Four area football teams open the postseason Friday, Nov. 13, and three of them are chasing a spot in next month’s state championships in Miami.
Unbeaten Carrollwood Day, the top seed in Class 1A-Region 3, leads the group. Alonso, making its first playoff appearance since 2010, gets a rematch with a Newsome team it beat by 35 points in October. Gaither faces Lake Gibson in Class 5A. Land O’ Lakes, left out of the FHSAA bracket, hosts Pensacola Booker T. Washington in the Florida Invitational Tournament.
All games kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Class 1A-Region 3No. 8 Naples First Baptist (7-3) at No. 1 Carrollwood Day (10-0)
Outlook: The Patriots, the area’s only unbeaten team, earned the region’s No. 1 seed after a regular season in which they allowed just 68 points. Coach Marshall McDuffie, 50-14 in six seasons, has the pieces for a deep run. Senior quarterback Myles McDonald has thrown for 1,980 yards and 28 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Junior running back Kameron Battle has rushed for 1,140 yards and 24 touchdowns and caught five more TD passes. On defense, safety Alfonso Brown leads the team with 39 tackles, three interceptions, nine pass breakups and two fumble recoveries, and he has blocked an extra point. Sophomore defensive back James Allen, a highly touted prospect, has two interceptions and 23 tackles. First Baptist counters with junior quarterback Dominick Sgambellone, who has thrown for 2,241 yards and 31 touchdowns with eight interceptions. His top receiver, Romeo Sararo, has 895 yards and 13 touchdown catches. Senior defensive end Colby Joly leads the Lions with five sacks, and freshman linebacker D.J. Deerey has four interceptions.
Class 5A-Region 3No. 5 Lake Gibson (6-4) at No. 4 Gaither (7-3)
Outlook: The Cowboys’ record is closer than it looks: Two of their three losses came by one score. Gaither got a major lift from junior quarterback Daniel Terry, a transfer from Wiregrass Ranch, who has thrown for 2,380 yards and 29 touchdowns with just four interceptions. His top target is freshman Royce Leal-Gonzalez, who has 25 catches for 501 yards and four touchdowns, while Elija Evans has eight touchdown receptions. Senior Brad Cobb leads the defense with 68 tackles, 16 for loss. Sophomore Ross Harris has a team-high 12 sacks, and Torrance Bacon has four interceptions. Lake Gibson is led by senior quarterback Caleb McFarlane, who has thrown for 1,762 yards and 19 touchdowns with seven interceptions, and senior running back Raymond Diaz, who has rushed for 901 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior receiver Jase Severit, McFarlane’s favorite target, has 41 catches for 885 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Braves posted four shutouts but lost 27-24 in overtime to Bartow.
Class 6A-Region 3No. 7 Newsome (7-3) at No. 2 Alonso (9-1)
Outlook: The Ravens, in the playoffs for the first time since 2010, see a familiar opponent. They routed Newsome 49-14 on Oct. 2, when junior quarterback Michael Pyne completed 13 of 17 passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns. Alonso allowed just 76 points this season. Its only loss was 28-21 to Class 1A St. Petersburg Catholic (6-4) in October. Pyne has thrown for 2,115 yards and 27 touchdowns with just three interceptions. His top target, A.J. Drake, has 47 catches for 1,129 yards and 15 touchdowns. Senior running back Jaikim Haggans has rushed for 950 yards and 13 touchdowns, and Isaiah Robinson has added seven touchdowns. Senior defensive lineman John Carothers leads the team with 48 tackles, 16 for loss, and 13 sacks, and A.J. Pergola has eight sacks. Danilo Faria leads a ball-hawking secondary that has six interceptions, 31 pass breakups and three blocked field goals. Jackson Langston has three of those interceptions. Newsome is led by junior quarterback Lukas Guenther, who has thrown for 1,616 yards and 19 touchdowns, and Max Urbanek, who has a team-high eight touchdown catches.
Florida Invitational Tournament
No. 6 Pensacola Booker T. Washington (6-3) at No. 3 Land O’ Lakes (6-4)
Outlook: Despite a defense that allowed just 149 points and posted three shutouts, the Gators again missed the FHSAA playoffs. They landed instead in the FIT, an invitational for teams on the bubble of the state bracket. This time, at least, they’re home. Last year, Land O’ Lakes made the hourslong trip to Tallahassee Chiles and lost 28-7. Junior running back Eli Melendez leads the offense with 948 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Luke Falco has thrown for 864 yards and nine touchdowns behind an offensive line anchored by Grayson Benoist and Bryce Norrie. Senior Tyrae Jackson is the top receiver, with 371 yards and four touchdowns, and he has added an interception and two fumble recoveries on defense. The Wildcats, who play in Class 4A, one class below Land O’ Lakes, are led by senior quarterback Caden Osborn, who has thrown for 1,120 yards and 12 touchdowns, and receiver Gionni Lewis, who has 685 yards and six touchdowns. Jabari Thompson anchors the defensive line with 12 sacks, and Charles Lyons has three interceptions.