Dillard defeated McArthur 47-0 in a Region 3-6A quarterfinal in what quickly became a one-sided affair Friday night.

After a blocked Mustang punt that put the Panthers in the red zone, McArthur posed a strong defensive stance, holding Dillard scoreless and forcing the four-and-out.

Dillard's running game finally paid off in the final few seconds of the first quarter as Trabis Ward broke the McArthur defense to score on a 45-yard touchdown run, 7-0.

The Panthers improved their lead 14-0 after finding the end zone on a 23-yard touchdown pass to from quarterback Craig Weaver, who scrambled out of the pocket to deliver the pass.

Soon after, Otis Wright penetrated McArthur defense on a 30-yard run for yet another Panthers touchdown.

Dillard was able to conclude the first half by driving the ball downfield, resulting in a 24-yard touchdown reception by Marlon Gillis.

Ward collected 124 rushing yards in the first half.

On their first possession of the second half, Wright scored for the Panthers on a 50-yard run, making the score 33-0 after the PAT.

With 6:40 left in the third quarter, Dillard's Jarrett Dieudonne blocked a McArthur punt and ran the ball back for another Panthers touchdown.

The Panthers sealed the deal early in the fourth quarter, driving the ball down the field for a 5-yard touchdown run by Clarence Doe.

Ward finished with 143 rushing yards and 27 in the air, registering a 161 multipurpose yards. The Panthers will now move on to take on St. Thomas Aquinas in the semifinal district championship game Friday.

• Archbishop Carroll 31, American Heritage 28: Archbishop Carroll (9-2) converted a 19-yard field goal with 3:18 remaining and then withstood a furious last-minute drive to pick up the victory against American Heritage in a Region 4-2A semifinal at Cutis Park.

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 14 in The Miami Herald's South Florida Top 20 poll, will play the winner of Friday's Gulliver-North Broward Prep game next Friday in the regional final.

The Bulldogs will play Gulliver at Curtis Park on Friday.

With the game tied at 28 with less than six minutes remaining, Archbishop Carroll forced and recovered a fumble inside the American Heritage 10-yard line.

After three unsuccessful attempts at the end zone, Carroll settled for a field goal as Peter Perez knocked through a 19-yarder.

The Patriots (8-3) made things interesting, driving 74 yards down the field to the Archbishop Carroll 26-yard line with 18 seconds remaining.

With is team trailing 31-28, American Heritage quarterback Ryan Williams dropped back, shook off a blitzing tackler and threw toward a receiver in the right corner of the end zone.

But Williams' last-ditch effort in what was an otherwise spectacular performance came up short, as Archbishop Carroll's Jeff Scott picked off the pass in the end zone, setting off a wild celebration on the Bulldogs' sideline.

''It wasn't a very comfortable position for me on the sideline knowing that these guys are coming down the field and [American Heritage coach] Byron Walker's on the other sideline,'' Archbishop Carroll coach Jorge Zagales said. ``So, yeah, I was a little nervous there, but I have confidence in my guys. The senior class is unbelievable.

``They've carried us through this whole year and they persevered.''

-- ANDREW DONOVAN

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