No. 4 Osceola Kowboys (11-1) at No. 5 Dr. Phillips Panthers (9-3)

When: Friday, 7:30pm

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

TV: BHSN (Channel 47 and HD 1147)

Coaches: Osceola – Doug Nichols (6th, 63-15); Dr. Phillips – Rodney Wells (5th, 55-8)

About the matchup: Two of Central Florida’s perennial powers meet with a spot in the state semifinals on the line.    

Osceola, last year’s 7A runner-up, is in the third round of the playoffs for the fourth straight year. The Kowboys enter Friday night on a seven game winning streak. Osceola has scored 40 or more points in four straight games and their offensive success comes entirely on the ground. They’ve racked up 4,765 yards rushing this season and are averaging 9.3 yards per carry. Virginia commit LaDerrien Wilson (1,744 yds, 25 TD) is the workhorse for the Kowboys. Wilson is ninth all-time in Central Florida with 5,231 career yards. He’s complemented by three capable wingbacks – Nazayah Brown (712 yds, 10 TD), Marcus Edwards (753 yds, 6 TD) and Malcolm Davidson (1,007 yds, 9 TD). Osceola’s defense, which returned just four starters from last year’s state runner-up team, has shown steady improvement throughout the season. Junior Dwight Pinellas leads the Kowboys with 107 tackles while defensive end T.J. Kelly has 10.5 sacks.

Dr. Phillips started the season 2-3 with a brutal four-game stretch in September but the Panthers have since reeled off seven consecutive wins. DP’s offense has come alive with 40 or more points in five of the last six games. After splitting time early in the season, Emare Hogan emerged as the Panthers starting quarterback in the middle of the regular season and provided a spark. The junior is the leading rusher with 787 yards and three touchdowns. Marvin Washington, who will also see time at quarterback, leads the team with seven touchdowns. DP has six different players with at least four rushing touchdowns. Dylan Meeks has 134 tackles for a Panthers defense that saw 25 different players record at least one stop in a second round playoff win against Manatee.

Three and out:

1. The winner of Friday’s game will host either West Orange or Jacksonville Mandarin in next week’s state semifinal.   

2. These teams last met in 2010 with Dr. Phillips defeating Osceola 49-7. The win was later forfeited because the Panthers had an ineligible player on their roster.

3. DP and Osceola have the highest winning percentages in Central Florida since the start of the 2011 season.