Playoff spots hang in balance entering Friday play

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).

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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

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