Florida Football: Week 9 5A Review
October 28th, 2007 Posted in Florida Sports, Florida, High School Sports, Florida Football, football, High School FootballAs mentioned in the 6A post that precedes this one, I’ve decided it’s time to break down each district and tell you who’s in, who’s out and who’s on the bubble as the season heads into Week 10.
So here’s my in-depth look at Class 5A. There will be info on all eight classes before I’m finished, but you’ll have to be patient. I might not reach the small schools until midweek.
Like most of the big-school classifications, 5A is split into 16 districts. The top two teams from each district earn playoff spots, and the district champ hosts at least its first game.
District 1
Niceville (6-1) returned to its winning ways a week after falling to Pace with a 23-7 victory against Pine Forest (4-4). Up next is a game to decide the district championship. While Washington is just 2-6, it has a win against Escambia to stand 1-1 behind 2-0 Niceville in the district race. Most likely, Washington loses on Friday night, and that means Pine Forest is your likely runner-up even if it loses to Escambia (2-5) in this four-team district.
District 2
Bartram Trail (5-4) hasn’t been that strong in some of its biggest games, but those were non-district affairs. Within the district, the Bears are 2-0 and are a playoff lock. Next up is Friday’s district championship game with Fletcher (7-1). The Neptune Beach team has won seven straight games since opening the season with a 34-28 loss to Jacksonville Sandalwood. Fletcher is also assured a playoff spot, so this one is for homefield advantage in the quarterfinals.
District 3
As in District 2, this district has its playoff teams in Fleming Island and Gainesville Buchholz, both 4-4. Fleming Island puts its three-game winning streak on the line at home this Friday to decide which of the two earns the district title and the home playoff game. Buchholz, also riding a three-game win streak, has been hot of late. Among its wins was a 3-0 victory a few weeks ago against Wakulla (7-1). If Buchholz wins, there’s a chance it could go into the playoffs on fire, and that’s because the team finishes its regular season on Nov. 9 at Flagler Palm Coast, one of the best 6As in the state.
District 4
Ah, once again we have the playoff teams decided here. Lake Howell (5-4) defeated Deltona Pine Ridge 42-27 to secure the playoff spot on Friday night. It’s a nice win for Lake Howell and a bit of disappointment for one of the best Pine Ridge squad’s in the school’s short history. It’s been an up-and-down season for Lake Howell, and I don’t expect it to do much when it goes on the round in the quarterfinals.
And on the road is where it’ll be. That’s because Daytona Beach Mainland is the district champ here. Mainland has been strong all season, but it’ll have to go into the playoffs a week after facing Daytona Beach Seabreeze in a big-time slobber-knocker on Nov. 9 at Daytona Beach Stadium, where both of these top teams play their home games.
District 5
Boy, these 5A teams are boring. Here’s yet another district where the playoff teams are no longer in doubt. Following a non-district rivalry game with Hillsborough, which won 31-7, Tampa Gaither (6-3) faces Wharton this Friday at home for the district title. The loser, of course, is the runner-up and the one sent packing for the regional quarterfinals.
Gaither’s loss to Hillsborough broke a six-game winning streak that traces all the way back to a September 48-21 loss to Plant. Wharton (5-4) is coming off a 23-17 home loss to Riverview, which means this isn’t going to be your state champ and probably isn’t going to be your district champ, either.
District 6
Chamberlain (6-3) already has the district title in hand as it faces a lowly Tampa King team this Friday. It’s not that easy for the four-team district’s other two teams. Sickles (6-3) faces Alonso (5-4), and the winner earns a playoff spot as the runner-up. Alonso started 5-1 before dropping its last three games while scoring just two points.
District 7
Brandon and Plant City do battle this Friday to decide the district championship, and the Fighting Eagles couldn’t be hotter. Brandon (6-2) is riding a five-game win streak and has three straight shutout victories.
Meanwhile, Plant City (5-3) isn’t ready to settle for the runner-up spot that goes to the loser. It has won two of its last three, and that loss was just 14-10 to an Armwood team that is one of the state’s best.
District 8
Lakeland (8-0) got its closest call on Friday in a 22-19 win against an upstart Ridge Community team. Now the Dreadnaughts stand to decide the district championship in a home game against Osceola, also 8-0. Osceola got past Lake Gibson on Oct. 19 in a 34-31 game that sealed its playoff spot. This one could put the team in position to win a state title that would start with a home game. Of course, the loser of this one is probably going to be victorious on the road, and that’s bad news for some team. More on that when I figure out the regional brackets.
