSAA football championships – all under veteran coach Verlon Dorminey, who now has 326 career wins since 1991. The most recent of those titles came in 2021 when OCP gave the Conquerors all they could handle in a 29-21 state semifinal loss.
They met again last year with Trinity winning 30-13 in a region semifinal. OCP led 13-7 at the half in that game.
No. 1 seed Lakeland defeated No. 2 Lake Minneola, 77-48
Class 4 Suburban Region 2 final
Coverage by Bill Kemp
In the wildest game of the night amongst Orlando area teams the Dreadnaughts (10-3), playing at home broke the game open in the second half.
Lake Minneola finishes 9-4. The Hawks, the 6A state runner-up in 2020, are 10-4 in playoff games since 2019 but have not found a way to slow Lakeland.
The Dreadnaughts routed the Hawks 41-6 in 2022, when Lakeland won its eighth state title. That ranks No. 2 among public schools behind Miami Central, which has nine championships.
Lake Minneola was a 6A state runner-up in 2020 and is 10-3 in playoff games since 2019.
Check back for postgame comments and more details. …
Here are the in-game updates:
TOUCHDOWN: Dane Thompkins scored on a 3-yard touchdown run for Lake Minneola. Lakeland’s lead is 70-48 with 4:00 left in the game.
TOUCHDOWN: D’marius Rucker scored on a 49-yard run to push the Lakeland lead to 70-42 over Lake Minneola with 5:35 remaining. Rucker has 351 yards rushing on the night.
TOUCHDOWN: Lake Minneola quarterback Jackson Hughes hit D’nari Adams with a 75-yard touchdown pass to narrow the Lakeland lead to 63-42 with 8:39 remaining. There’s been 105 points scored in this game.
TOUCHDOWN: Markel Johnson scored his third touchdown, a 35-yarder, to push the Lakeland lead to 62-35 over Lake Minneola with 8:59 left.
TOUCHDOWN: Lakeland running back Carlos Mitchell scored his second touchdown of the night, a 13-yarder, with 10:41 left to push the lead to 56-35 over Lake Minneola.
TOUCHDOWN: Johnson scored his second TD of the night on a 1-yard run to put Lakeland up 49-35 over Lake Minneola with 2:17 left in the third quarter.
TOUCHDOWN: Lake Minneola quarterback Jackson Hughes threw his third touchdown pass of the night, a 14-yarder to Jacob Kania to narrow the Lakeland lead to 42-35 with 2:44 left in the third quarter.
TOUCHDOWN: Lakeland goes back up by 14, getting a 2-yard touchdown run from Malik Morris with 4:50 left in the third quarter to push the score to 42-28 over Lake Minneola.
TOUCHDOWN: Lake Minneola struck back, getting a 1-yard touchdown run from junior running back Dane Thompkins with 6:30 to go in the third quarter to narrow the Lakeland lead to 35-28.
TOUCHDOWN: Lakeland extended its lead over Lake Minneola to 35-21 just two minutes into the third quarter, picking up a 16-yard touchdown run from quarterback Zander Smith.
High-action, high-scoring first half comes to a close with Lakeland leading Lake Minneola 28-21.
TOUCHDOWN: Lake Minneola wideout D’Nari Adams hauled in a dramatic 34-yard over-the-shoulder catch as he dove into the end zone for the touchdown. The Hawks narrow the Lakeland lead to 28-21 with 1:16 to go before halftime.
TOUCHDOWN: Lakeland all-purpose back Carlos Mitchell darted on an 84-yard touchdown run to give the Dreadnaughts a 28-14 lead on Lake Minneola with 2:16 left to play in the first half.
TOUCHDOWN: Markel Johnson scored on a 4-yard run for Lakeland with 4:15 left in the first half. Defending 4S state champion Dreadnaughts lead Lake Minneola 21-14.
TOUCHDOWN: Malik Morris zooms into the end zone on a 6-yard run for Lakeland. That tied the game with Lake Minneola 14-14 with 9:46 left in the second quarter.
TOUCHDOWN: Jackson Hughes fires a 19-yard touchdown strike to Braylon Knauth to put Lake Minneola up 14-7 with 3:23 left in the first half.
TOUCHDOWN: Lake Minneola answered right back with a 23-yard touchdown run by Dane Thompson to tie Lakeland 7-7 in the first quarter.
TOUCHDOWN: Lakeland jumped out to a 7-0 lead on Lake Minneola on a 47-yard touchdown reception by D’Marius Rucker.
Lake Minneola goes three-and-out on its first drive. The Hawks punt and Lakeland takes over at their own 29.
No. 3 seed DeLand defeated No. 1 Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast, 37-6
Class 4 Suburban Region 3 final
DeLand dominated on the road to improve to 11-2 and punch its ticket to a Class 4 Suburban state semifinal.
The Bulldogs is the No. 3 seed for next week’s semifinal round and will play at No. 2 Venice (11-2).
Treasure Coast finished 9-3.
DeLand defeated Orange City University 31-13 last week to get past the second round of the state playoffs for the second time in program history. The Bulldogs’ state runners-up team of 2009 was the only other to taste a state semifinal.
The Titans owed their previous losses to two teams ranked No. 1 in their classification, 3M St. Thomas Aquinas and 2S Cocoa.
DeLand also lost to two teams that played region finals Friday: Mainland (3S) and Seminole (4M).
Here are the in-game updates:
TOUCHDOWN: TJ Moore scores again on a keeper for DeLand. Bulldogs lead 37-6 with 3:25 to go.
TOUCHDOWN: Treasure Coast QB Ahmar Atwell scrambled on fourth down and scored from 23 yards out for the Titans’ first points of the night. DeLand leads 31-6 with 10:18 go in the game.
TOUCHDOWN: Make that 3 touchdown passes from TJ Moore to Javon Ross. DeLand scores again to up its lead to 31-0 at 8:42 of Q3.
FIELD GOAL: The Bulldogs added a field goal and carry a 24-0 lead into halftime.
TJ Ross to Javon Ross again. This time for a 55-yard TD pass. DeLand 21, Titans 0 at 6:18 of Q2.
Treasure Coast goes four and out.
Treasure Coast failed on a fourth down try that ended at the DeLand 30 and the Bulldogs got their offense going again. Senior speedster Javon Ross ran 59 yards to set up another TD. DeLand QB TJ Moore threw to ross for a 9-yard TD. Bulldogs lead 14-0 at 8:53 Q2.
The Bulldogs, playing away from home, marched 83 yards with the first possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead. Dynamic quarterback TJ Moore capped the drive with a play-action 4-yard TD pass to Jonathan Baker. DeLand leads 7-0 at 6:32 of Q1.
Varsity Content Editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
