Breakdowns for Class 3A-7A openers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The high school football playoffs begin this week. Here is a glance of the matchups for local teams in Class 3A-7A divisions. Breakdowns of games in the Rural and Classes 1A and 2A can be found here. For a look at the Varsity 4′s top 10 playoff matchups, find that here. Predictions for the playoff games can be found here.

Week 1 playoff schedule, Florida

Friday, Nov. 15

Region 1-7A

(5) Spruce Creek (7-3) at (4) Flagler Palm Coast (9-1), 7 p.m.

Winner gets: DeLand or Lake Mary in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. FPC would host No. 8 DeLand but travel to play No. 1 Lake Mary.

(2) Seminole (8-1) at (7) Creekside (5-5), 7 p.m.

Winner gets: Orange City University or Winter Park in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. Creekside would travel to face either team.

Playoff notables: Creekside had been to the state playoffs seven times before this year but never as a district champ. The Knights have been to the playoffs more under head coach Sean McIntyre (five times) than in their previous nine seasons combined (three times). … Flagler Palm Coast last won a state playoff game in 2007 and has just four postseason victories in its history.

Region glance: This has been an exceptional season for the Bulldogs, their best since a 9-0 regular season in 2017. QB Hayden Hayes has been one of the top signal callers in the state (2,740 passing yards, 32 TDs; 370 rushing yards, 7 TDs). His favorite target, WR Mikhail Zysek (927 receiving yards) has turned 15 of his 35 receptions into TDs. RB Marcus Mitchell (1,672 rushing yards, 13 TDs) could reach 2,000 yards with two games in the postseason. … Creekside has been hot and cold, starting 0-3 before getting rolling in the second half. They are offensive-heavy, with QB Sean Ashenfelder and RB Harrison Garrido doing the bulk of the work. WRs Eros Taufer and Kaleb Taylor-Burch are also targets to watch. The defense is worrisome. Creekside is allowing 37.6 points per game and scoring just 31.3.

Region 1-6A

(8) Tate (7-3) at (1) Nease (9-0), 7 p.m.

Winner gets: Oakleaf or Mandarin in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. Nease would host either team.

(5) Oakleaf (7-3) at (4) Mandarin (7-3), 6:30 p.m.

Winner gets: Tate or Nease in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. Both teams would travel to face Nease, but both teams would host Tate.

Playoff notables: The Panthers last went unbeaten in the regular season in 2006, the year after their lone state championship delivered by QB Tim Tebow and head coach Craig Howard. Tebow never turned in an unbeaten regular season in his three years there, but his successor, Ted Stachitas, authored that feat with a 14-0 start in 2006 that ended with a loss to Tampa Plant in the title game. … Mandarin played for a state championship last year but did it by playing all four games prior to that on the road. That’s the first time in area history a local team has won four straight road playoff games. Head coach Toby Bullock was the offensive coordinator when the Mustangs won the state title in 2018 so he has plenty of experience in the postseason, including six games as the head coach. … Oakleaf’s best season came in 2014 when Derek Chipoletti (now the interim head coach at Fleming Island) led the Knights to a 12-0 start before a loss in the regional final. Believe it or not, those playoff wins in 2014 are the only two in Knights program history with the only exception a forfeit win over Nease in the Covid playoffs of 2020. Oakleaf’s first playoff win came on Nov. 14, 2014, a 17-14 victory over Wekiva that is almost 10 years to the day of Friday’s playoff matchup.

Region glance: Mandarin is a far different team in Week 13 than it was in Week 1, well before injuries shook up the offense and made them change on the fly. The Mustangs are allowing just 13.8 points per game. LB Kemari Spriggs (89 tackles), LB Kameron Mills (20.5 TFL, 11.5 sacks), and DBs Drake Stubbs, Tamajh Mitchell and Shareef Jackson (6 combined picks) are beasts. The offense has tough RBs Deion Winstead and Shaunqueze Foster (11 combined TDs, 1,542 rushing yards) handle the load behind QB Knox Annis. WRs Brysen Wright and Jaime Ffrench are an electric duo. … QB Jack McKissock (2,222 passing yards, 24 TDs) has been lights out in his first season for the Knights. RB Christopher Foy II (1,220 rushing yards, 11 TDs) and WRs Michael Conner (657 receiving yards, 5 TDs) and Carlos Witherup (552 receiving yards, 7 TDs) are McKissock’s favorite targets. On defense, Amare Thomas and Anthony Smith (24.5 combined sacks) provide the muscle. … Nease’s best season since 2006 has featured unbelievable weekly performances. QB Nate Harry (1,852 passing yards, 23 TDs) is in the conversation as the area’s top player. KJ Perry (790 rushing yards, 13 TDs) and WR Maddox Spencer (657 receiving yards, 8 TDs) are the repeat end zone visitors. Defense has been exceptional with the return of coordinator Ryan Garth. Jacob Curry, Joe Miracle III, Noah Hodge and Kyle Hurtado keep the Panthers buzzing. In the secondary, Elisha Luckett has five picks.

