FHSAA's winter classifications change playoff road for Polk's 2 final four teams of 2022
The two Polk County winter sports teams that reached the final four last year were affected by the new classifications and districts as one will see a couple of postseason rivalries broken up, while the other will see a postseason rivalry possibly renewed.
The FHSAA released the classifications and districts for the winter sports on Tuesday morning. Winter Haven, which lost in the 6A state semifinals last year, was pushed up to Class 7A, while Bartow and Lakeland remained in Class 6A. In the past three seasons, Winter Haven has played both schools in the playoffs, losing to Bartow twice and beating Lakeland last year.
In girls soccer, two-time 3A state champion Lakeland Christian was dropped back into 2A, setting up another possible matchup with powerhouse St. Johns Country Day in the state semis or finals. St. Johns Country Day hasn't lost to a 2A school in 12 years.
The Winter Haven boys basketball team returns all its top players, while the LCS girls soccer returns nearly all its top players.
Winter Haven boys basketball coach Tyrone Woodside said he expected to move up to 7A as the boys basketball district usually matches the volleyball district.
Winter Haven will be in 7A, District 9 with Plant City Durant, George Jenkins, Haines City, Plant City and RidgeCommunity.
Lakeland and Bartow will remain in Class 6A and will play in District 7 with Kathleen, Lake Gibson, Liberty and St. Cloud.
"They can go beat each other up," Woodside said of Bartow and Lakeland. "But 7A is no joke. The region, I don't know the teams that well, but we are considered one of the stronger teams in the region. It's just that if we're fortunate enough to get back to state, it can be Oak Ridge, Olympia, Dr. Phillips. Windermere, Lake Weir, Columbus. It's pretty loaded at 7A."
In addition to not playing in the district or postseason, Winter Haven and Lakeland won't play during the regular season. Woodside wanted to play early in the season, while Lakeland, which likely won't get many of its top basketball players back until mid-December following the football state playoffs, wants to play later.
Winter Haven, however, still plays Bartow.
In 5A-7, Polk teams Auburndale, Davenport, Lake Region and Lake Wales will join Kissimmee Gateway, Orlando Jones and Orlando Lake Buena Vista.
Orlando Bishop Moore, Discovery, Orlando Lake Highland Prep, McKeel, Mulberry and Tenoroc will play in 4A-7.
In 3A-7, there are Four Corners, Frostproof, Lakeland Christian, Kissimmee New Dimensions, Santa Fe Catholic and Seffner Christian.
Class 2A, District 8 is a four-team district with All Saints, Kissimmee City of Life, Ocoee Legacy and Victory Christian.
Two Polk teams will play in 1A-8 as Fort Meade and Vanguard will play with Belle Glade Glades Day, Marathon, Moore Haven and Pahokee.
The girls basketball districts are the same except in 3A where Lakeland Christian and Santa Fe Catholic will play in District 7 with Riverview Ball Creek, Four Corners and Seffner Christian.
LCS' road in girls soccer gets easier, then harder
In girls soccer, Lakeland Christian went from being a heavy favorite to three-peat as 3A state champion to becoming an underdog in 2A.
LCS head coach Jason Streets said he was surprised by the drop down to 2A as he expected girls soccer to stay in 3A.
On vacation in the North Carolina mountains, Streets said he wasn't getting cell reception when the new classifications were released. By the time he got reception, his phone was "blowing up with 100 text messages and voicemails," he said.
"I have mixed feelings about it," Streets said. "I love the idea of trying to get another shot at St. Johns, but it is St. Johns."
Lakeland Christian went from being one of the smallest 3A schools to one of the biggest 2A schools. With enrollment at 366 students, LCS was 11 students away from being 3A.
Lakeland Christian's district and region aren't as strong as in recent years.
LCS is in 2A-7 with Santa Fe Catholic, Seffner Christian, Tampa Universal and Victory Christian.
Last year's district included Tampa Catholic, and the region included Berkeley Prep.
The Vikings beat Tampa Catholic, 1-0, in both the district and region finals and needed a penalty kick shootout to defeat Berkeley Prep in the regional semifinals.
The Vikings likely won't be challenged in the district tournament. Winter Park Geneva, a state semifinalist, likely will be the Vikings' strongest opponent in the regional tournament.
At the end of the road is St. Johns Country Day, which has won 11 consecutive state titles and has defeated LCS nine times since 2011, including seven times in the state semifinals or finals.
"He's graduated a lot over the last couple of years," Streets said of SJCD coach Mike Pickett. "He's got a pretty young team, but he's also going for 12 in a row, which I think ties a state record."
Streets said he set up his schedule with the assumption that LCS would stay in 3A. The Vikings open up against Geneva and close the season against 2A state runner-up Shorecrest.
"I wouldn't have played them because I don't like showing my hand," Streets said. "I'm a little frustrated that they (FHSAA) took so long to release it."
Streets said his wife is excited about the change. He said she told him, "You already won it, now try to do something you haven't been able to do."
Here are the other soccer districts.
Class 7A, District 2: Planty City Durant, Lithia Newsome, Plant City, Ridge, Strawberry Crest, Winter Haven
Class 6A, District 6: Bartow, George Jenkins, Kathleen, Lake Gibson, Lakeland
Class 5A, District 6: Auburndale, Winter Garden Horizon, Jones, Lake Buena Vista, Lake Wales, Liberty
Class 4A, District 7: Orlando Bishop Moore, Davenport, Eustis, Lake Region, Mount Dora, Tavares, Tenoroc
Class 4A, District 10: Tampa Chamberlain, Tampa Holy Names, Tampa Jefferson, Tampa King, McKeel, Mulberry
Class 3A, District 6: Avon Park, Bell Creek, Fort Meade, Frostproof, Lake Placid.
Roy Fuoco can be reached at roy.fuoco@theledger.com or at 863-802-7526. Follow him on Twitter: @RoyFuoco.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: FHSAA's winter classification changes playoff road for Polk's 2 final four teams of 2022
