The high school football regular season is over and 14 of USF’s Class of 2020 prospects were fortunate enough to make the postseason with their respective teams. So lets check in on where those #20Strong members stand as we head into the weekend.

FHSAA 1A

Pahokee LB Frankie Burgess

Struggling to start the year, Pahokee finished the 2019 season on fire with three straight victories to earn themselves a first-round bye in the Class 1A state playoffs. The Blue Devils will matchup with visiting Hawthorne on Friday where the winners will advance to next week’s Region 4 finals to play either Newberry or Chiefland.

The USF verbal commit Burgess certainly made his presence felt in Pahokee’s three-game winning streak, a stretch that included a 21-17 victory over Glades Central in the famous Muck Bowl.

His play is starting to catch the eye of some power five programs like Maryland. Soon, he may no longer be an under-the-radar prospect heading into the early signing period...

FHSAA 3A

Ocala Trinity Catholic OT Miller Merriweather-Lewis

The big four-star offensive tackle and his Celtics passed their first-round test last Friday night, surviving a late-push by Trinity Christian Academy out of Jacksonville to advance with a 23-21 victory.

TC will travel across state for round two on Friday to meet Pensacola Catholic, who’s coming off a first-round bye. The winner will advance to the Region 1 final to face either the Episcopal School of Jacksonville or Florida High.

FHSAA 4A

The Villages Charter DB Mac Harris

Harris and company handled their business in the first-round, stampeding over Cypress Creek for a 42-7 beatdown.

VC advances to the Region 2 semifinal for a rematch with rival South Sumter, who handed the Buffalo a 22-21 loss back on Oct. 11. The winner will head to the Region 2 final next Friday to play the winner of Cocoa/Astronaut.

FHSAA 5A

Dunnellon DB AJ Hamilton

Dunnellon’s season came to an unfortunate end last Friday as they were crushed by North Marion 48-9 in the first round. The 9-2 Tigers had defeated the Colts for the District 6 title just a few weeks earlier.

Plantation American Heritage OG Khristopher Love

Elsewhere in the 5A bracket, American Heritage whooped Key West 53-15 to advance to round two.

Love and the Patriots will battle North Miami Beach on Friday where the winner will face either Killian or defending state champion Miami Northwestern in the Region 4 final.

Please enjoy this video of Love getting his own Piesman moment from a few weeks back.

Port Orange Atlantic LB Ty Berrong

Berrong housed an 80-yard pick six to get the momentum rolling for Atlantic’s 41-14 victory over River Ridge, the school’s first playoff victory since 1996.

According to Chris Boyle of the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the pick-six was inspired by a cookie bet.

Berrong and the Sharks will head to Lake Wales for the Region 3 semis on Friday where the winner will face either Chamberlain or Jesuit next week.

FHSAA 6A

Tampa Gaither LB Chance Coleman

Top-seeded Tampa Gaither got their first postseason victory in eight years with a 47-27 victory over Boca Ciega last Friday night.

The hometown prospect and his Cowboys will aim to advance further on Friday when hosting Clearwater. The winner will face either Largo or Lake Minneola in the Region 2 finals next week.

Lake City Columbia QB Jordan Smith

Lake City Columbia WR Marquez Bell

Lake City Columbia LB Le’Vontae Camiel

On a rainy night, defense prevailed as Lake City Columbia emerged victorious with a 14-7 first-round win over Ponte Vedra.

The Columbia trio of Smith, Bell and Camiel will try to help their Tigers get over the hurdle of Jacksonville Lee on Friday, the same team who handed them a 27-21 overtime loss earlier in the season.

The winner will advance to the Region 1 final to face either Escambia or Mainland. Speaking of Mainland...

Daytona Beach Mainland RB Taron Keith

Keith rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns as Mainland ran all over Pensacola Booker T. Washington 38-20 last Friday.

Chris Boyle profiled the future Bull and his big night.

Keith and his Buccaneers will now trek across state to face undefeated Escambia.

FHSAA 8A

DeLand CB Ben Knox

Knox and his Bulldogs’ season ended in a heartbreaker last Friday.

Up 21-7 on Timber Creek in the fourth the Wolves stormed back to pull to within one with 45 seconds left. Playing for the win, Timber Creek QB Jake Johnson sauntered into the endzone for the go-ahead score. Getting the ball downfield, DeLand kicker Alec Marcard missed a potential game-winning 44-yard field goal as time expired.

Deerfield Beach CB Christopher Townsel

Powehouse Deerfield overpowered Palm Beach Gardens last Friday, handing them a 53-9 beating to advance to round two of the 8A bracket.

Townsel and the Bucks will head to Palm Beach Central where the winner will meet either Vero Beach or Treasure Coast in the Region 3 final next week.

GHSA 6A

Valdosta QB Tate Rodemaker

Crossing over into the state of Georgia now where the first round of the GHSA state playoffs will begin on Friday.

Three-star quarterback Tate Rodemaker and his Region 1 runner-up Wildcats will host Lakeside-Evans with the winner advancing to round two to play either Richmond Hill or M.L. King.

The Peach State product has been getting more and more recognition as one of the best signal callers in the state in recent weeks, receiving offers from Virginia Tech and Utah.

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2020 Verbal Commits

• Tampa Gaither LB Chance Coleman
• Sarasota RB Brian Battie
• Gainesville DT Gentle Hunt
• Lake City Columbia QB Jordan Smith
• OT Miller Merriweather-Lewis, ATH Marquez Bell, LB Le’Vontae Camiel
• Daytona Beach Mainland RB Taron Keith and DeLand CB Ben Knox
• Valdosta High School QB Tate Rodemaker
• The Villages Charter School DB Mac Harris
• Dunnelon DB AJ Hamilton
• Plantation American Heritage OG Khristopher Love
• Port Orange Atlantic LB Ty Berrong
• Wauchula Hardee OT Evan Webster
• Deerfield Beach CB Christopher Townsel
• Pahokee LB Frankie Burgess
• East Los Angeles DT Sione “John” Tuitupou