FHSAA regional semifinal football: Jones upsets unbeaten Edgewater; No. 1 Lake Mary falls vs. Mandarin

The second round of the FHSAA football playoffs showcased 12 Orlando area teams still in the running for state championships.

Big games included Jones at Edgewater, Apopka at Seminole, Jacksonville Mandarin at Lake Mary and DeLand vs. Orange City University.

All four of those games were rematches from the regular season.

Six Orlando area winners advanced to Thanksgiving weekend regional finals on Friday. State semifinals are the following week, leading to nine state championship games on the Florida A&M campus in Tallahassee on Dec. 7-9.

Recaps from Friday’s area matchups include regional seeding rankings and win-loss records in parentheses.

Class 3A Region 1

No. 4 Jones 28, No. 1 Edgewater 24

By J.C. Carnahan

Jones rallied in the fourth quarter from a 10-point deficit on the road to end Edgewater’s unbeaten season for the second consecutive year.

The Tigers (9-3) appeared down-and-out after muffing a punt inside the final moments of the third quarter and allowing Edgewater (11-1) to stake claim to a 24-14 advantage moments later.

But Jones scored on back-to-back possessions from there — in somewhat improbable fashion — to take the lead for good with 6:09 remaining.

“The guys came out and played,” Jones coach Elijah Williams said. “We knew it was going to be a physical game.”

A rematch of last year’s regional championship game won 41-13 by Jones and a Sept. 14 district game won 31-14 by Edgewater, the sequel featured big hits on defense, huge plays offensively, and numerous penalty flags down the stretch.

Jones will travel next week to face No. 3 seed Tampa Bay Tech (10-2), which knocked out No. 2 Armwood (10-2) with a 27-22 road win.

Sophomore quarterback Dereon Coleman put all he had into a third-down pass down the middle before taking a crushing hit from an Edgewater player. Walki Ambroise sprinted underneath the throw and made the catch before outracing a defender for a 76-yard score that trimmed the game to 24-21 with 9:51 to go.

Jones then quickly forced the Eagles to punt.

Senior quarterback Trever Jackson, who started the game and was effective as a runner throughout much of the contest, completed a 21-yard pass to Vernell Brown III to put the Tigers inside the 5-yard line.

Jackson easily scored on a go-ahead run around the left side two plays later.

Brown ended Edgewater’s chance at reclaiming the lead when he intercepted a pass with 3:22 remaining. That came one play after Tyrin Randle recorded a sack.

With the game tied at 14-14, the Tigers defense stood tall inside the 5-yard line while forcing Edgewater to settle for a field goal on the opening possession of the second half.

Senior defensive lineman D’Antre Robinson finished with two sacks and Endravius McConico intercepted a pass in the win.

“The defense has been playing lights-out,” Williams said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that rotate in and play. This is a team game. We tell them, ‘Everybody’s gotta play. Everybody’s gotta contribute.’ I’m just so proud of these guys.”

Jones is 5-0 in second-round playoff games since 2019, which was its state runner-up season.

The Eagles reached the second round of the playoffs for the seventh time in coach Cameron Duke’s seven seasons in College Park, including state runner-up finishes in 2019 and 2020.

Here are the in-game updates:

Jones failed to move the chains on its three offensive plays after the interception. Facing 4th-and-1 at Edgewater 46, QB Trever Jackson barrels forward for the first down with 1:35 left.

A lot of flags flying down the stretch in this one. Edgewater got down to the Jones 25 but was penalized 15 yards with 4:20 to go. Tyrin Randle then recorded a sack and Vernell Brown III intercepted a pass on the next two plays. We are down to 3:22 to go.

TOUCHDOWN: Jones got down to the 4-yard line on a 21-yard pass play from Trever Jackson to Vernell Brown III. Jackson easily scored on a keeper to the left side two plays later but was flagged for spiking the football in the end zone. Jones now leads 28-24 with 6:09 to play. Edgewater has possession at its own 48 after Jones was backed up on the kickoff.

