Here is our preview of the Class 3M regional quarterfinal playoff games to be played this week in the Sunshine State. All games are scheduled for Friday with a 7:30 p.m. local time kickoff unless noted.
THE FIVE BEST
No. 4 Jones (Orlando) (7-3) at No. 5 Oviedo (8-2)
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: John Courier Field, Oviedo
REGION: Class 3M-Region 1
SCORING AVERAGES: Jones: 39.4-19; Oviedo: 44.3-22.8
WHAT TO KNOW: A playoff rematch from last year where Jones defeated Oviedo 49-19 … The visiting Tigers started the season 2-3 in the first five games but have been on a six-game winning streak since their last loss to Edgewater on Sept. 14 … The host Lions enter this playoff rematch with a seven-game winning streak with their last loss coming to Lake Mary on Sept. 8 … Jones will rely on quarterback Dereon Coleman to lead the way who has 1,539 yards passing and 12 touchdowns against two interceptions … Jerrian Parker leads the Tigers in rushing with 896 yards along with 10 touchdowns … Vernell Brown III leads Jones in receiving yards with 1,019 yards and eight touchdowns … Defensively keep an eye on D’antre Robinson who has racked up 47 tackles and nine tackles for loss and leads the team with eight sacks … Lamarius Fair leads the team in tackles with 74 total tackles … Defensive back James Chenault leads the team in interceptions with four … For the host Lions Jackson LaTour is the biggest offensive weapon on the team and this season at quarterback has thrown for 2,629 yards and 35 touchdowns against two interceptions … LaTour also has four rushing touchdowns with 129 yards rushing … Running back Kevin Watson is just one yard short of 1,000 yards rushing on the season as he has 999 yards rushing on 126 carries and five touchdowns … Wide receiver Marquet Williams leads the team with 917 yards receiving with 16 touchdowns on 61 catches … Bryson Blanford and Joey Gioria lead the team in tackles with 67 and 60 respectively while both also lead the team in interceptions with three each.
JOSH’S PREDICTION: Jones over Oviedo
No. 7 Wharton (Tampa) (6-4) at No. 2 Armwood (Seffner) (9-1)
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Lyle Flagg Field, Seffner
REGION: Class 3M-Region 1
SCORING AVERAGES: Wharton: 31.1-17.3; Armwood: 43.0-13.8
WHAT TO KNOW: Here comes a district rematch from Week 6 where Armwood held on to beat Wharton 27-13 … The visiting Wildcats have won three straight games and have outscored opponents 141-7 during that stretch … The host Hawks have not lost a game since losing 28-21 to Jesuit (Tampa) on Sept. 22 … For Wharton, Jackson Jensen has been playing some strong football having gone 179-of-291 passing for 2,426 yards and 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions … Jensen’s top target this season has been Taquawn Anthony who has 42 catches for 828 yards and eight touchdowns … Defensively, keep an eye on disrupter Booker Pickett Jr. who not only leads the team in tackles at 57 but also leads the Wildcats with 15 sacks and 19 tackles for loss … Jamaree Thomas leads the Wildcats with four interceptions and also has three blocked field goals … With Armwood the name of the game will be running back Girard Pringle who has rushed for 1,582 yards and 24 touchdowns this season and will be hard to contain … Rhys Bush is the Hawks’ leading passer with 1,484 yards and 20 touchdowns against three interceptions … Mekhi Anderson leads Armwood in receiving yards with 633 and has nine touchdowns on the season … Roymarr Thomas and Greg Lott have been sack machines for the Hawks with a combined 27 sacks … Thomas has 15 sacks while Lott has 12.
JOSH’S PREDICTION: Armwood over Wharton
No. 5 Northeast (St. Petersburg) (7-3) at No. 4 Hillsborough (Tampa) (6-4)
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Marcelino “Chelo” Huerta Field, Tampa
REGION: Class 3M-Region 2
SCORING AVERAGES: Northeast: 27.3-17.6; Hillsborough: 28.2-22.9
WHAT TO KNOW: The visiting Vikings come into the game at Hillsborough with a four-game winning streak including a victory over Largo to end the regular season on a high note … The host Terriers have suffered two losses in a row to Jesuit and Hillsborough to end the regular season … The Vikings are going to rely on Trey Whirley to get the ball out in the passing attack. Whirley has thrown for 1,242 yards and 14 touchdowns this season against seven interceptions … The run game for the Vikings is designed by committee and will see a plethora of backs taking on the duties to mix things up … Javeyon McKenzie leads the Vikings in receiving yards with 494 yards and has six touchdowns on the season … Defensively, Mo Alexis leads the team with nearly 100 tackles … Keontae Williams leads the Vikings with four interceptions which two of those interceptions have been returned for touchdowns … Hillsborough relies slightly more on the passing game, but has been mostly balanced this season … Quarterback Darryon Jones has thrown for 1,714 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, but also has thrown for six interceptions … Syncere Styles leads the Terriers in rushing with 457 yards and 11 touchdowns … On defense keep an eye on Jacob Feltner and Kellen Wiley as they are the two leading tacklers on defense with 71 and 70 total tackles respectively through the regular season … Defensive back Da’Shawn Styles leads the team in interceptions with three.
