High school football playoffs Round 2: Five of the area's top matchups this Friday
The second round of the FHSAA football playoffs have arrived.
And here in the Gainesville area, Friday night's action marks the opportunity for nine area teams to see their season extend beyond Thanksgiving — a feat that's deemed as a privilege when it comes to high school football in Florida.
A look back at Round 1: Final scores from FHSAA first round playoff games
Last week's takeaways: What we learned in the opening round of the playoffs
Of the eight matchups featuring local teams, here are the ones the Gainesville Sun has its eyes on come Friday night.
No. 7 Crestview (7-4) at No. 3 Buchholz (8-2)
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Citizens Field, Gainesville
REGION-CLASSIFICATION: 1-4S
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: After last week's thriller, how could someone not have their eyes on this Buchholz team? In last week's 35-34 win over Pace, piloted by senior quarterback Creed Whittemore, the Buchholz offense marched 95 yards in the final two minutes, followed by a successful two-point try to secure the win and avoid overtime. This week, the Bobcats welcome the Crestview Bulldogs, who stunned the second-seeded Niceville Eagles 26-21 last week. In both teams' wins last week, it was all about the guy taking snaps. For Buchholz, Whittemore tallied a total of 497 yards — 294 passing and 203 rushing. Whittemore also scored five touchdowns, four passing and one on the ground. Meanwhile, Crestview was led by senior quarterback Jerome Brazan, who tallied 296 pass yards and 47 rush yards — plus three touchdowns. But what about this Buchholz defense? The Bobcats dominated the first half last week before letting Pace claw its way back into the game. Once again, Buchholz had trouble finding the answer to a mobile quarterback. And it's worth noting that Brazan is the Bulldogs' second leading rusher with 566 yards and 10 touchdowns.
No. 5 Eastside (8-2) at No. 1Bradford (10-1)
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: David Hurse Stadium, Starke
REGION-CLASSIFICATION: 2-2S
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: For the second week in a row, the Rams draw a rematch with a team they faced in the regular season. And if history is any indication, the Rams fare well the second time around against those teams. Last Friday, Eastside knocked off No. 4 North Marion 27-14, beating the Colts for the second time this season. However, the Tornadoes are a different beast. Bradford topped Eastside 28-0 on Sept. 16 in a game that saw the Tornadoes allow just 13 rushing yards. However, since then, Bradford has been riddled with injuries — not only on defense, but on the offensive side as well. Bradford took the biggest hit when it lost senior running back Manny Covey to a broken ankle on Oct. 21. Covey, a Cincinnati football commit, tallied a pair of touchdowns against the Rams the first time out. However, Covey's backup, junior Willie Pollard, is no easier to contain — and Eastside got a taste of that last time around. On the other hand, Eastside is playing good football. The Rams are on a four-game win streak and have outscored opponents 107-35 through that span.
No. 5 Wildwood (8-2) at No. 1 Hawthorne (8-0)
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Hawthorne Middle/High School, Hawthorne
REGION-CLASSIFICATION: 4-1R
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: If you feel like you've seen this story before, it's because you have. Just last year, the Wildcats visited the Hornets in the region semifinal, just as the two teams are slated to do this week. Andlike last season, the Hornets will enter the matchup coming off a bye week, while Wildwood is coming off an opening-round win. Except one might argue that this year's opening-round win is much more notable. Wildwood traveled to previously undefeated Williston last Saturday and stunned the Red Devils 46-35 as Wildwood senior quarterback Jamari Dickens put up unbelievable numbers. Dickens passed for 412 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 116 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. However, as good as Williston was this season, the Red Devils didn't boast a defensive front like the Hornets. The Hawthorne defense has tallied 76 tackles behind the line of scrimmage with senior Jailen Ruth (18 TFL), sophomore Leland Johnson (15 TFL) and senior Tyrique Robinson (10 TFL) leading the charge. Getting after Dickens will be key.
No. 3 Chiefland (7-2) at No. 2 Pahokee (8-2)
WHEN: Friday, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Anquan Boldin Stadium, Pahokee
REGION-CLASSIFICATION: 4-1R
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Indians has a veteran roster composed of 17 seniors. And many of those seniors remember Chiefland's last trip down to Pahokee, on Nov. 22, 2019. The Blue Devils won, 32-27. Chiefland is looking to avenge that loss. And if it wants to, it'll have to stop an electric passing attack, which is something the Chiefland defense hasn't seen much of this fall. Pahokee sophomore Austin Simmons has put up incredible numbers having passed for more than 2,400 yards and 18 touchdowns. But here's the kicker: Simmons can't complete passes if he doesn't have time to throw. On Chiefland's defensive front is the nation's freshman sack leader, Jon Adams. Through nine games, Adams has tallied 14 of Chiefland's 22 sacks. In the defensive backfield, Chiefland has also proved stout with nine interceptions and 32 pass breakups. There's no doubt Chiefland will have its hands full with Pahokee's offense. But the Blue Devils might be in for a surprise when the Chiefland defense comes knocking.
No. 4 Madison County (4-6) at No. 1 Union County (6-2)
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Union County High School, Lake Butler
REGION-CLASSIFICATION: 3-1R
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Since collapsing and giving up a 21-point lead to Hawthorne on Oct. 14, the Fightin' Tigers have played sound football, outscoring their final pair of regular-season opponents 73-29. And what makes this Union County team so difficult to defend is that the Tigers can flex their ground game or their pass game on any given night. Two games ago against Santa Fe, Union County rushed for 315 yards and passed for 148. The next time out, Union County passed for 321 yards and rushed for 220 against Walton. When coaches talk about adjusting to "what the defense gives them," the Fightin' Tigers are the perfect example. That is going to spell trouble for Madison County. An undersized Cowboys' defense has struggled to apply pressure in offensive backfields as Madison County has tallied just four sacks. Madison County's secondary, however, is a different story. Madison County senior and Maryland football commit Jonathan Akins leads the ball-hawking backfield, which has combined for nine interceptions and 29 pass breakups.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: High school football playoffs: 5 must-see games for Gainesville teams
