JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Only three area high school football teams are still standing tall.
Bradford, Mandarin and St. Augustine are headed to the state championship games next week in Tallahassee after winning state semifinal clashes on Friday night.
For the Tornadoes, they needed a down-to-the-wire rally in overtime. For the Mustangs, it was a dominant display on the road again. And for the Yellow Jackets, it was another overwhelmed opponent leaving Foots Brumley Stadium with a loss.
Mandarin continued its road warrior status, going on the road for the fourth straight week and demolishing Monarch 51-21 in Class 4M. The win sends the Mustangs (11-3) into the state championship game for just the second time in program history where it will face Miami Columbus, the team it beat in 2018 for the 8A state title. Those teams collide on Thursday at 3 p.m. at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
Mandarin was in a defensive battle at the break, in front just 9-7. Tiant Wyche scored three times in the second half and Tramell Jones fired a pair of touchdowns as the Mustangs took control and never looked back. Drake Stubbs picked off two passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown in the best game of his career.
In Class 2S, The Tornadoes (13-0) won an overtime thriller, erasing a 14-0 deficit in the final quarter and stormed back with a flurry in a 22-21 win to stun Pensacola Catholic in the Class 2S state semifinal. Bradford had nothing going for it for most of the game until Chalil Cummings turned a quick pass into lengthy touchdown.
Chason Clark caught a tying touchdown pass with 90 seconds to play to tie things up. But the Tornadoes needed something big in the extra period and got it when Daejon Shanks ran in for a two-point conversion to win it. Bradford (14-0) gets a rematch against Cocoa (13-1) on Friday at 8 p.m. The Tigers beat the Tornadoes in the state semifinals last year.
The last play!!!! Wow! pic.twitter.com/pEV29RidQa
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) December 2, 2023
In Class 2M, Bolles hung with powerful Miami Norland for a half but the Vikings were too much in a 28-7 win. The Bulldogs have reached five consecutive state semifinal games under coach Matt Toblin but lost their third straight in the final four. It finished the season 8-6 after an 0-3 start.
In Class 1M, Trinity Christian raced out to a 20-7 lead but host Clearwater Central Catholic surged back for a 39-32 win. Colin Hurley had a pair of rushing touchdowns in the first half to help the Conquerors (9-4) build a 13-point lead at the break. Cam Anderson added a rushing score and Hurley had a touchdown strike to Jayke Jones, but Trinity couldn’t close the gap as the Marauders pulled away late.
State semifinals
Friday’s results
SUBURBAN
Class 4S
(4) Lakeland 21, (1) Gainesville Buchholz 20
(2) Venice 51, (3) DeLand 21
Class 3S
(1) St. Augustine 35, (4) Fort Myers Dunbar 14
(2) Daytona Beach Mainland 34, (3) Ocala Vanguard 12
Class 2S
(1) Cocoa 41, (4) Sarasota Booker 3
(2) Bradford 22, (3) Pensacola Catholic 21 (OT)
Class 1S
(4) Trinity Catholic 51, (1) First Baptist Academy 22
(2) Cardinal Mooney 41, (3) North Florida Christian 14
METRO
Class 4M
(1) Miami Columbus 27, (4) Tampa Plant 7
(3) Mandarin 51, (2) Monarch 21
Class 2M
(1) Miami Norland 28, (4) Bolles 7
(3) Berkeley Prep 17, (2) Plantation American Heritage 14
Class 1M
(2) Clearwater Central Catholic 39, (3) Trinity Christian 32
(1) Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna 47, (4) Archbishop Carroll 7
State championships
SUBURBAN
Class 4S
Lakeland (11-3) vs. Venice (12-2), Saturday, 8 p.m.
Class 3S
Daytona Beach Mainland (13-1) vs. St. Augustine (13-0), Thursday, 7 p.m.
Class 2S
Cocoa (13-1) vs. Bradford (14-0), Friday, 8 p.m.
Class 1S
Trinity Catholic (6-7) vs. Cardinal Mooney (11-2), Friday, 10 a.m.
METRO
Class 4M
Miami Columbus (12-2) vs. Mandarin (11-3), Thursday, 3 p.m.
Class 3M
St. Thomas Aquinas (13-1) vs. Homestead (12-1), Saturday, 3 p.m.
Class 2M
Miami Norland (14-0) vs. Berkeley Prep (13-2), Saturday, 10 a.m.
Class 1M
Clearwater Central Catholic (13-0) vs. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (13-0)
RURAL
Class 1R
Hawthorne (12-0) vs. Madison County (10-1), 8 p.m.