The Prep Zone

This week on ThePrepZone.com (Nov. 27 – Dec. 1)

Mike Ridaught

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November 27, 2017

live broadcast Hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday weekend!

We have LOTS of hoops coverage coming up before we close out 2017. We begin with Gainesville High’s boys’ basketball season opener on Tuesday night at P.K. Yonge on local radio. In fact, it’s a full week of coverage with five (5) ‘live’ broadcasts on radio or video.

Here is what is coming up this week as part of our broadcast schedule on ThePrepZone.com and local radio:

Monday, 7-8 p.m. – “The Prep Zone”
High school show broadcast ‘live’ from Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville
‘Live’ and ‘archived’ audio available online at www.ThePrepZone.com & www.Floridacast.com
RADIO: 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville and 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala
Join Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville. Guests for this episode include Larry Savage, the prep editor of the Gainesville Sun, and Joshua Wilson of FloridaHSFootball.com. Topics include the high school football state championships (1A-4A), this week’s state semifinals (5A-8A), and a hoops preview for the Gainesville & Ocala area.

Tuesday, 7 p.m. – Boys’ High School Basketball
Gainesville at P.K. Yonge (Gainesville)
‘Live’ and ‘archived’ audio available online at ThePrepZone.com & Floridacast.com
RADIO: 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville; 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala
Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) and Marco Martinez (Color) for this early season city showdown. goat-drawing.cdr

Wednesday, 7-8 p.m. – “The Prep Zone”
High school show broadcast ‘live’ from Sonic Drive-In of Ocala (location TBA)
‘Live’ and ‘archived’ audio available online at ThePrepZone.com & Floridacast.com
RADIO: 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville and 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala
Join Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from Sonic Drive-In of Ocala. Guests for this episode are TBA.

Thursday, 7:20 p.m. – Boys’ High School Basketball
Buchholz (Gainesville) at Eastside (Gainesville)
‘Live’ and ‘archived’ VIDEO available online at ThePrepZone.com (via the NFHS Network)
Join Michael Phillips (Play-by-play) and Marco Martinez (Color) for this early season city showdown.

Friday, 6:45 p.m. – Girls’ High School Basketball
Gainesville at The Rock (Gainesville)
‘Live’ and ‘archived’ VIDEO available online at ThePrepZone.com
Join Anthony Crum (Play-by-play) and TBA (George Koziara) for this city showdown.

**For our Gainesville audience, tune in to ThePrepZone.com Sports Report presented by SunState Federal Credit Union every weekday morning around 7:50 a.m. on 106.9 FM in Gainesville. Those reports are archived here if you miss a report**

**For those in the Tri-County area, tune in to ThePrepZone.com Nature Coast Sports Report presented by SunState Federal Credit Union every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:28 a.m. and repeating at 5:28 p.m. on 93.3 FM & 940 AM in Chiefland/Trenton & 1240 AM in Cross City**

**Tune in to our weekly radio interviews talking high school sports on ThePrepZone.com Sports Report presented by SunState Federal Credit Union on WRUF-98.1 FM & 850 AM in Gainesville every Wednesday at 4 p.m. on “The Tailgate” with Jeff Cardozo, Pat Dooley & Zach Abolverdi, and every Friday at 11:15 a.m. on Ackerman & Matthews with hosts Brady Ackerman & Shane Matthews.

The Prep Zone Show – Football Playoffs

"The Prep Zone" Sports Show Presented by Sonic Drive-In

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November 27, 2017

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Date: Mon 11/27/2017, 7-8 p.m.
Title: “The Prep Zone”

Event Details: Join Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville. Guests for this episode include Larry Savage, the prep editor of the Gainesville Sun, and Joshua Wilson of FloridaHSFootball.com.

Topics include the high school football state championships (1A-4A), this week’s state semifinals (5A-8A), and a hoops preview for the Gainesville & Ocala area. The show will also air on 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville, as well as 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala.

