Local High School Football Teams Begin First Round of Playoffs

High school football has officially entered the post-season.

This weekend, over 14 games involve local high school teams who are all competing to reach the next round in the playoffs.

Class 7A

In the regional quarterfinals for 7A, Buchholz travels down to Orlando Edgewater. Buchholz head coach Mark Whittemore praised his opponent’s speed and how effectively they run the football.

Columbia High School (8-2) travels up to the state capitol to play Tallahassee Lincoln (4-6) in their regional quarterfinal. The Columbia Tigers feature a potent offense that has scored over 40+ points in the past four games.

Head coach Brian Allen credits his offense for being like-minded and buying into their offensive strategies.

Class 6A

One of the biggest matchups featured on Friday night is between Gainesville High (8-2) and Ocala Vanguard (9-0).

Earlier in the season, these teams played each other with Vanguard coming out on top in a close game. With their familiarity, Gainesville High’s Head Coach Mark Latsko says there will definitely be wrinkles in his game plan that are different than what the Vanguard Knights have seen on film

Other Local Schools Competing

Class 4A Regional Semi-Finals

• Keystone Heights (4-5) at Bradford County (8-1)
• Trenton (8-2) at Dunnellon (7-2)

Class 3A Regional Semi-Finals

• Florida High (5-5) at Fort White (7-3)
• Newberry (3-6) at Taylor County (7-3)

Class 2A Regional Semi-Finals

• Seven Rivers Christian (8-2) at St. Francis (8-1)

Class 1A Regional Semi-Finals

• Williston (5-5) at Pahokee (8-1)
• Union County (6-4) at Madison County (10-0)
• Lafayette (9-1) at Dixie County (10-0)