Pensacola-area football playoff projections show 4 teams in field

After two mostly lost weeks of high school football, last week saw every team but one return to the field.It was the first start of a furious push to the finish, one that caused the FHSAA to extend the regular season a couple days so teams from Escambia and Santa Rosa County could make up key district games. A furious push that could also have major state playoff implications. Outside of makeup games involving parts of far northwest Florida, teams in other parts of the state have just one game remaining, and district champions everywhere else are all decided. All local teams but Central, Jay and Pensacola Catholic have two games remaining to make up within the next week and a half. The state playoff draw is scheduled for Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. CT.As of the most recent MaxPreps rankings, four area teams are projected to make the state playoffs. Pensacola Catholic wrapped up the District 1-2A title with a win over Walton and remains the No. 2 seed in Region 1-2A. The Crusaders should be locked into a top 3 seed and hosting a regional quarterfinal barring any crazy MaxPreps fluctuations. Pace (5A) and Pine Forest (3A) both moved up to the top four teams in their region, which means they could host regional quarterfinal games if they win district titles. Northview is clinging to the No. 8 seed in Region 1-1A, a precarious spot to be in with two games remaining against Clarke County, Alabama and Blountstown.Looking at the MaxPreps rankings, the only other area team with a shot to make the playoffs is Booker T. Washington, who are heavy underdogs at Choctawhatchee on Oct. 29. A win and the Wildcats would control their own destiny for the District 1-4A title, but the Indians have outscored three district opponents by a combined score of 133-22.All that will be sorted out on the field. Below are the playoff brackets featuring area teams using the Oct. 25 rankings. Local teams are in bold, while district champions are marked with an asterisk (*) and will host in the regional quarterfinals unless matched up with a higher-seeded district champion.Open DivisionPod 1 (1,4,5,8 seeds): St. Thomas Aquinas (5A), Chaminade-Madonna (2A), Miami Central (3A), Lakeland (5A)Pod 2 (2,3,6,7 seeds): Columbus (6A), West Boca Raton (5A), The First Academy (2A), Cardinal Newman (2A)Region 1-5A(1) Mandarin* (8-1) vs. (8) Ponte Vedra (3-6)(4) Pace* (5-2) vs. (5) Evans* (5-3)(2) Buchholz* (9-0) vs. (7) Bartram Trail (6-3)(3) Nease (6-3) vs. (6) Oakleaf (4-5)Region 1-3A(1) Raines* (9-0) vs. (8) Palatka* (4-5) (4) Pine Forest (3-4) vs. (5) Wakulla* (7-2)(2) Godby (6-3) vs. (7) Bay* (7-1)(3) Baker County (6-3) vs. (6) Bishop Kenny (5-4)Region 1-2A(1) Bolles* (6-2) vs. (8) Rutherford (3-5)(4) Walton (5-2) vs. (5) Gadsden County (4-5)(2) Pensacola Catholic* (7-1) vs. (7) Destin (4-3) (3) Florida High* (8-1) vs. (6) Andrew Jackson (7-2)Region 1-1A(1) Madison County* (5-4) vs. (8) Northview (5-3)(4) Holmes County (5-3) vs. (5) Baker (6-2)(2) Blountstown* (7-1) vs. (7) Marianna* (4-4)(3) Fort White (6-3) vs. (6) Taylor County (3-5)This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola-area football playoff projections show 4 teams in field