High School

3 takeaways from Largo's thrilling playoff win over Palmetto

In the waning moments of the game, the Packers snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in a rare Saturday afternoon contest

Andy Villamarzo

Largo Packers football
Largo Packers football / Bill Kemp

PALMETTO, FLORIDA- Only two Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) playoff games took place on Saturday, with one finishing as an unexpected thriller.

In the Class 6A, Region 3 quarterfinal between visiting Largo and Palmetto, the Packers were able to overcome early turnovers, miscues to pull off a thrilling 28-24 victory over the Tigers.

The contest was played on Saturday afternoon due to the damage to the stadium lights from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, forcing the two teams to settle for a daytime meeting. It turned into one of the most competitive games of the regional quarterfinal round.

High School On SI was on hand for the contest and gives you three takeaways from the contest:

1. Roller coaster of a game

What a roller coaster of emotions that took place in the final quarter for these two teams, which eventually culminated in the Packers picking up the victory in the final minute of the game. How it exactly got to that point was even more interesting, as Palmetto seemed to be in full control when you looked at the halftime yardage. The Tigers at the half out-gained the Packers 205-41, which also included an interception of Largo quarterback Xavier Phillips (9-of-18, 157 yards). Unwavered, the Packers trailing 16-7 continued chipping away at the Tigers' lead. Eventually, Largo took the lead at 21-16, but then trailed again when Palmetto dialed up a double pass trick play to retake a 24-21 advantage. Largo with 31 seconds remaining took a shot deep with Phillips hitting 2026 dynamo Anthony Harris Jr. on a 53-yard pass for the game-winner.

2. Largo's Anthony Harris is a player to watch for

We'd be remiss if we didn't talk about Largo's unsung hero of the game in do-everything 2026 athlete Anthony Harris Jr. The junior dynamo was truly the difference maker, outside of teammate Jayden Burgess (two interceptions), as Harris Jr. finished the contest hauling in seven passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Harris Jr. proved throughout the regular season that he's a diamond in the rough out of Pinellas County, but on Saturday afternoon, he was standout among the rest.

3. Palmetto had its chances to close things out

It was ultimately a heartbreaking end to what was a turnaround season for the Tigers. Needless to say for Palmetto, the Tigers will do more looking back at what could've been if a handful of plays turn out a little differently. In the final minutes, Palmetto recovered a Largo fumble up 24-21, with its eyes set on closing out the game, instead with about a minute left, the turned over the ball to Packers, giving them a last opportunity. That was all Largo needed to beat Palmetto, thus ending what has been a strong 2024 campaign for the Tigers under Eric Sanders.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi

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Andy Villamarzo
ANDY VILLAMARZO

Andy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007, writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times, The Tampa Tribune, The Suncoast News, Tampa Beacon, Hernando Sun to name a few. Andy resides out of the Tarpon Springs, FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area. He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports, appearing frequently on podcasts, radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings, recruiting and much more.

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