Football state finals (Classes 8A-4A)
All games are at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Admission is $14 in advance, $17 the day of the event via Ticketmaster.
Webcasts
You can watch the games via stream through Spectrum
Class 6A
Jesuit (14-0) vs. Pensacola Pine Forest (12-1), 7 tonight
How they got here: Jesuit d. Boca Ciega 50-0; d. Braden River 49-9; d. Hillsborough 42-0; d. Miami Northwestern 37-12. Pine Forest d. Tallahassee Rickards 26-7; d. Jacksonville Riverside 32-12; d. Lynn Haven Mosley 49-14; d. Orlando Jones 20-13 (OT).
Stat leaders
| Category | Jesuit | Pine Forest |
| Passing yards | Luke Knight, 2,164 (27 TDs, 5 INTs) | T.J. Wilson, 1,460 (13 TDs, 2 INTs) |
| Rushing yards | Joquez Smith, 1,883 (27 TDs) | Kobe Johnson, 1,094 (12 TDs) |
| Receiving yards | Junior Vandeross, 747 (8 TDs) | Donielle Hayes, 630 (9 TDs) |
| Tackles | AJ Cottrill, 136 | Deontrez McLamb, 134 |
| Sacks | Wayne Quin, 9 | Jaquan Fank, 13 |
| Interceptions | Caleb Williams, 6 | Cameron Kelly, 4 |
Outlook
Jesuit, ranked 10th nationally by MaxPreps, can make its claim as the greatest state champion in bay area history with a win tonight. The Tigers are in the championship game for the first time since 1992 and are trying to win their first state title since 1968. If they do that, they will become the sixth area state champion to go undefeated on the field (Armwood went 15-0 in 2011 but had to eventually forfeit every game). Since the postseason started, Jesuit has been dominant, outscoring opponents by a combined 178-21.The Tigers also have plenty of confidence after knocking off eventual 7A state champion Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas in the regular season and cruising past powerhouse Miami Northwestern in the state semifinals. There is some balance on offense with Luke Knight throwing for 2,164 yards and Joquez Smith rushing for 1,883. On defense, the Tigers have displayed zero tolerance for foes, posting seven shutouts, including two in the playoffs. The Eagles are in the championship game for the first time since 2006 and are trying to win their first title since 2000. Since losing to West Florida in the season opener, Pine Forest has won 11 straight. In the state semifinals, the Eagles beat Orlando Jones 20-13 in overtime to reach the title game.
Key matchup
Pine Forest has a run-oriented offense that has racked up big chunks on the ground. The Eagles have gained 3,490 yards rushing this season. Three players – Kobe Johnson, T.J. Wilson and Miequle Brock – have each totaled more than 900 yards and accounted for a combined 45 rushing touchdowns. Maintaining those big numbers could be tough against Jesuit, which has posted seven shutouts and not allowed an opponent to score more than 21 points in any game this season. Another factor that could nullify Pine Forest’s run game is the Tigers’ tendency to get off to fast starts. In four postseason games, Jesuit has held a double digit lead at the half.
Did you know?
- Pine Forest has dedicated the season to former Ladarius Clardy, a 2020 graduate who was murdered while home on break from Kinnesaw State this past summer.
- The Eagles, which had travel 10 hours from Pensacola to Fort Lauderdale for the title game, created a GoFundMe to cover transportation, meals and lodging for the trip.
- Jesuit linebacker Troy Bowles is the son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. The elder Bowles is making the trip tonight, then heading back to get ready his team’s Sunday night game against the Saints.