Two big runs by Jaden Brown had Edgewater on the move but the Eagles punted the ball away following the Jones TD. Tigers take over at Edgewater 41 following a personal foul against Eagles after punt return. We’ve got 8:25 remaining.

TOUCHDOWN: Dereon Coleman launched a pass as far as he could throw downfield just before taking a big hit in the backfield and Walki Ambroise ran under it to make the catch-and-run for a 76-yard score with 9:51 to go. Edgewater lead trimmed to 24-21.

TOUCHDOWN: Multiple penalties against Jones put Edgewater inside the 10-yard line and the Eagles converted on a 3-yard pass from Michael Clayton to Brandon Paul with 10:41 left in game. Edgewater lead extended to 24-14. Jones is starting at own 20.

Edgewater leads Jones 17-14 at end of 3rd quarter. Eagles are down to the Jones 26-yard line.

Edgewater went three-and-out following the turnover but Jones sloppily muffed the punt to give Eagles the ball at the Tiger 35.

Edgewater’s Jaden Brown came up with an interception over the middle of the field following the injury timeout at 2:13 in 3rd. Eagles take the ball back at their own 30.

A reception by AJ Howard on third down moved the chains for Edgewater, but the next third-down attempt for Eagles resulted in a picked off pass by Endravius McConico at 2:58 in 3rd. Jones benefitted from a face mask call on the play and then got a pass interference call downfield on a throw from Dereon Coleman. Jones has ball at Edgewater 42. Injury timeout.

Another impressive kick return by Vernell Brown III gave Jones possession at the Edgewater 38. The Eagles nearly picked off a pass on third down and Jones went for a fake punt that was easily disrupted one play later. Edgewater has ball at own 42 with 5:28 to go in 3rd.

FIELD GOAL: Edgewater opened the second half at its own 35. D’Antre Robinson recorded his second sack of the night for Jones but Michael Clayton passed to Mylan Bowen for a 49-yard gain down to the 3-yard line. The Jones defense held up though to force a 20-yard FG by John Tew. Edgewater leads Jones 17-14 at 6:36 in 3rd.

Edgewater and Jones are tied at 14-14 at halftime. The Eagles will receive the kick to start second half.

Edgewater got down to the Jones 27 but a couple dropped passes led to a turnover-on-downs with 51.7 seconds to go in first half. Jones is starting to mix in sophomore QB Dereon Coleman on offense. Senior QB Trever Jackson picked up huge gains on two runs to reach the 50. The Tigers could not get much else going on their final three plays of the half as the clock expired.

A holding penalty against Jones and QB pressure by Edgewater put the Tigers in 3rd-and-long. Jones made a quarterback change and attempted a pass over the middle that was incomplete. A high snap on the punt attempt nearly led to a block, but Edgewater now has the ball at the Jones 46 with 3:16 left in the half.

TOUCHDOWN: A fake shotgun snap went to Semaj Fleming instead of the quarterback and Fleming darted 50 yards for a TD on third down to tie the game at 14-14 with 4:31 to go in 2nd quarter.

Huge kick return by Semaj Fleming puts Eagles at own 44-yard line.

TOUCHDOWN: Trever Jackson dumped a pass off to Jacquez Varner in the flat for an 11-yard TD along the left side. Jones went 11 plays on the drive. Tigers lead Edgewater 14-7 at 6:23 in 2nd quarter.

TOUCHDOWN: Kaden Shields-Dutton took a handoff around the left side for a 7-yard TD. Edgewater tied the game at 7-7 at 11:05 in the 2nd quarter following a 14-play drive. Each team has had just one possession thus far.

Eagles are down to the Jones 7-yard line at the end of first quarter. Edgewater started at its own 28. AJ Howard hauled in completions of 12 and 23 yards to get the Eagles down to the Jones 32. A tackle-for-loss by Jaylen Smith and sack by D’Antre Robinson pushed Edgewater back to the 43 for a 3rd-and-long that was converted when Michael Clayton dumped off a pass to Kaden Shields-Dutton while under duress.

