Here is the breakdown of tonight’s area Class 4 state semifinal matchup in the Metro Division. The winner advances to next week’s state championship game.
Tonight’s Area state semifinal Final Matchup
Class 4M
For the full MaxPreps bracket click here.
No. 4 Plant (11-2) at No. 1 Miami Columbus (11-2), 6 at Tropical Park
The Panthers are making their first state semifinal trip since 2017 not because they hung on the coattails of some talented superstar who could bail them out in key situations, but because they had a collection of hardworking players who checked their egos at the door and didn’t mind sharing the load. The proof is in the stats. Two quarterbacks have more than 900 yards passing. Six players have more than 30 carries and 19 players have at two receptions. The list goes on. By playing the team game, Plant was able to rebound from an 0-2 start to win 11 straight games. And the Panthers showed they can win on the road by beating Sumner in last week’s region final. Now comes the hard part. Plant has to travel to Miami to take on defending state champion Columbus, which is aiming for its third title since 2019. After going through a 1-2 stretch in October, the Explorers have bounced back to four straight games.
Stat leaders
| Category | Plant | Columbus |
| Passing yards | JC Mirasola, 1,365 | Alberto Mendoza, 1,950 |
| Rushing yards | Waltez Clark, 474 | Edward Bandy, 637 |
| Receiving yards | Ben MacKinnon, 517 | Jose Leon, 670 |
| Tackles | Alex Tate, 121 | Hector Chavez, 80 |
| Sacks | Alex Tate, 13 | Willis McGahee IV, 14 |
| Interceptions | Chase Jarrett, 4 | Bryce Fitzgerald, 5 |
