Northeast Florida high school football state semifinals: Bolles, Columbia, Union County denied

The Florida High School Athletic Association took the next-to-last step in the postseason with high school football state semifinals on Friday night across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. 

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Class 2M

AMERICAN HERITAGE 21, BOLLES 14

Bolles’ dramatic fourth-quarter rally – and its quest to play in another state championship game – came up just short. ... The Bulldogs scored twice and recovered two onside kicks in the final quarter, but fell to nationally-ranked American Heritage in Friday's Class 2M state semifinal. ... American Heritage’s standout runner Mark Fletcher scored two touchdowns in the first half and wide receiver Brandon Inniss, an Ohio State commit, scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on a blown coverage in the third quarter as the Patriots (13-1) built a 21-0 lead. ... Sophomore Ethan Drumm threw a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter – a 45-yard strike to Chase Collier and a 20-yard pass to Naeem Burroughs – to bring the Bulldogs (9-5) back within a score with 5:44 remaining. ... The Bulldogs recovered onside kicks after both scores, the second giving Bolles the ball inside the Patriots 40-yard line. ... Heritage defensive back Daemon Fagan, a North Carolina State commit, intercepted a fourth-down pass with 3:26 remaining, and Bolles was unable to pick up a first down after regaining possession in the final minute. ... Drumm was playing in place of junior QB DJ Moore, who was at the game but did not play for undisclosed reasons. ... “That’s a really good football team,” Bolles coach Matt Toblin said. “We had opportunities to make plays. We made a bunch and I’m really proud of my guys. They fought their butts off. At the end of the day, you play a team that good you have to play a little close to perfect in order to get a win and we didn’t.”

Class 3S

LAKE WALES 37, COLUMBIA 7

The magical run continued for the Lake Wales Highlanders, who beat seventh-ranked Columbia (9-4) to seal their first trip to the state championship game since 1994. ... Lake Wales (14-0) manhandled the Columbia offensive and defensive lines that had been playing well all year, building an early lead that stretched to 28-0 after senior quarterback Trent Grotjan threw a 4-yard touchdown to senior receiver Xavier Marlow off of a run-pass option in the middle of the second quarter. ... Grotjan finished the day with 175 yards passing and three touchdowns. ... Senior running back Corey Harris Jr. racked up 21 rushes for 132 yards and a touchdown for Lake Wales, which advances to meet Daytona Beach Mainland. ... Highlanders linebacker Terrell James recovered a fumble and Philipp Davis and Jaremiah Anglin Jr. both picked off Columbia QB Tyler Jefferson. ... “Offensively we kind of got behind the chains — got in passing situations," Columbia head coach Demetric Jackson said. "We had three critical turnovers — two interceptions and a fumble that really hurt us,” “We gave up too many explosive plays in the passing game.”

Class 1R

NORTHVIEW 21, UNION COUNTY 11

Thanks to three total touchdowns and 250 yards from Jamarkus Jefferson along with an undermanned, yet stingy defense that created four turnovers, the Chiefs downed Union County to secure their trip east next week in search of their first state title in a decade. ... Jefferson sliced through the defensive front before reaching the end zone from 32 yards on the first play of the second quarter, and after a fumble recovery, Northview's senior athlete crossed the goal line again with a 33-yard burst up the middle on a fourth-and-1 play. ... Union County (8-3) rode the legs of fullback Rayvon Durant and 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior tailback Dayviontae Thompson, who was positioned at tailback. The duo gained steam as the night continued and cut the Northview lead to 14-11 on a Durant touchdown in the fourth quarter. ... Northview (13-0) sealed the win by traveling 59 yards in 15 plays, capped by a 12-yard pass from senior quarterback Kaden Odom to Jefferson on fourth-and-7 to push their cushion to 10 with 1:38 remaining, and an interception from senior athlete Maliki Haynes put the game on ice. ... Northview will play top-seeded Hawthorne for the 1R title at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 at Gene Cox Stadium.

Lakeland Ledger, Pensacola News-Journal and USA Today Sports

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school football playoffs 2022: Northeast Florida state semifinal results