TOUCHDOWN: Jacquez Varner returned the opening kick to the Edgewater 49. Trever Jackson got the start at quarterback for Jones and converted on a 4th-and-1 run through the right side of the line. Jerrian Parker capped the 11-play drive with a 4-yard TD run up the middle with 6:50 to go in 1st quarter. Jones leads Edgewater 7-0.

Edgewater won the coin toss and opted to kick off to visiting Jones to start Class 3M regional semifinal. Game will start under a light rain. Field is very saturated, as expected due to the weather this week.

FHSAA football playoffs present challenges for Orlando area teams

Class 4 Metro Region 1

No. 5 Jacksonville Mandarin 36, No. 1 Lake Mary 10

By Chris Martucci

Having to beat a team in the playoffs after playing it in the regular season isn’t easy.

Lake Mary learned that the hard way as the Rams (10-2), No. 1 in the Class 4M power rankings, saw their banner season end with a decisive defeat.

Quarterback Noah Grubbs, who had thrown 49 touchdowns coming into the game, was intercepted twice and didn’t have a scoring pass for the only time in his sophomore season. One of the picks was returned for a Mustangs TD.

“I’m proud of our guys. They fought the whole game, but we couldn’t overcome some of our mistakes,” Lake Mary coach Scotty Perry said. “I’m proud of our seniors for their leadership. It hurts now, but it was a great year for us.”

Mandarin (9-3) will play at Sanford Seminole in next week’s regional final.

With 17 seniors graduating this spring, including top receivers Caden Harshbarger and Carson Hinshaw, the 2024 fall season has an air of uncertainty around it, but Perry is confident in the group coming back, including Grubbs.

“We’ve got a great group coming up and we’re excited to get to work with them in the spring,” said Perry. “Our guys will bounce back and we’ll get to work in January.”

Lake Mary’s defense forced three turnovers early on to give the offense a chance to build momentum, as it had in a first-round come-from-behind win vs. Boone that was more difficult than expected.

LJ Williams III intercepted a pass in the end zone on Mandarin’s first drive and the defense forced two fumbles.

Running back Jaysen Soto scored the Rams’ only touchdown with a 1-yard run. Lake Mary’s rushing leader, Isaiah Thomas (1,041 yards), did not play after sustaining an injury against Boone.

This was a rematch of a game Lake Mary won 34-16 on its home field in September. It was 20-16 at halftime that night and the Rams were held to 255 offensive yards — their second lowest output of the regular season.

Here are the in-game updates:

Lake Mary forces Mandarin to punt. A penalty puts the Rams back on their 6-yard-line with 1:27 left in the game.

Logan Cook had a 10-yard reception but then fumbled the ball. Mandarin dove on top of it at the Lake Mary 39. 3:18 4Q.

TOUCHDOWN: Antoine Belgrave-Shorter jumped the Noah Grubbs pass and took it all the way to the end zone for the 30-yard score. Extra point good. 36-10 Mandarin. 4:54 4Q.

TOUCHDOWN: Mandarin’s Tiant Wyche blasted up the gut and scampered 26 yards for the touchdown – his second rushing TD of the night. Extra point good. 29-10 Mandarin. 5:12 4Q.

Noah Grubbs’ pass bounced off Carson Hinshaw’s hands and into the hands of Mandarin’s Joshua Burton for the interception. A 15-yard penalty backs Mandarin up to the Lake Mary 47 to start the drive. 7:22 4Q.

TOUCHDOWN: Mandarin’s Tiant Wyche was left all alone on a screen pass. He took it 91 yards for a touchdown. Two-point attempt no good. 22-10 Mandarin. 7:54 4Q.

Barely 200 yards of total offense for Lake Mary so far.

Lake Mary pinned Mandarin inside its 10-yard line on that punt. Mandarin to begin the drive at their 6. 9:36 4Q.

Lake Mary recovered a Mandarin fumble after a strip sack on Tramell Jones. Rams take over at the Mustangs 41. But the Rams are forced to punt again.

Mandarin leads 16-10 going into the fourth quarter.

