Change approved for state playoffs

GAINESVILLE — The state high school football playoffs have a new name, with the “Drive to December” selected via an online fan vote for the Florida High School Athletic Association last spring.

On Monday, the association added some new twists and turns on the road to championships. The FHSAA’s board of directors voted 14-2 to approve a revamped playoff format that promises to provide more drama — and likely more controversy — than its more predictable predecessor.

The new game plan for 2017 and 2018 eliminates districts for small schools, Class 1A through 4A, and brings back at-large playoff slots for all eight classifications.

Those wild cards and seeding for region playoff games will be determined by a points system that factors in wins, losses and the final regular-season record of every opponent played.

“This is a landmark day for high school football in the state of Florida,” said Frank Beasley, the secondyear FHSAA administrator who authored the plan. “Every game you play is going to count — from Week 1 to Week 11.”

Schools will be realigned following the conclusion of the current season.

Large-class schools (5A-8A) will still have districts, and 16 champions per class earn automatic playoff bids.

District runner-up berths are eliminated. Instead, four wild cards per region will fill out each 32-team playoff bracket.

Schools in the smallschool classifications (1A-4A) have no district games and will have to play the points system to earn one of 16 at-large berths in those championship brackets.

Beasley said a number of powerhouses in the small classes, including Miami Booker T. Washington and Jacksonville Trinity Christian, expect to have problems scheduling 10 games and will ask to move up into a 5A-8A district.

Jones coach Elijah Williams wants his program to opt up from 4A into a 5A district with Orlando neighbor Bishop Moore.

“We’re going to go to 5A,” Williams said last week. “I like having the district games set. Without a district format, if you’re playing pretty good, a lot of teams are not going to schedule you. Hopefully, Lake Highland will move up, too, and we can all be in the same district.”

Bishop Moore, which won the 5A state title last season, sits in a district that now includes Eustis, Groveland South Lake, Tavares and Poinciana.

“If Jones and Lake Highland were to come in, that would actually be great for us,” Bishop Moore coach Matt Hedrick said. “Having more district games makes it that much more fun.”

Lake Highland Prep coach Cameron Duke said he would prefer to stay in 4A and schedule 10 games rather than move up to be one of the smallest schools in 5A.

“We haven’t had that conversation here, but I don’t think going up to 5A would do anything for us,” Duke said.