Click Here to Listen:

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FHSAA Football state playoffs – Friday, Nov. 24

Mike Ridaught

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November 25, 2017

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FHSAA Football Championships_2017 Area teams in bold

Class 5A-8A Regional Finals – Friday, November 24

Class 8A
Wekiva 33, Winter Park 6
Dr. Phillips (Orlando) 28, Riverview (Sarasota) 19
Atlantic (Delray Beach) 35, Western (Davie) 22
Miami High 28, Columbus (Miami) 22

Class 8A State Semifinals – Friday, December 1
Dr. Phillips (Orlando) at Wekiva
Miami High at Atlantic (Delray Beach)

Class 7A
Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 38, Fleming Island (Orange Park) 13
Plant (Tampa) 13, Lakeland 10
Venice 48, Tampa Bay Tech 17
St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale) 48, Doral Academy 6

Class 7A State Semifinals – Friday, December 1
Plant (Tampa) at Bartram Trail (St. Johns)
St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale) at Venice

Class 6A
St. Augustine 49, Crestview 28
Armwood (Seffner) 31, Vanguard (Ocala) 17
Naples 36, Fort Myers 9
Miami Northwestern 23, Miami Carol City 15

Class 6A State Semifinals – Friday, December 1
St. Augustine at Armwood (Seffner)
Naples at Miami Northwestern

Class 5A
West Florida (Pensacola) 24, Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) 14
Baker County (Glen St. Mary) 29, Clay (Green Cove Springs) 14
Immokalee 42, Lakewood (St. Pete) 14
American Heritage (Plantation) 58, Cardinal Gibbons (Ft. Lauderdale) 57

Class 5A State Semifinals – Friday, December 1
Baker County (Glen St. Mary) at West Florida (Pensacola)
Immokalee at American Heritage (Plantation)

Class 1A-4A State Semifinals – Friday, November 24
(State Finals at Camping World Stadium in Orlando)

Class 4A
Raines (Jacksonville) 53, Bradford (Starke) 13
Cocoa 49, University (Ft. Lauderdale) 14

Class 4A Final – Thursday, December 7
Raines (Jacksonville) vs. Cocoa, 7 p.m.

Class 3A
Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach) 41, Florida State University (Tallahassee) 0
Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) 49, Clearwater Central Catholic 3

Class 3A Final – Saturday, December 9
Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach) vs. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood), 10 a.m.

Class 2A
University Christian (Jacksonville) 28, Victory Christian Academy (Lakeland) 7
Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah) 38, Cambridge Christian (Tampa) 0

Class 2A Final – Friday, December 8
University Christian (Jacksonville) vs. Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah), 10 a.m.

Class 1A
Madison County 28, Pahokee 10
Blountstown 41, Baker 21

Class 1A Final – Thursday, December 7
Madison County vs. Blountstown, 1 p.m.

Cowboys Game Day…Revenge

Mike Ridaught

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November 24, 2017

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By Rick Patrick
Greene Publishing, Inc.

Madison County Carrier

When asked about his thoughts on playing the Blue Devils of Pahokee High School in the Class 1A State semi-ﬁnal game, Madison County High School (MCHS) running back Derrick Staten responded quietly with just one word, “revenge.”

A year ago, the Cowboys were riding high with an undefeated season. Only one thing was standing in the way between them and another trip to the state championship game.

That one thing was Pahokee High School. That game, on Friday, Nov. 25, 2016, ended in a 21-19 defeat for the Cowboys.

The Blue Devils went on to win the Class 1A State Championship, only to have the title stripped from them for having an ineligible player on their roster. Pahokee was forced to forfeit all their games from the 2016 season; so, in the record books, MCHS still had an undefeated season in 2016. That was little consolation for the Cowboys.

That was a year ago, but the sting of that loss still haunts the Cowboy players, especially those in this year’s senior class. A rematch with Pahokee on Boot Hill is one thing many of the Cowboy players have been wanting for nearly a year.

When asked about the prospect, senior offensive lineman Ahmod Powell broke into a big smile.

“We would love that, to get them on Boot Hill, that would be great,” he said.

Without a doubt, emotions will be high when the Cowboys once again face the Blue Devils, this time on Boot Hill. MCHS Head Coach Mike Coe knows that emotion can only go so far in playing a football game.

“It will be emotional to begin with, but – like all football games – it comes down to executing at a high level on both sides,” he said. “Emotion does not make plays; alignment, technique, and maniacal effort do.”