Noah Grubbs threw up a prayer and Carson Hinshaw answered it with a 30-yard reception to give the Rams a fresh set of downs. But the Rams failed on a fourth down pass attempt and turned the ball over in the final minute of the third quarter.

Lake Mary defense with another stop, forcing Mandarin to punt.

TOUCHDOWN: Jaysen Soto broke through two tackles in the backfield before diving into the end zone for the 1-yard touchdown for Lake Mary. Extra point good. Mandarin lead is cut to 16-10. 9:03 3Q.

John Scarelli stripped the ball away from Mandarin quarterback Tramell Jones and recovered the fumble for Lake Mary. The Rams take over at the Mandarin 28.

TOUCHDOWN: Tiant Wyche scored from the Wildcat formation for Mandarin. Two-point attempt was good. 14-3 Mandarin with 28 seconds left in the first half.

Grubbs and Harshbarger connect for a 35-yard gain to set Lake Mary up on the Mandarin side of the field. But Grubbs’ pass on fourth down to Carson Hinshaw was incomplete. Mandarin takes over on downs at its 38. 4:54 2Q.

TOUCHDOWN: Mandarin’s Deshard Wescott channeled his inner rugby player as he fought hard for the 11-yard touchdown run. Two-point conversion is good. Mandarin leads 8-3. 6:53 2Q.

Lake Mary tried an onside kick but was ruled to not be touched after ten yards. Mandarin begins its drive at the Lake Mary 49.

Caden Harshbarger had an 18-yard reception to set Lake Mary up in the red zone. Lake Mary was unable to punch it in. Field goal unit came on and Luke Shale’s 22-yard attempt was GOOD. Lake Mary leads 3-0. 8:45 2Q.

End of 1Q: Lake Mary: 0 – Mandarin: 0.

Lake Mary’s LJ Williams stopped the Mandarin red zone threat with an interception in the end zone. Lake Mary takes over at its 20. 5:16 1Q.

Lake Mary forced to punt on its first possession. Mandarin started its first possession at their 28.

Mandarin won the toss but deferred to the second half. Lake Mary to receive.

Class 4 Metro Region 1

No. 2 Seminole 42, No. 3 Apopka 14

By Max Gamarra

Seminole throttled Apopka at home to head to its third regional final in four years.

The ‘Noles (10-2), under first-year head coach Karl Calhoun Jr., will host again on Friday night against Jacksonville Mandarin, which ousted Lake Mary.

“It’s a blessing,” Calhoun Jr. said. “That was one of our goals. We wanted to win the district, wanted to win the conference and now we want to win the region. And to play here at Thomas E. Whigham is special, and it’ll be a good time out here, very special and very proud of this group.”

Seminole has dominated the postseason so far, with a point differential of plus-67 after defeating Hagerty 42-3 and then picking up a 28-point win over Apopka. Seminole’s defense has been playing determined football in the playoffs, not allowing a touchdown until late in the third quarter of Friday’s win.

“We’re healthy but still missing Chasen Johnson. Hopefully we get him back,” Calhoun Jr. said. “Our defense has got a lot of talent; a lot of Division I guys. So we’re good and happy to be healthy.”

Senior quarterback Karson Siqueiros-Lasky threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another in Seminole’s semifinal win, bringing his total in the postseason to seven. Seminole also had four players, including Siqueiros-Lasky, rush for a touchdown in the win.

The ‘Noles topped Apopka 21-3 in a Sept. 29 district game. This was the rematch between two proud programs that have collided six times in state playoff games since renewing what was once a 1980s Five Star Conference rivalry in 2008.

Apopka is the only Orlando area school with three football state championships (2001, 2012, 2014). Seminole stands alongside Bishop Moore as the two others that have twice won FHSAA titles.

The ‘Noles beat the Blue Darters 28-7 in a 2008 region final on the way to their first state championship and topped Apopka 28-24 in a 2020 state semifinal on the way to the second.

Apopka won playoff matchups in 2017 (54-21), 2019 (20-0) and 2021 (28-27) and beat the ‘Noles in regular-season play last year (24-23).

