Let’s look at the games in the Class 2A slate with one game slated for Thursday night and the rest for Friday as the regional quarterfinals are here. Picks are included from Joshua Wilson and Mike Reno from The Drive To State Show from Tuesday night, which you can watch the show in full on our Playoff Central page.
GAMES TO WATCH
REGION 1
No. 7 Walton (DeFuniak Springs) (6-3) at No. 2 Pensacola Catholic (8-1), Fri. 7:30 p.m. CT – This game has the making for a high scoring affair, but we remind you that the host Crusaders crushed the visiting Braves earlier this season district action. Keep an eye on Walton QB Wells Bettenhausen, who is averaging 267.7 yards passing per game while watching out for Catholic RB CJ Nettles, who has been the biggest catalyst of the Crusader offense for the last few years, averaging 125 yards per game. Josh’s Pick: Pensacola Catholic; Reno’s Pick: Pensacola Catholic
REGION 2
No. 5 Berkeley Prep (Clearwater) at No. 4 Calvary Christian (Clearwater), Fri, 7:00 p.m. – This is a game Berkeley Prep would love to have back from the regular season where the Buccaneers fell to the Warriors in Week 6 by a score of 28-23. For host Calvary Christian keep an eye on Oni Abasial, who is averaging a total of 203.6 yards per game, while star playmaker for Berkeley Prep, Dallas Golden leads with an average of 142.4 yards per game. In the end things are not the same for either team compared to last year at this time. Josh’s Pick: Berkeley Prep; Reno’s Pick: Berkeley Prep
REGION 3
No. 7 Tarpon Springs (6-4) at No. 2 Bishop Verot (Fort Myers) (7-3) – Carter Smith is back full and healthy and we saw that last week when the Vikings crushed Glades Central. However, there is some thought that with the visiting Spongers back in the playoffs for the first time in a while, they could throw some fits and surprise some people. Smith is averaging 222.4 total yards per game while Tarpon Springs QB Joaquin Kavouklis is averaging 211 yards passing per game. Josh’s Pick: Bishop Verot; Reno’s Pick: Bishop Verot
REGION 4
No. 5 Miami Carol City (7-3) at No. 4 Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) (6-4), Fri. 7:00 p.m. – Talk about the turnaround Miami Carol City has had under head coach George Stubbs who has gotten the visiting Chiefs out of being a doormat for Miami-Dade County teams from the past few seasons. Both teams are averaging between 395 to 410 yards per game (Carol City 395.1 ypg, Cardinal Gibbons, 406.1 ypg). Keep an eye on QB Jayden Torres for Cardinal Gibbons who is averaging 253.5 yards per game passing while QB Randy Phillips for Carol City is averaging 148.4 yards per game passing. Josh’s Pick: Carol City; Reno’s Pick: Carol City
REST OF THE SLATE
REGION 1
No. 8 Baldwin (5-5) at No. 1 Gadsden County (Havana) (9-1), Fri. 7:30 p.m. – Good for Baldwin getting into the postseason under first-year head coach Don Velvet, but head coach Russell Ellington will have the host Jaguars more than ready. Josh’s Pick: Gadsden County; Reno’s Pick: Gadsden County
No. 4 Florida High (Tallahassee) (7-3) at No. 5 Marianna (10-0), Fri. 7:30 p.m. CT – Great run for Jack Glover’s Bulldogs, but the Seminoles are going to prove to be too much in this one as they are on a seven-game win streak. Josh’s Pick: Florida High; Reno’s Pick: Florida High
No. 6 Taylor County (Perry) (7-3) at No. 3 Bolles (Jacksonville) (8-1), Fri. 7:30 p.m. – Great run for Taylor County under first-year head coach Jesse Braswell, but Bolles is going to be way too much here in my opinion, but Reno thinks otherwise. Josh’s Pick: Bolles; Reno’s Pick: Taylor County
REGION 2
No. 8 Lake Placid (5-5) at No. 1 Cocoa, Fri. 7:00 p.m. – We do not need to talk about this one. Congrats to the Green Dragons on a district title, but Cocoa is going to be way too much here. Josh’s Pick: Cocoa; Reno’s Pick: Cocoa
No. 7 The Villages (5-4) at No. 2 Bradford (Starke) (8-1), Fri. 7:30 p.m. – Great effort by The Villages, who’s big win over Mount Dora in Week 11 was part of the catalyst that got them in. Bradford is in a different world and a different area code. Josh’s Pick: Bradford; Reno’s Pick: Bradford
No. 6 Palatka (7-3) at No. 3 Newberry (8-2), Fri. 7:30 p.m. – Newberry crushed Palatka in the regular season and quite honestly, Newberry’s strength of schedule has helped prepare them more compared to Palatka’s. Josh’s Pick: Newberry; Reno’s Pick: Newberry
REGION 3
No. 8 Somerset Canyons (Boynton Beach) (4-6) at No. 1 Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota) (9-0), Fri. 7:30 p.m. – Defending state champions are going to take care of business easily in this one. Josh’s Pick: Cardinal Mooney; Reno’s Pick: Cardinal Mooney
No. 5 King’s Academy (West Palm Beach) (7-3) at No. 4 Calvary Christian (Clearwater) (7-3), Fri. 7:30 p.m. – Tougher strength of schedule is likely going to prove big time for the host Eagles as the visiting Lions who started the season 7-0 have now lost three-straight entering the post season. Josh’s Pick: Calvary Christian; Reno’s Pick: Calvary Christian
No. 6 Lakewood (St. Petersburg) (5-5) at No. 3 Glades Central (9-1), Fri. 7:00 p.m. – The Spartans who took a step back in 2023 improved some in 2024, but it was the Raiders that are much improved and will take the loss to Bishop Verot and take it out on Lakewood. Josh’s Pick: Glades Central; Reno’s Pick: Glades Central
REGION 4
No. 8 North Miami Beach (3-7) at No. 1 Booker T. Washington (Miami) (7-2) at Curtis Park, Thu. 8:00 – Chargers are in the playoffs thanks to a tough strength of schedule, but the Tornadoes are better in almost every aspect. Josh’s Pick: Booker T. Washington; Reno’s Pick: Booker T. Washington
No. 2 Immaculata-La Salle (9-1) at No. 7 Gulliver Prep (Pinecrest) (4-6), Fri. 3:00 p.m. – Raiders slide in to the playoffs with a district title, but the Royal Lions have just been too good for most teams this year. Josh’s Pick: Immaculata-La Salle; Reno’s Pick: Immaculata-La Salle
No. 6 Ransom Everglades (Miami) (6-3) at No. 3 Monsignor Pace (Miami Gardens) (7-2), Fri. 7:30 p.m. – Welcome back to the state series playoffs for the first time in years Ransom Everglades. Monsignor Pace will out match the visiting Raiders in this one as the Spartans are just talented on both sides of the ball.
