Hillsborough County Football Playoff Capsules

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

WHERE: Dad's Stadium, 2415 S. Himes Ave., Tampa

WINNER ADVANCES: To regional final to face Tampa Bay Tech-Countryside winner

NEED TO KNOW: Alonso claimed early momentum in the regular season meeting between these district rivals. That momentum shifted in Plant's favor when Allen Sampson returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and the Panthers went on to win 57-21.

In their familiar postseason mode, Plant set the tone early with three scores in the first four minutes in last week's 59-14 victory against Plant City. The Panthers kept the Raiders off balance with a mix of a strong running game, led by T.J. Glover's 144 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Phillip Ely's air attack. Alonso can expect a similar formula.

Plant coach Robert Weiner said Alonso's C.J. Bennett is the best quarterback they've faced all season. Last week in the Ravens come-from-behind victory against Newsome, Bennett threw for six touchdowns, one shy of the state playoff record set by Gator quarterback Tim Tebow in 2004. Alonso will need more than Bennett's arm to beat Plant. They'll need to shore up special teams coverage and get a strong effort from the defense.

COUNTRYSIDE (10-1) AT TAMPA BAY TECH (9-1)

WHERE: 6410 Orient Rd., Tampa

WINNER ADVANCES: To regional final to face Alonso-Plant winner

NEED TO KNOW: For the second week in a row, TBT faces a strong, physical squad from Pinellas County. Last week, the Titans knocked off East Lake 22-6 in the first round of the playoffs and now it's the Cougars, who last week limited Freedom to less than 200 yards total offense in a 17-7 win.

While Countryside managed to keep Freedom's ground game in check with just 45 yards of production, it has yet to face a running back like the Titans senior Maurice Hagens. The University of Miami-bound Hagens has turned in just one sub-100 yard rushing performance this fall and has scored two or more touchdowns in five games. It's no secret that containing Hagens is the key to success against TBT but so far, only two-time state champion Armwood has figured out how to do that.

The Cougars have their own workhorse in the backfield, senior Alton Taylor, who has rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and scored a whopping 27 TDs this fall. Last week, he bullied Freedom for more than 200 yards rushing and one TD. TBT's defense, however, will likely be the toughest Taylor has faced this year. The Titans have held six of its 10 opponents to under 10 points and have produced 23 sacks and 10 interceptions.

CLASS 4A

LOCATION: Packer Stadium, 410 Missouri Ave., Largo

WINNER ADVANCES: To regional final to face Punta Gorda Charlotte-Cape Coral winner

NEED TO KNOW: Armwood is seeking its seventh consecutive trip to a regional final, and the Hawks will have to get past one of Pinellas County's most successful programs in recent years to achieve that.

Largo's overall team speed is what most concerns Hawks coaches, who say they haven't faced a team this season equivalent to what the Packers posses. Slowing down 1,000-yard rusher D.J. Key and putting pressure on young quarterback Juwan Brown, who threw for a pair of scores in a 24-3 win over Hillsborough last week, will be keys for the Hawks defense.

Armwood leaned on its ground attack late in a come-from-behind 22-9 win over Sickles last week, and the Hawks' backfield will have the benefit of a healthy Matt Jones tonight against the Packers. Some other good news is Hawks coach Sean Callahan believes this was the best week of practice for his team this season, and he's hoping it translate onto the field.

CLASS 3A

LOCATION: Sam Horton Field, 4401 W. Cypress St., Tampa

WINNER ADVANCES: To regional final to face Ocala Vanguard-Citra North Marion winner

NEED TO KNOW: This is a rematch of a Week 6 meeting between District 8 foes, which Jefferson won 27-6. The Dragons, who defeated Land O' Lakes 43-22 last week, are seeking their first trip to a regional final since 2004. That season, the Dragons reached the state title game.

Jefferson's passing game, behind quarterback Quentin Williams and receiver Andre Davis, is one of the area's best, but the Dragons had a lot of success running the football in their first win over Lakewood. With Jefferson's goal to be physical and control the line of scrimmage, look for Demetrius Russell (660 yards, four TDs) and Ladarius Moye (269 yards, 11 TDs) to get some early touches in the run game as the Dragons' offensive line, led by Garrett Wolfe, tries to set the tone again.

Lakewood, meanwhile, must get the ball into the hands of playmaker Bernard Reedy, something the Spartans failed to do much of in their loss to Jefferson earlier this season. Limiting Lakewood's big plays on offense and forcing the Spartans to work hard for every score is the goal for the Dragons defense.

CLASS 2A

WHERE: Jack Peters Field, 6311 S. Lois Ave., Tampa

WINNER ADVANCES: To state semifinal to face Plantation American Heritage-Belle Glade Glades Central winner

NEED TO KNOW: This is the deepest Robinson has been in the playoffs since a regional final appearance in 1997, and the Knights are seeking their first trip to the state semifinals since 1971.

After dealing with Arcadia DeSoto County's potent Wing-T offense last week, the Knights defense must again deal with a potent ground attack against Hardee, which runs the option. The Wildcats, who feature a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in quarterback Ezayi Youyoute (1,053 yards, 15 TDs) and running back Jarrius Lindsey (1,154 yards, 16 TDs), racked up 549 rushing yards in last week's 49-21 win over Jesuit.

Robinson's offense continues to score quickly and in bunches. Receiver Frankie Williams, who caught a 69-yard scoring pass from quarterback Blake Rice on the Knights' first play from scrimmage in last week's 42-21 win over DeSoto County, has at least one touchdown reception in each of his last five games.

CLASS 2B

WHERE: Crusaders Stadium, 4630 N. Rome Ave., Tampa

WINNER ADVANCES: To state semifinal to face Hollywood Chaminade-Coconut Creek North Broward Prep winner.

NEED TO KNOW: This is the second time these two state-ranked squads have squared off this season, with Tampa Catholic winning the regular season meeting in Orlando 25-20 back in late September.

Because of that earlier encounter, Crusaders coach Bob Henriquez says he is wary of the rematch. Not only will the Highlanders be motivated for revenge, they should have a better handle on how to contain the Crusaders' high-powered offense. The first time, senior running back Hank McCloud was the key for TC, rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns. But for the most part, Lake Highland Prep's defense has been stout, especially in recent outings. Last week, it shut out Cape Coral Island Coast - as well as returning two interceptions returned for TDs. And in its last six games, Lake Highland Prep hasn't allowed more than 19 points to any opponent.

Boosting the Crusaders' confidence is the fact that apart from their annual hiccup against rival Jesuit, they have steadily improved, particularly on the defensive front seven. There, the TC defense will be keying on Highlanders quarterback Bobby Borcky, a heady, 6-2, 185-pound senior who is the son of head coach Tim Borcky and is closing in on a 1,000-yard passing season.

Katherine Smith, Adam Adkins, Bill Ward