Florida football finals offer plenty of entertainment value

Football fans attending this weekend's state championship games at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando can expect to receive their money's worth for the price of admission, based on what the four title games have to offer.

MaxPreps' Florida football playoff brackets

The two-day event, which includes the championship games for the state's four largest classifications, will feature three teams ranked among the top 15 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25. The Citrus Bowl stage also will be crammed with star-studded players, including Plant (Tampa) running back/linebacker James Wilder, the No. 1-rated MaxPreps prospect in the nation who has made a verbal commitment to Florida State.

The Class 6A matchup between Miami Central and Dr. Phillips (Orlando) on Saturday night promises to be a high-scoring affair. Dr. Phillips, ranked No. 15 in the nation and arguably the best Orlando-area team in several years, is averaging 43 points a game, while Miami Central is averaging 41.2. The two teams have combined to score a whopping 337 points in four playoff games, and if that trend continues Saturday night, it will be like watching a tennis match as they march up and down the field.

The eight-team showcase also includes nationally No. 4-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale), which has outscored its opponents this season by a margin of 635-90 and is coached by the legendary George Smith, who has a career record of 360-66. The Class 4A game will include nationally No. 6-ranked Armwood (Seffner), which has trounced its opponents 549-95 this season. The highest-scoring team, however, is Jefferson (Tampa), which has registered 702 points in 14 games, an average of 50.1 points a game. Jefferson will face Norland (Miami), the Cinderella team as the only district runner-up among the eight finalists.

An unusually early cold snap engulfed the entire state early this week and sent temperatures plunging into the 20s and 30s, but things should heat up this weekend at the Citrus Bowl. The show starts at 1 p.m. Friday with the Class 3A final between Jefferson and Norland.

Here's a breakdown of all four championship matchups:

CLASS 6A
Dr. Phillips (Orlando),14-0, vs. Central (Miami), 13-1
Saturday, 7 p.m.

This much-anticipated showdown of big-school offensive juggernauts, both of which are making their first appearance in the state finals, will feature two record-setting players in Dr. Phillips senior running back Demetrius Hart and Miami Central senior quarterback Rakeem Cato.

Hart scored two touchdowns in Dr. Phillips' 37-13 win against Seminole (Sanford) last week in the state semifinals, giving him a state-record 50 touchdowns this season, eclipsing the 49 that current sophomore sensation Kelvin Taylor of Glades Day (Belle Glade) set last year. Hart, who has made a verbal commitment to Michigan, has rushed for 2,185 yards this season and has chalked up more than 7,000 all-purpose career yards. "Mr. Hart is a remarkable athlete. He does it all for them," Central coach Telly Lockette said of Hart, adding that "it's no secret" that containing Hart will be paramount for his team and the Rockets' game plan.

Cato has rewritten the Miami-Dade County career passing record book and this season has passed for 2,792 yards and 28 touchdowns, giving him 101 career touchdown passes.

Dr. Phillips also has a record-setting kicker in senior Shawn Moffitt, who booted a state-record 130 consecutive PAT kicks, only four shy of the national record, before missing a 33-yard attempt following two post-touchdown penalties last week. Cato will face a talented Dr. Phillips secondary that includes Ha'Sean Clinton-dix, an Alabama commit and one of the state's top-rated prospects, and Arkansas commit Roderick Ryles.

If Miami Central's defense concentrates too much on stopping Hart, Dr. Phillips could exploit the Rockets with a solid passing game led by junior quarterback Nick Patti and highly touted 6-foot-5, 205-pound wide receiver Chris Gallon. Over the past decade, Central has been one of the winningest programs in talent-rich Miami-Dade County, but the Rockets still are chasing that elusive state title. If they beat Dr. Phillips in the Panthers' own backyard, the Rockets certainly will have earned it.

Video of Demetrius Hart
Video of Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix

CLASS 5A
Plant (Tampa), 12-2, vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale), 14-0
Friday, 7 p.m.

Coach George Smith has constructed a national powerhouse program at St. Thomas Aquinas during his 35-year career and the Raiders will be gunning for their sixth state title. His counterpart on the other sideline Friday night, Robert Weiner, has notched three state titles in his first six seasons as head coach at Plant, including the last two years.

Both teams won their semifinal games last week by lopsided scores against previously unbeaten teams — Aquinas 31-7 over Manatee (Bradenton) and Plant over state power Lakeland 48-6. Amazingly, Plant did it without starting quarterback Phillip Ely, who was sidelined with back spasms. James Wilder picked up the slack, however, by rushing for 216 yards and scoring five touchdowns, further solidfying his status as one of the nation's most talented players.

