High school football: Northeast Florida playoffs kick off for FHSAA suburban first round

The Florida High School Athletic Association playoffs kick off Friday with regional quarterfinals. The Times-Union previews first-round games across Northeast Florida in the Suburban and Rural classes.

All times subject to change

Region 1-4S

Creekside (8-2) at Navarre (8-2)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Winner plays: Flagler Palm Coast or Bartram Trail.

Playoff history: Creekside is 1-4; Navarre is 13-11.

Last regional playoff appearance: Creekside, 2021 (lost in regional quarterfinal); Navarre, 2020 (lost in regional quarterfinal).

Glance: Two teams with a lot in common. Navarre won four straight one-score games in October, although they got crunched by Niceville last time out; Creekside is a master of the nail-biting victory, winning last-minute thrillers over Oakleaf and Fleming Island. Navarre's balanced offense can move the ball many ways: Hunter Pfiester (91 of 156, 1,343 yards, 17 TD, 6 INT) throwing the ball, Eddie Love Jr. (148 carries, 1,097 yards) running it and receivers Terence Marshall (28 catches, 495 yards) and Jadon Reese (35 catches, 538 yards) making plays downfield. But Creekside has grown through the season, thanks in part to superb special teams. On the offensive side, Nicky Williams (209 carries, 1,097 yards, 16 TD) has found the end zone at a steady clip, while Wilson Edwards and Sean Ashenfelder are both performing well in the Knights' two-quarterback system.

Flagler Palm Coast (4-6) at Bartram Trail (10-0)

7 p.m. Friday

Winner plays: Creekside or Navarre.

Playoff history: Flagler Palm Coast is 3-11; Bartram Trail is 24-18.

Last regional playoff appearance: Flagler Palm Coast, 2020 (lost in regional quarterfinal); Bartram Trail, 2021 (lost in regional semifinal).

Glance: Ranked second in the state at Class 4S, the balanced Bears begin their trek here. They've shown they can win every kind of game against every kind of opponent, from shutouts to shootouts, and Super 11 corner Sharif Denson continues to display his talents against the state's best passing attacks. QB Riley Trujillo and running back Laython Biddle (24 touchdowns, 1,202 yards) make up a formidable ground combination for Bartram Trail. The Bulldogs are better than their record might indicate — three of their losses are by forfeit. QB D.J. Murray has thrown for 1,409 yards and rushed for 644, picking up 25 touchdowns in all, while Colby Cronk and Rodney Hill stand out on FPC's defense.

Region 1-3S

Choctawhatchee (5-5) at St. Augustine (7-3)

6 p.m. Saturday

Winner plays: Tallahassee Rickards or Pensacola Pine Forest.

Playoff history: Choctawhatchee is 19-15 with one state title; St. Augustine is 43-28 with one state title.

Last regional playoff appearance: Choctawhatchee, 2015 (lost in regional semifinal); St. Augustine, 2020 (lost in state semifinal).

Glance: Look out, scoreboard. After missing out last year to snap a 22-year playoff streak, the Yellow Jackets are back. Nobody in Northeast Florida right now is scoring quite like St. Augustine, which has reached 35 points or more in their last seven games. Junior tailback Devonte Lyons (1,269 yards, 19 TD) has excelled as expected, but the surprise has been the rapid evolution of the passing game with Locklan Hewlett (131 of 225, 2,126 yards, 23 TD, 6 INT) and receivers Carl Jenkins Jr., Darrell Jenkins and Trenton Jones, all sophomores. Choctaw is also a high scorer: They've tallied 63 points twice, lost a 43-39 game and will field a running back among Florida's leaders in Cole Tabb (1,877 yards, 22 TD) who gained 335 last week against Lynn Haven Mosley.

Tallahassee Lincoln (5-5) at Columbia (6-3)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Winner plays: Middleburg or Escambia.

Playoff history: Lincoln is 45-25 with three state titles; Columbia is 38-34 with one state title.

Last regional playoff appearance: Lincoln, 2021 (lost in regional semifinal); Columbia, 2021 (lost in regional quarterfinal).

Glance: Now that Columbia has fought off their early-season turnover bug, they're showing why they were considered among the Class 3S contenders entering the year. Jaden Robinson, Amare Ferrell and Jerome Carter are starring on defense and showing why they'll be playing on Saturdays. Junior receiver Camdon Frier (18 catches, 413 yards, 4 TD) can take any football the distance, and QB Tyler Jefferson has overcome a bumpy start to pass for 938 yards and rush for 441. But even a 5-5 Trojans team is dangerous. Lincoln has played the likes of Bartram Trail, Dillard and Colquitt County, and running back Demetric Stephens (133 carries, 1,072 yards, 10 TD) is averaging more than eight yards per carry. Jermaris Speights (4 INT) and Raylen Wilson (7 sacks, 16 TFL) lead the Lincoln defense.

Middleburg (5-5) at Escambia (7-3)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Winner plays: Tallahassee Lincoln or Columbia.

Playoff history: Middleburg is 1-6; Escambia is 22-13 with two state titles.

Last regional playoff appearance: Middleburg, 2016 (lost in regional quarterfinal); Escambia, 2020 (lost in regional quarterfinal).

Glance: Winners of five of their last six, the Broncos can go as far as T.J. Lane can carry them. The senior is red-hot, coming off a combined 672 yards and eight touchdowns in must-win matchups against Orange Park and Fernandina Beach, and he leads Northeast Florida with 1,786 rushing yards. Unlike the Emmitt Smith days of the 1980s, today's Escambia likes to air it out, and they'll test the Middleburg secondary with quarterback Ammiel Steele (135 of 210, 2,067 yards, 19 TD, 11 INT) and receiver Akeem Stokes (67 catches, 1,045 yards, 7 TD). Middleburg has only one all-time win in a regional playoff, a 54-28 triumph over Palatka in 2003.

