The Orlando area is well-represented in the Florida High School Athletic Association football playoffs, which kick off Friday with regional quarterfinal games.
Lake Mary (9-1) opens at Boone (5-5) and Sanford Seminole (8-2) is home vs. Hagerty (6-4) in Class 4 Metro Region 1 outings. The Rams rank No. 6 overall in FHSAA playoff power rankings. Seminole is No. 9.
Former UCF quarterbacks Ryan Schneider and Steven Moffett are head coaches at programs looking to make a splash in separate FHSAA Suburban classifications.
Moffett has Leesburg at 9-1 entering a home game vs. Auburndale in 3S Region 2. Schneider’s lone loss at Cocoa (9-1) came in the final moments of a controversial ending at Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas.
The Tigers get Eustis (7-3) at home in 2S Region 3.
Orlando Christian Prep (9-1) has the week off ahead of its 1M Region 1 semifinal vs. Jacksonville Providence (7-3) at a site to be determined.
The Master’s Academy (8-2) plays Fort Lauderdale Westminster (9-1) on Saturday in the Sunshine State Athletic Association championship game. Opening kick is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Bryant Stadium in Lakeland.
The Eagles, in their first season under coach Garrett Kruczek, last won an independent league title vs. OCP in 2019. Former UCF coach Mike Kruczek and receiver Doug Gabriel are assistants.
Also on Saturday in Lakeland, Mount Dora Christian (5-5) faces Bradenton Saint Stephen’s (8-2) at 2 p.m. in an SSAA consolation bracket.
Regional quarterfinal playoff games are listed below. Rankings are from FHSAA playoff power rankings. Win-loss records are included in parentheses.
4M Region 1
No. 1 Lake Mary (9-1) at No. 8 Boone (5-5), 7
Buzz: First meeting since Boone won 10-3 in 2007 and 26-7 in 2008. Rams, who average 42.8 points per game, have been held under 350 yards only twice this season during wins vs. Mandarin and Mainland. Jack Lynch leads Boone with 97 tackles. Jadon Frick has 46 tackles, 9 sacks and 3 forced fumbles.
No. 5 Jacksonville Mandarin (7-3) at No. 4 Winter Park (9-0), 7:30#
Buzz: Mandarin won a regional semifinal 41-8 at Winter Park in 2018. Tiant Wyche has 1,156 rush yards (17 TDs) and Jaime Ffrench Jr. has 37 catches for 831 yards (10 TDs) for Mustangs. Sophomore Ayden Pouncey leads Winter Park with 780 all-purpose yards, 42 tackles, 11 pass breakups, 5 interceptions and 5 TDs.
No. 7 Hagerty (6-4) at No. 2 Sanford Seminole (8-2), 7:30
Buzz: ‘Noles won six of seven meetings from 2007-14. Seminole defensive lineman Preston Watson (58 tackles, 7 sacks) was named Seminole Athletic Conference defensive player of the year early this week. Chance Bennett leads Hagerty with 33 catches for 620 yards and 7 TDs.
No. 6 Evans (5-5) at No. 3 Apopka (7-3), 7:30
Buzz: Blue Darters have rolled past Evans by an average score of 38-7 since 2013, including a 33-13 win two weeks ago. Nathan Jenkins III has rushed for 784 yards and 7 TDs while Lorenzo Payne IV has 10.5 sacks for Apopka. Trojans average 336 rush yards with 28 TDs behind senior QB Chris Peterson and Jermaine Hardy.
4M Region 2
No. 6 Dr. Phillips (6-4) at No. 3 Olympia (8-2), 7
Buzz: Olympia’s 31-21 win last month made it two in a row since losing 19 consecutive in the series since 2005. DP finished the regular season with close wins at West Orange and Ocoee and a lopsided loss at Jones. Romelo Ware has rushed for 1,305 yards and 17 TDs for Olympia. Winner plays No. 2 Tampa Plant (8-2) or No. 7 Plant City (6-4).
3M Region 1
No. 8 Jacksonville First Coast (6-4) at No. 1 Edgewater (10-0), 7
Buzz: Eagles routed First Coast 57-6 last year in a regional quarterfinal. Kaden Shields-Dutton has rushed for 626 yards and 12 TDs and Solomon Tripline has 93 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries for Edgewater. First Coast is led by Lonnell McCall II (56 tackles) and Cyikah King (3 INTs) on defense.
