Panthers top Bucks in regional semifinals

MIAMI — Miami Palmetto’s Mike Jackson put on a thriller for the Panthers on Thursday night.

The senior athlete starred on both sides of the ball, scoring three touchdowns and picking off two passes as Palmetto rolled to a 27-14 win over Deerfield Beach in the Class 8A regional semifinals at Tropical Park in Miami.

“We definitely game-planned for him,” Deerfield Beach coach David Blackwell said. “He’s a football player. He’s an athlete. Like I said, players are going to make plays.”

Jackson scored his first touchdown of the game on a 13-yard pass from Palmetto quarterback Kevin Smith with 6:14 left in the first quarter.

He scored his second touchdown with 7:18 left in the first half, but this time it was on defense. He picked off a tipped pass and returned it for a touchdown.

“I was reading the quarterback, reading the receiver, baiting the quarterback, stuff like that,” Jackson said.

Shortly before halftime, Jackson extended the Panthers’ lead to 20 with a 54-yard touchdown catch.

He finished the game with four catches for 117 yards.

The Bucks struggled to keep up with the Panthers. Deerfield went into halftime trailing 20-0, having managed only 88 yards. Palmetto extended its lead on a fake field goal early in the third quarter, taking a commanding 27-0 lead.

Deerfield got on the board with a safety late in the third quarter. The Bucks added a pair of touchdowns in the second half: one on a 24-yard pass from Michael Merdinger to Marcus Williams and a second on a 1-yard touchdown run by Merdinger. But Deerfield could not cut further into Palmetto’s lead.

Deerfield Beach is a perennial playoff team, but this is the third straight state series playoff appearance ended by a team from MiamiDade County.

It’s losing to Dade teams in the playoffs, which is a mental hurdle that we’re still trying to overcome,” Blackwell said. “I think once we take that leap, mentally, over getting over a Dade County team in the playoffs, then I think that’s when Deerfield will definitely take that leap to the next level.”

In a 5A regional semifinal on Thursday night, Killian cruised by Stranahan 37-0 in Miami.

ANDREW ULOZA/FOR THE MIAMI HERALD Palmetto wide receiver Bobby Bussey-Golden jumps over Deerfield Beach cornerback Hezekhia Masses during the Class 8A regional semifinals on Thursday at Tropical Park Stadium.