Buchholz and Eastside host first-round playoff games

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Last Friday night the Buchholz football team secured its first unbeaten regular season since 2001 with a win at Trinity Catholic (Ocala).

On Sunday, the Bobcats locked down the No. 1 overall seed in Class 4S when the Florida High School Athletic Association officially announced its playoff field and brackets.

Thursday at 7:30 p.m. the Bobcats begin their quest for their first football state title in over 30 years against No. 8 seed Mosley (Lynn Haven) at Citizens Field.

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Mainstreet Daily News is partnering with the NFHS Network, the official streaming company of the FHSAA, to provide video coverage of the game. The game is being broadcast on a pay-per-view basis beginning at 7:15 p.m. with Cam Parker (Play-by-play) and Matt Rothmann (Color) calling the game.

It’s been a big week Buchholz High School, but the biggest weeks are ahead.

Buchholz (10-0) is five wins away from its first championship since winning the Class 4A state title in 1990.

“Undefeated season is awesome, 10-0 is awesome, but Bartram was 10-0 last year, Bartram was 13-0 going into the regional finals and they got their heart broken,” said first-year Buchholz coach Chuck Bell. “I would trade going to the final four for being 13-0 and getting beat in the regional. I’m really excited about it but we’ve got our sights set on five more games this year.”

In 2022, Buchholz lost at Bartram Trail (St. Johns) during the regular season but then defeated the Bears in 4S-Region 1 Final.

As this year’s No. 1 overall seed in Class 4S, they would host the first four rounds of the tournament, including the state semifinals.

But first, the Bobcats must defeat Mosley in the regional quarterfinals.

“Mosley will be bringing a very tough football team to Citizens Field for our round one playoff game” said Bell. “Coach Whiddon has really turned the program around in his three years as head coach at Mosley, including beating Panhandle-powerhouse Niceville for the first time in over a decade to secure their district championship.”

The visiting Dolphins (6-4) are averaging 32.5 points per game behind quarterback Sammy Freitas, who has thrown for 1,954 yards with 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The junior is also averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

“Their quarterback does an outstanding job of spreading the football around through the air and will be one of the better players we’ve seen at that position this season,” Bell said. “They’ve already proven this year that they thrive in an underdog role, so we will have to play our best on Thursday night in order to keep our season going in the playoffs.”

Buchholz counters with sophomore quarterback Trace Johnson, who has thrown for 2,125 yards with 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

While the QB comparisons are similar, the Bobcats might have an advantage running the football behind a massive offensive line.

Senior Quinton Cutler has 733 yards on 119 carries (6.16 yards per carry), while UF commit Myles Graham is averaging 9.5 ypc on 40 carries. The duo have combined for 23 rushing touchdowns.

The winner of Thursday’s game will play either No. 4 Ponte Vedra or No. 5 Creekside (St. Johns) in next week’s regional semifinals.

Then on Friday, Eastside hosts Palatka in the first round of the Class 2S state playoffs.

Last Friday the Rams defeated rival GHS, 42-0, to finish the regular season at 7-3.

They won their second straight 2S-District 7 title on Oct. 27 with a 47-0 win at Santa Fe (Alachua).

Eastside has won three in a row and five of its last six games. They have outscored those five opponents, 210-0, during that span.

The visiting Panthers (7-3) and Rams have played three common opponents this year.

Palatka won at Santa Fe, 48-10, defeated Keystone Heights at home, 41-21, and lost at Bradford (Starke), 42-0, two weeks ago.

Eastside defeated Keystone Heights on the road, 35-0, on Sept. 1, lost at Bradford, 34-7, almost two months ago, and the Rams imposed a running clock on Santa Fe.

Friday’s game will be broadcast on 106.9 FM “I am Country” with free audio available online at IamCountryRadio.com beginning at 6:30 p.m. Video will also be available via the NFHS Network.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The state championship games for all nine classifications will be held at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium (Tallahassee), the home of the Florida A&M Rattlers, from Thursday, Dec. 7 – Saturday, Dec. 9.

Here is this week’s broadcast coverage:

Thursday, 7:15 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Football, 7:30 p.m. (Kickoff)

No. 8 Mosley (Lynn Haven) at No. 1 Buchholz

‘Live’ & ‘archived’ VIDEO:  https://nfhs-network.pxf.io/4PqZxG

Join Cam Parker (Play-by-play) and TBA (Color) for this Class 4S-Region 1 Quarterfinal from Citizens Field. The host Bobcats (10-0), who earned their first unbeaten regular season since 2001 last Friday, are the top overall No. 1 seed in 4S.

Friday, 6:30 p.m. (PREGAME) – High School Football, 7 p.m. (KICKOFF) 

No. 5 Palatka at No. 4 Eastside

Radio:  “I am Country” 106.9 FM Gainesville

‘Live’ audio:  https://streamdb6web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/WPLL

Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play), former University of Florida football player Hank Rone (Color), and Aiden Wacksman (Pregame/Halftime/Postgame) for this Class 2S-Region 2 Quarterfinal from Citizens Field. The Rams won their second straight district title to earn a home playoff game.

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