Edgewater rides defense to berth in 7A title game

The Edgewater defense was too much for Armwood Friday night, as the Eagles made several huge plays in a 38-27 victory at Seffner.

The victory advances Edgewater (13-1), which is ranked No. 1 in the Sentinel Super 16, to its fourth FHSAA football final and first in 15 years.

The Eagles will face off against the state’s top-ranked 7A team, 10-time state champion Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (13-0), on Saturday, Dec. 14, at Daytona Stadium.

The Eagles’ win, combined with victories by Apopka and Jones, means three teams from the current Sentinel coverage area will play in state finals for the for the first time. State playoffs date to 1963.

Eric Doctor had Edgewater’s biggest play on a 96-yard return for a touchdown after teammate D.J. Hampton blocked a field goal attempt. It was the third big play in as many playoff games for Doctor, who had two game-sealing interceptions in the previous two victories.

The Eagles won 23-17 in double overtime vs. Tallahassee Lincoln and 28-20 over Niceville on a fourth quarter TD.

Defensive tackle

Justin

Hoskins came up with a back-breaking interception in the third quarter as Armwood’s substitute quarterback Hunter Helton was under pressure. Hoskins returned it 29 yards for a touchdown, and Edgewater took over after Armwood had taken a 7-0 lead two plays into the game.

Tommi Hill picked off a Cam’Ron Ransom pass in the second quarter and returned it 26 yards to the Armwood 12, where three plays later Isaiah Connelly, who ran for just over 130 yards rushing, scored his second touchdown of the night and Edgewater was up 21-7 at halftime.

Armwood threatened on its second series and got inside the Edgewater red zone when Hampton picked up a fumble by James Smiley at the 10-yard line.

Hill snagged another interception with 10 minutes left in the game as Armwood fell into desperation mode and started passing on almost every down.

Armwood made a lastditch rally with two fourthquarter TDs, but the damage had been done and Edgewater moved to 13-1 on the season.

Edgewater was state runner-up three years in a row (2002-04) in finals played at FSU and UF.

Tigers top Wakulla: Avarius Sparrow rushed 35 times for 219 yards and three touchdowns to carry Jones High to a 21-20 home victory against Crawfordville Wakulla and to first the FHSAA football state final in school history.

The Tigers, victorious in their second FHSAA state semifinal appearance, will not have a game next week. They get an extra week to rest and ready themselves for the state championship game against Miami Northwestern (12-2) at noon on Saturday, Dec. 14, in Daytona Beach.

Northwestern has won six state championships.

After Wakulla slugged Jones with two Jaylon Worsham touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, the War Eagles faced fourth-and-4 at Jones’ 33. Only this time, Malik Bryant posted his second sack of the game to end the War Eagles’ final threat.

The Tigers still had to run out the clock. Sparrow broke open a 50-yard run to clinch the Tigers’ first state final, topping a 1990 state semifinal run.

Jones’ defense came up big when it mattered. Johnathan Johnson and Darrian Hawkins made a fourthdown goal-line stop. Evan Anderson then recovered a Wakulla fumble, setting Sparrow’s 3-yard touchdown run that put the Tigers up 14-3.

Delmonte Pryor also made a tip-drill interception for a touchdown that put the Tigers up 21-6.

Worsham completed 12 of 26 passes for 242 yards, including 177 yards in the second half. Worsham found Jordan Bolden for a 20-yard wheel-route touchdown, then ran in the twopoint conversion to bring the War Eagles within 21-14. But after Worsham found DeJuan Hughes for a 24-yard post-route touchdown, the extra-point attempt was wide right.