If you were to pick the season when Palmetto would make it past the first round of the playoffs for just the second time in a history that dates to the 1950s, it likely wouldn't have been this one.

Not with perhaps the best running back in South Florida, Jaamal Berry, missing the last five games of the season. And not with six potential starters injured going into its Region 4-6A quarterfinal.

But, somehow, the Panthers have found a way to get it done all season.

On Friday, with Berry making his return to Palmetto's backfield against Southwest -- which was in the playoffs for the first time in 13 years -- the Panthers kept rolling with a 20-14 win at Tropical Park Stadium.

Palmetto (7-4) advances to the regional semifinals next week against Killian -- a team it lost to 29-0 in the second-to-last game of the season.

''It's a tremendous accomplishment for our kids,'' Panthers coach Larry Coffey said. ``These are two programs that are growing and progressing. Three years ago, neither one of us were playoff teams, and now we're playoff teams.''

After gaining just 64 yards in the first half and going into halftime trailing 7-3, Palmetto's offense came to life in the third quarter with two quick scores to go into the fourth leading 17-7.

On the Panthers' first drive of the second half, quarterback Kevin Karpiak rolled to his left and went untouched for a 6-yard touchdown. After forcing Southwest (8-3) into a three-and-out, Berry -- who had a game-high 176 yards -- scored on a 5-yard run.

''We started off slow, but in the second half we came out with split backs,'' said Berry, who has committed to Ohio State and added he would be attending the Buckeyes' game against Michigan on Saturday. ``It worked to perfection, we came out with the victory, and that's all that matters.''

After a 39-yard field goal by Karpiak, Southwest had the ball a little more than five minutes remaining and facing a six-point deficit. But the Eagles couldn't get a first down and Palmetto ran the clock out to end a season for Southwest that saw it reach the playoffs for the first time since 1995, when coach Patrick Burrows was in his senior year.

• Pace 35, Cardinal Gibbons 21: Host Monsignor Pace gained 262 yards on the ground in a victory against Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons in a Class 3A regional quarterfinal.

The win was the sixth in a row for Pace, ranked No. 10 in The Miami Herald South Florida poll, and the Spartans advance to next week's regional semifinal, where they will host undefeated Belle Glade Glades Central, the top-ranked Class 3A team in the state.

''Just a great effort and a great win for our team [Friday],'' Pace coach Alvin Slaugther said.

For the first time this season, the Spartans had two running backs gain more than 100 yards in the same game. Ronnie Dickens finished with 114 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns, and Deandre Johnson gained 110 yards on 17 carries with one touchdown. That touchdown came when his team held a 28-21 lead, and Johnson broke up the middle from 29 yards out with 3:13 left to seal the victory.

-- BILL DALEY

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