10 State Semifinal Games To Watch

We have played 13 weeks so far this season and as the 14th week approaches, we find out which teams will be on display for the 2022 state championship games.   Starting next week in Tallahassee (Gene Cox Stadium) and the following week at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, 18 of the best teams in nine classifications will square off for a the right to call themselves state champs.   Tonight, 36 teams are still alive and are holding on to that dream – as games will be played all over the state.   Every Friday, we bring you the 10 best games to check out, and even though there are many more that will be very interesting, we came up with these:   Class 4-Metro   No. 2 Apopka (11-2) at No. 1 Wellington Palm Beach Central (12-1). Somewhere during the second half of the season, the Blue Darters started to play the kind of football that gets you to the state title game – while very few watched what head coach Jeff Rolson were doing. They are strong on defense and opportunistic on the offensive side of the ball.   It was at a summer 7-on-7 event at Keiser University in West Palm Beach that several coaches and players commented on how athletic and productive head coach Kevin Thompson and his football team were. Well, 13 weeks later and this team will be at home for the biggest game in school history. It's experience against a talented but growing team.   THE PICK: Apopka 24, Palm Beach Central 17.   Class 3-Metro   No. 1 Homestead (10-2) at No. 2 Orlando Jones (10-2). Okay, on the surface, the Jones Tigers are at home and are red hot after beating Orlando Edgewater soundly last week but let us keep in mind that both of the Broncos' losses came when they were not at full strength and remember this is a team that soundly beat the Miami Northwestern program that knocked off Jones in the kickoff classic.    This is south Florida vs. Central Florida and promises to be a war, and head coach Philip Simpson and his team will be ready.   The Tigers and head coach Elijah Williams believe that what they did over the past month – in the state playoffs – is certainly enough to make it to another state finals.   THE PICK: Homestead 28, Orlando Jones 27.   No. 1 Tampa Jesuit (9-4) at No. 1 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (12-0). Revenge is the order of the business at Brian Piccolo Stadium as the Raiders, the defending three-time state champions, welcome in the 6A state champions for a year ago.   But this is a rematch of last year when the Tigers beat St. Thomas and ruined a possible run at the national championship. Both teams have been on fire in the state playoffs. We all watched Tampa Jesuit lose at Columbus early in the season, and this should be the same type of outcome. The Raiders and head coach Roger Harriott are still looking at a top 5 national ranking.   After a slow start, the Tigers and head coach Matt Thompson have certainly picked things up, but the teams they have lined up against are truly not a St. Thomas Team that has won 90 percent of their games over the past five plus years.   THE PICK: St. Thomas Aquinas 37, Tampa Jesuit 13.    Class 1-Metro   No. 1 Clearwater Central Catholic (11-1) at No. 2 Jacksonville University Christian (11-1). While veteran head coach Chris Harvey and his Marauders had a strong feeling that this is where they would end up when the state playoffs rolled around, head coach Dave Penland and his team, along with every other fan, believed it would be Jacksonville Trinity Christian.   Clearwater Central Catholic has cruised and have been very impressive on both sides of the ball. They are well coached and ready for this matchup.   The Christians have been in this position many times, and with a big win over their huge rivals are indeed primed for this game.   THE PICK: Jacksonville University Christian 28, Clearwater Central Catholic 20.   Class 4-Suburban   No. 2 Kissimmee Osceola (9-3) at No. 1 Lakeland (12-0). For those who follow veteran head coach Bill Castle and his Dreadnaughts, many believe that this is one of the best teams the program has fielded – and that is saying a lot.   This is a rematch of a game that Lakeland won 25-22 back on September 16th at home – which really makes things interesting. The Dreadnaughts of won because of play on both sides of the ball and tremendous coaching as well.   Sleeping in head coach Eric Pinellas and his Kowboys would not be wise. Since that Lakeland game, they have won nine of 10, losing only to state semifinalist Orlando Jones.    