First Coast Varsity Weekly: Middleburg football's T.J. Lane full speed ahead into playoffs

Region 1-2S

Walton (7-3) at Suwannee (8-2)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Winner plays: Panama City Bay or West Florida.

Playoff history: Walton is 11-18 with one state title; Suwannee is 29-17 with four state titles.

Last regional playoff appearance: Walton, 2021 (lost in regional semifinal); Suwannee, 2020 (lost in regional quarterfinal).

Glance: Since losing to Chiefland and Wildwood by a combined six points, the Bulldogs have been on fire, including last week's upset of formerly-perfect Bradford. Running back Marquavious Owens has small size (5-7, 150) but big production (951 yards), and the passing combination of Bronsen Tillotson (105-192, 1,445 yards, 13 TD, 7 INT) and Javarion Smith (43 catches, 796 yards, 9 TD) is tough to stop. Walton has topped the 40-point mark five times this year, averaging 35.5 points per game, and they can move the ball many ways: QB Paul Dillon (93 of 162, 1,467 yards, 19 TD, 6 INT) and WR Devon Tyson (43 catches, 642 yards, TD) are a dangerous air combination and Makei Jones, Jarek Lindsey and Nuke McKenzie have all gained 500 or more yards on the ground.

Region 2-2S

Crescent City (4-6) at Bradford (9-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Winner plays: North Marion or Gainesville Eastside.

Playoff history: Crescent City is 4-16; Bradford is 21-20 with two state titles.

Last regional playoff appearance: Crescent City, 2021 (lost in regional quarterfinal); Bradford, 2021 (lost in regional semifinal).

Glance: The perfect season is over but not the title hopes for Bradford, which allowed only 31 points for the regular season. Even after an ankle fracture sidelined star senior Manny Covey, Willie Pollard has picked up the pace in the backfield, while Chason Clark, Bryson Bowen, Torin Brazell and 2024 prospect Chalil Cummings have starred on an uncompromising defense. Crescent City sophomore Eric Jenkins (101 of 184, 1,472 yards, 16 TD) and the receiving quartet of Ray Davis, Sheldon Patrick, Lentavious Keenon and Brandon Padgett are exciting in the air game, but the Raiders' defense has allowed 28.5 points per game.

Yulee (6-4) at Baker County (7-3)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Winner plays: Palatka or Baldwin.

Playoff history: Yulee is 3-4; Baker County is 16-17.

Last regional playoff appearance: Yulee, 2016 (lost in regional quarterfinal); Baker County, 2021 (lost in state semifinal).

Glance: A rematch from Oct. 14, when Baker County won 31-30 in a thriller. As always, Baker County's Cam Smith means danger for defenses. He's averaging 11 yards per carry and now has 1,840 all-purpose yards on the season. On defense, the Wildcats are getting big years from Davion Dean (seven interceptions) and pass rusher Orlando Holland (11.5 sacks). They'll run into a Yulee offense that racks up big yardage through the air. Double-teaming UConn-committed wideout Zack Drawdy (70 catches, 842 yards) risks opening up more room for Josiah Evans (44/468) or Jye Thompson (31/416) as targets for QB Chris Turner (185 of 291, 1,994 yards, 24 TD, 10 INT), and junior Rylan Hale has been scoring in just about every way possible for the Hornets. Yulee's last playoff victory came 10 years ago, with national rushing king Derrick Henry notching the game-winning touchdown to beat East Gadsden 16-13.

Palatka (7-3) at Baldwin (8-2)

6 p.m. Saturday

Winner plays: Yulee or Baker County.

Playoff history: Palatka is 17-22 with one state title; Baldwin is 1-9.

Last regional playoff appearance: Palatka, 2020 (lost in regional quarterfinal); Baldwin, 2021 (lost in regional semifinal).

Glance: Palatka has backed into the playoffs (three straight losses after a 7-0 start) but they're still celebrating their best year since 2003 and could be a difficult matchup for the hosts because of their athletic skills. Receivers Ty'ran Bush and Cartaveon Valentine are the keys to the passing game, while Chavaris Dumas is an explosive threat on returns, including six interceptions. Few teams in Northeast Florida force turnovers quite like Baldwin, particularly two-way athlete Cortez Martinez (four interceptions) and defensive back Leon Kirkland (five interceptions). Six of Baldwin's touchdowns come from returns. The offense, shut out last week by White, relies on QB Jalen Hitchens to keep the ball moving on the ground (882 rushing yards, 10 TD).

Region 3-1R

Fort White (6-4) at Madison County (3-6)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Winner plays: Union County.

Playoff history: Fort White is 5-14; Madison County is 68-20 with six state titles.

Last regional playoff appearance: Fort White, 2021 (lost in regional quarterfinal); Madison County, 2021 (state champion).

Glance: Fort White is on a roll when it matters, winning four of the last five entering the playoffs. Junior Najeeb Smith is an all-around star for Fort White, grabbing three turnovers on defense and gaining big yards (999 rushing, 369 receiving) as the primary target for senior QB Clayton Philpot (48 of 102, 1,058 yards, 11 TD, 5 INT). Even in a down year by Madison County's standards, a playoff trip to Boot Hill is no walk in the park. Without dual-threat QB Jamie Hampton for much of the year, defending 1A champ Madison County has leaned on an offense by committee, including six rushing scores for sophomore Jason McDaniel. Cornerback Jonathan Akins, committed to Maryland, is the Cowboys' top prospect and adds 187 receiving yards as well. Madison County leads the all-time series 10-1.

Bye: Union County, Hilliard

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 suburban playoff previews