High school football: Jacksonville kicks off first-ever FHSAA Metro playoff first round
The Florida High School Athletic Association begins its Metro-class playoffs on Friday, November 11. Here's a preview of the action for Duval County teams.
All game times subject to change
Region 1-4M
Sanford Seminole (8-2) at Mandarin (5-4)
6:30 p.m. Monday
Winner plays: Oviedo Hagerty or Lake Mary.
Playoff history: Seminole is 27-18 with two state titles; Mandarin is 8-7 with one state title.
Last regional playoff appearance: Seminole, 2021 (lost in regional final); Mandarin, 2019 (lost in regional quarterfinal).
Glance: Yes, the location is correct: Even though Seminole enters as the No. 1 seed in Region 1-4M and Mandarin holds the lowest ranking of the region's qualifiers, the Mustangs have home advantage for the rare Monday kickoff because they won District 1-4M. Mandarin's passing attack is deadly, with QB Tramell Jones (149 of 254, 2,084 yards, 21 TD, 8 INT) and receivers Jaime Ffrench (40 catches, 601 yards, 5 TD) and Kieren Jackson (36 catches, 557 yards, 10 TD) able to strike the end zone in a flash. It's not just about the air game, either: Tiant Wyche has emerged as a quality back, Carmello Murphy leads a crushing pass rush and Jon Mitchell is a promising junior at corner. But will it be enough? Seminole's receiver pair of FSU commit Goldie Lawrence and Michael Key has combined for nearly 1,000 yards, and even though FAU-committed quarterback Luke Rucker has missed some action of late, topping the 2020 state champions will be no easy feat.
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Region 1-3M
First Coast (6-3) at Edgewater (10-0)
6 p.m. Saturday
Winner plays: Tampa Bay Tech or Fletcher.
Playoff history: First Coast is 11-12; Edgewater is 40-25.
Last regional playoff appearance: First Coast, 2014 (lost in regional final); Edgewater, 2021 (lost in regional semifinal).
Glance: Back in the regionals after an eight-year wait are the Bucs and 26th-year head coach Marty Lee, who is assured of at least one more playoff game at the helm. First Coast tailback Auston Harris came on strong at season's end, and a multi-pronged passing game with QB Rodney Tisdale Jr. and receivers Jahmier Grays and Thomas Jackson has been racking up the yards. But Edgewater is a clear favorite for the region. Although he's missed time due to injury in recent weeks, Edgewater running back Cedric Baxter Jr. (1,213 rushing yards, 11 TD) is a Texas commit rated by some analysts as the No. 1 running back prospect in Florida, while quarterback Chase Carter and running back Kaden Shields-Dutton have kept the offense running smoothly.
Tampa Bay Tech (8-2) at Fletcher (8-2)
6 p.m. Saturday
Winner plays: First Coast or Edgewater.
Playoff history: Tampa Bay Tech is 17-15; Fletcher is 14-22.
Last regional playoff appearance: Tampa Bay Tech, 2021 (lost in state final); Fletcher, 2021 (lost in regional quarterfinal).
Glance: Winners of seven straight, the Senators meet a Tampa Bay Tech team that finished as state runner-up in 2021 and has lost only once on the field in 2022, 24-21 to Tampa Jesuit (their other defeat was a forfeit for using an ineligible player). Top Tampa Bay Tech rusher Rod Gainey Jr. (121 carries, 1,290 yards, 13 rushing TD), QB Xavione Washington (69 of 113, 1,403 yards, 13 TD, 3 INT) and sophomore wideout Dallas Wilson (30 catches, 671 yards, 7 TD) are steady touchdown producers, while Donteye Drew II and Antonio Camon lead a defense that's forced 31 sacks and allows fewer than 10 points per game. How will the Senators respond to the challenge? To keep up, Fletcher needs near-perfection from QB Marcelis Tate (114 of 203, 1,682 yards, 12 TD, 6 INT), himself committed to a future in Tampa at USF, and receiver Anthony Vaglienti (42 catches, 713 yards, 8 TD). Fletcher's pass rush is also effective, with Matteo Davis and Amari Wilson combining for 19 sacks.
Region 1-2M
Riverside (4-6) at Jackson (8-2)
6:30 p.m. Friday
Winner plays: Raines or White.
Playoff history: Riverside (formerly Lee) is 20-18; Jackson is 9-15.
Last regional playoff appearance: Riverside, 2021 (lost in regional semifinal); Jackson, 2021 (lost in regional quarterfinal).