Region 1-5A

(8) Middleburg (7-3) at (1) Niceville (9-1), 8:30 p.m.

Winner gets: Beachside or Ponte Vedra in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. Middleburg would travel to face either.

(5) Beachside (7-3) at (4) Ponte Vedra (8-2), 7 p.m.

Winner gets: Middleburg or Niceville in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. Both teams would travel to face Niceville and both would host Middleburg.

(6) Fleming Island (7-3) at (3) Mosley (9-1), 8 p.m.

Winner gets: Tallahassee Lincoln or Daytona Beach Mainland in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. Fleming would host No. 7 Mainland but travel to face No. 2 Lincoln.

Playoff notables: Middleburg has been to the playoffs three consecutive years under head coach Ryan Wolfe. That’s a program first, surpassing back-to-back playoff seasons by David Wilson (1989-1990). Their lone playoff win came in 2003. … Ponte Vedra raced to a state championship game appearance in 2016 but didn’t win another postseason game until last year (49-36 over Creekside). Head coach Steve Price, now in his fourth season, won a state title in 2018 while at Tallahassee North Florida Christian. … Beachside is making its playoff debut in just its first season of eligibility. Head coach Pete Duffy won nearly 200 games and a pair of California Interscholastic Federation championship across 21 seasons coaching on the West Coast before he arrived in St. Johns County. … Fleming Island has been very consistent on the field, reaching four regional finals from 2007-17 under three different head coaches (Neal Chipoletti, Jeff Webb and Damenyum Springs).

Region glance: Ponte Vedra and Beachside met in the regular season and the Sharks scratched out a 17-14 win. This shapes up as the air raid of the Barracudas and QB Eddie Jordan (2,538 passing yards, 25 TDs) against a ferocious Sharks front that includes Ryker Kemp and Martin Geary. Jordan’s top targets, Drew Watson and Maddox Hunstad have 10 TD grabs apiece. Ponte Vedra’s attack is led by do-everything RB Brian Case, who accounted for five TDs against Creekside in Week 11. … Fleming Island drew the short straw with a No. 6 seed (despite a district title and wins over Ponte Vedra and Beachside) and has to head out for a long road trip. Why can they win? Several reasons. QB Cibastian Broughton (1,704 passing yards, 21 TDs 628 rushing yards, 8 TDs) is exceptional and having the best season of his career. RB Demhir Jackson (1,092 rushing yards, 13 TDs) is a highlight reel player. WR Trace Burney (1,012 receiving yards, 17 TDs) may be the area’s top pass catcher and that’s saying something. … Middleburg has enjoyed a renaissance under Wolfe and this season is its best since 2003. RB Travis Pinkard (517 rushing yards, 6 TDs), QB Carson Stewart (1,400 passing yards, 13 TDs) pace the offense, but the Broncos would like to drag this into a trenches game. That’s where players like DL BJ Carter (46 tackles, 7 sacks) and LB Kadin Hanifen (95 tackles) can come up and make plays. The Broncos don’t have the type of offense (22.5 ppg) to get into a track meet with the Eagles (37.5 ppg).

Region 1-4A

(8) Columbia (5-5) at (1) St. Augustine (8-1), 7 p.m.

Winner gets: Pine Forest or White in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. St. Augustine would host either team and Columbia would travel to face either team.

(4) Pine Forest (5-5) at (5) White (7-3), 6:30 p.m.

Winner gets: Columbia or St. Augustine in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. White would host Columbia but travel to face St. Augustine.

(6) Riverside (5-5) at (3) Escambia (8-2), 8 p.m.

Winner gets: Choctawhatchee or Arnold in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. Riverside would host No. 7 Arnold but travel to second-seeded Choctaw.

Playoff notables: St. Augustine has missed the playoffs just once since 1999, during a 6-3 finish in 2021. That 22-year streak is the longest by a public-school program, topping Raines (15 straight from 2010 until now) and Columbia (14 straight from 2011 until now). … Columbia head coach Brian Allen has never missed the state playoffs. … The Riverside-Escambia clash is one with some history to it. When Corky Rogers was coaching at then Lee High, the Generals and Escambia met in the regional finals in 1984. Escambia, led by future Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, beat the Generals 28-25 in a four OT epic that is considered to be the best playoff game in Jacksonville history. Rogers’ defense held Smith to under 100 yards rushing (24 carries, 97 yards). Escambia played in a 3 OT game the week prior. The Generals have made the state playoffs 10 consecutive years.

