High school football second-round playoff preview: FHSAA Suburban/Rural regionals
The Florida High School Athletic Association begins the second round of the 2022 postseason with Friday night's regional semifinals. The Times-Union looks ahead to the second round of playoffs for Jacksonville and Northeast Florida in the Suburban and Rural classes.
Region 1-4S
Creekside (9-2) at Bartram Trail (11-0)
7 p.m. Friday
Winner plays: Gainesville Buchholz or Crestview.
Road here: Creekside defeated Navarre 47-20; Bartram Trail defeated Flagler Palm Coast 50-20.
Glance: Fasten those seat belts. A rematch in St. Johns County and a huge one, the most significant Bears-Knights battle in the schools' football history. Creekside's offense went into overdrive last week, gaining 706 yards at Navarre. Sophomore quarterback Sean Ashenfelder racked up 424 total yards (296 passing, 128 rushing) and Nicky Williams piled up his most yards ever in FHSAA play by gaining 236. Receivers Brendon McMillan, Ashton Reynolds and Brendon McMillan all have more than 450 receiving yards, and Ronald Daragjati has converted 16 field goals to tie for fourth in the nation. But will it be enough against Bartram Trail, which not only leads the all-time series 14-1 but beat the Knights 59-27 the first time around on Oct. 14? Touchdown machine Laython Biddle is up to 24 scores with 1,325 rushing yards, and quarterback Riley Trujillo (116 of 199, 1,666 yards, 13 TD, 5 INT) has consistently kept the offense moving. And any team going up against the Bears must account for Florida-bound cornerback Sharif Denson, who has been superb in 2022.
Region 1-3S
Columbia (7-4) at Escambia (8-3)
7:30 p.m. Friday
Winner plays: Pensacola Pine Forest or Choctawhatchee.
Road here: Columbia defeated Tallahassee Lincoln 29-6; Escambia defeated Middleburg 42-18.
Glance: This is more like the Columbia team that people were expecting to see before the season. They've won their last five games, and at least on defense, they've stiffened into a crushing force. Linebacker Jaden Robinson added two more to his takeaway count last week against Tallahassee Lincoln. Offensively, they turned the ball over two more times last week, but Tony Fulton keeps grinding out yards at running back and Camdon Frier is always a big-play threat at receiver. They'll make the trip down Interstate 10 to another program with abundant history. Escambia was actually outgained by Middleburg 294-276 in last week's win, but took advantage of two turnovers and a Ladarian Clardy punt return to grab control early. Quarterback Ammiel Steele and running back Dorrion Brooks form a one-two combination on the ground for the school that produced future NFL rushing king Emmitt Smith.
How they got here: Bolles, Bartram Trail win Friday first-round games
How they got here: Baldwin win highlights Northeast Florida Saturday first-round games
Peak performers: Week 1 playoff stars from Bolles, Raines & more
First Coast Varsity Weekly: Bartram Trail girls soccer ready to score early and often
Region 1-2S
Pensacola West Florida (8-2) at Suwannee (9-2)
7:30 p.m. Friday
Winner plays: Florida High or Pensacola Catholic.
Road here: West Florida defeated Panama City Bay 35-0; Suwannee defeated Walton 39-15.
Glance: Suwannee is one game away from reaching its first regional final since 2015, but to get there, they'll have to ground the visitors from Pensacola. West Florida has won six consecutive games and also owns a 14-11 early-season win over Class 3S Escambia. Planning for the Jaguars means dealing with the quarterback tandem of senior Markell Redding (86 of 147, 1,037 yards, 11 TD, 2 INT) and junior John Nicholas (70 of 126, 1,128 yards, 12 TD, 5 INT), as well as the receiver quartet of Andre Coleman, Collin Betties, Patrick Delcour and Marquez Jones. But Suwannee's defense is up to the challenge. Only one team, Wildwood, has scored more than 15 points against the Bulldogs, while Blake Wynn and Michael Rossin have grabbed three takeaways each. Javarion Smith is a star of this team on offense, defense and special teams, with 1,229 all-purpose yards on the year, while Marquavious Owens is up to 1,026 rushing yards and Bronsen Tillotson has gained 1,800 through the air.
