Douglas battles back, but Leon wins state semifinal

Tallahassee Leon had plenty on Douglas before Saturday's state semifinal.

A state-championship trophy from last year. An undefeated record this year. Plus, the Lions featured a quarterback whom 10th-year Douglas coach Mitch Kaufman called ``probably the best player I've seen since I've been coaching this sport.''

But that didn't intimidate the Eagles.

''They were more aggressive than us,'' senior Christine Limpabandh said, ``but we felt we had more heart.''

Douglas certainly showed its desire, charging back from a 12-point halftime deficit to get within one touchdown late in the fourth quarter. But talent ultimately trumped effort, with Leon ending Douglas' season in a 27-14 loss that left the Eagles wondering what could have been.

As in, what would have happened if they had stifled Leon quarterback Chelsea Parmer just that once, when the Eagles -- down 19-14 late -- forced a third-and-long in Lions territory?

''If we make that stop down here, I believe we can take over,'' Kaufman said. ``I believe we would have [taken] it in and won the game.''

Instead, Parmer hit receiver Susanna Zorn -- a familiar sight all afternoon -- for a 25-yard gain. Three plays later, Zorn caught her second touchdown pass of the day to seal things for the Lions.

LEON STRIKES EARLY

Early on, though, it didn't even seem that close.

Leon (16-0 before Saturday evening's state final) scored on the game's opening possession, moving methodically down the field before Parmer threw the first of her four touchdown passes.

Douglas (16-2) appeared equally rattled, with junior quarterback Taylor Thomas intercepted by Zorn on the game's eighth play -- leading to Parmer's second touchdown pass and a 12-0 lead.

But the rout wasn't on. Not with the Eagles on the field.

''They competed,'' Kaufman said. ``We weren't going to come here to be intimidated by Leon.''

A key second-quarter stop from the Eagles defense -- absent pass-rushing sophomore Amanda Belarmino, a Seventh-day Adventist unable to play on Saturdays -- stopped the onslaught.

Then Limpabandh -- the team's leading receiver -- struck, grabbing a 30-yard touchdown pass and adding the extra point to make it 12-7.

After that, Limpabandh said, ''the momentum seemed to move over to our side.'' Leon scored again, but Douglas responded with a 46-yard touchdown pass from Thomas to Kelsey Wys to make it 19-14.

Then came that crucial third down.

`SHE'S THAT GOOD'

''They just didn't have an answer for [Parmer],'' Kaufman said of his players. ``I mean, she's that good.''

''That good'' equaled 20 completions on 30 attempts, for 208 yards and four touchdowns. Parmer also ran eight times for 60 yards and converted an extra point and a two-point conversion.

Thomas, meanwhile, struggled early but rebounded to finish 12 of 27 for 173 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Wys caught seven passes for 101 yards and a score, and Limpabandh caught three passes for 56 yards, a touchdown and both extra points.

Still, Douglas fell -- an ''upsetting'' loss to Thomas, but one that showed her team's unwillingness to quit.

It also came in a round previously unseen by the Eagles -- the team never had reached the state quarterfinals before this season.

One more dose of hope: the fact that, despite losing Limpabandh and a couple of other receivers, most players -- including Thomas, Wys, Belarmino and pass-rusher Kerry Caputo -- return in 2009.

''We'll just see what happens next year,'' Thomas said. ``[We'll] just keep going with the rhythm that we have from this year and make it better next year.''