Glance: Are you ready for some defense? For the first time since 2004, the longtime Duval County rivals will be facing off for a second time in a season. Jackson holds the top seed and Riverside squeezed into the last spot, but this is far from a mismatch. Jackson edged the Generals 6-2 last month on a touchdown from Fred Gaines. Riverside dual-threat quarterback Devin Herring gained almost 200 total yards in last week's key victory over Ribault, but turnovers (28 through the regular season) have hampered the Generals. Expect a low-scoring battle: With De'Avary Weeks, Zaire Moody and Jamal Harvey-Jackson anchoring the Riverside front seven, and Tyler Fann, Jeremiah Lovely and All-American linebacker Grayson Howard on duty for the Tigers, the first team to double digits might be the winner.
Raines (7-2) at White (7-2)
6:30 p.m. Friday
Winner plays: Riverside or Jackson.
Playoff history: Raines is 33-34 with three state titles; White is 13-19.
Last regional playoff appearance: Raines, 2021 (lost in regional semifinal); White, 2021 (lost in regional quarterfinal).
Glance: A good one on the Westside. The Commanders' 28-0 shutout of Baldwin in Week 11 enabled them to leapfrog Raines for home field advantage. Since an injury to QB Isiah Teal, there's no secret to White's offense: It's all ground game, almost all the time, with Tavales Thomas, Benny Lewis and Davaughn Patterson pounding out big yardage. Patterson and Shawn Neloms lead a defense that has shut out four of its last six opponents. The Raines defense is similarly tough, powered by JaMari Whitehead off the edge and Florida State commit Kenton Kirkland in the secondary. Raines QB Roman Doles is a serious running threat, gaining 642 yards on the ground and averaging 8.1 yards per carry. Recent history favors Raines: The Vikings have beaten White nine times in a row going back to 2010.
Episcopal (8-2) at Bolles (6-4)
7:30 p.m. Friday
Winner plays: Bishop Moore or Bishop Kenny.
Playoff history: Episcopal is 2-9; Bolles is 97-30 with 11 state titles.
Last regional playoff appearance: Episcopal, 2021 (lost in regional quarterfinal); Bolles, 2021 (lost in state semifinal).
Glance: Records might be deceiving. Bolles already defeated Episcopal 45-7 on Oct. 3 while playing without quarterback D.J. Moore, who is now back from injury, and the Bulldogs picked up renewed confidence after beating Class 4S Gainesville Buchholz 49-28 Friday on a huge night for sophomore Ty Neal. With 404 yards in his last two games, Neal is energizing the offense for the 11-time state champions, who already have a pounding offensive line and a downfield threat in freshman Naeem Burroughs. To turn the tables on the Bulldogs, Episcopal will need more big nights from Christian Davis, Episcopal's 1,000-yard running back, and senior athlete Corey Scott, a highlight machine on both sides of the ball with 1,071 receiving yards and five interceptions.
Bishop Moore (7-3) at Bishop Kenny (8-2)
6 p.m. Saturday.
Winner plays: Episcopal or Bolles.
Playoff history: Bishop Moore is 18-18 with two state titles; Bishop Kenny is 6-15.
Last regional playoff appearance: Bishop Moore, 2021 (lost in regional semifinal); Bishop Kenny, 2021 (lost in regional quarterfinal).
Glance: A series that began in the 1950s and has resurfaced in several other sports returns to the gridiron. For Bishop Kenny, Iowa-committed dual-threat QB James Resar has been at the heart of everything (111 of 176, 1,812 passing yards, 15 TD, 5 INT, team-high 494 rushing yards). He's been spreading the ball to a trio of effective receivers in Jackson Burnett, Jayden Harris and J.P. Donovan, while Michael Leonard and Kolbe Sexton are leaders on a defense that's not the biggest but limited Bolles to 13 points. But it's hard to force turnovers against the Hornets. Bishop Moore QB Riley Willis is almost error-free this year, hitting 72 percent of his passes and throwing 16 TDs to one interception, and five receivers have double-digit receptions. Hornets senior linebacker Drew Spinogatti (118 tackles, 13 for loss, four forced fumbles) is all over the field.
Bye: Trinity Christian, University Christian
Clayton Freeman covers high school sports and more for the Florida Times-Union. Follow him on Twitter at @CFreemanJAX, and sign up for the First Coast Varsity newsletter at https://profile.jacksonville.com/newsletters/first-coast-varsity/.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school football 2022: Jacksonville first-round metro playoff previews
