By Rod Gipson
MaxPreps.com
The Tampa Bay area had a rough weekend in the state football playoffs. It started with three squads still vying for championships and ended with all three seeing their dream seasons end.
While unbeatens Seffner Armwood and Largo were playing for a chance to advance to their classification's title games, Tampa Catholic was competing for the Class 2A state championship.
CLASS 5A State Semifinal
Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Largo 13
After a season of rarely being challenged, Largo ran into its toughest opponent yet - powerhouse Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. And after a 13-7 Largo lead at the half, the Raiders showed why they are one of the dominant programs in Florida, outscoring Largo 28-0 in the second half on Largo's home turf to go on to the 35-13 win.
Largo (12-1) was led by running back Brynn Harvey, who ran for 149 yards and two first-half touchdowns in a game where the Packers used those scores to build an early 13-0 lead. The yardage helped Harvey set a new Pinellas County single-season rushing mark with 2,572 yards this year.
CLASS 4A State Semifinal
Miami Booker T. Washington 34, Armwood 14
Talk about sweet revenge. In three of the past five seasons Miami Washington had seen its hopes of a state championship end at the hands of Armwood. In fact, in two of those games, Armwood pulled late game heroics to stun Washington and go on to win its own state titles.
But not this year. Washington erased an early 7-0 Armwood lead to stifle the Hawks throughout the second half en route to a 34-14 win. The Hawks, who had given up only 61 points all season long, watched helplessly as Washington scored 28 unanswered points during a three and a half quarter stretch of the game.
Armwood's season ended at 13-1.
CLASS 2A State Championship Game
Madison County 28, Tampa Catholic 7
Tampa Catholic set a school record with 12 wins this season, had a talented lineup with 15 seniors and was making its third-straight playoff appearance. None of that mattered in the Class 2A final. The Crusaders faced a bigger, stronger and better Madison County squad and it showed in a 28-7 loss.
Tampa Catholic (11-3) played well early on - keeping Madison County scoreless in the first quarter before taking a 7-0 lead briefly in the second quarter. TC's do-it-all sophomore quarterback Christian Green was kept in check throughout the contest, completing 12 of 23 passes for 89 yards and running for just 11 yards on six carries.
MaxPreps.com Final Tampa Bay Area Top 10
- SEFFNER ARMWOOD (13-1) - The area's best team start to finish.
- LARGO (13-1) - Packers enjoyed the best season by a Pinellas County team in 10 years.
- TAMPA PLANT (11-2) - Bookend losses to Armwood derailed bid for repeat state title.
- TAMPA HILLSBOROUGH (9-3) - Three Terrier losses came to Armwood (twice) and Plant.
- TAMPA CHAMBERLAIN (9-4) - Underrated Chiefs just kept playing - and winning - this season.
- TAMPA GAITHER (8-4) - Cowboys rebounded from an 0-2 start to reach playoff semifinals.
- TAMPA CATHOLIC (11-3) - Crusader's program is back - state runners up in Class 2A.
- BRANDON (7-4) - Eagles quietly became a consistent winner this season.
- LAND O'LAKES (9-2) - Pasco County's best couldn't duplicate regular season success in playoffs.
- NEW PORT RICHEY RIDGEWOOD (9-2) - Suffered similar fate as county-rival Land O'Lakes.
Honorable Mention: St. Petersburg Keswick Christian (11-1), Dunedin (7-5), Tampa Middleton (6-4), Clearwater Central Catholic (7-5), Tampa Jefferson (5-7).