Simply winning best route to postseason
District title would give Edgewater automatic bid
Edgewater may need to win its district this fall if it hopes to make a return trip to the high-school football postseason.
The Eagles (5-0), ranked No. 2 in the Sentinel Super 16, dropped from fifth to sixth in Tuesday’s updated FHSAA playoff power rankings among teams in Class 7A, Region 1. A district championship would assure an automatic berth in the region playoffs.
But if Edgewater falls short of a title, it could miss out on one of the four available wild-card spots, which are based on power points.
The remaining schedule for the Eagles and fellow District 4 contenders Hagerty and Lake Minneola offer only minimal opportunities to earn quality points, which means winning out is the best bet for all involved.
“We don’t even talk about it,” Edgewater coach Cameron Duke said. “At the end of the day we just look at trying to go 1-0 every week. We know if we win the district that it doesn’t matter.”
Edgewater is 2-0 in the district with 38.8 playoff points entering Friday’s home game against Lake Howell (2-3, 1-1). Hagerty (4-2, 3-0), ranked No. 14 in the Super 16 and still unbeaten in 7A-4, is in a much tougher situation because it sits near the bottom of the power rankings with 35.7 points.
Lake Minneola (4-2, 2-1) ranks seven spots higher than Hagerty with 37.3 points, good for ninth-most in the region despite a 35-28 loss to the Huskies on Sept. 14. The Hawks own a quality Category 2 win over Eustis (4-2) and Category 3 victories vs. Lyman (3-3) and Lake Howell (2-3).
Aside from its win over Lake Minneola, Hagerty has three other wins over Category 4 teams that are a combined 3-14.
Edgewater plays at Lake Minneola on Oct. 12. The Eagles then go on the road to face Hagerty two weeks later on Oct. 26 in what is likely to decide the district championship.
Eight teams per region qualify for the Class 5A-8A playoffs, with the top four seeds awarded to district champions. The remaining four spots are determined by points awarded for wins and losses based on one of four win-loss categories determined by the winning percentage of opposing teams.
Around the area: Seminole (4-1) and West Orange (5-1) are also in need of district titles at this point to secure postseason spots in Class 8A, Region 1.
Seminole, ranked No. 10 in points (39.6), plays Oviedo in what will likely be for a top-four spot in the region on Oct. 11. Oviedo is tied for sixth in points with Lake Mary after beating the Rams by 22-21 last week. West Orange ranks No. 11 in points (39.5) but faces Category 1 teams the next two weeks at home against Jones (4-1) and Apopka (5-1).
A win for the Warriors against Apopka, ranked tied for fourth in points (40.8), would wrap up District 4. A loss opens the door for Wekiva and the Blue Darters to settle things Oct. 26.
Wekiva still owns the most playoff points among teams in the region, meaning the Mustangs are in prime position to make the postseason as a wild card, if not as a district winner.
Flagler Palm Coast (43.7) and Winter Park (42.8) are ranked second and third in points, respectively. DeLand, currently tied with Apopka, faces FPC Oct. 19 in a District 1 game.
Dr. Phillips is in position to claim the fourth seed in 8A, Region 2 as a district champ, despite coming in at No. 8 in points (37.5). Osceola (41) and Gateway (40.3) rank fourth and fifth in points, respectively. They meet at Gateway next week.
Harmony (41.5) dropped from second to third and Lake Nona (38.8) moved up from seventh to sixth in Class 7A, Region 2. They’ll meet in what could decide the district championship on Oct. 12.
Despite losing its past three to drop to 2-3, Groveland South Lake has the sixth-highest point total (39.2) in Class 6A, Region 2 by way of playing opponents with a combined 22-7 record.
Jones would be no worse than No. 3 in Class 5A, Region 4 as a district champion with 41.4 points. Bishop Moore, which lost to Jones last week, is on the bubble — sitting less than a point behind Hallandale (38.2) for the critical eighth spot with 37.4 points.
Six teams make the postseason in each region in Class 1A-4A, based entirely off playoff points.
Lake Highland Prep (3-2) dropped from fifth to seventh with 36.4 points in Class 4A, Region 3. Mount Dora (2-3) fell from fifth to ninth with 32.8 points in 4A-2.
The First Academy (4-0) sits atop the Class 3A, Region 2 rankings with 40 points.
Foundation Academy (39.8) and Deltona Trinity (37.2) are ranked second and third behind Lakeland Victory Christian (40.3) in Class 2A, Region 2.