TALLAHASSEE – All season long, the King’s Academy Lions have been sending everyone a message loud and clear.
They reminded us to not count them out. They reminded us that they have the heart of champions.
They reminded us that they can overcome any obstacle in their way.
They reminded us that they’re on a mission to make history.
Oh yes, the Lions did just that in Friday night’s (Nov. 30) 49-48 comeback win on the road over Florida High in their 3A state semifinal game. And oh yes, they came back from a double-digit deficit in the second half to pull off the wild victory.
For the first time ever, the Lions are in the Class 3A state championship game. It is remarkable considering the fact this team wasn’t even in a FHSAA classification two years ago, when they finished the season with an 11-0 in independent league play and won the Southeastern Football Conference outright at FIU Stadium.
It’s also remarkable because no player on the King’s Academy roster currently has any collegiate scholarship offers. It’s the first time in recent memory this has occurred with a state title contender, to say the least.
So how exactly did King’s Academy get over the hump?
Down 28-14 at halftime, the Lions (12-1) quickly found themselves into a deeper hole as Florida High scored early in the third to extend the lead to 35-14.
But not long after that, the light switch flipped in favor of King’s Academy.
The Lions reached the end zone on their next three possessions to tie the game at 35-35 with 4:50 left in the third frame. The scores were as follows:
•60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Wake to wideout Jayvon Wynn. The extra point was good.
•Shortly after recovering an onside kick, Wake hit wideout Cory Croteau for a 7-yard touchdown pass. The extra point try was good.
•Running back Dillon Larson punched the ball in for a 2-yard touchdown run. The extra point was good.
With the 35-35 tie happening after Larson’s score and extra point, it was a shootout from there.
King’s Academy found itself down again in a 42-35 deficit, but the quarterback woke the atmosphere up again. Wake hit wideout Drew Luchey for a 40-yard touchdown with 11:43 left in the game, and the extra point conversion tied the game up at 42-42.
And with 7:00 left in the game, it was Wake and Bake on the Florida High defense as King’s Academy’s starting quarterback scampered his way to the end zone on a pivotal 13-yard run. With the extra point, the Lions took their first lead of the game at 49-42.
And then the Lion magic happened as the game reached its climax.
With 3:29 left in the game, Florida High (8-4) scored again. But the home team missed the extra point, which sent the King’s Academy faithful into a frenzy.
The Lions got the ball back and did what they could to seal the win. They did that by marching down the field on offense and holding it the rest of the way.
And when the final buzzer sounded, it was pandemonium on the Florida High field for King’s Academy.
Next and final stop: Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Saturday, Dec. 8 against defending 3A state champion Chaminade-Madonna (10-2). Kickoff time is set for 10 a.m.
