Blue Darters returning to state finals!

There is just one more mountain to climb.

The Apopka Blue Darters won their fourth straight playoff game Friday night in Port St. Lucie, blanking the Treasure Coast Titans 21-0 in the Class 8-A state semifinals.

The win sends Apopka (12-2) back to the state championship game against the Venice Indians (13-1), who defeated Miami Columbus 35-7 in their semifinal matchup last Friday.

The Class 8-A State Championship is on Saturday, December 18th at 1 pm at the newly-renovated DRV PNK Stadium - formerly Lockhart Stadium, and home to Inter Miami CF of Major League Soccer.

DRV PNK Stadium opened in 2020 and has a seating capacity of 18,000.

The Titans entered the game averaging 345 yards rushing and 42.27 points per game, but the Blue Darters bottled up their potent offense from the outset and never relented.

After a scoreless first quarter, Apopka senior running back Quincy Frazier broke loose for a 73-yard touchdown in the second quarter. It gave the Blue Darters a 7-0 lead, which they held until halftime.

Midway in the third quarter, the Blue Darters doubled their lead when junior running back Keyondray Jones scored on another breakaway run of 51 yards to give Apopka a 14-0 advantage.

Then, in the final period, Frazier scored again on a 21-yard pass reception from senior quarterback Andrew McClain. It broke the game open and gave the Blue Darters a 21-0 lead.

Treasure Coast managed only three first downs in the game and had less than 50 yards of total offense.

The victory was the fourth straight playoff win and the eighth straight of the season for Apopka. It's also the fifth trip the Blue Darters will take to the state championship in the last nine years.

But this time, redemption is on their minds.

In 2019 Apopka took a 20-7 lead into the fourth quarter of the state championship game, only to surrender two touchdowns to Miami Columbus and lose 21-20.

And while they would like to avenge that loss, the Blue Darters will face a formidable opponent in Venice.

The Indians are 13-1 with a current six-game winning streak. In those six games, they have outscored their opponents 296-49. Apopka is currently on an eight-game winning streak and has outscored those opponents 292-39. Venice was ranked #2 in the final USA Today Florida Network Poll for 8A schools, while Apopka ranked #7.