Playoff contenders now will root for rivals to win

There was a time when Spruce Creek High School football coach Andy Price could have washed his hands of fallen foes and moved on to focus on the rest of his team’s schedule without ever looking back.

But under the new Florida High School Athletic Association playoff format, where points are earned based off the wins and losses of opponents throughout the season, scoreboard watching has become part of the routine.

“Anybody we beat or anybody we’ve played, I want them to win,” Price said this week.

He’s not the only one rooting for rivals now that every victory by an opponent could make a difference in the pursuit of state playoff berths.

Spruce Creek (5-0) hosts Flagler Palm Coast (6-0) in Port Orange in a Class 8A, District 1 battle of unbeatens Friday.

Price’s Hawks, with a 36.6 point average through five games, are hanging on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the region based on current standings released by the FHSAA earlier this week.

A win over FPC would put Spruce Creek in the driver’s seat in the district and hand the Hawks 50 points for beating a Category 1 team that has won 80-percent or more of its games. A loss could open the door for others to enter the race.

Flagler owns the second-highest average in the region with 41.5 points. It would factor 53 points into its average for beating the Hawks — counting three bonus points for playing a team that reached the playoffs in 2015 or 2016.

Only four district champs per region in Classes 5A through 8A are guaranteed playoff berths. Four additional wild card slots per region in the four large classes go to teams with the highest point averages.

All playoff spots for teams in Classes 1A through 4A are decided by points.

Below is the Week 8 playoff picture involving teams in the Sentinel coverage area. Numbers in parentheses signify average points earned according to the FHSAA.

Winter Park (44.3), Flagler Palm Coast (41.5), Apopka (41.4), Seminole (40.8), Wekiva (40), Lake Mary (39), Boone (38.8), Port Orange Spruce Creek (36.6).

Orange City University’s 50-49 loss to Oviedo dropped the Titans from a wild card team (38.7) to an outsider with 32.3 points. Evans (35.3), Oviedo (34.8) and Timber Creek (34) will have a close eye on Spruce Creek’s game vs. Flagler this week in hopes of remaining in contention. Oviedo hosts Seminole on Friday and Boone hosts Timber Creek.

Vero Beach (44.8), Osceola (44.3), Centennial (40.4), Sarasota Riverview (38.7), Dr. Phillips (38.3), Ridge Community (37.8), Newsome (37.6) and Gateway (37).

Recent losses to Wekiva and Apopka shaved four points from the average for Dr. Phillips, though the Panthers are still the favorites to claim at least a four-seed and home field advantage in the first round should they win District 5. Rival Olympia (35.7) currently sits at No. 10.

Fleming Island (41.2), Columbia (40.5), Jacksonville Lee (39.5), Bartram Trail (38.7), East Ridge (38.2), Edgewater (37.3), Gainesville Buchholz (36.7), Tallahassee Lincoln (34.7).

East Ridge and Edgewater meet up for what could decide the champion in District 4 on Oct. 20. Hagerty (32.8) entered Tuesday’s win vs. Lake Minneola No. 10 in points while Lake Howell was No. 12 with 31.2 points before losing to Ocala West Port.

Viera (42.8), Lakeland (42.8), Plant (40.2), Wiregrass Ranch (39), Gaither (38.2), Lakeland Kathleen (37), Harmony (36.5), Lake Nona (36.2).

Lake Nona will play a leading role in deciding how District 5 plays out as the Lions are at Harmony on Thursday before returning home to host East River (36 points) on Oct. 20. Lake Nona gained two points in the standings after winning 49-21 over St. Cloud (34.6).

Groveland South Lake (35.7) enters the week 10th in points while Leesburg (34.5) is 11th behind No. 8 Chamberlain (36.6) and No. 9 Lake Weir (36.4). South Lake hosts Leesburg on Friday.

New Smyrna Beach (34.8) is holding on to the No. 8 spot in the region after losing two points on its average following last week’s District 13 loss to Palm Coast Matanzas (40.2). Daytona Beach Seabreeze (34) and Mainland (32.4) enter the week on the outside at No. 9 and 10, respectively. Seabreeze is at New Smyrna Beach on Friday.

Plantation American Heritage (46), Cardinal Gibbons (44.8), Bishop Moore (40), Palm Bay (39.8), Coconut Creek (39), Jones (38.9), Merritt Island (38.4), Suncoast (37.7).

Jones gained three points following a 21-10 win over West Orange and a blowout win vs. Evans. Bishop Jones beat Bishop Moore in a District 13 matchup to two weeks ago, meaning the Tigers will land no worse than No. 4 and host a first round playoff game as a district champ.

Ranked sixth in the region, The Villages (30.2) hosts No. 5 Interlachen (31.3) in what looks like a make-or-break game for both sides. Keystone Heights has a grip on the fourth and final playoff spot with 33.6 points.

Cocoa (44.5), Avon Park (42.3), Lake Highland Prep (35.8), Cocoa Beach (34.2).

Lake Highland Prep lost a point after last week’s 22-21 loss to Frostproof, but no other team in the region has shown to be a threat. Bishop Verot is the closest to the No. 4 spot with 31.2 points.

The First Academy (42.6), Oxbridge Academy (40.4), King’s Academy (39), Melbourne Central Catholic (37.8).

Pierson Taylor (37.2) gained two points to move into the fifth spot after winning 41-28 against Interlachen last week. Trinity Prep (34.5), which plays at TFA on Friday, is sixth in the standings.

Foundation Academy (33.8) is sixth in points behind No. 4 Seven Rivers Christian (35.1) and No. 5 Oak Hall (34). Foundation lost to Seven Rivers 17-0 last week. Warner Christian (28.3) made the biggest fall among all area teams by dropping seven points to No. 8 following a loss to Space Coast.

Pahokee Frostproof (37.7),

(39.3), Wildwood (38), Crescent City (37.2).

Wildwood, which went 0-10 last year, is 5-0 in its first season under new head coach McKinley Rolle.

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