That precise execution will be crucial if the Cowboys are to make it across this hurdle and play for the state championship in Orlando in December.

Pahokee is coming to Boot Hill Stadium with a 9-2 overall record. The Blue Devils, ranked fourth in the final AP Class 1A state football rankings, are a very good football team.

“Pahokee is as advertised: big, strong, and fast,” said Coe. “They line up and play really good football and have played a schedule similar to ours. It will take our very best effort to pull this off.”

The players seem to understand the task ahead.

“Monday, we had the best practice we have had all year long, so the kids are excited and locked in,” said Coe.

The MCHS Cowboys will face the Blue Devils of Pahokee High School in the Class 1A State semi-ﬁnal game at Boot Hill Stadium, on the MCHS campus tonight, Nov. 24. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Admission is $9 per person.

“I sure hope Madison County comes out to Boot Hill and packs it out. Our young people deserve it,” said Coe.

Dang near perfect…Domination

Mike Ridaught

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November 21, 2017

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By Rick Patrick
Greene Publishing, Inc.

Madison County Carrier

Leading up to the contest between the Cowboys of Madison County High School (MCHS) and the Bears of Dixie County High School, Cowboys Head Coach Mike Coe said the Cowboys would need to play “dang near perfect” if they were going to have a chance.

“Dang near perfect” is exactly what the Cowboys played as they completely dominated the previously undefeated Bears with a resounding 62-7 victory on Friday, Nov. 17, at Boot Hill Stadium.

The Cowboys were dominant in every phase of the game – offense, defense and special teams.

The game began with the Bears on offense. After a three-and-out, the Bears punted. Rather than punt the ball to Derrick Staten, the Cowboys’ dangerous return man, the Bears punted the ball away from Staten, resulting in the Cowboys receiving the ball on the Bears’ 35-yard line.

On a fourth-and-two play, Cowboy quarterback Tre Adams found a running lane, and sprinted into the end-zone for the ﬁrst Cowboy touchdown of the evening. After a successful PAT, the score was 7-0 with 7:40 remaining in the opening period.

After another Bears three-and-out, the Cowboys had the ball on their own 30-yard line. Then the 3-11 shift went to work for the Cowboys as Adams connected with Ken Hawkins on a deep 57-yard touchdown pass. The score was 14-0 with 4:15 left in the ﬁrst quarter.

Dixie County responded with a touchdown drive that began at mid-ﬁeld and cumulated with a touchdown pass. With 46 tics of the clock left in the ﬁrst quarter, the score was 14-7.

The next Cowboy drive started at mid-ﬁeld and was capped off with a six-yard touchdown run by Staten. Drew Herring’s PAT was good, and the score was 21-7 with 11:07 remaining in the second quarter.

The next few moments brought a Cowboy scoring ﬂurry that will likely be the source of conversation for years to come.

The Bears were held to a three-and-out when they attempted a fake on the punting play. The pass was intercepted by Travis Fead, Jr., earning him the ﬁrst “Turn-over Chain” of the evening. Fead returned the ball inside the Bears’ 10-yard line setting up a touchdown run by Teryon Henderson. The score was 28-7 with 9:18 to go before intermission.

On the ensuing kick-off the Cowboys tackled the Bears’ return man at the Bears’ one yard line. That’s when defensive lineman Terray Jones recovered a fumble, and earned his right to wear the “Turn-over Chain.” Adams punched the ball over the goal line, and the score was 35-7 with 8:55 left until halftime.

On the next kick-off, kicker Herring recovered a fumble, setting up the Cowboys at the Bears’ 18-yard line. The Cowboys quickly scored on a touchdown pass from Adams to Henderson, and the score was now 42-7 with 8:36 left in the ﬁrst half.

The next Dixie County drive stalled at their own 17-yard line. Then the Bears discovered why it is so dangerous to punt the ball to Staten when Staten returned the punt 40 yards to pay-dirt. The score was 49-7 with 6:46 remaining until half-time.

The stingy Cowboy defense held the Bears to another three-and-out, and the Cowboys had the ball again near mid-ﬁeld. Staten took a direct snap and sprinted 45 yards for another Cowboy touchdown. The PAT brought the score to 56-7 with 4:42 left until intermission.

