FLAG FOOTBALL: Class 1A-Region 1 districts preview

District tournament week is here for Flag Football and there is a lot of exciting action about to go down in all 32 districts in two classifications across the Sunshine State with the preparation of regional playoffs starting next week.

Here is a look at the districts in Class 1A-Region 1 which includes Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4.

DISTRICT 1A-1

QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS
at Higher Seed
Tuesday

No. 5 Pensacola Pine Forest (3-5) at No. 4 Gulf Breeze (9-3), 6:30 CT

Remaining Schedule

SEMIFINALS
at Higher Seed
Wednesday

Winner of Pine Forest/Gulf Breeze at No. 1 Tallahassee FAMU DRS (8-1), 6:30
No. 3 Tallahassee Godby (10-3) at No. 2 Fort Walton Beach Choctawhatchee (9-2), 6:30 CT

FINALS
at Higher Seed
Friday

District Championship, 6:30 (local time)

QUICK ANALYSIS: FAMU DRS which is last year’s Class 1A state runner-up has had another impressive season only coming up short once which was to defending Class 1A state champion Tampa Robinson at the Capital City Classic in early April. Choctawhatchee which has played a somewhat better strength of schedule compared to FAMU DRS could be a team that could come in and snatches a potential district championship away from the Baby Rattlers, but it should be noted that FAMU DRS already has a victory over Choctawhatchee that was earned at the Capital City Classic. A dark horse in the district is Tallahassee Godby which has shown considerable approvement here in 2022, but Gulf Breeze could do the same as well but will need to reach at least the district championship game for hopes of getting an at-large berth.

PLAYOFF TEAMS PREDICTION
FAMU DRS – District Champion
Choctawhatchee – At-Large
Godby – At-Large

DISTRICT 1A-2

PLAY IN-GAME
at Tallahassee Florida High
Monday

No. 9 Madison County (0-12) vs. No. 8 Glen St. Mary Baker County (1-6), 6

QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS
at Higher Seed
Monday

Winner of Madison County/Baker County at No. 1 Tallahassee Florida High (7-5), 7:30
No. 5 Keystone Heights (4-9) at No. 4 Crawfordville Wakulla (4-3), 7
No. 7 Monticello Jefferson County (3-12) vs. No. 2 Live Oak Suwannee (8-6) at Paul Langford Stadium, 7
No. 6 Tallahassee Rickards (2-10) at No. 3 Starke Bradford (4-3), 7

Remaining Schedule

SEMIFINALS
at Higher Seed
Wednesday

Winner of Play-In/Florida High vs. Winner of Keystone Heights/Wakulla, 7
Winner of Jefferson County/Suwannee vs. Winner of Rickards/Bradford, 7

FINALS
at Higher Seed
Friday

District Championship, 7

QUICK ANALYSIS: This district is intriguing for the way it was set up and the mass geographic area it covers from Tallahassee all the way to Keystone Heights. The two best teams in the district include Florida High and Suwanee with Florida High ranking No. 12 in Region 1 while Suwanee ranks No. 16 in the region. With that said one of these two teams is likely to emerge as the district champion and will bump a team that is ranked higher than them from claiming an at-large playoff berth. The one good thing in Florida High’s favor? They already beat Suwannee once during the regular season just a few weeks back.

PLAYOFF TEAMS PREDICTION
Florida High – District Champion

DISTRICT 1A-3

QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS
at Jacksonville Stanton
Monday

No. 8 Jacksonville Ribault (1-8) vs. No. 1 Jacksonville Stanton (15-0), 7
No. 5 Jacksonville Terry Parker (2-5) vs. No. 4 Jacksonville Paxon (6-4), 5

at Jacksonville Andrew Jackson
Monday

No. 7 Jacksonville Raines (0-7) vs. No. 2 Jacksonville Andrew Jackson (7-3), 5
No. 6 Jacksonville Riverside (3-5) vs. No. 3 Baldwin (6-5), 7

Remaining Schedule

SEMIFINALS
at Jacksonville Stanton
Tuesday

Winner of Ribault/Stanton vs. Winner of Terry Parker/Paxon, 7

at Jacksonville Andrew Jackson
Tuesday

Winner of Raines/Andrew Jackson vs. Winner of Riverside/Baldwin, 7

FINALS
at Jacksonville Stanton
Thursday

District Championship, 7

QUICK ANALYSIS: This district is interesting as Andrew Jackson who emerged from this group of teams last year as a district champion has seen some struggles with all three of their losses coming at the hands of Ed White, Stanton, and Middleburg this season. With that said it is very possible that whichever team from this district wins the district championship will be the only representative from the district in the regional playoffs.

PLAYOFF TEAMS PREDICTION
Stanton – District Champion

DISTRICT 1A-4

PLAY IN GAMES
at Higher Seed
Monday

No. 9 St. Augustine Menendez (3-6) at No. 8 Jacksonville Westside (5-8), 6
No. 10 Jacksonville Wolfson (1-9) at No. 7 Palatka (2-4), 6

QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS
Tuesday

Winner of Menendez/Westside at No. 1 Middleburg (11-0), 6
No. 5 St. Augustine Florida Deaf & Blind (4-4) at No. 4 Green Cove Springs Clay (6-3), 6
Winner of Wolfson/Palatka at No. 2 Jacksonville Ed White (10-4), 6
No. 6 Orange Park (6-4) at No. 3 Orange Park Ridgeview (8-3), 6

Remaining Schedule

SEMIFINALS
at Middleburg
Wednesday

Winner of Play-In/Middleburg vs. Winner of Florida Deaf & Blind/Clay, 6
Winner of Play-In/Ed White vs. Winner of Orange Park/Ridgeview, 7:30

FINALS
at Middleburg
Friday

District Championship, 7

QUICK ANALYSIS: Middleburg which won their first-ever district championship last year as well as their first playoff game is on track to repeat as district champions this season having gone undefeated in the regular season having beaten every team that is in the top eight seeds of the district tournament on their schedule and then some as well including beating Jacksonville Andrew Jackson who they played in the playoffs last season. Ed White has been solid as well and likely will emerge to the playoffs for the first time in school history as well, but if there is an advantage here, Middleburg has played the tougher schedule that includes wins over Ed White, Fleming Island, Clay, and Andrew Jackson.

PLAYOFF TEAMS PREDICTION
Middleburg – District Champion
Ed White – At-Large