Region glance: Riverside has been up and down this season on both sides of the ball and enters the playoffs on a two-game losing streak. But the Generals have the firepower to keep up with anyone. WR Tae’shaun Gelsey (831 receiving yards, 13 TDs) is a nightmare matchup. RB Shermon Davis (1,240 rushing yards, 11 TDs), ATH Myles Kendrick and QB Glenn Foreman III (1,454 passing yards, 14 TDs) give the Generals some muscle. DBs Richard Pooler and Anthony Hendry have combined for nine picks. … White has gelled maybe quicker than expected for head coach Lawrence Johnson. The Commanders are young but have been in every game this season. QB King Boylston, RB Rontrez Loyd and WR Nick Roberson are the constant thorns in the side of defenses. DBs Jason Patterson and Davonte Mango have combined for five interceptions. They’ll need everything to go right to beat Pine Forest, which has played the rugged schedule of the Panhandle and scratched out a .500 record. … St. Augustine and Columbia renew their postseason rivalry. The teams met every year in the playoffs from 2011-14, with Columbia going 3-1. St. Augustine beat the Tigers in the playoffs in 2020 and also beat Columbia (27-6) on Sept. 25. QB Locklan Hewlett (1,865 passing yards, 22 TDs) is one of the area’s best. RB Trendell Anderson (853 rushing yards, 15 TDs) could reach 1,000 yards on the ground this week. The real strength is the depth at WR with Somourian Wingo (659 receiving yards, 8 TDs), Trenton Jones (604 receiving yards, 7 TDs) and Carl Jenkins Jr. (518 receiving yards, 7 TDs). … Columbia has gotten hot, winning three straight and surviving through a rash of early season injuries. QBs Xavier Collins and WR-turned-QB Zamarion Jones have led Columbia. Kyren Caldwell and Bynton Edge have 12 TD catches between them.

Region 1-3A

(8) Bay (5-5) at (1) Raines (9-0), 6:30 p.m.

Winner gets: Menendez or Wakulla in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. Raines would host either team.

(5) Menendez (6-4) at (4) Wakulla (7-3), 7 p.m.

Winner gets: Bay or Raines in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. Menendez would travel to face Raines but would host Bay.

(7) Suwannee (4-6) at (2) Godby (6-3), 7 p.m.

Winner gets: Baker County or Bishop Kenny in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. Godby would host either team and Suwannee would travel to face either team.

(6) Baker County (5-4) at (3) Bishop Kenny (7-3), 7 p.m.

Winner gets: Suwannee or Godby in the regional semifinals on Nov. 22. Both teams would host Suwannee and both teams would travel to face Godby.

Playoff notables: Raines turned in its first unbeaten regular season since 1997, the year it finished 15-0 and won its first state championship under first-year head coach Welton Coffey. The Vikings have the longest active playoff streak, reaching the postseason 15 consecutive years, behind only St. Augustine’s 22 (1999 to 2020). … Suwannee was the area’s first true public-school dynasty, winning a then-record four championships in a row (1987-1990) under Mike Pittman. Union County followed as the next public-school dynasty under Robby Pruitt winning 52 consecutive games and three straight titles (1992-94). … Menendez has one playoff win in program history, a 38-24 victory over Belleview (2017). … This is the ninth consecutive state playoff berth for Baker County, the final six of those under current head coach Kevin Mays. The Wildcats reached the state semis in 2021. … Kenny enjoyed its best success under head coach Mark Thorson, going eight consecutive seasons (2009-2016) and playing in two regional finals. Current head coach Tim Krause has the Crusaders making in their fourth straight playoff appearance in his six seasons.