Aquinas, led by talented quarterback Jacob Rudock, has won all 14 of its games by double-digit margins, including wins against 2009 Class 6A state champion Miramar and two-time Georgia state champion Camden County that was witnessed on national television. Smith knows, however, that his team will have its hands full with Wilder, the son of former NFL running back James Wilder, on both sides of the ball. The younger Wilder has rushed for 1,525 yards and 21 touchdowns and registered 72 tackles and eight sacks from his linebacker/defensive end position on defense.

"This guy, to me, is the best player we've ever played against," Smith told the Miami Herald.

Weiner knows firsthand how dominating Wilder can be in a game. "He's absolutely the most destructive force I've ever witnessed on defense," Weiner said of his star. "And now, he's become a guy on offense who can carry his team and the opposing team on his back. I mean that literally."

This game certainly has all the makeup of an attractive matchup, and it just might be the best showdown of the weekend.

Video of James Wilder
Video of Jacob Rudock

CLASS 4A
Lincoln (Tallahassee), 10-4, vs. Armwood (Seffner), 14-0
Saturday, 1 p.m.

Many observers believe that Armwood basically won the state title last Friday night when the Hawks defeated then-nationally ranked and defending state champion Dwyer, 22-20, on a 44-yard field goal by Darrell Dudney as time expired after Dwyer had scored a go-ahead touchdown with 19 seconds remaining in the semifinal game. The Tampa Tribune reported that Dudney received a standing ovation from students gathered in the school cafeteria when he arrived at school Monday.

Should Armwood win the state title, Dudney's pressure-packed, game-winning kick against a talent-loaded Dwyer team no doubt will go down in Armwood football lore. Don't count out Lincoln pulling off an upset, however. The Trojans needed three overtimes to win their regional final, but the program has a 36-14 record in the playoffs, and there's the very real possibility that Armwood players could be overconfident and take Lincoln too lightly having come off such a huge victory last week.

Lincoln has won two titles in three trips to the state finals, the only loss coming two years ago. The Trojans have a balanced offensive attack led by quarterback Ronald Butler, who has completed 133 of 244 passes for 1,890 yards and 22 touchdowns. Butler has two capable wide receivers in Raphael Andrades (39-679-11) and Keondrick Daniels (38-518-6) and a solid running back in Javoris Allen (1,112 yards, 12 touchdowns) who also can catch the ball coming out of the backfield. Sophomore Reggie Davis has returned three kickoffs for scores.

Armwood's resume also includes two state titles in three championship game appearances. Lincoln's defense will have its work cut out against an Armwood offense that has a massive offensive line and a dual-threat quarterback in senior Josh Grady, a Division I recruit who has passed for 2,168 yards and 24 touchdowns and averaged 8.3 yards a carry and scored 14 rushing touchdowns. The Hawks also have a very productive running back in Matt Jones, who has rushed for 1,300 yards and 24 touchdowns and caught three touchdown passes.

Lincoln has outscored its opponents 77-9 in the first quarter this season, so if Armwood comes out a little flat after last Friday's emotional thriller, Lincoln could deliver an early wake up call and steal the title from the Hawks.

Video of Raphael Andrades
Video of Josh Grady

CLASS 3A
Jefferson (Tampa) 14-0 vs. Norland (Miami) 13-1
Friday, 1 p.m.

Jefferson, which last made it this far six years ago, gives Hillsborough County three teams in the state finals, but the county never before has produced three state football champions in the same season. Norland won the state title eight years ago when the Vikings' roster included future NFL players Antwan Barnes and Dwayne Bowe.

Norland put 44 points on the scoreboard in its semifinal victory against a talent-laden South Fort Myers team last week as running back Duke Johnson, a Miami Hurricanes commit, rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns and threw an option pass for a touchdown.

Norland might need a similar performance from Johnson and its offense to keep pace with Jefferson's prolific passing attack, led by quarterback Quentin Williams, who has passed for 4,300 yards and 53 touchdowns this season. Williams, who has committed to Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, is the state's all-time career leader in passing yards (10,233) and touchdowns (106).

As Williams goes, so goes Jefferson. And so far, no opponent has been able to stop the state's highest-scoring team.

Steve Dorsey, who covers the South Florida region for MaxPreps.com, is a freelance writer based in West Palm Beach. He has covered the South Florida high school sports scene for the past 29 years. He also is a contributing writer for American Football Monthly and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He will be covering the state football finals for MaxPreps.com this weekend in Orlando.