District projections for Class 7A – Region I for the 2015 season.
District 7A-1
1. Linclon
2. Leon
3. Chiles
Comment: Lincoln plays the toughest schedule of the three teams in the district and we feel they will be the most ready for the two game district schedule. Leon schedule has improved somewhat, but they are still not at the level talent wise like Lincoln is to feel they could actually win the district this year, but they certainly will be improved. Chiles still has a long ways to go in the district and improving before we can consider them to be a playoff team.
District 7A-2
1. Columbia
2. First Coast
3. Fletcher
4. Atlantic Coast
5. Robert E. Lee
Comment: All five of the teams finished above .500 last season and three of them reached the playoffs. However only two teams of these five capable playoff teams are going to advance to the playoffs and schedule might play a factor for one of the to really get there. After much panic by the Columbia fans, we see that First Coast might be in a drop off which has led us to take the Tigers over the Buccaneers to win the district. Fletcher will fight with First Coast for that second spot. If Atlantic Coast and Robert E. Lee can get going early, watch out! This district is one of the toughest Class 7A districts in the entire state.
District 7A-3
1. Oakleaf
2. Bartram Trail
3. Buchholz
4. Fleming Island
5. Creekside
Comment: The best team in this district is Oakleaf, which returns most of their district championship winning team from last season. Bartram Trail will be looking to rebound and should have enough to contend for that second playoff spot. Buchholz also is trending upwards, but we are not fully sure if they can trounce Bartram Trail, but if they do, they could likely be in the playoffs for the first time in over five years. Fleming Island will be down once again and has already lost several key players due to transfers and Creekside will be rebuilding under new head coach Jeff Schaum.
District 7A-4
1. Edgewater
2. Lake Minneola
3. West Port
4. Hagerty
5. Lake Howell
6. Ocoee
7. East Ridge
Comment: Edgewater is the only team in this district to have reached the playoffs last year and a lot of the talent helped lead them there is back once again, which give us confidence of saying they will win the district this year. Lake Minneola will be a team that should be rebound and with new head coach Walter Banks taking over and several athletes transferring from the now defunct Montverde football program, there could be a chance this team will rise back up. West Port is also a team that is rising up and they could quickly be in playoff contention this year under second year head coach Matt Franklin. Lake Howell and Hagerty could be potential playoff contenders providing they start of the season well while Ocoee and East Ridge are teams that are still in the rebuilding process.
Projected Regional Quarterfinal Matchups (Round 1)
First Coast (R2) vs. Lincoln (W1)
Leon (R1) vs. Columbia (W2)
Lake Minneola (R4) vs. Oakleaf (W3)
Bartram Trail (R3) vs. Edgewater (W4)
Projected Regional Semifinal Matchups (Round 2)
Columbia vs. Lincoln
Edgewater vs. Oakleaf
Projected Regional Final Matchup (Round 3)
Oakleaf vs. Lincoln
State Semifinalist
Oakleaf
