WEST PALM BEACH – Following a thrilling win over First Academy in the Class 3A Region 2 final, No. 1 King’s Academy (11-1) will travel to Tallahassee and battle fellow No. 1 seed Florida High (8-3) in the 3A state semifinals.
A trip to the 3A state final awaits for the winner of tomorrow night’s game (Friday, Nov. 30; 7:30 p.m. kickoff).
Last week, the Lions defeated the Royals of First Academy by a score of 23-22 on a final Hail Mary attempt from quarterback Justin Wake to Cory Croteau with just 22 seconds remaining on the clock. The win pushed the Lions win streak to five games, which includes two playoffs wins and a win over rival Benjamin.
This season, a lot of the Lions offensive production has come from the aforementioned Wake, who completed nine of his 14 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. The performance was enough for Wake, who was battling a fractured foot, to help lead the Lions to a second-half comeback.
As an offense, the Lions will need to score early and often. Over the course of the last two weeks, the Lions have scored just 19 points a game, including just 16 against Holy Trinity in their first playoff game.
In the last two weeks, the reliance has been on their strong defense, which has helped the Lions win the two low-scoring campaigns.
Last week, in specific, the defense stepped up when it was needed most. With the Royals driving with a chance to win the game, a sack on the Royals Hail Mary attempt secured the Lions win.
This week, however, the opportunity and opponent is harder.
On the season, the Seminoles offense has scored an average of 27 points a game, including 31 per game against their last three opponents.
A majority of the Seminoles production has come from the ground game. As a team, the Seminoles average 150 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.
A majority of this performance has come from a combination of running backs Alfred Menjor (74 carries, 473 yards and 3 touchdowns), Javan Morgan (209 yards and 7 touchdowns) and Emory Layard (304 yards and 2 touchdowns).
The three-headed monster at running back allows the Seminoles to keep each running back fresh, allowing longer running plays.
When the Seminoles are forced to throw, the Seminoles are highly efficient.
Starting quarterback Bryson Hill has completed 61 percent of this throws for 1,073 yards. Backup quarterback Willie Taggart Jr., son of current Florida State head coach Willie Taggart, has completed 66 percent of his throws.
A highly efficient offense has meant less turnovers and more opportunities to score. The toughest task for the Lions will be forcing turnovers, which they have done efficiently over the course of the season.
A total of 20 turnovers – 12 interceptions and 8 fumbles – have been a top part of the Lions defence and wins.
Score prediction: King’s Academy wins over Florida High, 24-21