The teams did not face each other from 1984 through 2007.

Here are the in-game updates:

TOUCHDOWN: Apopka senior RB Reggie McBride broke into the second level and ran into the end zone all alone for a 37-yard touchdown. Seminole 42, Apopka 14 with 3:58 in 4Q.

TOUCHDOWN: Seminole sophomore RB De’Shawn Watkins dove into the end zone from three yards out for a touchdown. PAT was no good. Seminole 42, Apopka 7 with 6:15 in 4Q.

Seminole junior CB Juan Berchal intercepted a pass from Apopka sophomore QB Tyson Davison and returned it to the Apopka 28-yard line.

TOUCHDOWN: Seminole senior RB Treyvin Clark broke into the open field and raced to the end zone, leaving Apopka’s defense in the dust for a 60-yard touchdown. PAT was good. Seminole 36, Apopka 7 with 10:55 in 4Q.

End of 3Q: Seminole 29, Apopka 7.

Apopka stuffed Seminole junior RB Rodney Grant on 4th-and-2 to take over possession on the Seminole 43-yard line.

TOUCHDOWN: Apopka sophomore QB Tyson Davison found the end zone on a quarterback draw on 4th-and-goal from three yards out. Davison’s touchdown gave Apopka its first points of the game. PAT was good. Seminole 29, Apopka 7 with 3:04 in 3Q.

TOUCHDOWN: Seminole senior QB Karson Siqueiros-Lasky kept the ball on a read option and sprinted into the end zone untouched for a 6-yard rushing touchdown. PAT was good. Seminole 29, Apopka 0 with 8:29 in 3Q.

Halftime: Seminole 22, Apopka 0.

TOUCHDOWN: Seminole junior RB Rodney Grant broke out of a tackle and hit the open field, rushing 23 yards for a touchdown. PAT was good. Seminole 22, Apopka 0 with 3:19 in 2Q.

Apopka was unable to capitalize on the interception, going three-and-out and punting the ball back to Seminole.

Seminole QB Karson Siqueiros-Lasky took a deep shot to the end zone that was intercepted by Apopka senior DB Malachi Davey. He went down in the end zone after the pick for a touchback.

End of 1Q: Seminole 15, Apopka 0.

TOUCHDOWN: Seminole QB Karson Siqueiros-Lasky threw a screen pass to WR Michael Key who found the end zone from five yards out for his second touchdown of the game. PAT was good. Seminole 15, Apopka 0 with one second in 1Q.

Apopka attempted a fake punt on 4th-and-short and failed to convert. Seminole took over possession on the Apopka 38-yard line.

Apopka was driving into Seminole territory before a bad exchange on a handoff led to a fumble that was recovered by the defense. Seminole took over possession on its own 37-yard line.

TOUCHDOWN: Seminole senior QB Karson Siqueiros-Lasky connected with senior WR Michael Key in the flat and Key was able to evade two defenders for a 15-yard touchdown reception. Two-point conversion was successful. Seminole 8, Apopka 0 with 8:07 in 1Q.

Seminole senior QB Karson Siqueiros-Lasky threw to senior WR Marvin Brown for a 66-yard completion down the seam to move into the red zone.

Seminole forced a punt on Apopka’s first offensive drive of the game and took over on its own 23-yard line.

Seminole kicked off to Apopka to start the game.

Class 4 Metro Region 2

No. 2 Tampa Plant 28, No. 6 Dr. Phillips 21 (OT)

Underdog Dr. Phillips (7-5) almost pulled the upset at Plant (10-2).

The Panthers led 21-14 lead in the third quarter. The game was tied 14-14 in the second quarter.

A week after knocking out No. 3 Olympia, DP was looking for another surprise that would have pushed it to a region final for the first time since their streak of five in a row from 2014-18. The 2017 state champ Panthers played Plant in four region semifinals from 2011-14, with each team winning twice.

Plant won four state titles in a six-year span under former coach Robert Weiner (2006, 2008, 2009, 2011), now a college assistant at Toledo.

