UCF QB commit Logan Flaherty leads team to historic win, locked in with Knights

TAMPA, Fla. — Port Charlotte made history last Friday night, reaching the state semifinals for the first time in its history with a thrilling 22-21 victory over Tampa Jesuit.

Leading the Pirates to the win was UCF 2027 quarterback commit Logan Flaherty, who was confident that his team could pull off the victory despite being down 21-7 in the second half.

“I really don’t think I had to say anything,” Flaherty said after the game. “We’ve been in situations like this before. We’ve been in one-score games or down by two scores multiple times. I knew for a fact that we were going to score and that the defense would get a stop. We’ve seen adversity all year. We handled it well, and we will continue to handle it well.”

The six-foot-two dual-threat three-star quarterback changed the original play for one of the biggest plays of the game, a 54-yard touchdown pass to Elias Pearl with 24 seconds remaining.

“Originally, we were going to go to a trips formation, but I called it off. I wanted to try to isolate Eli as much as possible. I knew before the play where the ball was going. He kind of knew where the ball was going. O-Line held up very well. I stepped up in the pocket and put it up there for him. Once you put it up there for him, he’s bound to make a play.”

Port Charlotte will play at the 2024 state runner-up, Orlando Jones, this Friday. The winner will advance to the state championship final.

“I think it’s a lot to build on,” Flaherty said of the win over Jesuit. “We fought. It was hard. It wasn’t an easy game. We knew that. But if we continue to execute, we made adjustments well. We made plays when we needed to make plays. We didn’t get ahead of ourselves. We played as a team.”

Flaherty remains locked in with UCF, making his commitment to the Knights in mid-October. Quarterbacks coach McKenzie Milton continues to build confidence in Flaherty.

“I’m in contact with Coach Milton every week. Honestly, multiple coaches on the staff. I was at the Space game even though it was a tough loss. The atmosphere was awesome. The way they treat me and the relationship is awesome. We are going to start building the class. I’m really locked in and appreciate everything he’s done for me.”

Flaherty is not shutting down his recruitment at this point, but he did state that no other schools are presently involved.

“I’m really locked in with UCF. If people reach out, I’m not going to shut it down, but Coach Milton’s my guy, Coach Frost is my guy. I think what they are building there, what they are going to continue to build there, is going to be really special, and I’m super excited to be a part of it.”

Flaherty will play baseball in the offseason, which helps his play as a quarterback.

“It helps with hand-eye coordination and mental toughness. The ups and downs of emotion apply everywhere in life, not just on the football field.”