CLEAR WATER, FLORIDA- All roads lead again to Tallahassee, and that's the place the Clearwater Central Catholic Marauders are returning for the second straight season.
The Marauders trailed at halftime however stormed again to defeat the Trinity Christian Academy Conquerors with a 39-32 victory Friday night time at James Brian Thomas Stadium within the Class 1 state semifinals.
CCC will face Chaminade-Madonna, a 47-7 winner over Archbishop Carroll, in a rematch of final yr's 1M state championship recreation. The Marauders will face the Lions subsequent Thursday at 10 a.m. at Bragg Memorial Stadium on the campus of Florida A&M.
It wasn't all CCC all through the sport as issues received off to a little bit of a shaky begin. Trinity Christian's Jayke Jones ignited the Conquerors' sideline as he punted 82 yards to the home for a 7-0 first quarter lead.
The Conquerors seemed to take full management of the sport within the second quarter when LSU commit Colin Hurley (13-of-24, 243 yards) scored on a 34-yard landing run to offer Trinity Christian a 14-0 lead with 5:36 left within the half. In a really acquainted place because the earlier video games, CCC started to work their approach again into the competitors.
Quarterback Jershaun Newton (12 of 16, 147 yards) received into the Marauders' offense, discovering broad receiver Shamar Rigby (4 catches, 61 yards) for a 28-yard landing go to slim the hole to 14-7. . Hurley added one other landing for the Conquerors with 20 seconds left within the half on a 5-yard scamper.
Trailing 20-7 at halftime, CCC knew it needed to reply instantly within the third quarter. The Marauders would lower the lead again to 1 rating at 20-14 on a 1-yard sneak by Newton. Lower than three minutes later, CCC took its first lead of the sport when Newton fired a 21-yard strike to broad receiver Caleb Goodloe (4 catches, 48 yards) to offer the Marauders a 21-20 benefit.
Trinity Christian took its final lead with 11 minutes left within the fourth quarter when operating again/linebacker Cam Anderson (9 carries, 44 yards) hit a two-yard landing run. Now up 26-21, it will be a race to the end that CCC would greater than decide to because the Marauders outscored the Conquerors 18-6 the remainder of the way in which.
CCC's rating and a 29-26 lead was a 34-yard landing run by Justin Stephens, and Chris Harvey's crew by no means seemed again. Now they stay up for a rematch in opposition to a Chaminade-Madonna group that’s thought-about among the finest within the nation.
FHSAA 2023 CHAMPIONSHIP HOLDERS
2023 FHSAA CLASS 4M STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
2023 FHSAA CLASS 4S STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2023 FHSAA CLASS 3M STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
2023 FHSAA CLASS 3S STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2023 FHSAA CLASS 2M STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
2023 FHSAA CLASS 2S STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
2023 FHSAA CLASS 1M STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
2023 FHSAA CLASS 1S STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
2023 FHSAA CLASS 1 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
(Photograph courtesy of Clearwater Marauders Athletics)
— Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl
