The stage is set, and whether it’s home here in south Florida or around the state, local football teams are now down to the state semifinals.

Winners of this round will converge on Pitbull Stadium on the campus of Florida International University (FIU) next week to crown seven state champions.

Yesterday we broke down the 1A-3A teams from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, and today, we will shine the spotlight on defending state champions Plantation American Heritage (4A), six-time defending state champion Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (5A), and first-time state semifinalists West Broward (6A) and Miami Palmetto (7A).

CLASS 4A

STATE SEMIFINAL

No. 3 Plantation American Heritage (7-5) at No. 2 Fort Walton Beach Choctawhatchee (12-1), 7:30 CST. The defending state champions make the longest trip in history for a state semifinal – with several questions that will need to be answered.

Head Coach Mike Smith and his staff have done everything possible to keep this team together this season, playing easily the most challenging schedule in the state with numerous injuries along the way. It will certainly be a lot to ask for them to bring home a win.

The Indians are perhaps the most like a south Florida team the Panhandle has with plenty of size, speed and superior coaching.

AMERICAN HERITAGE PATRIOTS, W 31-28

Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, L 28-24

New Orleans Edna Karr, Louisiana, L 24-17 (OT)

Miami Central, L 31-21

Plantation, W 28-13

Pembroke Pines Flanagan, W 31-0

Miami Norland, W 41-21

Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy, L 13-10

Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, L 19-12

Fort Pierce John Carroll, W 50-20

Plantation, W 48-7

Archbishop McCarthy, W 25-20

12/5 - @Fort Walton Beach Choctawhatchee

CHOCTAWHATCHEE INDIANS

Gulf Shores, Alabama, W 21-14

Navarre, W 42-0

Crestview, W 28-0

Pensacola Pine Forest, W 28-0

Niceville, W 42-7

Panama City Beach Arnold, W 40-7

Santa Rosa Beach South Walton, W 38-6

Tallahassee Rickards, W 31-0

Fort Walton Beach, W 42-3

Enterprise, Alabama, L 20-16

Pensacola Booker T. Washington, W 49-6

Lake City Columbia, W 27-20

St. Augustine, W 31-28

12/5 – Plantation American Heritage

CLASS 5A

STATE SEMIFINAL

No. 4 Fort Myers Riverdale (12-1) at No. 1 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (12-1), 7. It’s the same old story every year for the Raiders of St. Thomas Aquanis. It’s just another game on the way to state for head coach Roger Harriott and his football program – while the Raiders of Riverdale will be playing the biggest game in school history.

St. Thomas Aquinas is loaded in every phase of the game and has played an elite schedule once again this season – while Riverdale’s path has not been as tough.

You have to be truthful about this contest. St. Thomas Aquinas can name their own score – anything else would be a major upset!

RIVERDALE RAIDERS

Estero, W 21-16

South Fort Myers, W 43-18

Fort Myers Gateway, W 55-0

Cape Coral Mariner, W 42-3

Fort Myers Cypress Lake, L 14-8

Lehigh Acres East Lee, W 62-6

Fort Myers, 44-21

Cape Coral, W 25-15

North Fort Myers, W 28-7

Lehigh, W 9-6

North Fort Myers, W 47-22

Immokalee, W 21-14

Bradenton Manatee, W 28-26

12/5 - @Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS RAIDERS

Santa Ana Mater Dei, California, L 26-23

Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Andeson, W 72-6

Miami Christopher Columbus, W 42-7

Davie Western, W 45-6

Hollywood McArthur, W 31-7

Hollywood Hills, W 63-0

NFL Academy London, W 41-38

Coconut Creek Monarch, W 31-20

Plantation American Heritage, W 19-12

Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, W 27-21

Palm Bay Heritage, W 58-7

Coconut Creek, W 45-13

Hollywood McArthur, W 34-7

12/5 – Fort Myers Riverdale

CLASS 6A

STATE SEMIFINAL

No. 4 Pembroke Pines West Broward (11-2) at No. 1 Gainesville Buchholz (12-1), 7:30. This is really a tough game to gauge. We know that Buchholz is tested and very talented with tremendous coaching and has played an amazing schedule, but West Broward has shown over and again that when they don’t self-destruct, they can be a major obstacle.

What head coach Brian McCartney and this team have accomplished this year is truly impressive, but this may be the toughest game they have played since the opener against Corner Canyon, Utah.

WEST BROWARD BOBCATS

Corner Canyon, Utah, L 38-13

Camden County, Georgia, L 32-13

Plantation, W 31-6

Pembroke Pines Flanagan, W 20-8

Miramar Everglades, W 55-0

Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons, W 49-38

Miami Beach, W 54-0

Miramar, W 52-8

Miami Dr. Krop, W 49-0

Davie Western, W 35-7

South Plantation, W 56-13

Coconut Creek Monarch, W 38-12

Miami Southridge, W 30-27

12/5 - @Gainesville Buchholz

BUCHHOLZ BOBCATS

Ocala Vanguard, W 15-13

Vero Beach, L 28-24

Gainesville Eastside, W 29-19

Bradenton Manatee, W 30-13

Richmond Hill, Georgia, W 21-0

Ponte Vedra Nease, W 27-7

Gainesville, W 44-0

St. Augustine Tocoi Creek, W 42-7

St. Johns Bartram Trail, W 50-16

West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman, W 34-30

Oviedo, W 49-41

Ponte Vedra Nease, W 29-17

Jacksonville Mandarin, W 27-20

12/5 – West Broward

CLASS 7A

STATE SEMIFINAL

No. 4 Miami Palmetto (11-2) at No. 1 Vero Beach (13-0), 7. This will be the Panthers first ever opportunity to reach the state finals, and they are indeed proving plenty of people wrong all season. They have talent and great coaching that has kept them in every game this season.

They have proven that the defense can be an asset, and at times, the offense has been really impressive under head coach Mike Manasco and his staff.

Let us once again not hide anything – and while this is the furthest that the Indian have gone since 1981 – they are loaded with talent and by far the toughest team that the Panthers will play this season. The schedule that they played – especially the first three games – matches anyone in the state series this year.

For Palmetto to come back with a win, they will have to play their best game of the season – on both sides of the ball!

PALMETTO PANTHERS

Miami Booker T. Washington, W 35-0

Miami Southridge, L 34-34

Miami Christopher Columbus, W 24-21

Miami Killian, W 42-21

Coral Gables, W 43-0

Homestead South Dade, W 45-7

Miami Northwestern, L 28-0

Miami High, W 43-7

Fort Myers Bishop Verot, W 20-10

Coral Springs Coral Glades, W 42-0

Miami Christopher Columbus, W 27-10

Miami Lakes Barbara Goleman, W 65-41

12/5 - @Vero Beach

VERO BEACH INDIANS

Melbourne Eau Gallie, W 41-31

Gainesville Buchholz, W 28-24

Cocoa, W 38-3

Port St. Lucie West Centennial, W 37-0

Fort Pierce Central, W 21-13

Miami Booker T. Washington, W 42-13

Rockledge, W 42-7

Pahokee, W 53-14

Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast, W 49-0

Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy, W 43-0

Clermont East Ridge, W 57-10

Orlando Lake Nona, W 56-14

Orlando Dr. Phillips, W 49-23

12/5 – Miami Palmetto

FIT 1A-3A

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Dunnellon 13, North Miami Beach 7

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