Five volleyball teams from the Pensacola area have secured their spots in the Florida High School Athletic Association playoffs after district tournaments were delayed by a day due to Hurricane Isaias damage. The brackets for the state competition were released on October 18, following the local extension that allowed teams extra time to complete their district play.
Navarre, Pensacola Catholic, and Jay each clinched their district titles, guaranteeing their playoff positions, while Gulf Breeze and Booker T. Washington earned at-large bids. None of the local teams qualified for the FHSAA’s new Open Division, although some teams in that category influenced the regional brackets in Region 1.
Playoffs will begin with regional quarterfinal matches on October 20 for classes 1A through 3A, and October 21 for classes 4A through 6A. Regional semifinals are scheduled for October 24, with regional finals for Rural and 1A-3A on October 27 and 4A-6A on October 28. The state semifinals and finals are set for November 2 through 7 at Polk State College and the Winter Haven Health Center.
In Region 1-6A, Navarre faces the top-seeded DeLand team, which won the District 8-6A title with a 24-3 record. Navarre, fresh from its first-ever district championship, enters as the eighth seed with a 12-12 record and will travel nearly 400 miles east toward Daytona Beach. DeLand had been projected for the Open Division before District play but dropped back into the Region 1-6A bracket. Beachside, another district champion from District 2-6A, will compete in the Open Division. Oviedo, the defending 6A state champions who defeated Gulf Breeze in last year’s Region 1-6A final, are the second seed in the region.
Gulf Breeze dropped from the number one seed in Region 1-5A to fifth after district results shifted rankings. The Dolphins, who finished 18-5 this season, will play Middleburg, the fourth seed and a district champion with a 16-11 record. Ponte Vedra, which won its district title and moved to the top seed with a 17-4 record, will open against Leon. Chiles and Niceville hold the second and third seeds respectively. Chiles is the two-time defending 5A state champion, while Ponte Vedra, Middleburg, and Leon have all won state titles in the past decade. Tate, despite high pre-district rankings, did not qualify for the playoffs.
The Region 1-4A bracket features Booker T. Washington, which earned an at-large bid with a 12-13 record, facing Arnold, a district champion at 17-8. Arnold claimed its first district title in ten years and will host Booker T., which has not won a state playoff game since 2008 when it reached the Region 1-4A final. Choctawhatchee, also a district champion at 15-10, will face Fort Walton Beach in a rematch of their district final. Fleming Island is the top seed in 4A, hosting Wakulla, while Bishop Kenny hosts Yulee, another district champion.
In Region 1-3A, Pensacola Catholic leads the bracket after claiming the district title and moving into the number one seed spot following Santa Fe’s move to the Open Division. The Crusaders, who finished 23-4, will host Baldwin. Florida High, the second seed and a district champion at 22-3, will face Freeport. Wolfson hosts Bolles, while South Walton faces Newberry. Pensacola Catholic beat Florida High in last year’s Region 1-3A semifinals and recently defeated South Walton in the district final, aiming to reach back-to-back state semifinals as they did in 2014-15. Three 3A teams qualified for the Open Division, including defending state champion Calvary Christian and Gulliver Prep.
Jay, the top seed in the Rural Region 1 bracket with a 24-2 record, begins its playoff run against Chipley, which also won its district and holds the fourth seed. Jay aims for its first state semifinal appearance after back-to-back district titles. The two teams did not meet this season, although Chipley swept Jay last year on its way to the state runner-up finish. Baker and Laurel Hill complete the bracket, with Laurel Hill having overtaken Central in recent rankings despite earlier losses to the Jaguars.
The delayed district tournaments allowed these Pensacola area teams to finalize their playoff paths after disruptions caused by the hurricane. All teams now prepare for the regional quarterfinals starting October 20 and 21, with the state championships scheduled for early November in Winter Haven.
According to Yahoo Sports.