Class 4 Suburban Region 1

No. 3 DeLand 31, No. 2 Orange City University 13

By Chris Hays

DeLand football coach Rick Darlington wanted his squad to shut down Orange City University’s running game on Friday night.

The Bulldogs did just that, limiting the Titans’ ability to gain momentum on the ground at New Smyrna Beach Sports Complex. DeLand held UHS to minus-27 yards on one drive in rolling to victory against a team they beat 14-3 in regular-season play.

“They didn’t rush for hardly anything,” Darlington said. “We shut their run game down and got them behind the chains and then we tried to pressure them. That’s kind of how we beat them the first time, too.”

University finished 10-2, with both losses to the Bulldogs.

DeLand (10-2) will travel again for next week’s region final in Port St. Lucie against No. 1 seed Treasure Coast (9-2), a 21-12 winner over Vero Beach.

For DeLand quarterback TJ Moore and two-way star Javon Ross it was business as usual. Moore had more than 120 yards rushing in the first half, and pushed close to 200 yards for the game.

The Bulldogs did not throw the ball much in drizzling rain conditions. Moore did pass to Ross for a 7-yard touchdown in the first quarter to give DeLand a 14-0 lead.

Ross also had a pick-six, a pivotal interception that made the margin 21-7 in the third quarter. DeLand’s LaDamion Belcher added two short touchdown runs.

“We just expected TJ to run off-tackle and that’s what he did,” Darlington said of his quarterback. “Then Javon had a pick-six that really kind of swung the game.”

Christian Baez made a 30-yard field goal for DeLand.

The game was played at neutral site because University’s home field lacks the seating capacity required by FHSAA playoff policy.

The Bulldogs are 7-0 against University, which opened in 2010 to relieve overcrowding at DeLand.

Here are the in-game updates:

5:01 left, DeLand up 24-13; if Bulldogs hold on, they will get Treasure Coast next week. Treasure Coast defeated Vero Beach, 21-12

FIELD GOAL: DeLand gets a 30-yard field goal from Christian Baez, and with 6:53 left in the game the Bulldogs lead Orange City University 24-13.

TOUCHDOWN: University QB Malachi Walters hooked up with Isaiah Baker for a 27-yard touchdown pass. Deland now leads the Titans 21-13, extra point failed with under 10 minutes to go.

TOUCHDOWN: DeLand’s Javon Ross took an interception 13 yards for a score. The Bulldogs lead Orange City University 21–7, 4th-quarter now.

Halftime: Deland, 14, Orange City University 7.

TOUCHDOWN: Orange City University finds the end zone on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Malachi Walters to Barrett Schulz. The Titans pull within 14–7 against Deland, 2:30 left 2nd quarter.

TOUCHDOWN: Deland QB TJ Moore hits Javon Ross for a 7-yard touchdown pass, and the Bulldogs lead University 14-0.

TOUCHDOWN: DeLand drove 80 yards to score on its first series. LaDamion Belcher scored on a 2-yard run. Bulldogs lead 7–0, 1st quarter.

Class 4 Suburban Region 2

No. 2 Lake Minneola 42, No. 3 Wiregrass Ranch 28

By Steve Gorches

Lake Minneola’s defense held one of the state’s most prolific passers in check on the way to a hard-fought victory.

Wiregrass quarterback Luke Knight had 138 yards passing in the first half and finished with 273 on 24-of-36 passing. That was well under average for a player who had thrown for 3,602 yards before Friday night.

“Our defense has struggled for three weeks and we challenged them,” Hawks coach Walter Banks said. “They gave up some big plays, but I’m really proud with how they hung in there.”

Lake Minneola (9-3) will carry an eight-game win streak into next week’s regional final at Lakeland (9-3), which beat Bartow 28-6. The Dreadnaughts were 14-0 state champions in 4S a year ago.

Hawks QB Jackson Hughes finished with 269 yards passing and three TDs. Hawks running back Dane Thompkins had 167 yards rushing and two TDs.

“Jackson had some good deep passes and just missed on a couple,” Banks said. “And Dane is just a workhorse for us.”