No. 4 Jones (7-3) at No. 5 Oviedo (8-2), 7:30
Buzz: Jones rolled to a 49-19 win in the second round last year. Vernell Brown III leads the Tigers with 50 receptions for 1,019 yards (8 TDs) and 266 yards (4 TDs) on special-teams returns. Oviedo QB Jackson LaTour, who is 18-4 for his career, has thrown for 2,629 yards, 35 TDs and 2 interceptions.
2M Region 1
No. 6 Jacksonville Ed White (6-4) at No. 3 Bishop Moore (7-3), 7
Buzz: Tackle Aleks Freyman, guard Jordan Latson-Davis and center Alex Oats anchor a Bishop Moore offense that averages 383 total yards per game. Tony Williams has 5 INTs for Ed White, which has tallied 29 sacks. Winner plays No. 2 Jacksonville Riverside (8-2) or No. 7 Jacksonville Episcopal (5-5).
4S Region 2
No. 7 Haines City (6-4) at No. 2 Lake Minneola (7-3), 7:30
Buzz: Lake Minneola’s Dane Thompkins (1,352 yards, 21 TDs) ranks among the area’s leading rushers. Braylon Knauth has 55 receptions for 908 yards and 9 TDs. Ten players have combined for 22.5 sacks for Haines City. Winner plays No. 3 Wesley Chapel Wiregrass Ranch (8-2) or No. 6 Spring Hill Springstead (7-3).
4S Region 3
No. 8 Osceola (4-6) at No. 1 Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast (7-2), 7
Buzz: It’s the fourth meeting in two years between teams matching up in the postseason for the fourth time since 2015. Osceola won in the regular season and playoffs last year by a combined 24-12 score. Treasure Coast, which beat Seminole 14-9 in Week 3, won 22-8 on Aug. 25. Winner plays No. 4 Vero Beach (8-2) or No. 5 Palm Bay Heritage (9-1).
No. 7 New Smyrna Beach (6-4) at No. 2 Orange City University (9-1), 7:30#
Buzz: University won 41-7 on Sept. 29 and owns a 4-2 lead in the series since 2013. Malachi Walters is completing 70% of his passes for 1,969 yards, 23 TDs and 6 INTs. Wideout Jermane Hayes averages 135 all-purpose yards with 9 TDs. Former Boone and Wekiva QB Elijah Rooney has 1,707 total yards (17 TDs) for New Smyrna.
No. 6 Port Orange Spruce Creek (7-3) at No. 3 DeLand (8-2), 7:30#
Buzz: Javon Ross averages 188 all-purpose yards with 23 TDs as a rusher, receiver and special-teams returner for DeLand. Quarterback TJ Moore has accounted for 2,138 total yards and 24 TDs. The Bulldogs rallied for a 28-27 win Sept. 29 for its fifth in a row over the Hawks. Spruce Creek has tallied 33 sacks and 10 INTs.
3S Region 2
No. 6 Auburndale (7-3) at No. 3 Leesburg (9-1), 7
Buzz: Leesburg is chasing its first playoff win since 2013. The Yellow Jackets, state runner-up in 1969, also won a playoff game in 1992. Salomon Georges has passed for 2,209 yards, 29 TDs and 2 interceptions. Auburndale has forced 20 turnovers. Winner plays No. 2 Lake Wales (10-0) or No. 7 New Port Richey Gulf (5-5).
2S Region 3
No. 8 Eustis (7-3) at No. 1 Cocoa (9-1), 7
Buzz: Defending state champion Cocoa is No. 1 among all classifications in FHSAA playoff power rankings. The Tigers average 373 total yards on offense. Running back Tymir Gaines (891 yards, 8 TDs) and receiver Lashawn Williams (1,089 yards, 13 TDs) lead the way for Eustis. Winner plays No. 4 Hudson (9-1) or No. 5 Dunnellon (7-3).
#Home sites: DeLand at Spec Martin Stadium; University at Deltona High School; Winter Park at Showalter Field.
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.
