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Region semifinal capsules: Class 8A and 7A

 
Published Nov. 20, 2014

Region semifinals

Class 8A

Who: Plant (10-1) at Orlando Dr. Phillips (11-0)

Winner plays: Bradenton Manatee-Vero Beach champion

Know the foe: Dr. Phillips may be ranked No. 1 in Class 8A, but the Panthers proved in last week's narrow win against Bloomingdale that they're not unbeatable. The Bulls were able to move the ball with their passing game, taking an 11-point lead into halftime. For Dr. Phillips offensively, it was the opposite. The Panthers lean heavily on their run game, and they rushed for 304 yards as a team, Daquon Isom leading the way with 170. Meanwhile, quarterback Rudy Norwood completed just eight passes for 58 yards. Dr. Phillips' 24-21 win against Bloomingdale was its closest game by far in its undefeated season. This will be the fourth straight year Plant and Dr. Phillips have met in the playoffs, and last year Plant won 24-23 when it stopped Dr. Phillips on a two-point conversion attempt in overtime. Dr. Phillips, though, is riding a 36-game win streak in its own stadium.

Key stat: Dr. Phillips is averaging nearly 250 yards rushing . Plant held four regular-season opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing.

Key matchup: Joe Ryan vs. Isom. Plant's junior linebacker has 132 tackles, and 49 of them are for loss. He'll likely be put to good use against Dr. Phillips' many running backs. Isom, who has gotten interest from Alcorn State and Oregon State, leads the team with 1,191 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. If Plant has any hope of taking down the No. 1 team on the road, it'll need to stop him.

Prediction: Plant, 28-27

Class 7A

Who: Tampa Bay Tech (6-5) at Sickles (8-3)

Winner plays: Lakeland-Kissimmee Osceola champion

Scouting report: Everybody knows Sickles' game plan: put the ball in Ray Ray McCloud III's hands. Tampa Bay Tech has a similar one surrounding quarterback Deon Cain. The athletes will likely be teammates at Clemson next year, but first they'll square off in a game that is sure to feature some explosiveness. Sickles is back on track after giving up 89 points in back-to-back losses earlier in the season. TBT and Sickles met less than a month ago for the district championship, which the Gryphons won with the help of a 251-yard rushing performance from McCloud. Cain, though, has had his share of bright nights, and he had 431 yards of offense and five touchdowns in last week's region quarterfinal win against Durant.

Key stat: Both defenses have had trouble, but TBT's has been more consistent. The fewest points scored against the Titans were 13 in their 13-0 loss to Wiregrass Ranch. TBT has given up an average of 25 points per game. Sickles, meanwhile, has held six opponents to 10 points or fewer.

Key matchup: Sickles defense vs. Cain. The Gryphons' D has been suspect at times, giving up 54 points against Plant and 35 against Gaither. At the same time, it was the defense that won the game for Sickles in a region quarterfinal against Plant City. For the Gryphons to be successful, they'll have to put a stop to Cain's gains — he's averaging more than 200 yards of offense per game.

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Prediction: Sickles, 17-14

Who: East Lake (11-0) at Braden River (10-0)

Winner plays: Punta Gorda Charlotte-Fort Myers champion

Know the foe: Braden River is in the playoffs for the fourth time in school history and first since 2010. The Pirates also have the best record in school history and ranked eighth in Class 7A. The team's strength is at the skill positions with quarterback Jacob Huesman, receiver Justin Ross and running back Raymond Thomas. Ross scored three touchdowns, including two on passes from Huesman, in a win over Palmetto three weeks ago that clinched the school's first district title. Thomas had a career-high 156 yards rushing in the region quarterfinal win over Pinellas Park.

Key stat: In the past three games, East Lake has blocked four kicks and George Campbell has returned four others for touchdowns on returns.

Key matchup: Braden River's offense vs. East Lake's defense. The Pirates have a diverse attack and are averaging 37 points per game. East Lake's defense has allowed 10 per game. The Eagles have depth on that side of the ball with 10 players recording at least two sacks, eight picking off one pass and four registering at least 40 tackles.

Prediction: East Lake 31-21