Final Game of the Season: WIll Armwood Win a 3rd State Title?

Win or lose, the season ends today for the Armwood High School Hawks.

The team travels Dec. 17 to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando for the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 6A title game.

Under head coach Sean Callahan, the Hawks either will come home with the season’s first loss or end the 2011 run undefeated and with the school’s third championship title. 

The hopes and dreams of the senior-heavy Armwood High School football team will be tested at 1 p.m. in a matchup against Miami Central.

It’s the second year in a row the Hawks have made it to the state championship game, their hopes shattered last year after a last-seconds field goal by Tallahassee-Lincoln in the Class 4A bracket. (See, .)

Bay News 9 reports in preview of today's game, with video, that going back to 2010, Armwood is 28-1, the sole loss being that gut-wrenching loss for the 2010 state title.

En route to today’s championship game, Armwood defeated Lakewood Ranch, of Bradenton, in the regional quarterfinals, 35-31.

Next, Armwood scored a over Hillsborough High, followed by a .

Sealing the deal for a Citrus Bowl bid was the Hawks’ 46-38 win, at home, over Bartram Trail, on Dec. 9. (See, .)

The Hillsborough County School District is sending two schools to the state finals.

Plant High defeated Neptune Beach Fletcher, 26-7, to advance to the finals in Class 8A competition.

The Panthers are scheduled to play Miramar on Dec. 17, at 7 p.m., also at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

INTERESTING FACTS:

• From 2003-05, the Armwood Hawks played in three straight state championship games.

• The Armwood Hawks were state champions in both 2003 and 2004.

• The team’s three-peat fell short in 2005, when the Nease Senior High School Panthers, led by Tim Tebow, defeated the Hawks 44-37.