Santa Fe Boys Soccer Set to Face Familiar Foe in Regional Quarterfinals
It’s a week of thirds for Santa Fe boys soccer.
After winning a third consecutive district title, the Raiders will host a regional quarterfinal match once again at 7 p.m. Tuesday. For the third time this season, they will face the Suwannee Bulldogs. The winner of this match will play the winner of No. 2 Wolfson and No. 7 South Walton on Feb. 10.
The FHSAA released the state tournament brackets with Santa Fe (11-4-3) taking the three seed in 3A-Region 1. Its opponent was unclear until Suwannee (11-9-4) was slotted in as the sixth seed.
The two programs are no strangers being separated by 54 miles. This familiarity spans more than the last decade, as the teams have squared off 15 times since 2016, with Santa Fe holding the 9-4-2 series lead. The Raiders haven’t lost to Suwannee since Nov. 22, 2022.
“We’ve got a lot of very, very long history with Suwannee,” Santa Fe coach Morgan Dall’Acqua said. “This was a team that we’ve already faced twice this season. We are familiar with them, and at the same time, they’re very, very familiar with us.”
Santa Fe took the first match this season with a 2-1 victory, while the second match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Although Dall’Acqua has never lost to Suwannee, he isn’t concerned with the past as much as the present.
“It is my job to keep these young men focused on that next 80 minutes of soccer and not the history, not what’s happened before, whether it’s what happened in the last game or what happened three years ago,” Dall’Acqua said.
The Raiders average scoring three goals per game, but have had struggles scoring against the Bulldogs this season. Dall’Acqua echoed this point when identifying the biggest key for Santa Fe to win Tuesday.
“We’ve got to score goals,” Dall’Acqua said. “That’s it.”
Given the results against Suwannee this season, the regional quarterfinal won’t be an easy task for Santa Fe. That being said, the Raiders have faced many setbacks this season to get to this point.
Throughout the season, Santa Fe has dealt with injuries to important players against quality opponents. In the district championship against Eastside, forward Dharma Rico left the game after writhing in pain from a hard tackle. He returned for the last five minutes of the 3-0 win.
“Dharma’s been dealing with stuff all season long,” Dall’Acqua said. “He’s gotten some ankles dinged up, he’s been dealing with shin splints. He swears that if this is the end, he’s willing to go out on crutches to fight and make sure they’re successful.”
The Raiders’ bond in the face of adversity led to a trip to Cilantro Tacos after the district championship.
“Money well spent,” Dall’Acqua said. “It’s always good to get the boys together and kind of share those moments that aren’t just about Xs and Os … If you’ve got some context and love and appreciation for the guys around you, it gives you a little extra fight in those moments whenever you are forced to dig really, really deep.”
Before the lights turn off Tuesday night, one team’s fate will be sealed, while the other will live to fight another match.
“We are given an opportunity to go out and fight like hell for 80 minutes,” Dall’Acqua said. “If we’re successful, we’ll get to do it again.”
2026 Boys Soccer State Championship Tournament Class 3A Tournament
Category: High School Sports, Santa Fe High School
