Last week the Gainesville and Buchholz football teams won district titles to clinch a spot in next week’s FHSAA playoffs.
Buchholz crushed Forest (Ocala), 75-7, to secure the 7A-District 2 title. The Bobcats (8-1) close out the regular season at Bartram Trail (St. Johns) this Friday and will host a postseason game next week.
GHS went on the road and upset St. Augustine, 17-14, to win the 6A-District 4 title. The Hurricanes (7-2), winners of three in a row, close out the regular season this Friday at Citizens Field against rival Eastside (2-7).
Columbia (Lake City) finished 3-0 in league play to win the Class 6A-District 3 title. The Tigers (6-4) will carry a two-game losing streak into next week’s postseason following losses at state-ranked Madison County and Raines (Jacksonville).
Hawthorne (1A), Chiefland (1A), Union County (1A), and Keystone Heights (4A) are locks to make the postseason, but this Friday there are still a few area teams trying to get in including Bronson, P.K. Yonge, and Newberry.
Bronson, which shut out St. Francis Catholic Academy (Gainesville), 56-0, last Friday, will host Class 4A Umatilla. Right now, the Eagles are on the outside looking in. They are seventh in Class 1A-Region 4, with the top six teams making the state playoffs.
P.K. Yonge hosts Keystone Heights (9-0) with a solid chance of making the playoffs. The Blue Wave (6-3) won at Providence (Jacksonville), 42-20, last Thursday to move up to fourth in Class 3A-Region 1.
Newberry is fourth in 1A-Region 4. Despite a 45-13 loss at Union County last Friday, the Panthers (5-4) host Class 4A South Sumter (Bushnell) with a slight lead over Wildwood and Fort Meade, who are both 4-4.
Eastside (2-7), Santa Fe (Alachua) (0-9), St. Francis Catholic Academy (Gainesville) (0-9), Bell (3-6), Williston (1-7), and Suwannee (Live Oak) (3-6) will miss this year’s postseason, while Trenton (3-5), Dixie County (Cross City) (3-5), and Branford are all on the bubble.
Despite a 4-5 record, Bradford (Starke), based on their strength of schedule, is actually third in 1A-Region 4 with a shot at the playoffs, while Fort White (5-3) is fifth in Class 1A-Region 3.
Football schedule
Thursday, Nov. 4
Rocky Bayou Christian (Niceville) at St. Francis Catholic Academy (Gainesville), 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 5
Gainesville at Eastside (Gainesville), (Citizen’s Field), 7 p.m. VIDEO
Union County (Lake Butler) at Cocoa Beach, 7 p.m.
Umatilla at Bronson, 7 p.m.
Chiefland at Blountstown, 7 p.m.*
Providence (Jacksonville) at Bell, 7 p.m.
Buchholz (Gainesville) at Bartram Trail (St. Johns), 7:30 p.m.
North Marion (Citra) at Hawthorne, 7:30 p.m. CBS
South Sumter (Bushnell) at Newberry, 7:30 p.m.
Keystone Heights at P.K. Yonge (Gainesville), 7:30 p.m.
Fort White at Bradford (Starke), 7:30 p.m.
Trenton at Hamilton County (Jasper), 7:30 p.m.
Suwannee (Live Oak) at Florida High (Tallahassee), 7:30 p.m.
Cottondale at Branford, 7:30 p.m.*
Port St. Joe at Dixie County (Cross City), 7:30 p.m.
Bozeman (Panama City) at Williston, 7:30 p.m.*
OFF- Santa Fe (Alachua), Columbia (Lake City), Oak Hall School (Gainesville)
*SSAC playoffs