Palmetto’s best playoff run in school history ends in state semifinal loss to Osceola

Mike Manasco huddled his players together at the 35-yard line. Palmetto’s unprecedented playoff run had just come to an end.

While Kissimmee Osceola celebrated its 9-3 win in the FHSAA Class 8A state semifinal about 40 yards away on Saturday night, Manasco was left to console his team that fell short in a year with the clearest path to a state title in the school’s history.

“Just know you gave your all,” Manasco told the team. “If you know you gave your all, it’s OK. Obviously it hurts. Let it hurt. ... But understand something: It’s hard to go where we are now. It’s hard to do what we did.”

Consider what the Panthers (5-2) went through.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic put them in a tough situation. They couldn’t start practicing until October and played just two regular-season games — a 35-7 win over Homestead and a 17-7 loss to Miami Northwestern — before the state series began.

They lost their starting quarterback, junior Kevin Smith, to injury during their play-in game against Orlando Dr. Phillips and resorted to a wildcat-style offense for the ensuing month while a defense with five seniors set to play for Football Bowl Subdivision teams next season carried the load.

After a 10-0 shutout against Dr. Phillips, they won their next three playoff games by a combined seven points — 9-6 over Lake Nona in the regional quarterfinals, 22-21 in overtime over Treasure Coast in the regional semifinals and 10-7 over Vero Beach in the regional finals — to reach their first ever state semifinal. Their four playoff wins this year were one shy of matching the school’s total playoff wins entering this season.

But Palmetto’s luck ran out on Saturday, and its season came undone in the span of a minute in the fourth quarter. Osceola (9-2), trailing 3-0 after an early Palmetto field goal, took the lead with 5:15 left to play after Alvin Lee blocked a 38-yard field goal attempt and sophomore Bo Mascoe returned the ball 80 yards for the game’s only touchdown. Palmetto started the next drive at its 3-yard line after Mike Jackson picked up a kickoff attempt that looked like it was going out of bounds. Senior Brashard Smith, who has handled the bulk of the wildcat duties over the past month, was tackled in the end zone two plays later for a safety.

“Other than that blocked field goal,” Manasco said, “we’re probably moving on.”

Palmetto’s defense held Osceola in check. The Cowboys gained just 175 yards on offense — 58 of which came on two plays — and was shut out over nine drives.

But the Panthers’ makeshift offense couldn’t sustain drives when it needed to. Palmetto hit a 22-yard field goal with 6:49 left in the first quarter after sophomore cornerback Dwight Bootle’s interception set the Panthers up at the Osceola 21-yard line. Palmetto went 2 for 9 on third down, threw two interceptions and tallied just 178 yards, 53 of which came on its final drive and another 33 of which came on a Smith run on the drive that ultimately resulted in Osceola’s game-winning touchdown return.

South Florida still well represented at state

Even with Palmetto’s exit, South Florida still has six teams heading to Tallahassee to compete for state titles.

Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (7A), Miami Central (6A), Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (3A) and Hialeah Champagnat (2A) have the chance to repeat as champions. Plantation American Heritage (5A) is eyeing its first title since 2017 and its fourth in school history. Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (4A) can win its second title in three years.

Palmetto, the only South Florida Class 8A team to opt into the state series this year, fell one game short of joining the rest of its peers in the other classifications in Tallahassee. Osceola and Sanford Seminole will play an all-Central Florida Class 8A title game.

Manasco, meanwhile, is confident this is just the start for Palmetto.

“It’s tough,” Manasco said. “We’ve got a great group of seniors that have just given their all for our program and put our program in new heights. Obviously it didn’t end the way we wanted, but I’m so proud of our guys for choosing to be in the playoffs — a lot of teams didn’t choose to be in; my guys chose to be in — and they battled. They battled through. I love these kids.

“Palmetto’s on the map finally. We finally got our seat at the table.”