HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL - FLORIDA
2000
16/12/00 - Florida Div-2A Final - Gulliver Prep Raiders (31) v (21) Marianna Bulldogs - At Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Gulliver won their 1st State title with a big win over the Bulldogs. Both teams were evenly matched but the Raiders featured 2 players who were committed to the University of Miami and they made the difference : RB/DB Sean Taylor (17-47-0 + 7-86-2 + 1 onside kick recovery) and QB Buck Ortega (7-13-86-2 + 9-18-0). After Marianna opened the scoring the Raiders scored 28 unanswered points to take control of the game and despite a 4th quarter rally from the Bulldogs, the Raiders scored a late TD to secure the win. Gulliver also featured RB Alfredo Pascal (9-93-1). Marianna were led by QB Jeff Mathis (6-8-74-0 + 16-5-2) and RB Reshard Dudley (21-137-1 including a 62 yard TD run) (8, Downloaded from the Internet - Slight Jumpy picture, 1 Disc, Sunshine Network - Alveshire/Bates, NTSC)
2001
08/12/01 - Florida Div-6A Final - Apopka Blue Darters (34) v (16) Miami Northwestern Bulls - At Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, small-town Apopka upset the bigger Miami Northwestern team to win their 1st State title. The bigger Bulls team was supposed to physically dominate the smaller Blue Darters, but the tables were turned and Apopka dominated the game in the trenches, rushing for 360 yards on Offense and holding the Bulls to only 89 yards rushing. After giving up a Safety in the 1st quarter, the Blue Darters scored 21 unanswered points to take control of the game and used great Defense, and the Tallahassee fog in the 4th quarter, to secure the win. Apopka featured QB Kenard Bradford (1-5-73-1), RB's Alan Abrams (12-166-1) and Steve Bylark (11-103-1), WR Theodis McMiller (1-73-1), LB Cato Mott (8 tackles) and DB Brandon Meriweather (6 tackles). Miami Northwestern featured QB Derrick Willis (13-33-123-1), RB T.Smith (12-31-0) and WR C.Evering (5-59-0) (8, Downloaded from the Internet - Occasional Tracking Line early 1st Quarter but rest of the game OK, 1 Disc, Sunshine Network - Alveshire/Bates, NTSC)
2005
Interstate Regular Season - Ponte Vedra-Nease Golden Panthers (29) v (50) Hoover Buccaneers - #2 ranked Hoover from Alabama hosted a Florida team featuring the #1 High School prospect, in a tough interstate match-up at a roasting-hot Buccaneer Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. The game didn't disappoint, as both teams went on runs in the game. Hoover opened a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter, only for Nease to score 16 unanswered points to take a 2-point lead in at the half. Both teams went toe-to-toe in the 3rd quarter, but the Buccaneers closed out the game with 21 unanswered points to take the win. Hoover featured a big game from QB Ross Wilson (23-29-328-2) and WR Cornelius Williams (9-135-2). Nease featured QB Tim Tebow (26-45-392-2 + 58 yards rushing, 1 TD) (8, Copied from the internet, 2 Discs, ESPN - Collins/Donnan/Mitts, PAL)
Florida Div-4A Final - Ponte Vedra-Nease Golden Panthers (44) v (37) Seffner-Armwood Hawks - Nease QB Tim Tebow ended his High School career with a State title as the Golden Panthers beat the defending champion Hawks. A game of momentum swings saw Nease open up a 14-0 lead before Seffner roared back to take a 15-14 lead in the 2nd quarter. Then Tebow (18-27-237-4 + 27-153-2) took charge, leading the Golden Panthers to 27 unanswered points. Seffner QB Anthony Hickman (15-35-220-1) rallied the Hawks to within 7 points with 1:16 left but Nease held on for the big win (9, Missing last 2 minutes of 2nd quarter but no scoring, 3 Discs, Sun Sports - Brady/Ackerman/Anthony, NTSC)
2006
Florida Div-5A Final - Lakeland High Dreadnaughts (45) v (42) St.Thomas Aquinas Raiders - Lakeland claimed their 3rd successive title by beating St.Thomas Aquinas in 2 overtimes. The Dreadnaughts were leading 21-0 well into the 4th quarter before the Raiders made a miraculous comeback, scoring 35 points using on-side kicks to set up TD's. In overtime, the Raiders gambled on a TD to win the game from the 1 yard line but failed and handed the title to Lakeland. The Dreadnaughts were led by QB Blair Castle (2-2-5-0) and featured game MVP RB Chris Rainey (26-276-3). The Raiders were led on Offense by QB Wesley Carroll (15-27-156-1) and also featured RB Jeremiah Harden (25-174-4), and on Defense by DB Major Wright (10, 1 Disc, Sun Sports - Watson/Ackerman, NTSC)
2010
Intertsate Regular Season - Camden County Wildcats (28) @ (42) St.Thomas Aquinas Raiders - #13 ranked St.Thomas Aquinas from Florida used a strong aerial game to beat #6 ranked Camden County of Georgia in a tough battle in Fort Lauderdale. The Raiders jumped out to a 24-7 lead at the half, with QB Jacob Rudock (15-20-333-4) having a big game. But the Wildcats had a strong 3rd quarter, and only trailed 24-21 before the Raiders sealed the win with 2 quick TD's and a big defensive effort in the 4th quarter. The Raiders also featured WR's Rashad Greene (6-149-1) and Phillip Dorsett (4-137-2 inc. 41 and 80 yard TD catches) (10, 2 Discs, ESPNU - Corke/Berger, NTSC)
2016
Interstate Regular Season - IMG Academy Ascenders (50) v (49) Corona Centennial Huskies - In a shootout at Mission Viejo High School in California, the #3 ranked visitors from Florida used a last minute TD and 2XP to stay unbeaten on the season. Both teams were evenly matched in the 1st half, with both teams tied at 14-14 at the break. The 2nd half turned into a shootout and IMG found themselves down 49-42 with 1:06 left. But the Ascenders only needed 5 plays to score then ran in the 2XP for the win with 12 seconds left to play. IMG featured QB Kellen Mond (13-30-411-4 + 14-101-1), RB Asa Martin (10-81-2), WR's Brian Hightower (3-125-1) and Emmanuel Greene (3-98-0) and LB Dylan Moses. Centennial featured QB Tanner McKee (26-44-374-3 + 7-26-1), RB Miles Reed (41-179-3) and WR Xavier Marshall (14-230-3) (10, Downloaded from the Internet, 1 Disc, FOX - Westphal/Karney, NTSC)
Interstate Regular Season - St.Thomas Aquinas Raiders (24) @ (25) Bishop Gorman Gaels - #1 ranked Bishop Gorman from Las Vegas extended its 45 game winning streak with a nail-biting win over #7 ranked St.Thomas Aquinas from Florida, but needed 3 Overtimes to do so. After 4 quarters that were dominated by the Defenses, the overtimes turned into a shootout. The Raiders had a chance to win on a FG in the 2nd overtime but the kick was spectacularly blocked. In the 3rd overtime, the Gaels decided to go for 2 points after their TD and succeded, ending the game in their favour. Bishop Gorman featured QB Tate Martell (11-17-136-3), RB Biaggio Ali Walsh (24-86-0) and WR Jalen Nailor (5-35-2). St.Thomas Aquinas featured QB Jake Allen (17-31-123-1), RB Mike Epstein (19-58-1) and WR Trevon Grimes (1 TD catch) (8, Downloaded from the Internet, 1 Disc, ESPN - Brown/Haubert, NTSC)