Sante Fe, Dunnellon Set for Rematch in Class 3A Football

Santa Fe and Dunnellon are headed for a rematch. The FHSAA released its bracket for the Class 3A-Region 2 football playoffs last Friday and Santa Fe secured the No. 4 seed in the eight-team bracket, while the Dunnellon Tigers claimed the No. 5 spot.

Despite the head-to-head result and better overall record, the Tigers received the lower seed because of strength of schedule and measurables MaxPreps uses. 

But because Dunnellon (9-1) won the District 5 title, it will host district runner-up Santa Fe (8-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the regional quarterfinal.

The Raiders and Tigers last faced off Oct. 15 in Alachua, where Dunnellon triumphed 22-17. The Tigers scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to rally past the Raiders to win the district trophy and block the Raiders from winning their first in more than a decade.

The Raiders are coming off a historic run over the last two seasons under coach Earnest Graham. After winning just two games in four years, Graham has turned the program around since taking over in 2025. 

Santa Fe went 7-4 in the 2025 season to earn its first playoff bid since 2020. This season, the former University of Florida running back has expanded on the program’s success. The Raiders hold an 8-2 overall record and are 3-1 in district play. 

Dunnellon is also in its second season with a new coach. Coach JB Bynum, who previously served as the offensive coordinator, has led the Tigers to an undefeated district record at 4-0. 

Dunnellon suffered its only loss in the second-to-last game of the regular season against the undefeated Hawthorne Hornets that snapped a 13-game win streak. 

Graham had said his team would be blessed to have the opportunity to play Dunnellon again. Although he is passionate about not making excuses, the October matchup was marked by illness for both Graham and the team, he said. A healthy and energetic Raiders squad could make all the difference in performance this week. 

The teams compete for a chance to play the winner of No. 8 seed Lakeland Tenoroc (6-4) at No. 1 Merritt Island (10-0) in the regional semifinal Nov. 20.

Category: High School Sports, Santa Fe High School