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Marcus Benjamin @_benjaminmoney
The brackets are out and it’s time to separate the contenders from the pretenders. We start with 228 teams in eight classes for the Florida high school football tournaments. Eight titles will be awarded at Camping World Stadium in Orlando December 6th – 8th. All eight champions from last season return to defend their state championship title. So who has the toughest road to Orlando? Some contenders definitely have easier roads than others and based on the regular season, here are our toughest regions of the 32.
8A – Region 4
Every game will seemingly be a dogfight, but in no region is this more evident than 8A – Region 4. Miami Columbus (10-0) takes on Coral Gables (6-4) in the 1 vs. 8 matchup to start things off. Both teams met on October 26th with Columbus coming out with the victory 36-21.
Columbus also beat Belen Jesuit (Miami) (8-2) 21-7, who they could meet in the second round if they can get passed Miami Palmetto (9-1) Thursday night. Palmetto’s only loss of the season was to eventual 16-8A district champ Miami Southridge (8-2) 27-16 in a game that Palmetto had won until some untimely injuries in the second half.
The South Dade (Homestead) (8-2) Buccaneers are the third team out of that district to make it into this region as they had impressive wins this season against Coral Gables and playoff bound Miami Northwestern. The Bucs take on the champions of the 13-8A district the Hialeah (9-1) Thoroughbreds. The T-Breds shutout four opponents and defeated playoff teams Monsignor Pace and North Miami (6-4) along the way. The Pioneers take on the Spartans of Southridge in the 2 vs. 7 matchup.
8A – Region 3
Western (Davie) (8-2) pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the playoffs last year against Deerfield Beach (9-1).
Bucks Head Coach Jevon Glenn said he thought about the loss to Western the entire offseason and gets his chance at redemption starting with the Miramar (6-4) Patriots.
The Pats struggled to start the season with three straight losses, but then reeled off six straight wins before suffering a season ending loss to St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale). Deerfield’s only loss this season was also to Aquinas.
Western missed an opportunity to win the district with a double overtime loss to the Patriots and start this postseason against the 2017 8A state runner up Atlantic (Delray) (10-0). The Eagles have yet to be challenged this season and started with opening wins against Palm Beach Central (Wellington) (9-1) and Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) and ended the regular season with a dominating 42-3 win over Wellington (6-4). Wellington travels to Palm Beach Central and the winner will face the winner of the Atlantic/Western game.
The champions of the 12-8A district Plantation (9-1) will take on Piper (Sunrise) (6-4) in the last bracket of the region.
7A – Region 1
Columbia (Lake City) (9-1) started this season with an impressive preseason win against powerhouse IMG Academy (Bradenton) 33-30. Columbia lead 33-13 at halftime in that game. The Tigers would go on to win their first five games of the regular season before suffering a one point heartbreaker to undefeated Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville). Columbia would go on to win the rest of their games with the closest win coming against Fletcher (Jacksonville Beach) (7-3) 21-20. The Tigers came up with a defensive stand late to get the victory, but Fletcher gets a chance at revenge with a rematch in the first round of these playoffs.
Edgewater (Orlando) (9-1) was on a roll all season until they ran into the Hagerty (Oviedo) (6-4) Huskies on October 26th. The Huskies defeated the Eagles 31-15 than surprisingly lost to Timber Creek the following week. Hagerty hosts Lee (Jacksonville) (8-1) in the first round as Edgewater will travel to Bucholz (Gainesville) (7-3).
Celebrating victory !!!! pic.twitter.com/cr7UfelQOz
— Lee Athletics (@JaxLeeAthletics) November 2, 2018
Lee’s only loss this season was a five point loss to Columbia. Bucholz defeated Oakleaf (Orange Park) (5-5) 42-29 this season but the best win for Oakleaf was a 69-53 win against 7A state runner up Bartram Trail (St. Johns). Lincoln (Tallahassee) (6-4) will host Oakleaf in the last bracket of the region.
6A – Region 4
Miami Northwestern (5-5) will begin to defend the 6A state championship on the road at Mainland (Daytona Beach) (7-3). Mainland shut out 2017 8A state champion Dr. Phillips (Orlando) 22-0 this season. The Bulls from Miami are having an average year by their standards but have shown they can still compete with any team on any given night.
