Bradenton Manatee Hurricanes (11-1) at Dr. Phillips Panthers (12-0)

When: Friday, 7:30pm

Where: Bill Spoone Stadium, Orlando (6500 Turkey Lake Road)

TV: BHSN (Channel 47 and HD 1147)

Live Streaming: www.bhsnlive.com

Coaches: Manatee – John Booth (1st, 11-1); Dr. Phillips – Rodney Wells (4th, 46-4)

How they match up: Two of the state’s top programs meet on Bright House Sports Network in the 8A, Region 2 championship game. Dr. Phillips defeated Valrico Bloomingdale and Tampa Plant in the first two rounds of the playoffs while Manatee got past Fort Pierce Central and Vero Beach. The Panthers have one of the state’s top defenses with a unit that is yielding less than 10 points per game. Dr. Phillips relies heavily on the run with physical backs Daquon Isom (156 car, 1,292 yds, 17 TD) and Jaylon Hamer (95 car, 544 yd, 6 TD). Quarterback Rudy Norwood (84/165, 1,225 yd, 16 TD, 6 INT) is 24-1 as a starter and his top target is senior wide receiver Mike Macon (32 rec, 595 yd, 5 TD). Manatee’s Johnnie Lang, one of the state’s top junior running backs, has racked up 2,011 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground. Hurricanes QB Sloan Drummonds (66/121, 967 yds, 7 TD, INT) took over the starting role in Week 5 and has taken good care of the football. DP’s coaching staff said that Manatee WR Kelvin McKnight (43 rec, 708 yds, 6 TD) would be the best they had gone up against this season. Top defensive players in the game include linebacker Nashon Smith (93 tk, 6 TFL) and defensive lineman Kwanzi Jackson (73 tk, 25 sacks, 23 TFL) for Manatee and defensive end Dylan Meeks (134 tk, 7 sacks) and linebacker Kelvin Clue (113 tk, 15 TFL) from Dr. Phillips. The winner of this game will be on the road for the state semifinals against either Jacksonville First Coast or Apopka.

Three facts to know:

1. In the last three years, Dr. Phillips and Manatee have combined for five losses. The Panthers are 36-2 since the start of 2012 while Manatee is 35-3.

2. Booth is a Manatee graduate and played in the NFL, NFL Europe and the Arena Football League as a wide receiver.

3. With a win, Dr. Phillips would reach the state semifinals for the third time in the last five seasons. The Panthers never advanced beyond the region semifinals from 1987-2009.