Class 1A Flag Football Regional Semifinals Preview

Regional Semifinals are being played tonight across the state in girls’ flag football. Here is a quick preview with some predictions on each of the eight regional semifinal games in Class 1A:

REGION 1

No. 5 Tallahassee FAMU DRS (12-2) at No. 1 Middleburg (15-0)

NOTES: This is a rematch of last year’s regional final championship game that saw Middleburg make too many mental mistakes and FAMU capitalize on those mistakes. However, the Broncos come into this game stronger than they were last year and appear poised to make the deepest run they have made. Brooke Swenson will be leading the Broncos while Jade DuBose will be carrying the visiting Baby Rattlers. This should be a close one but expecting the top seed to come out on top this time around.

PREDICTION: Middleburg over FAMU DRS

No. 3 Jacksonville Stanton (19-0) at No. 2 Fort Walton Beach Choctawhatchee (12-2)

NOTES: Stanton will face its toughest test of the season after escaping Jacksonville Ed White on Tuesday night while Choctawhatchee pitched the shutout and defeated Tallahassee Godby for the third time. Also, this will mark just the second team that Stanton has faced that is not located in Duval County or in the Gateway Conference. This will be tough for the visiting Blue Devils against a perennial power team from the Panhandle.

PREDICTION: Choctawhatchee over Stanton

REGION 2

No. 4 Tampa Chamberlain (9-3) at No. 1 Tampa Robinson (19-1)

NOTES: Tampa Chamberlain is on a short turnaround of rest after winning 19-18 over Seminole Osceola Wednesday night due to weather issues that plagued the game from being played on Tuesday night. Robinson easily dominated Parrish Community and looks poised to dominate easily against Chamberlain came out of the weakest of all the Hillsborough County districts in both classifications.

PREDICTION: Robinson over Chamberlain

No. 6 St. Petersburg (10-5) at No. 2 St. Petersburg Gibbs (14-1)

NOTES: This is the third meeting between the two teams this season and Gibbs has won each of them with the first one in the regular season by a wide margin with St. Petersburg closing the gap significantly in the district championship game last week. No matter which way this game goes, either team would be going the farthest any flag football team in that school’s history has been.

PREDICTION: Gibbs over St. Petersburg

REGION 3

No. 8 Riviera Beach Suncoast (13-6) at No. 5 Orlando Jones (13-2)

NOTES: Suncoast pulled off the biggest upset on Tuesday night, knocking out No. 1 Mainland while No. 5 Jones advanced as expected over No. 4 Lincoln Park Academy. The question in this one will be to see if Suncoast has enough left in them to knock out another higher-ranked team to reach the regional finals. If Suncoast does that, it would make things look interesting for the regional finals on Monday while Jones is seeking to go the furthest they have ever been in the playoffs as well.

PREDICITION: Jones over Suncoast

No. 3 Jensen Beach (16-3) at No. 2 Ocala Trinity Catholic (14-2)

NOTES: Jensen Beach is coming into this regional semifinal game surviving an overtime game on Tuesday night with Daytona Beach Seabreeze while Trinity Catholic easily took down Belleview once again for the third time this season. Jensen Beach has been further and deeper than Trinity Catholic has as Tuesday night’s win over Belleview marked their first regional playoff win in school history. Given the experience Jensen Beach has, this game could be on their side.

PREDICTION: Jensen Beach over Trinity Catholic

REGION 4

No. 5 Miami Central (14-3) at No. 1 Miami Edison (12-1)

NOTES: The visiting Rockets easily took care of business against Miami Norland on Tuesday while the host Red Raiders just barely escaped against Miami Killian. Miami Central is looking to get revenge here in the third meeting between the teams.

PREDICTION: Miami Edison over Miami Central

No. 3 Pembroke Pines Charter (10-5) at No. 2 Miami Somerset Silver Palms (14-1)

NOTES: Either team is poised to make its deepest playoff run ever in school history with a win here in this game. There is a lot of potentials that this game will swing either way as both teams have played solid teams this year on the way to this particular game.

PREDICTION: Somerset Silver Palms over Pembroke Pines Charter