Lake Minneola surpassed its 41.5 points per game average and managed to hold Wiregrass well below its previous average of 45.3 points.

The Hawks are 10-3 in playoff games over five seasons.

Here are the in-game updates:

After multiple penalties kept the Wiregrass drive going, Minneola held on 4th down at the 14-yard line with 3:15 left.

Lake Minneola gave itself a little breathing room after a 40-yard TD pass from Jackson Hughes to Braylon Knauth, who caught the ball around the helmet of the defender. 42-28 Minneola with 6:13 left

On the ensuing kickoff, Wiregrass fumbled and the Hawks recovered at the 45 with 8:15 left.

TOUCHDOWN: Lake Minneola bounces back to take a 35-28 lead with 8:32 left in the game after a 43-yard TD pass from Hughes to Greg McKinnond.

We have a tie game at Lake Minneola as Wiregrass scores on a 35-yard TD pass from Knight to Fred Adams with 10:59 left in the game. It’s 28-28.

FIELD GOAL: Wiregrass cut the Lake Minneola lead to 28-21 after a 28-yard field goal with 6.5 seconds left in 3Q.

Minneola drove back down the field and had 4th down inside the 5-yard line, but failed to convert. Still 28-18 Lake Minneola with 4:08 left in the 3Q

TOUCHDOWN: Three and out for Minneola, and then Wiregrass blocked the punt, taking over at the 5-yard line. On the first play, QB Luke Knight kept it for a TD run. The Bulls went for the two-point conversion and got it. Lake Minneola leads 28-18 with 7:23 to go in the third quarter.

Minneola defense holds on 4th-and-1 and the Hawks take over with 8:27 left in the 3Q.

Minneola’s defense has held prolific Wiregrass QB Luke Knight in check. 12 of 17 for 138 yards, 1 TD.

First half ends with a little controversy. Wiregrass QB Luke Knight threw what looked like a 35-yard TD on the final play, but the refs said incomplete. Hawks lead 28-10 at the half.

Lake Minneola scored a TD on their fourth straight drive, this time, it’s a 52-yard TD run by Dane Thompkins, his second of the night. The Hawks lead 28-10 with 4:25 left in the half.

Minneola’s switching and movement on defense cause a penalty, so Wiregrass settes for a 30-yard field goal with 7:32 left in 2Q. Lake Minneola leads 21-10.

Wiregrass driving again with 4th-and-1 at Minneola’s 7-yard line. The Hawks call timeout to strategize the stop attempt.

Wiregrass Ranch responded with a 10-yard pass from Luke Knight to Ian Wilson II with 1:49 left in 1Q. Lake Minneola lead is trimmed to 14-7.

Lake Minneola took a 14-0 lead with 4:03 to go in the first quarter.

Less than 3 minutes later Minneola scored again on a 24-yard TD run by Dane Thompkins.

On a muddy field, the host Hawks opened the scoring with a 10-yard TD pass from Hughes to Jake Kania with 9:27 to go in the first quarter.

Class 2 Metro Region 1

No. 3 Bishop Moore 37, No. 2 Jacksonville Riverside 35

The Hornets (9-3) held off a late rally to score the victory in Jacksonville. That makes it nine consecutive wins for the Hornets, who will be home next week for the regional final.

The Hornets will play No. 4 seed Jacksonville Bolles (7-5), which posted a 14-7 win Friday against top seed Raines (10-2).

Bishop Moore seniors Aaron Reabe and Omari Reid teamed with sophomore standout Jake Kreul as a defensive force.

The Hornets got touchdowns from junior Gabe Diaz, junior Devon St Clair and QB Bjorn Jurgensen, who threw a TD pass and ran for 3 scores.

Bishop Moore, state champs in 1970 and 2017, is in the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season and won a second-round playoff game for the second time since 2016.

Class 1M Region 1

No. 2 Orlando Christian Prep 28, No. 3 Jacksonville Providence 25

By Nate Marrero

OCP (10-1) came out on top in a back-and-forth game that had three lead changes in the fourth quarter at Showalter Field in Winter Park.

