TAMPA – Where did these guys come from? That is the question everyone keeps asking now that Tampa Catholic is in the state championship.

The Crusaders (14-9-1) pulled out another improbable win in Thursday’s Class A state semifinals when they defeated another unheralded team, Gainesville P.K. Yonge, on penalty kicks.

After a 5-4 overtime win against Mulberry in the regional quarterfinals, the "Cardiac Crusaders" have now won three consecutive playoffs games in shootouts.

"I’ve never seen a team get stronger the longer they are in a game, but that’s what we do,’’ TC coach Chris Meyer said. "We were just hoping for a .500 season, but this is a dream come true.’’

The Blue Wave (21-6-2) took an early lead on a superb solo effort from Rodolfo Capoani. He took a long goal kick from keeper Travis Witt, dribbled to the top of the box, and launched a shot past Crusader goalie John Jacobs.

Tampa Catholic had a chance to equalize in the seventh minute when Casey Smith was taken down in the box, but Witt blocked Jeremy Castelluci's penalty kick.

Castelluci made up for it in the 16th minute, when he took a through ball from Michael Melghem and beat Witt in the left corner.

The end-to-end action continued the rest of the first half. In the 24th minute, Witt blocked a Melghem shot just wide. Then, TC sweeper Victor Dominguez knocked a ball just off the goal line in the 30th minute.

The Blue Wave broke through for the lead in the 40th minute when Graham Ervin was able to get a foot on a throw-in from Kyle McCrery and score his 34th goal of the season.

In the 56th minute, Melghem got off a close shot that was deflected by Blue Wave sweeper Sowande Buckmire. Castelluci was able to control it, take it to the baseline, and fire a zero-angle shot that Chris Golden tapped in for the 2-2 tie.

After four scoreless overtime periods, the game went to penalty kicks. With TC leading 2-1, Witt was yellow-carded for delay of game just before the decisive shot, causing him to be ejected. Mike Rogers calmly tapped in the winning shot on backup keeper McCrery.

"I’m not being critical of the ref, but to lose your most valuable player like that really hurts, especially with so much on the line,’’ P.K. Yonge coach Jeremy Witt said.

Those who saw last year's Class 3A final four might be thinking it's deja vu all over again. In the early semifinal, Miami Gulliver Prep eliminated another state powerhouse, Melbourne Central Catholic, 3-2 on penalty kicks—just as it did in last year's semifinal.

In the other semifinal, the matchup of unheralded Tampa Catholic and P.K. Yonge was a lot like last year’s semifinal between two other Cinderella teams, St. Petersburg Catholic and Pierson Taylor.