The champions of district 16-6A, the district that has four teams in the region, is Miami Carol City (8-2). They open up their playoff run with familiar district opponent Miami Norland (4-6) who somehow get into the playoffs with a losing record.
Miami Central (8-2) also starts their championship chase on the road, but just north on I-95 to Dillard (Fort Lauderdale) (8-2).
Central last lost to Carol City 36-28 in a hard fought game at Traz Powell Stadium while Dillard are on a seven game winning streak and will give the Rockets everything they got.
Heritage (Palm Bay) (8-2) and Eau Gallie (Melbourne) (7-3) round out the last game in the region. This will be a rematch where Heritage came out on top 33-17.
7A – Region 3
Venice (9-1) returns to the playoffs from their 2017 state championship run as the number one seed in the region. If the Indians win back to back titles, they definitely will earn it. They start their 2018 playoff run with an opening round game with Tampa Bay Tech (7-3). The Titans started the season with six straight wins before falling to Bloomingdale (Valrico) (9-1) on October 12th.
7A District 9 in #TampaBay came down to TBTech and @PlantCityFB. @FootballHotbed recaps who made the most plays this past weekend to take the district crown home. pic.twitter.com/1CqDnEvdxU
— FOX Sports Florida (@FOXSportsFL) October 30, 2018
Bloomingdale shut out six opponents this season and saw their seven game winning streak to start the season end in Plant City (9-1). The Raiders of Plant City will host Braden River (Bradenton) (8-2) who have only lost to Venice and Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) while Bloomington will travel to undefeated Riverdale (Fort Myers) (10-0).
In the last game of the region, undefeated Pinellas Park (Largo) (10-0) will look to build off of last year’s success as they host Palmetto (7-3).
5A – Region 4
American Heritage (Plantation) (8-1) find themselves in unfamiliar territory having to go on the road for potentially the entirety of the 2018 playoff run. They start their journey north to Westwood (Fort Pierce) (7-4) and may have to travel to Rockledge (9-1) for round 2.
Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) (8-2) out dueled Heritage for the 16-5A district title. Gibbons started the season with two straight losses but bounced back with eight straight wins.
The Chiefs may have to also travel to Rockledge for the regional final. They traveled last year in the playoffs to Rockledge and came back home to South Florida with a win. Rockledge hosts Coconut Creek (6-4) while Gibbons hosts Merrit Island (5-5).
Bishop Moore (Orlando) (6-4) gets a rematch with Jones (Orlando) (9-1) in the last bracket of the region. Jones dominated in that game 50-14 and have shut out five of their opponents this season with their only loss to top seeded Wekiva (Apopka).
8A – Region 1
Wekiva (Apopka) (9-1) has steamrolled teams since their one loss of the season to West Orange (Winter Garden) (7-3) and have a chance at revenge against the Warriors in the first round. The Mustangs are out to prove that the one point loss was a fluke and the preseason hype surrounding the team was not just propaganda.
Want to know what resiliency looks like? Wekiva defense has shut out 4 straight since the heartbreaking loss to West Orange. Only 6 points were a blocked punt and the defense stopped the 2 point attempt. #BuiltDifferent #WWE pic.twitter.com/aB0Dtz2iV5
— Wekiva HS Football (@WekivaFootball) October 29, 2018
Mandarin (Jacksonville) (6-4) had an up and down year as they failed to win big games against Lee, Raines (Jacksonville), and Godby (Tallahassee) this season, but did defeat Apopka and Deland (8-2). These Mustangs get a rematch with Deland in the first round. They defeated the Bulldogs 24-21 on September 14th.
Deland defeated Flagler Palm Coast (7-3) this season 10-3 and may get a rematch with those Bulldogs in the second round. Winter Park (9-1) hosts Flagler Palm Coast and will look to continue their seven game winning streak with their only loss coming to Wekiva. Oviedo (8-2) lost to Winter Park in the second game of the season and get the Apopka (7-3) Blue Darters in the first round. The Darters lost to Wekiva but beat West Orange this season and get the winner on that 1 vs 8 matchup if they can tame the Lions.
