BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Union County High School had little trouble in a first-round playoff game, defeating visiting Holmes County 42-20. Now, the third seed Tigers draw an opponent that has experienced tremendous postseason success when they host the sixth seed Pahokee Blue Devils in a region final on Friday, Nov. 22, at 7:30 p.m.
Pahokee (7-3) is in the playoffs for the 35th year. The Devils have a postseason record of 61-26, not counting their 2016 season in which they won the Class 1A state championship. That championship and postseason wins were vacated due to use of an ineligible player.
Still, Pahokee is one of 16 schools to have won at least six state championships. The Blue Devils won the Class 2A title in 1989 and were the Class 2B champs in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008. In the 2003 championship game, they defeated Union 21-6 — the last time the two teams played each other in the postseason.
Pahokee has also been the state runner-up in 1976 (2A), 1998 (3A) and 2005 (2B).
During the 2024 regular season, the Devils played only three teams that had winning records, losing to all three (21-14 to 7A Palm Beach Central, 43-8 to 1A Cardinal Newman and 23-16 to 2A Glades Central). Those three teams had a combined record of 25-3 and all qualified for the playoffs.
However, Pahokee had no trouble in its region semifinal matchup against 11th seed Chipley, which entered the game 7-2. The Devils won 42-0.
It was the first game Pahokee had played against a fellow Rural Class team.
The Devils are scoring an average of 23 points per game. They’ve scored at least four touchdowns in six games.
Pahokee is averaging 257 rushing yards per game, led by senior Rashon Brown Jr., who has 1,177 yards and four touchdowns on 128 carries. Samuel Arnold, a junior, has 566 yards and two touchdowns on 67 carries.
The Devils are averaging 140 passing yards per game, with junior quarterback Zay Mitchell completing 97 of 153 passes for 1,397 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s thrown only one interception.
Pahokee’s top two receivers are senior Herbert Crawford and junior Kamari Foreman. Crawford has 33 catches for 503 yards and five touchdowns. Foreman has 34 catches for 487 yards and three touchdowns.
Leading rusher Brown has 19 receptions for 387 yards and a touchdown.
Opponents are scoring an average of nine points per game. In the Devils’ eight wins, they’ve allowed a total of 16 points.
Senior linebacker Daylon Dean leads Pahokee in tackles with 74, while senior linebacker/end Kani Smith has 64. Junior defensive back Ricky Gary Jr. and junior lineman Antonio Simpson have 59 and 57, respectively, while junior lineman Cormarion Embry has 52.
The Devils have also gotten 46 tackles from junior lineman Tristian Gooden.
Simpson leads the team in tackles for loss with 16, including 8.5 sacks. Embry, Gooden and Smith each have double-digit tackles for loss, with Gooden and Smith each having recorded eight sacks.
Pahokee’s defense hasn’t created many turnovers this year with just two fumble recoveries and five interceptions.
If Union defeats the Blue Devils, it will advance to the Nov. 29 state semifinals. The Tigers would either travel to play second seed Madison County (7-3) or host 10th seed Blountstown (8-3).