District 9
A 35-20 victory against East Lake sealed the district championship for Dunedin (5-3) on Friday. Now East Lake travels to Countryside (6-2), winners of its last four, to decide the runner-up. Countryside’s recent surge includes wins against Tarpon Springs and Boca Ciega, so this team’s for real. East Lake (5-3) has won four of its last five. Countryside and East Lake have a common non-district opponent in Tarpon Springs, but East Lake lost that one 23-6 back on Sept. 14.
District 10
Largo (8-0) and Gibbs (6-2) are the playoff teams here. Both are 4-0 in district play, and they face off Friday to decide the district championship. Largo’s closest call was a 37-31 win against Dunedin in late September. Since then, no team has come closer than three touchdowns.
That, of course, doesn’t bode well for Gibbs, a 38-13 Week 9 winner against Pinellas Park. But Gibbs does get it at home, and Gibbs also has to play a Nov. 9 game at home against Boca Ciega.
District 11
With a 21-7 victory over Manatee in Week 9, Venice (6-2) secures a playoff spot. In fact, the Indians are district champs. Manatee (8-1) actually could fall out of the playoffs if Lakewood Ranch (4-4) snags the win when the teams meet on Friday. But don’t count it. Manatee defeated district opponent North Port 54-3. Lakewood Ranch won just 21-7 against North Port.
District 12
Fort Myers (8-1) defeated North Fort Myers 44-24 in Week 9 to clinch the district title. Cape Coral, which lost 34-13 to Fort Myers a few weeks ago, is in the hunt for the runner-up spot. Aside from losing to Fort Myers, Cape Coral has five wins since starting the season 2-1. Among those wins is a 30-0 victory in Week 9 against Hardee (6-2). But all of that matters none when it comes to Friday’s trip to Mariner in a big-time rivalry game with huge stakes. Mariner (6-2) is on a three-game win streak and only lost 27-15 to Fort Myers.
District 13
Melbourne (5-3) defeated Palm Bay 22-15 in Week 9 to stake a claim to the district title. Now it must do it again this Friday at home against Bayside to decide whether its the champ. If not, the prize goes to Palm Bay, which holds the tiebreaker over Bayside (6-2) thanks to a 21-14 victory. Bayside and Palm Bay (5-3) are both 3-1 in the district, and Melbourne is just 2-1. That means Bayside’s season ends on Friday if Melbourne pulls it out.
District 14
Atlantic (6-2) defeated John Leonard 54-0 to move into Friday’s action needing a playoff-clincher win against Santaluces (5-4). If Santaluces wins, its the district champion and Atlantic is out of the playoff picture. If Atlantic wins, it’s the district champion and South Fork is out of the playoff picture. This is because, while South Fork has defeated Atlantic, the latter would be a game up with a win this Friday and a South Fork loss to Santaluces. Do you follow? Don’t worry. I’m probably not even right. This is like high school math and those blasted word problems.
District 15
Dillard (6-3) and Blanche Ely (5-3) are both 5-0 in district games. On Saturday, they’ll decide the district championship. The loser, of course, is the district’s runner-up and a regional quarterfinal road team. After starting the season 2-3, Dillard has won its last four games. Among its trio of losses are 26-21 and 10-7 defeats to Deerfield Beach and Boyd Anderson, respectively. In other words, Dillard is a good team.
Then again, Blanche Ely lost 14-13 and 20-2 to both Boyd Anderson and Deerfield Beach and is the home team against Dillard, so it’s no pushover. Except, I guess, in Week 9, when Ely dropped a 51-12 game to Miramar (5-2).
District 16
Hollywood Hills (6-3) defeated Sarasota in a non-district game, but that one pales in comparison to this week’s plate, which is piled high with Cooper City (6-2). With a win, Hollywood Hills is in. If it loses, Cooper City would get in with a South Broward (3-5) loss to MacArthur (4-4). If South Broward wins, it gets in unless Hollywood Hills wins.
That’s why it’s nice to be St. Thomas Aquinas (7-1), which has already clinched the district title even if it loses to Davie Western (1-8) this week.