Region glance: A loaded local region headlined by the Vikings. Outside of one back and forth game against Riverside (62-42) Raines hasn’t allowed a team more than 23 points in a game. The Vikings have beaten five playoff teams during their perfect regular season. On paper, this team has championship-level talent and expectations. Even with OL Solomon Thomas injured, the Vikings have relied on their depth all over to just overwhelm opponents. QB TJ Cole (1,970 passing yards, 26 TDs; 532 rushing yards, 7 TDs) is the catalyst for the offense. His receiving targets are difficult to cover. Adron Walker, Ziyon Butler, Kaleb Lampkins and Andreus Cox have combined for 24 TD catches. Defense has been nasty tough. LB Tony Williams (70 tackles, 14 TFL) and DEs Troy Butler (59 tackles, 17 TFL) and King Massey (52 tackles, 18 TFL) are playmakers. DL Jyon Simon is an enforcer on the line with a team-best nine sacks and 14.5 TFL. … Baker County has been consistent under Mays. The clash with Kenny is a throwback to the days when these teams were in the same district. RB Ke’nais Williams (551 rushing yards, 10 TDs) and QB Hudson Register (1,402 passing yards, 11 TDs; 303 rushing yards, 3 TDs) and TE Hudson Hodges (445 receiving yards, 5 TDs) are the playmakers. Defense is what Baker County is known for, with Phillip Jackson (15 sacks), Jeremiah Mitchell (11.5 sacks) and Owens Hodges (10 sacks) lead that side of the ball. … The Crusaders have gotten hot at the right time, winning four straight to close the regular season. QB Derek Heideman (1,123 passing yards, 13 TDs), RB Caleb Mattison (950 rushing yards, 14 TDs) and WR JP Donovan (486 receiving yards, 7 TDs) have been the offensive stars. AJ Alicea leads the defense with five interceptions. … Menendez has been one of the better stories out of St. Johns County this year for second-year coach Anthony Rivers. RB Mason Lynch (683 rushing yards, 11 TDs), WR Nate Carr (478 receiving yards, 3 TDs) and QB Cash Downey (1,146 passing yards, 6 TDs) lead the offense. SS Luke Harmon has a team-best four picks and LB Maddox Lehman (107 tackles) lead the defense.

Week 1 playoff schedule, Florida

Region 1-7A

(5) Spruce Creek (7-3) at (4) Flagler Palm Coast (9-1), 7 p.m.

(2) Seminole (8-1) at (7) Creekside (5-5), 7 p.m.

Region 1-6A

(8) Tate (7-3) at (1) Nease (9-0), 7 p.m.

(5) Oakleaf (7-3) at (4) Mandarin (7-3), 6:30 p.m.

Region 1-5A

(8) Middleburg (7-3) at (1) Niceville (9-1), 8:30 p.m.

(5) Beachside (7-3) at (4) Ponte Vedra (8-2), 7 p.m.

(6) Fleming Island (7-3) at (3) Mosley (9-1), 8 p.m.

Region 1-4A

(8) Columbia (5-5) at (1) St. Augustine (8-1), 7 p.m.

(4) Pine Forest (5-5) at (5) White (7-3), 6:30 p.m.

(6) Riverside (5-5) at (3) Escambia (8-2), 8 p.m.

Region 1-3A

(8) Bay (5-5) at (1) Raines (9-0), 6:30 p.m.

(5) Menendez (6-4) at (4) Wakulla (7-3), 7 p.m.

(7) Suwannee (4-6) at (2) Godby (6-3), 7 p.m.

(6) Baker County (5-4) at (3) Bishop Kenny (7-3), 7 p.m.

Region 1-2A

(8) Baldwin (5-5) at (1) Gadsden County (9-1), 7:30 p.m.

(6) Taylor County (7-3) at (3) Bolles (8-1), 7:30 p.m.

Region 2-2A

(7) Villages (5-4) at (2) Bradford (8-1), 7:30 p.m.

(6) Palatka (7-3) at (3) Newberry (8-2), 7:30 p.m.

Region 1-1A

(1) Providence (7-3) at (8) Ocala Trinity Catholic (2-8), 7:30 p.m.

(5) Impact Christian (6-4) at (4) University Christian (5-5), 7:30 p.m.

(7) P.K. Yonge (5-4) at (2) Trinity Christian (7-3), 7 p.m.

Region 2-1A

(7) Crescent City (8-2) at (2) Lakeland Christian (8-1), 7:30 p.m.

Rural

(12) Fort White (5-4) at (5) Jay (9-1), 7:30 p.m.

(14) Holmes County (6-4) at (3) Union County (8-1), 7:30 p.m.

Georgia High School Association playoffs

Friday, Nov. 15

Class 6A

Camden County (7-3) at North Cobb (10-0), 7:30 p.m.

Class 5A

Villa Rica (5-5) at Brunswick (9-1), 7:30 p.m.

Glynn Academy (6-4) at Rome (7-2), 7:30 p.m.

Class 4A

Ware County (5-5) at Tucker (7-3), 7:30 p.m.

Class 2A

Jackson (4-6) at Pierce County (9-1), 7:30 p.m.

Class A, Division II

Saturday, Nov. 16

Charlton County (5-5) at Lincoln County (9-0), 4 p.m.