American Heritage Plantation Outlasts Jones, 33-28, in Wild Finish to Repeat as Class 4A State Champ

Patriots take 26-7 lead in third quarter, then hold off Jones in frenetic fourth quarter to win seventh title

American Heritage QB Leon Strawder hands the ball off during the Patriots' Class 4A state semifinal football game at Choctawhatchee. AHP won 31-14 and advanced to the state championship game against Orlando Jones on Saturday, Dec. 13, at FIU in Miami. / Michael Snyder / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The American Heritage Patriots marched to their second consecutive Class 4A state title on Saturday afternoon, and for the second straight year, they survived a nail-biting finish with Orlando Jones at FIU's Pitbull Stadium in Miami.

Forced to punt with less than a minute left and leading 33-28, AHP got the special teams play of the day when Adrian Flores recovered a muffed return by Jones’ DJ Hicks with 22 seconds left. The special teams gaffe by the Tigers (12-3) cost them a shot at a final drive and potentially winning a state championship for the first time, setting off a wild celebration on the Patriots’ sideline.

AHP (9-5) then took a knee to capture its seventh state championship.

Pre-game Notes

American Heritage Plantation has played a brutal schedule, losing to Class 1A state runner-up Chaminade-Madonna, unbeaten Edna Karr (New Orleans), Miami Central, Archbishop McCarthy and Class 5A state champion Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. AHP has won five state titles. Jones has won 10 straight and is seeking its first state championship.

Play Pick'Em and let us know who you think will win this contest.

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	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q
Jones	7	0	0	21
American Heritage	0	7	19	7

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Live Updates

(Refresh this post throughout the game for living scoring updates and analysis.)

1st Quarter

American Heritage kicks off to Jones.

Daunte Wallace barrels ahead for 4 yards, then Dereon Coleman INC pass.

Coleman pass to Larry Miles, Nebraska signee, but Jones comes up short of 1st down. Forced to punt.

American Heritage called for roughing the kicker penalty on punter. Jones 1st down.

Dereon Coleman, Miami signee, taking over with big runs for Jones!

Coleman with 3 rushes for 16 yards.

Daunte Wallace rips off 10-yard run for Jones, but then Coleman is sacked for 3 yards by American Heritage star Micah Price!

Jones OL Dainan Success hobbles off with injury.

JONES QB Dereon Coleman beautiful 40-yard TD strike to DJ Hicks, who catches ball between 2 defenders! Tigers make PAT and lead American Heritage, 7-0, with 7:09 left.

AHP QB Leon Strawder goes deep on 1st down, INC pass.

Quinton Evans tackles AHP Leon Strawder short of 1st down. Patriots punt. Jones leads 7-0 at water break.

Jones 1st down at its 37. 1st down 11-yard pass from Dereon Coleman to Larry Miles.

Coleman hammers forward for another 1st down to AHP 40-yard line.

Coleman running wild for Jones! Tigers at AHP 20-yard line with 2:51 left.

AHP's Micah Price makes big stop on Daunte Wallace.

Jones inside AHP 10-yard line.

American Heritage LB Dylan Bennett shoots the gap and sacks Jones QB Dereon Coleman, forcing 3rd down.

END OF FIRST QUARTER: Jones 7, American Heritage Plantation 0

2nd Quarter

FUMBLE! Jones WR Larry Miles fumbles on reverse, AHP's Joshua Houston recovers!

American Heritage RB Tremaine Mullen running wild. Patriots at Jones 38-yard line.

Holding penalty on AHP. 3rd down

Jobes CB Ke'Sean Williams break up pass! Forces American Heritage to punt!

Jones QB Dereon Coleman picks up 1st down on run.

American Heritage DB Derrick Nichols makes great pass break-up!

AHP DE Rodarion Tellez with brutal sack on Jones QB Dereon Coleman, forces punt!

Jones forces American Heritage to punt.

JJones 3rd down with 1:37 left. Timeout.

3rd and 3. Incomplete pass. Jones forced to punt again.

AHP QB Leon Strawder big 33-yard pass to Brandon Bennett! Pats at Jones 38-yard line.

Holding call on Jones.

PASS interference on Jones. 1st down for AHP at Jones 14-yard line.

American Heritage QB Leon Strawder beautiful 14-yard TD pass to Jamar Denson over the middle! PAT is good. AHP 7, Jones 7, with 51 seconds left.

Jones pinned way back after penalty on KO return. 3rd down now.

Jones Sr. G Jakahari Leonard with apparent right ankle injury. Helped off field by 2 teammates with 29 seconds left in 1H.

Tigers pick up 1st down. Clock runs out.

END OF FIRST HALF: American Heritage Plantation 7, Jones 7.

First-half stats:

AHP -- 137 total yards, 27 rushing, 110 passing, 7:34 time of possession, 3-27 penalties, 1-4 on 3rd downs.

Jones -- 164 total yards, 104 rushing, 60 passing, 16:26 time of possesion, 3-31 penalties, 5-10 on 3rd downs.

3rd Quarter

American Heritage Plantation QB Leon Strawder runs for big gain up the middle, but stripped and fumbles ball away. Ke'Sean Williams recovers! Jones gets ball at AHP 33-yard line!

Jones QB fumbles ball, but Tigers recovers.

Jones' 47-yard FG blocked! Long return by AHP. First down at Jones 25 yard line!

