Top 10 State Semifinal Games Tonight

Here is the week that every high school football player, coach and fan has waited for since the end of the 2020 season. The state semifinals. Where the winners advance to the state title game. With 1A-3A being played at Gene Cox Stadium in Tallahassee next Thursday, Friday and Saturday – and the 4A-8A championship games taking place the following week at Drive Pink Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, tonight is certainly a vital matchup. As we continued to do throughout the season, each and every Friday, we brought you the 10 best games to check out for the week. With the number of games dwindling down to three next week and five the other, this will be the final time in 2021 where we look at 10 games. If you are around these 10 games, we urge you to get out and support these programs. They are indeed the lifeline of many communities: <strong>8A</strong> <strong>Apopka (11-2) at Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast (10-1).</strong> It’s hard to imagine two teams that are similar in many ways – with the Blue Darters holding an overwhelming advantage when it comes to big games like this one. They are in the hunt every year. For the Titans, this is all new. They have never gotten this far before, but are at home and have been playing extremely well on both sides of the ball. Treasure Coast will have to play one of their best games to come out on top here. <strong>7A</strong> <strong>Lakeland Lake Gibson (9-3) at Tampa Bay Tech (12-0). </strong>Simply cannot say enough about this Lake Gibson program who took some lumps early on, but managed to come alive – with two wins over Lakeland in the same season, which has not been done in the Bill Castle era. For the home team Titans, after coming close a year ago and being edged out by Bloomingdale, they come into this evening’s game unbeaten, but also having a number of games where they had to come from behind – or hold on for dear life. They cannot afford to exchange scores with the Braves late in the game. <strong>6A</strong> <strong>Miami Northwestern (10-3) at Tampa Jesuit (12-0). </strong>We all know that the Tigers beat St. Thomas Aquinas early in the season – with a tremendous fourth quarter – this Northwestern team is different. Three losses – one by running clock against rival Miami Central – has many thinking that they have not shot to knock off the top team in the state. But the Bulls are averaging 55 points a game in the playoffs and have an explosive offense. The Tigers are stacked on both sides with playmakers on both sides and are going to be very tough to knock off at home. This could be a four-quarter war that many are not expecting. <strong>  </strong> <strong>Orlando Jones (11-2) at Pensacola Pine Forest (11-1). </strong>A 300-plus mile trip with a time zone change coming and going for the Tigers, who have turned it up this season, playing a very challenging schedule and beating some impressive teams in the playoffs. The Eagles are at home again and have the talent to compete, but even with the long drive, Jones has plenty of game-changers that Pine Forest has not faced this season. <strong>5A</strong> <strong>Sebring (9-3) at Merritt Island (12-1). </strong>First time in history for the Blue Streaks to make it this far in the playoffs, but they have done it and gotten the most out of the talent on the roster. They have playmakers and a defense that has been more than solid the past three weeks. For the Mustangs, this is the first time in several decades that the Mustangs have been able to get this far – and it is not a mistake. This is a team that has worked hard to get in this position. It’s a battle of University of Miami alumni <strong>Hurlie Brown</strong> (Merritt Island) and<strong> LaVaar Scott</strong> (Sebring). <strong>4A</strong> <strong>Jacksonville Bolles (9-2) at Cocoa (10-1). </strong>Back when the classifications were released, this was the matchup that just about everyone talked about. Two well coached teams who have been in the mix for a number of years. The Bulldogs were easily one of the top teams in the state of Florida after the first few weeks, but then started to lose a few games and many changed their opinion. But in the playoffs, the two-time defending state runner up have started to turn it up a few notches the past three weeks. On the other side of the ball is a Cocoa team that had one of the top 3 schedules in Florida – and came out of it with just one loss – and that was a thriller at 8A power Venice. The Tigers playing football and owning every quarter of each contest played. Will they keep it going at home tonight? We will see. <strong>3A</strong> <strong>Tallahassee Florida High (11-1) at Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (9-1). </strong>Just to see the Seminoles have to come 465 miles to play a state semifinal game has rubbed some the wrong way, but this is a program that has played its way into a position of going home and hosting for the second time in three years. In the Lions, you have a program that 10 of 11 coaches will tell you that is clearly the best team in the state – with a defense that can reduce even the highest powered offenses. A win and this team goes to state for the sixth consecutive time. The Seminoles are talented with quite a few playmakers, but to be honest, they will have to come up with by far the best game they played all year – just to keep it close. &nbsp; <strong>Lakeland Christian (11-0) at Tampa Berkeley Prep (11-0). </strong>On the other side of the bracket, you have the only unbeaten matchup of the state semifinals – with Lakeland Christian headed to Tampa after having to come from 18 points down to beat North Palm Beach Benjamin. They are talented, but not a very deep team. The Buccaneers are for real. Those who have watched them believe that they are the team that could rattle Chaminade-Madonna because they have the talent and have played a schedule where they needed to turn things up. <strong>2A</strong> <strong>Jacksonville Trinity Christian (8-4) at Orlando Christian Prep (10-1). </strong>While the four losses may throw you off a little bit, the 3A state champions from a year ago are still loaded with talent and great coaching, but difficult to figure out. They lost a few that they never should have lost. For Orlando Christian Prep, having a home game is something that nobody predicted. Not this late in the season. They are talented and well coached, but matching up with Conquerors could be a huge problem. Do we see the Trinity Christian that had several letdowns in 2021 or the team that beat Plantation American Heritage and are coming off a title season? We will know after 10:00 on Friday night. <strong>1A</strong> <strong>Chipley (9-3) at Hawthorne (9-0). </strong>Just getting the chance to knock off the defending 1A state champs, Baker, last week has made this season a success for Chipley and some impressive football talent. But the Hornets beat Madison County last year and have gone unbeaten after finishing second to Baker in 2020. The Hornets are talented and deep for a smaller school. They are huge favorites to get back to a second straight trip to Tallahassee. <strong>DON’T MISS ANYTHING – YEAR ROUND ON PREP REDZONE FLORIDA. </strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/florida/">https://prepredzone.com/florida/</a> <em><strong>You Can Contact [player_tooltip player_id="111610" first="Larry" last="Blustein"] with prospect or team information at: Floridakids1@aol.com</strong></em>