OCALA – There is one game that stands between John Carroll and a chance to win the Class 1S state championship.

It all goes down tonight (Dec. 2) in Ocala, as the third-seeded Golden Rams (10-1) face off against the second-seeded Ocala Trinity Catholic Celtics (8-2).

The kickoff for tonight’s Class 1S state semifinal game is set for 7 p.m.

HOW JOHN CARROLL MADE IT

For the first time since 2003, John Carroll is in the FHSAA state semifinal round.

Led by head coach Mickey Groody, the Golden Rams won the Class 1S – Region 3 title game on Friday, Nov. 25 at home against Lakeland Christian (9-2 final record). It was a tougher-than-expected 14-7 victory that featured a potent rushing attack, sound defense from start to finish, and some key moments on special teams.

Junior running back Tony Colebrook had a game to remember. In what may have been his most impactful game to date, he had 43 carries for 242 yards and a touchdown.

Colebrook, who scored off a toss play in his team’s first offensive drive of the game, offered his take on how he came through in a big way.

“My coach just trusted me with the ball pretty much all game,” Colebrook said.

Senior quarterback Dawson Maehl threw a touchdown pass to senior athlete Aidan Singleton later on in the game. He spoke on how his team held on for the win.

“The last game is a great example of how balanced we are and how cohesive our team is,” Maehl said. 

Touchdown @JCGoldenRams as @DawsonMaehl finds @AidanSingleton2 for the touchdown across the middle and John Carroll takes a two score lead. pic.twitter.com/Ai7LMCNclI

— Michael Fabian (@Mike_Fabian13) November 26, 2022

The first quarter went great, and then they made some really good adjustments that challenged us,” Maehl continued. “As momentum turned a little, that can create sideline issues and attitudes can go bad. But our whole team trusts and believes in each other and our coaches. No one panicked, and no one doubted or criticized others. Everyone focused on their job and the team got it done. This is John Carroll. This team has a special maturity that comes from incredible coaches, a large senior class with character and leadership, and younger guys who have bought in.”

Groody could not agree more with Maehl’s take on this past game.

“It was a true team effort in all three phases,” Groody said. “Hats off to Lakeland Christian players and their coaches because they had a great game plan to slow our offense down. Our defense has done what they’ve done all year and slowed peoples’ offenses down, which was the reason we won. We know that every game in playoffs we need to compete for 48 minutes and be prepared in all three phases.”

Senior defensive lineman Josh Meltzer had four tackles for loss, while sophomore athlete TJ Alford had 16 tackles and blocked a field goal for the John Carroll special teams unit.

“I was happy to do what I had to do for the team so we can continue playing football,” Meltzer said. “I am just grateful on my teammates and coaches for everything they do because when we all work together we can be something great. It just shows what we are working with and who we got.”

FOCUS ON THE JOURNEY

Going into this fall season, the only thing that mattered to John Carroll was doing everything possible in the right way to earn a chance at its first high school football state title.

“My team has been incredibly focused and working hard. We expect to be the best this year and will settle for nothing less,” Maehl said. “It’s an honor to be a part of a team that planned for this from the end of last season and did everything we had to do to get here. My coaches and teammates never wavered, never took our eyes off our goal, never stopped supporting each other. It’s been an amazing journey and our ultimate destination is still out there.”

Groody has his take on this season’s journey.

“It feels great, not only for my players, but for my staff, school faculty, our parents, and the John Carroll community in general,” Groody said. “It’s been a long time since a John Carroll team has made it this far, so the excitement everyhwhere is pretty high. The support from all sorts of John Carroll stakeholders has been amazing. But especially happy for my coaches and players because no one sees how hard the work is done behind the scenes. So to see the hard work pay off for all of them to reach this far is amazing. But it’s unanimous that we all understand one thing: Job’s Not Done.”

ON TO THE NEXT

The sole focus for now is Ocala Trinity Catholic, a team that has won two state championships in 2005 and 2010.

Key players for Ocala Trinity Catholic:

•Senior athlete Deldrick Goston – 33 catches, 596 yards, eight touchdowns on offense

•Sophomore quarterback Preston Wright – 1,130 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, two interceptions

•Senior running back Beau Beard – 143 carries, 1,241 yards, 20 touchdowns

•Junior safety Jeremiah Rhem – 66 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble

•Senior linebacker Donathan Lecorn – 71 total tackles, one sack, two quarterback hurries, one pass breakup

Groody offered his take on how be effective against this Ocala Trinity Catholic team.

“These are two great teams playing with two great coaching staffs,” Groody said. “These types of games will depend on who can make the fewest mistakes and who can capitalize on the other teams mistakes. Being prepared in all three phases will be very important.”

Singleton summed it all up for his team.

“it’s honestly a blessing,” Singleton said. “Not saying that I never expected us to be here, but just to be in the position of capturing something big like this for the first time, our team is just really appreciative. We gotta go in and get the job done.”

PHOTO CREDITS: Blue Leprachaun/John Carroll High School Football

VIDEO CREDITS: Mike Fabian