Class 4M State Semifinals

Blue Darters rally past Palm Beach 27-23; advance to state finals!

The Blue Darters in action against Seminole High in the district championship earlier this season.

Photo By Mel Bolden

Posted Sunday, December 4, 2022 9:18 pm

From Staff Reports

Four down and one to go!

The Apopka Blue Darters used a tried-and-true method to win its state semifinal game against the Palm Beach Central Broncos - fall behind, stage a furious rally, and score in the game's last minutes. For the eighth time this season, the Blue Darters rallied to win a game - but none more important than this.

Trailing 21-6 midway through the third quarter, Apopka scored three touchdowns, including a one-yard run by senior running back Zeldrick Roberts with 1:50 remaining in the game to give the Blue Darters its first lead since the first quarter. Senior Rashad Watson added a two-point conversion to give Apopka the win 27-24 and a trip back to the state finals in Ft. Lauderdale.

It was the ninth win for Apopka in its last 10 games, giving them a 12-3 record, but it didn't come easy.

Trailing 6-0 in the first quarter, the Broncos went on an unanswered scoring spree of their own - with two second-quarter touchdowns to take a 14-6 lead into halftime. Then in the third quarter, Palm Beach added another touchdown to take a 21-6 lead.

The Broncos finish their season with a 12-2 record, falling one game short of what would have been their first state final in school history.

Apopka returns to Fort Lauderdale in two weeks to play top-ranked Miami Columbus (13-1) for the Class 4M State Championship. Columbus beat Ocoee 41-36 in its semifinal game.

It is the second straight state trip to the finals for Apopka after losing the 2021 state championship to Venice 35-7 in 2021.

This will be the third state championship matchup between Apopka and Miami Columbus. The Blue Darters won the 2014 matchup 30-23, while Columbus returned the favor in 2019 21-20.

This was the fourth straight final four appearance for the Blue Darters, and the 10th since 2001. They have also been to five state championship games since 2002 - winning three. They have an astounding 15-3 record in the playoffs since 2019.

Keywords

Apopka Blue Darters, Ocoee Knights, Palm Beach Central Broncos, Miami Columbus, High School Football, Class 4M State Championship

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