A year ago, Miramar needed quarterback Eugene Smith to orchestrate late-game miracles and light up the scoreboard to help the Patriots get through the playoffs.

This year, the ``Dark Side'' is taking care of things. Miramar's defense, by far the stingiest in Broward County, put on another clinic Friday night. District rival Plantation paid the price, falling 23-7 in a Region 3-6A semifinal game at Miramar.

The Patriots (11-1) surrendered only three first downs -- one on a roughing-the-passer penalty in the fourth quarter -- and limited the Colonels (8-4) to 29 yards passing and 38 yards rushing. And they didn't give up a touchdown for the third consecutive week.

Plantation's Devin Drane opened the game with a 93-yard kickoff return to put the Colonels ahead 7-0. It was the only time a Plantation ball carrier didn't have a hand on them all night.

``They played hard, kept us out of sync all night,'' said Plantation coach Steve Davis, whose team rung up 38 points against Deerfield Beach a week ago but scored none against Miramar's defense in eight quarters this season.

``Their quick. They got a lot of speed. They'll be tough on any opponent they play in the next round.''

The Patriots, state semifinalists last season, will host District 12-6A runner-up Miami Krop (8-4) Friday. So far, the only points the Patriots have given up in the playoffs on defense was a field goal to Northeast in the opening round last week.

Friday, the Patriots sacked Plantation quarterback Imonni Carswell four times and held leading rusher Michael Anderson to 31 yards on 14 carries. Senior Jamal Bass brought Carswell down in the end zone with 11:51 left in the fourth quarter for a safety, a play that made the score 23-7. Sophomore Tracey Howard then intercepted Carswell's final pass at the Miramar 20 to seal the win.

``We weren't nervous at all. We've been behind before,'' Bass said. ``We just knew we had to step up, come out hard and set the tone.''

Plantation, led by juniors Ryan Shazier and Jerome Howard, had some early success holding the Patriots' offense in check. But the Patriots finally got rolling late in the second quarter when quarterback Ryan Williams connected with Dante Chambers for 13 yards, Malcolm Lewis for 15 yards and Ivan McCartney for 15 more on back-to-back-to-back plays. Running back Jeremiah Hicks then skipped into the end zone from 5 yards out with 1:26 left in the first half to the score at 7.

Lewis took the opening second half kickoff back 98 yards to give Miramar a 14-7 lead. Hicks capped a nine-play, 46-yard scoring drive with another 5-yard touchdown run with 1:03 left in the third quarter.

Williams finished 14 of 24 for 125 yards but was sacked five times. Miramar finished with 50 yards rushing.

``We were a confused a bit in the first half,'' Miramar coach Damon Cogdell said. ``The defense kept telling everyone to just calm down. They played well all night -- like they have all season.''