Upsets end the season of four nationally ranked high school football teams

— Dallas Jackson, NationalHSFootball.com

It was supposed to be the first step to a Class 5A title defense for the loaded Tallahassee (Fla.) Godby football program but as a 26-13 halftime lead morphed into a 41-40 defeat, it was all over for the Cougars.

The first round victory for Pensacola (Fla.) West Florida broke open a playoff bracket that figured to come down to Godby and Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage.

Godby couldn’t put away West Florida. Mike Ewen/Democrat. Visit Tallahassee.com

West Florida coach Harry Lee told Tallahassee.com that his team had come together and made the plays at the right time.

“Our kids were just battling,” he told the paper. “Playing a team like them, you’re going to give up play. We just found a way to get it done.”

West Florida was a shining example of the high school football maxim that great teams need to be more than a collection of talent.

Godby played without its starting quarterback and Liberty commitment J.T. Bradwell — rotating in senior athlete Javon O’Neal and freshman Peyton Scharinger.

Offense was not the problem in the contest; rather, the star-studded defense was unable to make critical stops.

Florida State-bound linebacker Jacob Pugh, Louisville cornerback pledge De’Eric Culver and other Division I recruits Kris Harris and Charles Gaskins were visibly emotional after the team gave up 28 consecutive points in the second half and were unable to overcome the momentum swing.

Godby had been previously ranked No. 40 in the HSFB100 with its lone, prior defeat coming to Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha.

With its season ending before Thanksgiving, it will likely end the year unranked.

Sharing a similar fate as Godby on Friday was Spring Branch (Texas) Smithson Valley, which also fell in a first round stunner of the Texas Class 5A Division II playoffs to San Antonio (Texas) Johnson, 49-45.

Smithson Valley figured to be the lone team in region to provide a test for Cibolo (Texas) Steele in making it to the state semifinals but the previously-ranked No. 68 team will be leaving the national rankings for good as the playoffs continue.

Two programs that were deeper in the playoffs also fell on Friday as No. 35 Pittsburgh (Pa.) Upper St. Clair and No. 78 Cincinnati (Ohio) Winton Woods were upended.

Woodland Hills ran over Upper St. Clair. Matt Freed/Post-Gazette.

It was the second consecutive season that Upper St. Clair was defeated by Woodland Hills.

George Novak — the only coach that Woodland Hills has ever had — told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that advancing to the WPIAL Championship game never gets old.

“You work for this and try to get better every week,” he said. “Hopefully, you do thinks the right way coming down the stretch.”

The Wolverines needed a goal-line stand late in the contest to preserve the victory to set up a showdown with another HSFB100 program, No. 25 Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic.

Woodland Hills had led 28-7 in the third quarter before it nearly fumbled away the contest.

With 3:42 left in the game  and Woodland Hills leading 28-21, Upper St. Clair forced a fumble and drove to the Woodland Hills redzone before stumbling.

The season of close calls wound up costing Winton Woods as it fell 13-10 to Cincinnati (Ohio) Mt. Healthy.

On a third-and-one with 1:11 left in the game, Mt. Healthy coaches rolled the dice and threw a pass instead of rushing for the first down. The result was a 26-yard touchdown pass from David Montgomery to DeShawn Jackson which established the final score.

All four of Godby, Smithson Valley, Upper St. Clair, and Winton Woods will leave the HSFB100 in the updated rankings.