The score at halftime was 56-7, just four points short of a Florida record for points scored in a half.

The second half opened with the Bears trying an unsuccessful onside kick, setting the Cowboys up at mid-ﬁeld. The Cowboys moved the ball deep into Bears’ territory with Travis Jay playing quarterback. Jay capped off the drive with a three-yard touchdown run. The PAT drifted off to the side and the score was 62-7.

The only time the Bears sustained another drive, Issac Redding recovered a Bear fumble at the Cowboy 19-yard line, late in the fourth quarter.

Staten led the Cowboys in rushing with 105 yards on eight carries and two touchdowns. Henderson had 46 yards rushing on eight carries and one touchdown. Jay had one rushing touchdown.

Adams went two-for-three passing for 76 yards and two touchdown passes. Adams also had 30 yards on the ground with two touchdown runs.

Hawkins caught one touchdown pass for 57 yards. Henderson caught the other touchdown pass from 19 yards out.

The Cowboys will now face the Blue Devils of Pahokee High School in the State semi-ﬁnal game. The winner of that game will face the winner of the Blountstown vs. Baker game in the State Championship game, in Orlando.

Pahokee defeated Frostproof in the Region Four ﬁnal with a 42-28 score.

The State semi-ﬁnal game between MCHS and Pahokee will take place at Boot Hill Stadium on Friday, Nov. 24, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $9 per person.

Madison County vs Pahokee
This is a game that the Cowboys have been hoping for all year long. Since last season when the Blue Devils ended the Cowboys’ playoff hopes, they have been looking for revenge. The Cowboys certainly have the talent to win the game, and I think Coach Coe will be able to have his players playing with the discipline needed to win. I think these Cowboys are a team of destiny with that certain “it” factor. Add to that the feelings from the end of last season, I would not want to be in the Blue Devils’ shoes.

Rick’s Pick: Madison County

Joe Pinkos’ 2017 Weekly Game Forecast: Playoffs – Third Round

Mike Ridaught

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November 20, 2017

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joepinkosgameforecast Joe Pinkos’ Power Ratings are calculated by a formula based on strength of opposition and margin of victory with greater weight given to recent games. The forecasted margin of victory for each game is determined by subtracting the power rating of the lower-rated team from the power rating of its higher-rated opponent.

Game forecasts are sorted by classification of favorite and listed alphabetically. The underdog’s classification is noted for inter-classification games. Teams in The Prep Zone’s coverage area are in bold.

The following match-ups and results are forecast for the 2017 Florida Football Finals:

Class 1A – Madison County over Baker
Class 2A – Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah) over University Christian (Jacksonville)
Class 3A – Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) over Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach)
Class 4A – Cocoa over Raines (Jacksonville)
Class 5A – American Heritage (Plantation) over West Florida Tech (Pensacola)
Class 6A – Northwestern (Miami) over Armwood (Seffner)
Class 7A – Venice over Viera
Class 8A – Vero Beach over Deerfield Beach

2017 PLAYOFF FORECAST-Week 3

CLASS 8A (Regional Finals)

Region 1
Winter Park 1 over Wekiva

Region 2
Riverview (Sarasota) 7 over Dr. Phillips

Region 3
Western 8 over Atlantic (Delray Beach)

Region 4
Columbus 7 over Miami High

CLASS 7A (Regional Finals)

Region 1
Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 17 over Fleming Island (Orange Park)

Region 2
Plant 4 over Lakeland

Region 3
Venice 4 over Tampa Bay Tech

Region 4
St. Thomas Aquinas 27 over Doral Academy

CLASS 6A (Regional Finals)

Region 1
St. Augustine 7 over Crestview

Region 2
Armwood (Seffner) 10 over Vanguard (Ocala)

Region 3
Fort Myers 7 over Naples

Region 4
Northwestern 6 over Carol City

CLASS 5A (Regional Finals)

Region 1
West Florida Tech (Pensacola) 1 over Trinity Christian (Jacksonville)

Region 2
Baker County (Glen St. Mary) 7 over Clay (Green Cove Springs)

Region 3
Immokalee 13 over Lakewood

Region 4
American Heritage (Plantation) 6 over Cardinal Gibbons

CLASS 4A (State Semifinals)