JOSH’S PREDICTION: Hillsborough over Northeast
No. 5 Dilliard (Fort Lauderdale) (5-5) at No. 4 Blanche Ely (8-2)
WHEN: Friday, 7
WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Pompano Beach
REGION: Class 3M-Region 3
SCORING AVERAGES: Dillard 23.6-28.8; Blanche Ely: 32.6-16.3
WHAT TO KNOW: Blanche Ely defeated Dillard 33-28 in Week 11 … This playoff game marks the second meeting in as many weeks between the two longtime rivals … The visiting Panthers come into this game with a two-game losing streak … The host Tigers have won five out of their last six games … Player statistics for Dillard are very sparse as they have not been updated this season by the team … For Blanche Ely they have rotated with quarterbacks this season with Omari McNeal and Gary Hadley, both sophomores, splitting the work for the Tigers … Edward McIntosh III has been the leading rusher while Marcel Williams and Richard Hollis have lead the team in receiving yards (769 and 617 yards respectively) … Linebacker Cameron Davis has racked up 100 tackles this season to lead the Tigers in that category … Joshua Lloyd is the sack leader with seven sacks while Gab Almonord Jr. leads the team in interceptions with two.
JOSH’S PREDICTION: Blanche Ely over Dillard
No. 4 Miami Southridge (6-4) vs. No. 5 Hialeah (9-1)
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Milander Park, Hialeah
REGION: Class 3M-Region 4
SCORING AVERAGES: Miami Southridge: 27.2-22.8; Hialeah 33.9-7.2
WHAT TO KNOW: The visiting Spartans’ four losses have all come from teams that have reached the playoffs including losses to Miami Norland and Miami Central … The host Thoroughbreds have won nine straight games since dropping their season opener to Miami Edison in a 17-6 decision in Week 1 … Southridge has been fairly balanced on offense this season with the passing yards just outpacing the rushing yards 1,768-1,143 … Expect the potential for the Spartans offense to use a two-quarterback system as both Taylor Trauth and James Perrone have spent time under center this season … Darius Clements leads the Spartans in receiving yards with 530 yards and four touchdowns … Keith Berry and Joshua McDowell lead Southridge in tackles with 74 and 71 respectively … McDowell has intercepted three passes this year to lead the Spartans in that category … Glenn Smith III will be dangerous on special teams as he has returned two punts and a kickoff for touchdowns this season … For Hialeah Travis Delaney Jr. will be worth watching who has thrown for 1,862 yards and 19 touchdowns against five interceptions this season … Delaney has also rushed for three touchdowns as well … Delaney’s favorite targets in the passing game include Abdullah Gosha Jr. (488 receiving yards, six touchdowns) and DaMarcus Anderson (452 receiving yards, five touchdowns) … Keon Black leads the Thoroughbreds with 68 tackles while Jack Sawyer has registered 21 tackles for loss and leads the team in sacks with 13 … Giovanni Morely and Terrell Williams lead the team in interceptions with three each.
JOSH’S PREDICTION: Hialeah over Miami Southridge
REST OF THE SLATE
REGION 1
No. 8 First Coast (Jacksonville) (6-4) at No. 1 Edgewater (10-0), 7: Buccaneers get first district title in nine years but met with an Eagles team that is just in a different world right now. Eagles should roll in this one to remain undefeated. JOSH’S PREDICTION: Edgewater over First Coast
No. 6 Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (7-3) at No. 3 Tampa Bay Tech (8-2): A first-round playoff rematch from last year and the visiting Senators are looking for revenge against the Titans from last year. Titans dropped two in a row to end the season after starting off 8-0. JOSH’S PREDICTION: Tampa Bay Tech over Fletcher
REGION 2
No. 8 Pinellas Park (Largo) (6-4) at No. 1 Jesuit (Tampa) (8-2): The host Tigers have been playing strong in the second half of the season and are much better than they were this time last year. JOSH’S PREDICTION: Jesuit over Pinellas Park
No. 7 East Bay (Gibsonton) (8-2) at No. 2 Largo (8-2): Records are the same, but Largo has by far played the better schedule and the Packers should win easily over the Indians. JOSH’S PREDICTION: Largo over East Bay
No. 6 Gaither (Tampa) (5-5) at No. 3 St. Petersburg (8-2): The host Green Devils rolled to a district championship this season, but the Cowboys have played much tougher competition and I feel the Cowboys will go back across Tampa Bay with a win. JOSH’S PREDICTION: Gaither over St. Petersburg
REGION 3
No. 8 Plantation (6-4) at No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (9-1), 7: Colonels have struggled, and the Raiders have rolled to nine straight wins since losing to St. John Bosco in Week 1. Not much to see in this one. JOSH’S PREDICTION: St. Thomas Aquinas over Plantation
No. 7 West Boca Raton (8-2) at No. 2 Atlantic (Delray Beach) (9-1), 6:30: Great season for the visiting Bulls, but the Eagles are a mile ahead when it comes to overall talent and quality of schedule that has been played. JOSH’S PREDICTION: Atlantic over West Boca Raton
No. 6 Piper (Sunrise) (6-4) at No. 3 Coconut Creek (8-2), 7: Battle of district champions, but not all district champions are created equal, and the host Cougars are just playing in a different zip code than the visiting Bengals right now. JOSH’S PREDICTION: Coconut Creek over Piper
REGION 4
No. 8 McArthur (5-4-1) vs. No. 1 Homestead (8-1) at Harris Field: McArthur slipped into the playoffs through the backdoor but are going to get met with a Homestead team that just looks even better than last year’s state runner-up team. JOSH’S PREDICTION: Homestead over McArthur
No. 7 Belen Jesuit (4-6) at No. 2 South Broward (8-2), Thursday, 7: The host Bulldogs are just really playing some amazing football while the visiting Wolverines have been up and down all season. JOSH’S PREDICTION: South Broward over Belen Jesuit
No. 6 American (Hialeah) (6-4) at No. 3 Miramar (6-4), Thursday, 7: A rematch of two district foes and honest, in the battle of the Patriots, the Miramar version is going to win round two. JOSH’S PREDICTION: Miramar over American