Impressive wins at Rockledge (30-7) and Vero Beach (31-7) has this team believing that they can go in and come away with a stunning win.   THE PICK: Lakeland 24, Kissimmee Osceola 23   Class 3-Suburban   No. 3 Lake City Columbia (9-3) at No. 1 Lake Wales (13-0). Here is one of those games that you look at playoffs as see two very hot teams who can play this game.   For head coach Demetric Jackson and his Tigers, this is a team capable of playing strong defense and opportunistic defense.   On the other side of the ball, head coach Tavaris Johnson and his Highlanders knew that this would be a special season after finishing 9-3 a year ago.   This is a team that has everything – from line size to skill and plenty of speed. While they are veteran in some parts of the program, they are youthful at others.   THE PICK: Lake Wales 26, Lake City Columbia 14   Class 2-Suburban   No. 2 Cocoa (9-3) at No. 1 Starke Bradford County (11-1), For some reason, even at the start of the season when they dropped games to state semifinalists Orlando Jones and Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas that head coach Ryan Schneider and the Tigers would be in this very position.   For the Bulldogs, who have had one of their best years ever, the first part of the season was amazing, and it carried over into the second part – where one loss was the difference for head coach Jamie Rodgers.   Cocoa is really playing at a different level, and it does not matter who the opponent is or where it's at. Bradford County's impressive defense will be tested!   When the season began, Cocoa was a team that many picked to win it all – and this will take them onme step closer.   THE PICK: Cocoa 30, Starke Bradford County 17   No. 1 Fort Myers Bishop Verot (10-2) at No. 1 Tallahassee FSU High (13-0). If you go back over the past five seasons – including this year's current 13-0 record – you will fully understand how successful head coach Jarrod Hickman and his Tallahassee FSU High Seminoles have been.   Reeling off records of 11-2, 10-1, 12-2 and 8-4, this program has certainly been impressive, and while Hollywood's Chaminade-Madonna has been a major obstacle over the past three seasons, the Lions are now in 1M – far away from this team.   For the Vikings and head coach Richie Rode, this is just the beginning of what this program is all about. Getting this far into the playoffs was something that appeared to be a year or two away, but a 10-win season is something of a confidence builder.   The Seminoles are impressive, although they have had some close games down the stretch.   THE PICK: Tallahassee FSU High 30, Fort Myers Bishop Verot 20   Class 1-Suburban   No. 1 Fort Pierce John Carroll (10-1) at No. 1 Ocala Trinity Catholic (8-2). A very interesting matchup between two schools who have enjoyed outstanding seasons that were not unexpected.   For veteran head coach John Brantley and his Celtics, this has been a year that saw several quality prospects come together and made a major push toward this game with plenty of athletes.   As for Mickey Groody and his Rams, this all started in the off-season, where they took part in plenty of high level events that pushed his team hard.   Both of these programs have definitely earned their way here and fully expect to emerge victorious.   THE PICK: Ocala Trinity Catholic 27, Fort Pierce John Carroll 21   Class 1-Rural   No. 1 Lake Butler Union County (8-2) at No. 1 Bratt Northview (12-0). This road game for head coach Andrew Thomas and his Fighting Tigers is another step on playing for a state title. With losses to a pair of state semifinalists (Hawthorne and Jacksonville University Christian), this game is one that this team believes it can win.   On the other side of the field, the unbeaten Chiefs, who have been amazing this season – winning every game and outscoring their opponents, 532-171. Head coach Wes Summerford and his Chiefs have averaged over 40 points per game and will provide one of the stiffest tests their visitors have had.   THE PICK: Bratt Northview 44, Lake Butler Union County 29   You Can Contact [player_tooltip player_id='111610' first='Larry' last='Blustein'] with prospect or team information at: <a href="mailto:Floridakids1@aol.com">Floridakids1@aol.com</a>.

We have played 13 weeks so far this season and as the 14th week approaches, we find out which teams will be on display for the 2022 state championship games.