“We just knew that we had to play really good football in order to get the win,” OCP coach Guerschom Demosthenes said. “It went back and forth there for a minute and we just was a little bit more resilient at the end when we put it away.”

Junior quarterback Cameron Kurzon threw two touchdown passes, both in the final quarter. The second was a 12-yard pass to sophomore running back Akeevin Anderson that gave OCP the lead for good with 4:19 left in the game.

Anderson also had a 70-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first half.

Junior running back Avery Anderson had a 42-yard rushing touchdown and 5-yard receiving touchdown.

The Warriors’ defense stepped up at the end of the game, forcing a turnover on downs in Providence (7-4) territory with 1:50 left in the game. They also had a goal-line stand in the second quarter that kept them ahead 14-9 before a Stallions safety cut the lead to three heading into halftime.

Senior defensive end Stanley Ihekwoaba was a force in the backfield with two sacks and multiple tackles for loss.

Orlando Christian Prep moves on to the regional final to face top seed Jacksonville Trinity Christian Academy (8-3), which beat University Christian 28-22 on Friday.

Trinity stopped OCP’s postseason run in each of the past two seasons.

OCP was ranked No. 10 in 1M by MaxPreps, one spot ahead of Providence.

Here are the in-game updates.

OCP just forced a turnover on downs at Providence’s 38-yard line with 1:50 left in the game. They’re a first down away from icing it.

TOUCHDOWN: Cameron Kurzon completed a 12-yard pass to Akeevin Anderson to give OCP the lead once again. Warriors lead 28-25 with 4:19 left in the game.

TOUCHDOWN: On 3rd and 11, Mason Williams connected with Cameron Ross who makes a leaping grab and runs it into the end zone for a 60-yard score for Providence. The Stallions lead 25-21 with 9:05 left in the game

TOUCHDOWN: On 4th-and-goal, Cameron Kurzon completes a 5-yard pass to Avery Anderson for a touchdown. OCP leads 21-18 with 11:04 left in the game

End of the 3rd quarter: OCP trails 18-14. Warriors have 3rd and goal from the 6-yard line to begin the 4th quarter.

To make matters worse, one OCP player slapped another and they had to be separated.

TOUCHDOWN: Jett Hood runs it in from 1-yard out to give Providence an 18-14 lead with 6:57 to go in the 3rd quarter. Stallions converted three times on third down to keep the scoring drive alive.

Halftime: OCP leads 14-11.

Providence’s Gavin Nowlin-McFarlane missed a 46-yard field goal try as time expired in the 1st half.

TOUCHDOWN: Akeevin Anderson returned the kickoff 70 yards for a TD to give OCP the lead again. Warriors lead 14-9 with 5:02 left in the first half.

FIELD GOAL: Gavin Nowlin-McFarlane made a 30-yard field goal to give Providence a 9-7 lead at 5:13 in the 1st half. Drive was aided by multiple personal fouls on OCP’s defense in what has been a chippy game.

TOUCHDOWN: Avery Anderson takes a pitch and runs it 42 yards for an OCP touchdown. Warriors lead 7-6 with 10:18 left in the 2nd quarter.

End of the 1st quarter: Providence leads 6-0

TOUCHDOWN: Jett Hood fielded a punt on a bounce and returned it 75 yards to the end zone to give Providence School a 6-0 lead with 3:06 left in the 1st quarter. The extra point was no good.

Class 3 Suburban Region 2

No. 2 Lake Wales 17, No. 3 Leesburg 10

Reigning state champ Lake Wales (12-0) won its 27th consecutive game on its homefield, but not without a challenge from the Yellow Jackets (10-2).

Lake Wales led 10-3 at halftime.

Lake Wales went 15-0 in winning the 3S state championship a year ago. The Highlanders topped Daytona Beach Mainland 32-20 in that final.

Lake Wales came in having outscored foes 418-57. Leesburg’s differential coming into the game was 463-143.

FHSAA Football Preview: Orlando area rivals meet in regional semifinals

Varsity Content Editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.