North
Raines (Jacksonville) 27 over Bradford (Starke)

South
Cocoa 20 over University School

CLASS 3A (State Semifinals)

North
Oxbridge Academy 24 over Florida High

South
Chaminade-Madonna 13 over Clearwater Central Catholic

CLASS 2A (State Semifinals)

North
University Christian (Jacksonville) 1 over Victory Christian (Lakeland)

South
Champagnat Catholic 19 over Cambridge Christian

CLASS 1A (State Semifinals)

North
Baker 1 over Blountstown

South
Madison County 20 over Pahokee

FHSAA Playoffs Forecast Record
122-22, 84.7%

FHSAA Football state playoffs – Friday, Nov. 24

Mike Ridaught

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November 20, 2017

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Teams in bold are in ThePrepZone’s coverage area which includes 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties).

Regional Finals – Friday, November 24

Class 7A
Fleming Island (Orange Park) at Bartram Trail (St. Johns)

Class 6A
Crestview at St. Augustine
Vanguard (Ocala) at Armwood (Seffner)

Class 5A
Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) at West Florida (Pensacola)
Clay (Green Cove Springs) at Baker County (Glen St. Mary)

State Semifinals – Friday, November 24

Class 4A
Raines (Jacksonville) at Bradford (Starke)

Class 2A
University Christian (Jacksonville) at Victory Christian Academy (Lakeland) (at Southeastern University)

Class 1A
Pahokee at Madison County

1st round playoff scores (Nov. 10)
2nd round playoff scores (Nov. 17)

First defending football state champion falls

Mike Ridaught

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November 18, 2017

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FHSAA Football Championships_2017 By Mike Ridaught
@ridaught

Heading into the second round of the FHSAA Football playoffs, all eight defending state champions were still alive.

That came to an end on Friday night as defending 8A state champion Miami Southridge fell at home to Miami High, 27-21. The loss ended any hopes the Spartans had of winning back-to-back state titles for the first time in school history.

Last year, Southridge posted seven straight shutouts before surrendering just 27 points in their final three playoff games, including a 14-10 win against Dr. Phillips (Orlando) in the Class 8A state championship game, en route to its first state football title since 1993.

At least one more defending state champion will go down before the 2017 season comes to an end.

American Heritage (Plantation) is the defending 5A state champion, but defending 3A state champion Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) moved up in classification to 5A, assuring one of the two won’t repeat. That also means there will be a new champion in Class 3A.

The Patriots’ 35-33 win against Ponte Vedra in last year’s 5A title game was its third in the last four years, while the Conquerors won their fourth state title with a 24-13 win against Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood).

American Heritage, the top-ranked team in 5A, defeated Bishop Moore (Orlando), 56-27, to advance, and fifth-ranked Trinity Christian moved on with a 33-21 win at Godby (Tallahassee).

The two are on a collision course for the Class 5A state championship game at Camping World Stadium on Friday, December 8.

Here are the defending state champions who are still alive, along with this past Friday’s result, this week’s match-up (Nov. 24), & head-to-head results in 2016:

7A – St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale) – d. West Broward, 38-7; NEXT: Regional Final vs. Doral Academy
6A – Miami Carol City – d. Mainland (Daytona Beach), 17-10; NEXT: Regional Final at Miami Northwestern; MCC defeated NW, 34-27, in last year’s Regional Semifinals
5A – American Heritage (Plantation) – d. Bishop Moore (Orlando), 56-27; NEXT: Regional Final vs. Cardinal Gibbons (Ft. Lauderdale); American Heritage defeated Cardinal Gibbons, 10-7, in last year’s Regional Semifinals
4A – Cocoa – d. Avon Park, 63-7; NEXT: State Semifinals vs. University (Ft. Lauderdale)
3A – Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) – now in Class 5A; won at Godby (Tallahassee), 33-21; NEXT: at West Florida (5A Regional Finals)
2A – University Christian (Jacksonville) – d. North Florida Christian (Tallahassee), 26-13; NEXT: State Semifinals at Victory Christian (Lakeland); U.C.S. won at Victory Christian, 43-13, in last year’s State Semifinals
1A – Pahokee – Blue Devils won their first state title since 2008 but were stripped of the title – d. Frostproof, 42-28; NEXT: State Semifinals at Madison County; Pahokee d. Madison County, 21-19, in last year’s State Semifinals

Area FHSAA Football playoff scores for Nov. 17

Bradford (Starke) advances to first football state semifinal in 13 years

Mike Ridaught

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November 18, 2017

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Bradford_Tornadoes STARKE – With the season on the line, it was a senior who made some of the biggest plays in Bradford’s 24-14 win against visiting Dunnellon in the Class 4A-Region 2 Final.

