Nease, Raines lead first-round winners
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The opening round of the high school football playoffs is in the books, with some history-making wins and some agonizing losses for area programs.
Moving on to the second round were 15 teams from the News4JAX Florida coverage area and three from south Georgia.
In the all-local first round games, Bishop Kenny, University Christian, Ponte Vedra, Oakleaf and St. Augustine all advanced.
The Christians beat playoff newcomer Impact Christian 33-12 to set up a second-round match against rival Providence. Ponte Vedra used five touchdown passes from Drew Price as the Sharks beat Beachside for the second time this year, this time more convincingly, in a 45-21 win in 1-5A. The Sharks (9-2) edged the Barracudas in the regular season, 17-14. Oakleaf edged Mandarin in a 17-14 slugfest in Region 1-6A. Locklan Hewlett threw three touchdown passes, two to Somourian Wingo and the other to Trenton Jones, to lead St. Augustine to a 28-0 win over Columbia in 1-4A.
Derek Heideman led the way for Bishop Kenny, throwing three of his six touchdown passes to JP Donovan to help the Crusaders wallop Baker County 42-21 in Region 1-3A. The Crusaders (8-3) have won five straight games and travel to face Tallahassee Godby in the second round.
White won its first playoff game since 2014 with a 26-13 victory over Pensacola Pine Forest. The Commanders (8-3) will travel to face top-seeded St. Augustine (9-1) in the second round. The Yellow Jackets walloped Columbia 28-0 in the Region 1-4A opener.
Nease, the top-ranked team in the state, pulled away in the second half to beat Tate 42-14. Receiver Maddox Spencer had three touchdown catches for the Panthers (10-0), who will host Oakleaf (8-3) in the second round in Region 1-6A. Raines, the area’s other unbeaten program, clobbered Bay 53-14 in Region 1-3A. The Vikings (10-0) will host Wakulla in the second round.
In Region 1-5A, Fleming Island and stellar senior quarterback Cibastian Broughton went on the road and beat No. 3 seed Mosley 35-28. Broughton had four rushing touchdowns to lead the Golden Eagles (8-3). Broughton has now accounted for 33 touchdowns this season for Fleming (21 passing, 12 rushing). The Golden Eagles travel to No. 2 Lincoln in the second round.
Three games had heartbreaking finishes for local teams.
Godby stunned Suwannee on the final play of the game on a touchdown catch and run by Jamarian Simmons for a 34-28 walk-off win over the Bulldogs.
Flagler Palm Coast, ranked No. 10 in the News4JAX Super 10, lost on a two-point conversion to visiting Spruce Creek in a 36-35 shocker. The Bulldogs (9-2) had their best season since going 9-1 in 2017.
And Riverside had a brutal loss on the road as Escambia hit a two-point conversion in overtime to stun the Generals 29-28 in Region 1-4A. Riverside ended its season 5-6, its first sub-.500 season since 2013.
In the Georgia High School Association playoffs, Pierce County won its sixth consecutive playoff game with a 56-0 romp over Jackson in the Class 2A playoffs. The Bears (10-1) are the reigning state champion. Ware County crushed Tucker 38-0 in Class 4A. Brunswick hammered Villa Rica 43-13 to set up a colossal showdown with defending state champ Coffee in Class 5A. And Camden County’s season came to an end with a loss on the road to North Cobb, 28-7 in the Class 6A opener.
Week 1 playoff results, Florida
Region 1-7A
(5) Spruce Creek 36, (4) Flagler Palm Coast 35
(2) Seminole 38, (7) Creekside 28
Region 1-6A
(5) Oakleaf 17, (4) Mandarin 14
Region 1-5A
(1) Niceville 49, (8) Middleburg 13
(4) Ponte Vedra 45, (5) Beachside 21
(6) Fleming Island 35, (3) Mosley 28
Region 1-4A
(1) St. Augustine 28, (8) Columbia 0
(5) White 26, (4) Pine Forest 13
(3) Escambia 29, (6) Riverside 28 (OT)
Region 1-3A
(4) Wakulla 28, (5) Menendez 14
(2) Godby 34, (7) Suwannee 28
(3) Bishop Kenny 42, (6) Baker County 21
Region 1-2A
(1) Gadsden County 48, (8) Baldwin 7
(3) Bolles 49, (6) Taylor County 0
Region 2-2A
(2) Bradford 35, (7) Villages 0
(3) Newberry 24, (6) Palatka 7
Region 1-1A
(1) Providence 26, (8) Ocala Trinity Catholic 7
(4) University Christian 33, (5) Impact Christian 12
(2) Trinity Christian def. (7) P.K. Yonge by forfeit
Region 2-A
Lakeland Christian 44, Crescent City 7
Region 2-1A
(2) Lakeland Christian 44, (7) Crescent City 7
Rural
(3) Union County 42, (14) Holmes County 20
Sunshine State Athletic Association championships
Atlantic State championship
Frostproof 27, Fernandina Beach 8
Georgia High School Association playoffs
Friday, Nov. 15
Class 6A
North Cobb 28, Camden County 7
Class 5A
Brunswick 43, Villa Rica 13
Rome 49, Glynn Academy 17
Class 4A
Ware County 38, Tucker 0
Class 2A
Pierce County 56, Jackson 0
Class A, Division II
Saturday, Nov. 16
Charlton County (5-5) at Lincoln County (9-0), 4 p.m.
Week 2 playoff schedule, Florida
Friday, Nov. 22
Region 1-6A
(5) Oakleaf (8-3) at (1) Nease (10-0)
Region 1-5A
(4) Ponte Vedra (9-2) at (1) Niceville (10-1)
(6) Fleming Island (8-3) at (2) Lincoln (9-2)
Region 1-4A
(5) White (8-3) at (1) St. Augustine (9-1)
Region 1-3A
(4) Wakulla (8-3) at (1) Raines (10-0)
(3) Bishop Kenny (8-3) at (2) Tallahassee Godby (7-3)
Region 1-2A
(7) Walton (7-3) at (3) Bolles (9-1)
Region 2-2A
(3) Newberry (9-2) at (2) Bradford (9-1)
Region 1-1A
(4) University Christian (6-5) at (1) Providence (8-3)
(3) Maclay or (6) St. John Paul II at (2) Trinity Christian (8-3)
Rural
(13) Williston (7-4) at (12) Fort White (7-4)
(6) Pahokee (7-3) at (3) Union County (9-1)
Georgia High School Association playoffs, Round 2
Class 5A
Coffee (9-2) at Brunswick (10-1)
Class 4A
Ware County (6-5) at North Oconee (11-0)
Class 2A
Columbia (5-6) at Pierce County (10-1)
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