The playoffs are here upon us and we are going to take a dive and look at this week’s slate for Class 7A, Region IV regional quarterfinals with our prediction of who will advance to next week’s regional semifinals.
Fort Lauderdale (3-6) at Royal Palm Beach (9-1)
The Skinny: Royal Palm Beach clinched the district this year after Dwyer dropped their final two district games that kept them out of the playoffs. However, Royal Palm Beach is likely wishing they had a stronger test here in the first round with Fort Lauderdale achieving three wins in nine games played this season. This matchup is not even close on paper and this one will likely see a running clock in the second half Friday night.
Prediction: Royal Palm Beach
Atlantic (Delray Beach) (8-2) at Blanche Ely (6-4)
The Skinny: Blanche Ely got off to a rough start earlier in the season, but has since picked up pace in latter part of the season, enough to win the district and bring a winning record into the playoffs when at one point the district champion was looking to possibly have a losing record. However, Atlantic is not going to be an easy task for Blanche Ely to handle. They are a tough and talented team and if they manage to pull the upset on defending Class 7A state champion Dwyer, then anything can happen. However, Blanche Ely does have things going in the right direction to be a really strong team next year.
Prediction: Atlantic
Mater Academy (7-3) at St. Thomas Aquinas (9-1)
The Skinny: Mater Academy is in the playoffs for the first time in program history, but they couldn’t have drawn a much tougher challenge by having to play Class 7A favorite, St. Thomas Aquinas in the first round. What the coaches have done at Mater Academy over the last two seasons has been remarkable and has totally changed the culture and attitude about football the school. However, going up against one of the most elite teams in the state and the nation, it will be tough to find common ground to stand tall against those kinds of teams. St. Thomas Aquinas has been on a roll ever since dropping a Week 3 game against Don Bosco Prep (NJ).
Prediction: St. Thomas Aquinas
Plantation (7-3) at American (9-1)
The Skinny: If this had been almost any other team than American, you would likely give the advantage to Plantation for this game, but that is not the case this year. The only loss the Patriots have suffered this year was to Miami Northwestern and the rest of the games, American has either won by big margins or won them in expected tight battles. Plantation on the other hand has struggled at times and really showed no competitiveness in this year’s district title game with St. Thomas Aquinas. The advantage for this game goes to American.
Prediction: American