Quarterback Zion Barber scored the first touchdown of the game on a one-yard run around right end on 4th-and-goal on the Tornadoes’ first offensive possession of the game to give Bradford (10-1) an early 7-0 lead.

Barber, who ran for 112 yards on 18 carries, added a 20-yard field goal for a 10-8 lead with 4:56 to play in the first half.

But it was his 14-yard scoring toss to sophomore Nedro Davis with 27 seconds to play in the opening half that proved to be the difference in the game. That gave the Tornadoes a 17-8 lead in a game they never trailed again.

Barber and Davis hooked up again on a 35-yard scoring pass with 8:24 to play in third quarter for a double-digit lead.

“(Barber) knew what we needed to get to this point, and he executed,” first-year head coach Brian Tomlinson told the Gainesville Sun. “He’s a tremendous leader who takes responsibility upon himself. I love him and all of these guys.”

Bradford, winners of 10 in a row, advances to its first state semifinal since 2004.

They will host Raines (Jacksonville) in the Class 4A state semifinals on Friday, November 24. The Vikings (11-1) defeated West Nassau (Callahan), 57-15, behind running back Brandon Marshall’s 201 yards.

Cowboys Game Day vs. Dixie County…“Dang near perfect”

Mike Ridaught

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November 17, 2017

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By Rick Patrick
Greene Publishing, Inc.

Madison County Carrier

When asked about this week’s playoff game against the Bears of Dixie County at Boot Hill Stadium, Madison County High School (MCHS) Head Coach Mike Coe didn’t mince words.

“We’ll have to play dang near perfect to have a shot,” he said.

By the time the first round rout of the Tigers of Union County had ended, the Cowboys knew who their next opponent would be in the Region Three final game on Friday, Nov. 17. The Bears had just defeated the Hornets of Lafayette County by a score of 49-7.

Coe knew the task ahead would be tough.

“You’re about to find out the importance of the strength of schedule,” said Coe as he talked to the team after the round one game.

Coe has not backed away from facing strong competition this season; a move that has helped earn home field during the playoffs. Facing such strong competition during the season has no doubt been good preparation for games such as this week’s contest.

In their 1A-Region 3 Semifinal, the Bears racked up over 500 yards of offense while holding the Hornets to 64 yards of total offense, including negative 21 yards on the ground.

During the season, the Bears’ defensive unit has only given up an average of 9.72 points per game.

Offensively, the Bears depend on a strong running attack, led by junior quarterback Carlos Williams, Jr. (5′ 10, 173). He averages 105 yards rushing per game for the Bears.

“Dixie County is a really good football team,” added Coe. “They have several really good athletes, but what stands out is how hard they
play and the physicality with which they play. They play ball the right way, the way it’s supposed to be played. This will be our biggest challenge to date.”

Keys to the game for the Cowboys, aside from playing “dang near perfect” football, will be to:

Win the turnover battle
Don’t give up any easy scores
Shut down the run – Jonathon“Bulldog” Alexander and the rest of the Cowboy defensive unit will have to play disciplined football to shut down running lanes and force the Bears to throw the ball. If they can do that, look for Cowboy defensive backs Travis Jay and company to have another big game.
Get off to a fast start – The Cowboys will need to get off to a fast start and force the Bears to attempt to play “catch-up.”

The Region Three final game between MCHS and Dixie County High School will be played on Friday, Nov. 17, at Boot Hill Stadium, on the MCHS campus. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. Admission is $8 per person.

The winner of tonight’s game will face the winner of the Pahokee vs Frostproof game in the State Semi-final game on Friday, Nov. 24.