Four Orlando area football teams stand at the doorstep of Florida High School Athletic Association state championship games this weekend.
Orange County schools Apopka, Ocoee and Jones, and Kissimmee’s Osceola High play in semifinal contests Friday night.
Improvements made late in the season by each team have enabled impressive runs in the playoffs.
Apopka, a state runner-up in 2019 and 2021, got off to a 2-2 start after rallying late for a 13-12 season-opening win vs. Ocoee. The Blue Darters, who opened with a new offensive coordinator, have since won eight of their past nine games.
Ocoee rebounded from its Week 1 loss to win five straight before closing the regular season with setbacks in three of its final four games. The Knights gutted out an overtime win at rival West Orange two weeks ago and have scored more than 40 points twice in the playoffs.
Those teams travel for separate Class 4M (Metro) state semifinal games vs. South Florida teams.
Apopka (10-3) goes to Wellington to face Palm Beach Central (12-1). Ocoee (9-4) meets Miami Columbus (12-1) at Tropical Park Stadium.
Osceola (10-3) plays at Lakeland (12-0) in a Class 4S (Suburban) semifinal that serves as a rematch from earlier in the year. The Kowboys, who turned the ball over four times and lost 25-22 on Sept. 16, have won eight in a row since opening with a 2-3 record.
Jones (11-2) hosts Homestead (11-2) at 7 p.m. in the only semifinal played locally. The Tigers have won 10 straight after back-to-back losses in September against Duncanville, Texas, and Edgewater.
Jones is averaging 40 points per game in its past five outings since moving senior Chris Tooley from defensive back to quarterback on Oct. 28.
“He’s doing a good job. He’s been learning as we go in every game,” Jones coach Elijah Williams said after a 29-13 quarterfinal win vs. Wekiva.
Tooley, who played quarterback the past two years at Oak Ridge, is 66-of-96 passing for 1,226 yards with 12 touchdowns and 1 interception. He’s also rushed 38 times for 352 yards and 4 TDs.
“I had to take on this role because my team needed me,” Tooley said Saturday afternoon following a 42-13 win at Edgewater. “Coach made the offense simple for me in the beginning. He dumbed it down until I got it.”
State semifinal winners in Class 4M, 4S, 3M, 3S and 2M advance to championship games Dec. 15-17 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. State final games for 2S, 1M, 1S and 1R (Rural) are scheduled for Dec. 8-10 at Gene Cox Stadium in Tallahassee.
Check the Orlando Sentinel Varsity page online or @OSVarsity on Twitter for coverage on Friday’s semifinal games involving area teams. Details on those games are listed below, including FHSAA playoff power rankings and strength-of-schedule ratings as computed by MaxPreps.
Class 4M
No. 3 Apopka (10-3) at No. 2 Wellington Palm Beach Central (12-1), 7
FHSAA Rankings: Palm Beach Central is No. 3 in 4M. Apopka ranks No. 4.
MaxPreps SOS: Apopka 41.8; Palm Beach Central 17.6.
Last week: Apopka won 30-23 vs. Lake Mary (8-4). Palm Beach Central won 14-10 vs. Palm Beach Gardens (9-4).
History: Three-time state champion Blue Darters are in semifinals for fourth consecutive year and 10th time since 2001. Palm Beach Central is making its first appearance.
Buzz: Apopka has rushed for at least 200 yards eight times, including in each of its past three playoff games. The Blue Darters entered last week with 8 interceptions and 6 forced fumbles on defense. Palm Beach Central quarterback Amhad Haston has passed for 2,143 yards and 30 touchdowns.
No. 4 Ocoee (9-4) at No. 1 Miami Columbus (12-1), 7
FHSAA Rankings: Columbus is No. 1 in 4M. Ocoee ranks No. 13.
MaxPreps SOS: Columbus 32.8; Ocoee 32.7.
Last week: Ocoee won 43-19 at Tarpon Springs East Lake (11-2). Columbus won 31-3 vs. Doral Academy (8-5).
History: Columbus, a 2019 state champion, is a semifinalist for the fourth time in five years and eighth time since 2011. Ocoee plays in semifinals for first time.
Buzz: Ocoee is balanced on offense. Keyondray Jones has rushed 234 times for 1,491 yards and 12 touchdowns and Asaad Waseem has 73 receptions for 1,353 yards and 16 scores. Columbus, No. 28 in MaxPreps Xcellent national rankings, has given up just 3 total points and forced 8 turnovers the past four weeks.
Class 4S
No. 4 Osceola (10-3) at No. 1 Lakeland (12-0), 7:30
FHSAA Rankings: Lakeland is No. 2 in 4S. Osceola ranks No. 7.
MaxPreps SOS: Osceola 37.8; Lakeland 27.3.
Last week: Osceola won 31-7 at Vero Beach (11-2). Lakeland won 41-6 vs. Lake Minneola (10-2).
History: Lakeland went 5-3 in playoffs vs. Kowboys from 2002-14. The Dreadnaughts, seven-time state champions, are in state semis for ninth time since 2004. Osceola is making its eighth appearance since winning 1998 state title.
Buzz: Seniors Ja’Keem Jackson and Jayden Bradford each have 5 interceptions for Kowboys. Osceola has forced 14 fumbles. Lakeland, ranked No. 16 nationally by MaxPreps, has scored 504 points and allowed 90 . Winner plays defending large-class state champ Venice (8-3) or Gainesville Buchholz (10-2).
Class 3M
No. 3 Homestead (11-2) at No. 2 Jones (11-2), 7
FHSAA Rankings: Jones is No. 3 in 3M. Homestead ranks No. 8.
MaxPreps SOS: Jones 43.2; Homestead 23.8.
Last Week: Jones won 42-13 at Edgewater (12-1). Homestead won 33-13 vs. Miramar (10-2).
History: Tigers return to state semifinals for third time in four years. Homestead last reached the semifinal round in 1984.
Buzz: Jones senior receivers Derrick Rogers, Jabari Smith and Jaylen Williams have combined for 2,390 yards and 19 touchdowns. Homestead averages 10 points against after winning its region playoff games by a combined 108-25 score. Winner plays Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (12-0) or Tampa Jesuit (9-4), both state title winners in 2021.
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.
