High School Football: Trinity Catholic, Vanguard face second-round playoff foes

Marion County is down to two teams still fighting for state football championships.

Trinity Catholic (6-2) will start its playoff run at home against Daytona Beach Father Lopez (6-4). Vanguard (8-3) will travel south to visit Polk County’s only undefeated team, Lake Wales (11-0).

These are crucial games for our local teams. In each second-round matchup, the Knights and Celtics will face opponents with major offensive weapons and grinding defenses. Come Friday, it will be gut check time for two of the best teams in the county.

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Let’s look deeper into how both teams are preparing for their matchups. We dive into the game outlooks and possible outcomes from this week’s regional semifinal matchups.

The Knights hit the road

Vanguard lines up across a stingy defense that hasn’t allowed 14 points to an opponent since Week Five. Lake Wales has only allowed double digits twice in its undefeated season.

“They’re a competitive football team. They get after it, and they’ve won a lot of games,” said Vanguard head coach Edwin Farmer.

While Lake Wales is a formidable group, the Knights will be the best team they’ve played in weeks. Vanguard is battle tested after seeking to play traditional powers all season.

Looking at the numbers gives Lake Wales a slight statistical edge on both ends of the ball. When factoring in strength of schedule, things lean in favor of Vanguard.

One thing is certain: if Lake Wales can’t match Vanguard’s speed, the Highlanders will be in trouble.

“I’ve seen both teams make some mistakes," Farmer said. "The team that makes the least will win this football game.”

The Celtics are back

When Trinity Catholic steps on the field Friday, the Celtics will need to shake the cobwebs off from a three-week layoff. Their last game was October 27, and they’re itching to hit someone in a different jersey.

“It kind of feels like a new season. It gave us a chance to get everyone healed up,” said Trinity Catholic head coach John Brantley.

They managed the time off in between scrimmages, adding wrinkles to the offense and finding different ways to hold a group of teenagers’ attention.

Keys to success

Vanguard’s Farmer: “We want to control the football on offense. We always talk about having positive drives. We can’t have those small mistakes on the other side of the ball. Defensively, we have to play sound football. Don’t give up big pass plays; take away what they do well. The more we keep them off the scoreboard, the better our chances of winning the football game. Special teams will be a key component in this game.”

Trinity Catholic’s Brantley: “Try to dominate at the line of scrimmage. We’re going to lean on those big guys and (Beau) Beard, who had a 1,000-yard rushing season. That opens up your passing game. That’s been our mojo all year, and we will continue that. Our defensive backs have done a great job. They’ve proven to us they can do some stuff 1-on-1, and that frees us up to hopefully create some havoc. We can’t let anyone sit back and have four to five seconds to throw the football.”

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Trinity Catholic Celtics, Vanguard Knights high school football playoffs