Trinity Catholic rolls past defending champ FBA in Class 1S semifinals

NAPLES, FLORIDA _ The Trinity Catholic football team had been waiting 356 days for this moment, and the Celtics' determination was clear.

Almost a year after Trinity from Ocala lost to Naples' First Baptist Academy in the Class 1S state championship game, the Celtics got revenge in a big way Friday. Trinity scored seven touchdowns in a little more than three quarters and coasted to a 51-36 victory over defending state champ FBA on the road.

Though they're only 6-7, having played a treacherous schedule, the Celtics head to the 1S title game. They will play Cardinal Mooney from Sarasota on Friday in Tallahassee.

Celtics offense was unstoppable

In the 2022 state finals, Trinity Catholic managed only a field goal and was scoreless in the final three quarters of a 21-3 loss. It looked like the Celtics would fall into the same pattern early Friday.

On the first possession of the game the Celtics, who took a four-hour bus ride to FBA earlier that day, went three-and-out. That would be the only time the host Lions stopped Trinity for the next three quarters.

The Celtics scored on seven of their next eight possessions, including six touchdowns. The only time they didn't score was when they kneeled down to end the first half.

After scoring 23 unanswered points, Trinity was up 30-14 two minutes into the second half. The Celtics scored on all three possessions in the third quarter to take a 44-22 lead into the fourth.

Then, with 10:19 left in the fourth quarter, Celtics defensive back Courtney Patterson returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown and a 51-22 lead.

Trinity pounded the Lions up front

The Celtics were much bigger than FBA on the offensive and defensive lines. They ran the ball through the Lions in the first half, and their defensive line got pressure on FBA's quarterback to force turnovers.

Trinity junior running back Austin Holder ran for 82 yards and three touchdowns in the first half and finished with 139. Holder had 155 yards the week before in the regional finals.

Celtics quarterback Preston Wright, another junior, passed for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns. One of those scores went to Cedrick McFadden, who also had an interception and a fumble recovery on defense.

Trinity held FBA to less than 50 yards rushing.

FBA falls flat

The Lions (9-4) came into Friday averaging 38 points and 248 passing yards per game, thanks to a pair of future Division I receivers and a gun-slinging quarterback.

That QB, junior Ethan Crossan, threw for 338 yards and four touchdowns against Trinity. However three of those TDs and many of those yards came after the Celtics were up by three touchdowns.

Crossan threw three interceptions after he had thrown just five picks in the first 12 games of the season.

Junior receiver Winston Watkins, who recently decommitted from Colorado, caught a 67-yard touchdown on FBA's third play. After that, the Lions' offense was mostly quiet until the fourth quarter.

Watkins also had an 11-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter and a 61-yard scoring catch late in the fourth.

Sophomore receiver Jayden Petit caught two touchdowns. Both big-play receivers finished with more than 1,000 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns this season.