AHP Tremaine Mullen barrels in from the 5-yard line for touchdown! Patriots take the lead, 13-7, against Jones with 8:22 left. PAT fails.

American Heritage defensive line sacks Jones QB Dereon Coleman again, forces punt, with 6:08 left.

Nice punt return by Ky'mariel Brown puts AHP near midfield.

American Heritage Plantation sophomore RB Tremaine Mullen another big run.

AHP QB Leon Strawder long pass to Jamar Denson for touchdown! Tremaine Mullen catches 2-pt pass and popped at 1-yard line by Jones and fails to convert. Patriots lead Jones, 19-7, with 5:08 left.

Jones QB Dereon Coleman on the move again! Big run for 1st down.

AHP's Terrance Johson intercepts Coleman and sprints for long return! 11 picks now for Johnson!

Personal foul on Jones on AHP next play from scrimmage.

AHP QB Leon Strawder big pass to Jeffar Jean-noel for 1st down to Jones 14-yard line.

Jones star LB Bertrand Derose injured and is helped off the field at 2:05 left. Top tackler for the Tigers.

American Heritage QB Leon Strawder scores on 14-yard TD on designed QB run! PAT is good! Patriots have scored 26 unanswered points to take a 26-7 lead with 1:46 left in 3Q.

AHP sacks Dereon Coleman again for 4-yard loss.

Coleman with big run for 1st down! And then 1st down pass to Daunte Wallace on the right side.

Coleman another big 1st down run, and then short pass to Larry Miles.

END OF THIRD QUARTER: American Heritage Plantation 26, Jones 7.

4th Quarter

Jones at AHP 17 yard line! 2nd and 6

AHP stops Coleman. 3rd and 5, then Coleman throws 16-yard TD pass to Larry Miles in end zone! PAT good. American Heritage Plantation 26, Jones 14, with 11:14 left in game.

AHP from 20-yard line.

INTERCEPTION! Jones' DB Maecellus Reese picks off AHP QB Leon Strawder! Returns to AHP 13-yard line!

3rd and 7 from 10-yard line for Jones.

Timeout Jones 9:15 left. AHP 26, Jones 14.

Jones QB Dereon Coleman 4 yard pass to Larry Miles. 4th and 3 from the 5 yard line. Timeout. 8:42 left.

Jones QB Dereon Coleman evades tackles, makes 1st down at 1-yard line.

Coleman scores on 1-yard keeper with 8:33 left! Tigers close deficit to five points, trail AHP, 26-21!

American Heritage on the move behind QB Leon Strawder.

Strawder huge run up the middle, running over tacklers. AHP at Jones 29-yard line.

2nd and 6 for AHP

3rd and 2.

Facemask penalty on Jones, gives AHP ball at Jones 11-yard line.

5-yard penalty on Jones. Ball at 6-yard line

Tremaine Mullen races in for 6 yards on TD! American Heritage Plantation takes 33-21 lead over Jones with 3:19 left.

AHP kicks off from 20-yard line after 2 penalties on Patriots.

Jones gets ball at AHP 45 yard line with 3:14 left.

TOUCHDOWN! Jones WR Larry Miles scores on 1-yard wildcat! American Heritage 33, Jones 28, with 2:20 left!

Jones onside kick recovered by AHP's Jeffar Jean-noel. Patriots have ball at their 40-yard line.

Jones forces 4th down with 35 seconds left. AHP tries to draw Jones offsides but fails. 4th and 5. Patriots punt. But, Jones' DJ Hicks muffs punt, loses ball to AHP.

American Heritage takes knee. Game over. Patriots repeat as Class 4A state champ!

FINAL: American Heritage 33, Jones 28

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Players to Watch

American Heritage Plantation

Leon Strawder, Sr., QB -- In-season transfer from Miami Northwestern; 2,052 yards passing, 19 TDs, 11 interceptions; 132 yards rushing, six TDs.

Jamar Denson, St., WR -- Troy signee; 69 catches, 991 yards, 15 TDs.

Jonathan Bueno, Jr., Junior, RB -- 505 yards rushing, seven TDs; nine D-1 offers.

Micah Price, Soph., DT/DL -- 84 tackles, including 39 solo and12 for loss.

Rodarion Tellez, Sr., DE -- Toledo signee; 63 tackles, including 29 solo and 19 for loss, and 13 sacks.

Terrance Johnson, Sr., ATH -- 52 tackles, including 29 solo, and 10 interceptions; multiple offers, including USF, Oregon State and Liberty.

JONES

Dereon Coleman, Sr., QB -- Miami signee; 2,749 yards passing, 28 TDs, three interceptions; 643 yards rushing, four TDs.

Larry Miles, Sr., WR -- Nebraska signee; 88 catches, 1,111 yards, 10 TDs.

DJ Hicks, Sr., WR -- 55 catches, 1,036 yards, 14 TDs.

Daunte Wallace, Sr., RB/LB -- 1,368 yards rushing, 20 TDs; multiple offers, including Bethune-Cookman College.

Bertrand Derose, Sr., LB -- 105 tackles, including 17 solo and 13 for loss, and four sacks.

Fred Ards, Jr., DE -- 73 tackles, including 22 solo; multiple offers, including Penn State and Colorado.

Quinton Evans, Sr., LB -- 77 tackles, including 25 solo, and 10 sacks; multiple offers, including UMass.

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Jeff Gardenour can be reached via email at jgardenour1962@gmail.com or X @JMarkG1962