Champagnat defeats Seffner Christian, reaches fourth consecutive state title game
Champagnat Catholic, with more than 300 yards of total offense, defeated Seffner Christian 30-21 in a Class 2A state semifinal on Friday night at Flamingo Park.
Champagnat (9-3) now heads to its fourth consecutive Class 2A state final where it will face will face Lakeland’s Victory Christian Academy on Thursday at Gene Cox Stadium in Tallahassee.
Champagnat got on the scoreboard first when Ryle Aguila punched in a 1-yard quarterback sneak. The Lions got the ball in great position thanks to a 40-yard catch by Johnquai Lewis. The extra point was blocked.
The following Lions’ drive ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Calvin Montgomery.
Seffner (10-4) responded on the next drive with two big receptions by Michael Trigg that set up a 12-yard touchdown run by Justin Stubbs. Seffner got the ball back when a short kickoff was muffed by Champagnat.
The Crusaders capitalized on the extra possession when Isaiah Knowles scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak. The extra point put Seffner up 14-13 early in the third quarter.
Seffner forced a punt by Champagnat on the next drive and soon found themselves back in the red zone. The Lions’ Justin Payoute came up with an interception and return into Chruaders territory to flip momentum.
Both teams failed to score on their next drive. With 1:17 left, the Lions scored on a ten-yard run by Montgomery to go up 20-14. Champagnat got the ball back with seconds left. A 30-yard catch by Cur’mari Dopson setup a 30-yard field goal by Eathan Moncada as time expired. The Lions led 23-14 at halftime.
The Crusaders put together a solid drive to start the third quarter and capped it with an 11-yard touchdown catch by Trigg.
In the fourth quarter, a long drive by Champagnat ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Aguila to Shayon Walton. That score put the Lions up 30-21.
Champagnat played its best in the final quarter to clinch the victory.
The Lions dominated the region on the way to state. They earned the top seed in Region 4-2A to start with a bye. In the semifinal, they defeated Miami Christian 35-7. In the region final, they topped Moore Haven 42-0.
Seffner, a school located 10 miles east of Tampa, entered as the No. 3 seed in Region 3-2A. They defeated Zephyrhills Christian, Northside Christian (St. Petersburg) and Admiral Farragut (St. Petersburg) to reach the state semifinal.
Last year, Champagnat also made a trip to the state championship, but lost 28-20 against North Florida Christian. In 2017 and 2016, they faced University Christian in the state championship with a win in 2017 and loss in 2016.
This story was originally published November 29, 2019 at 10:30 PM.