Region 2-2S
Baker County (8-3) at Baldwin (9-2)
6:30 p.m.
Winner plays: Gainesville Eastside or Bradford.
Road here: Baker County defeated Yulee 16-6; Baldwin defeated Palatka 29-12.
Glance: Nine weeks ago, Baldwin defeated Baker County 30-7 for their first win over the Wildcats since November 1968. To qualify for their first-ever regional final, they'll have to repeat the feat. Baldwin's approach is straightforward enough: Swarm to the ball on defense and force lots of turnovers. They created five last week against Palatka, earning the second playoff victory in program history. Baldwin doesn't pass too frequently but quarterback Jalen Hitchens is particularly dangerous on the ground, just 16 yards from 1,000. Baker County's defense is also a source of highlights, from Seth Chestnut's pick-six last week against Yulee to Orlando Holland's sacks, sacks and more sacks — he's up to 12 1/2 on the year. Watch for the Wildcats to get the ball at every opportunity into the hands of senior Cam Smith, only 13 all-purpose yards away from 2,000 for the season, and quarterback Blake Mays (408 rushing yards) can move the ball on the ground as well.
Gainesville Eastside (8-2) at Bradford (10-1)
7:30 p.m. Friday
Winner plays: Baker County or Baldwin.
Road here: Eastside defeated North Marion 27-14; Bradford defeated Crescent City 48-0.
Glance: After cruising past Crescent City for their eighth shutout victory of the season, the Tornadoes take on much more formidable opposition in Eastside. The Rams like to air it out on offense. Senior QB Holden Johnson (84 of 163, 1,448 yards, 14 TD, 3 INT) and receivers Antonio Hubbert (24 catches, 521 yards) and Antoneo Wilson (23 catches, 482 yards form a productive combination. Bradford must also guard against Jayden Manns, Jessie Barnes and an Eastside pass rush that averages more than three sacks per game. But Bradford excelled in every phase last time out, including a kickoff return touchdown by Jametrius Pringle and two more touchdowns from running back Willie Pollard.
Region 3-1R
Madison County (4-6) at Union County (6-2)
7:30 p.m. Friday
Winner plays: Mayo Lafayette or Hilliard.
Road here: Madison County defeated Fort White 36-0.
Glance: A tough one right out of the gate for the top-seeded Fightin' Tigers. Madison County may be below .500 in the win-loss column, but they now have top offensive weapon Jamie Hampton back from injury, and he proved too tough for Fort White to handle last week in a 36-0 Cowboys shutout that included 344 team yards on the ground. There's also the history factor. Madison County has bounced Union County from the postseason in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, winning those games by a combined 182-25. But Union County should be well-rested after the opening-round bye, and they've got both a 1,000-yard rusher in Rayvon Durant (1,178 yards, 13 TD) and a multiple-threat passer in A.J. Cortese (66 of 103, 1171 passing yards, 12 TD, 5 INT; 509 rushing yards, 7 TD). Receivers Daylyn Diston and Gavin Jenkins are both downfield threat for the Fightin' Tigers, and Markus Strong has been gathering major college offers all season after returning from a 2021 injury.
Mayo Lafayette (9-2) at Hilliard (8-2)
7:30 p.m. Friday
Winner plays: Madison County or Union County.
Road here: Lafayette defeated Branford 35-7.
Glance: This is a rematch from two months ago, when Lafayette topped the Red Flashes 21-14 with help from 100 rushing yards by senior Kiami McKnight and takeaways by Johntavious Cook and Amarie Fleming on defense. The defensive side of the ball is standing out for the visiting Hornets, who have held four of their last five opponents to single digits and average just over 11 points allowed per game. Freshman quarterback Tywan Williamson has completed 61 of 118 passes for 1,151 yards with 10 touchdowns and two picks. At the opposite end of the experience spectrum is Hilliard's Lyle Bennett, a four-year starter nearing 5,000 passing yards for his career. His 59.4 percent completion figure is the highest of his career, and junior Braydon Holley is an all-around weapon for the Red Flashes with 1,592 all-purpose yards on the year.
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 playoffs 2022: Northeast Florida suburban second round
