With the FHSAA playoff brackets being officially released on Sunday (Nov. 3), it was confirmed that a total of 12 teams from the county will be playing extra football this season.
Among those 12 teams, two teams will have a first round bye week, with Pahokee (4-5) and American Heritage-Delray (5-5) getting the extra week of rest before returning to action with home games on Friday, Nov. 15.
With the Muck Bowl won and the regular season finished, the Pahokee Blue Devils were able to fight off a slow start and finish as the No. 2 seed in Class 1A-Region 4. Pahokee will await the winner of Hawthorne and Wildwood, which will play each in the first round on Friday, Nov. 8.
American Heritage-Delray also finish as a No. 2 seed in Class 4A-Region 3. The extra week of rest will likely do wonders for a team struggling with injuries like the Stallions, who will host the winner of Tampa Catholic and Lemon Bay in two weeks.
Class 3A-Region 3 sees two Palm Beach County teams matched up with each other in the regional quarterfinals, with Benjamin set to face Cardinal Newman on Friday.
Cardinal Newman (7-2), a No. 3 seed, has seen a lot of production from the rushing attack that is led by running back Chris D’Or, who currently holds offers to FAU, Syracuse, and more. The Crusaders were set to face off against Benjamin in Week 2, but the effects of Hurricane Dorian forced the game to be cancelled.
Benjamin (7-3) will enter as the No. 6 seed, thanks to late season wins over King’s Academy and Archbishop McCarthy. The Bucs have been led by junior quarterback Santino Marucci, who finished the regular season with 1,503 passing yards and 15 touchdowns.
The Benjamin-Cardinal Newman winner will play at No. 2 seed Bishop Verot (Fort Myers) in the 3A regional semifinals.
Class 3A also sees St. Andrew’s (7-3) making a playoff appearance for the first time in 45 years as the No. 6 seed in Region 4. The Scots will travel to play Homestead-Somerset Silver Palms on Friday.
After finishing the regular season undefeated, Palm Beach Lakes (9-0) earned the No. 1 seed in Class 7A-Region 3 and will host East Lake in the quarterfinals.
Seminole Ridge (6-3) earned the No. 7 seed in Class 7A-Region 3. The Hawks will travel to play Mitchell (New Port Richey) in the quarterfinals.
Also in Class 7A, Atlantic (6-3) earned the No. 3 seed in Region 4. The Eagles will host Blanche Ely, who they defeated 34-16 earlier this season, in the quarterfinals.
In Class 8A-Region 3, No. 4 seed Santaluces (7-2) will host No. 5 Treasure Coast. This is Santaluces’ first playoff appearance since 2009.
In the same region, No. 6 Palm Beach Gardens (7-2) will travel to Deerfield Beach, while No. 3 Palm Beach Central (8-2), who beat out Palm Beach Gardens for the district championship, will host No. 7 Centennial.
No. 8 Boca Raton (8-2) also snuck into the playoffs but are tasked with a tough matchup in the quarterfinals, as they travel to play No. 1 Vero Beach.
While 12 teams did make the playoffs out of the county, a few teams unfortunately just barely missed out.
Despite a big win against South Fork to close out the regular season, Jupiter (6-4) finished as one of the first teams out as the No. 10 seed in Class 8A-Region 3.
Just above them is Forest Hill (6-4), who will also miss out as the No. 9 seed.
In Class 3A-Region 3, it’s a tough ending for King’s Academy (5-5), who finishes with the No. 7 seed in the region, making last year’s Class 3A state finalist the first one out this time.
Somerset Academy-Canyons (3-7) also barely missed out of the playoffs, finishing as the No. 7 seed in Class 4A-Region 3.
Photo Credit: Keith Forde
