With the FHSAA revising their playoffs format this coming season to involve Max Preps rankings, now is a good time to forecast what the regional playoffs would look like if the season were to have ended December 31, 2019. Consider this exercise like that of the first “BCS Playoff Rankings” of the year.
For our purposes, it is assumed the highest-rated team in each district is the district winner. From there, the top-rated teams in each region that did not win their district get pulled into the playoffs as the visiting team, regardless of whether it is a re-match of the district final.
We also included notes on each region based on the current FABC-Source Hoops Rankings.
March to Madness: Class 1A
Region 1 #1 seed Paxton hosts #4 seed Bethlehem
Region 1 #2 seed Graceville hosts #3 see Milton Central
Region 2 #1 seed Quincy Crossroad Academy hosts #4 seed Port St. Joe
Region 2 #2 seed Malone hosts #3 Vernon
Region 3 #1 seed Hilliard hosts #4 seed Trenton
Region 3 #2 seed Madison County hosts #3 seed Bell
Region 4 #1 seed Wildwood hosts #4 seed Bronson
Region 4 #2 seed Hawthorne hosts #3 seed Williston
NOTES: There are two potential regional final scenarios where both teams are ranked in the FABC-Source Hoops Coaches Poll. Hilliard, ranked #3, would take on #5 Madison County. In region four, it would be a #1 vs. #2 matchup between Wildwood and Hawthorne.
March to Madness: Class 2A
Region 1 #1 Seed Jacksonville Impact Christian hosts #8 seed Tallahassee North Florida Christian
Region 1 #2 Seed Tally St. John Paul II hosts #7 seed Beaches Chapel out of Neptune Beach
Region 1 #3 Seed Jax University Christian hosts #6 seed Jax Seacoast Christian
Region 1 #4 Seed Ocala St. John Lutheran hosts #5 seed Jax North Florida Educational
NOTES: Because NFEI finishes second in district to Impact Christian, it is given the highest at-large seed, even though it is ranked #8 in the state. The state-ranked teams in this bracket are #2 Impact Christian, #8 NFEI, and Max Preps’ #10 St. John Paul II
Region 2 #1 Seed Naples First Baptist hosts #8 seed Tampa Bay Christian
Region 2 #2 Seed Tampa Universal Academy hosts #7 seed Tampa Cambridge Christian
Region 2 #3 Seed Tampa Bayshore Christian hosts #6 seed Clearwater Lakeside Christian
Region 2 #4 Seed Shady Hills Classical Prep hosts #5 seed Fort Myers Evangelical Christian
NOTES: Evangelical Christian is ranked #10 in the state but because it is ranked below district foe First Baptist, it gets the first wildcard spot. Only Evangelical and First Baptist are ranked among the eight teams in this part of the bracket.
Region 3 #1 Seed Orlando Christian Prep hosts #8 seed Leesburg-First Academy
Region 3 #2 Seed Orlando Central Florida Prep hosts #7 seed Orlando Faith Christian
Region 3 #3 Seed Lake Mary Prep would host #6 seed Lakeland Victory Christian
Region 3 #4 Seed Vero Beach St. Edwards would host #5 seed Mount Dora Christian
NOTES: Both Mount Dora Christian (#6) and Lakeland Victory Christian (#10) would be put on the road as they did not “win” their district but are the two highest-rated non-district winners in the region. Orlando Christian Prep (#1) and Central Florida Christian (#4) are the other state-ranked teams in this bracket. If it holds true to form, the region semis and title games would be composed entirely of state-ranked teams.
Region 4 #1 Seed Boca Raton Grandview Prep would host #8 seed Miami Beach Hebrew Academy
Region 4 #2 Seed Miami Schoolhouse Prep would host #7 seed Pompano Beach Highlands Christian
Region 4 #3 Seed Hialeah Champagnat would host #6 seed Miami Christian
Region 4 #4 Seed Lake Worth Christian would host #5 seed Delray Beach Village Academy
NOTES: Schoolhouse Prep (#3), Grandview Prep (#5) and Champagnat (#9) are the only state-ranked teams in this bracket. A region semi-final between Schoolhouse Prep and Champagnat would be an interesting clash of small-school powers.
March to Madness: Class 3A
Region 1 #1 Seed Jacksonville Andrew Jackson hosts #8 seed Tallahassee Maclay
Region 1 #2 Seed Windermere Prep hosts #7 seed Jacksonville Episcopal
Region 1 #3 Seed Tallahassee Florida High hosts #6 seed Oviedo The Master’s Academy
Region 1 #4 Seed Gainesville P.K. Yonge hosts #5 seed Jacksonville Providence
NOTES: Florida High (#5), Andrew Jackson (#6), Providence (#9), and Windermere Prep (#10) are the ranked teams in this part of the bracket. All but Providence are assumed to have won their district. A Florida High/Master’s Academy game is a very intriguing first round match-up. Potentially the semi-finals and finals of this region would have all the teams ranked in the top ten.
Region 2 #1 Seed Tampa Berkeley Prep hosts #8 seed Tampa Brooks DeBartolo
Region 2 #2 Seed Naples Community School hosts #7 seed Tampa Seffner Christian
Region 2 #3 Seed Clearwater Central Catholic hosts #6 seed Fort Myers Canterbury
Region 2 #4 Seed Bradenton Christian hosts #5 seed Tampa Prep
NOTES: Only Berkeley Prep, at #10, is state ranked currently. One assumption going forward is that Seffner Christian, a state finalist last year, will up their rating now that the likes of Mike Trigg and Tony Livingston are back from playing football.
Region 3 #1 Seed Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic hosts #8 seed Boca Raton St. John Paul II
Region 3 #2 Seed Boca Raton St. Andrew’s hosts #7 seed West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman
Region 3 #3 Seed Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy would host #6 seed Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian
Region 3 #4 Seed Fort Pierce John Carroll would host #5 seed Weston Sagemont
NOTES: Santa Fe Catholic (#1), St. Andrew’s (#4) and Westminster Academy (#7) are the ranked teams in this part of the bracket. It wouldn’t surprise if the FHSAA swapped SJP II and Newman so as not to repeat a district final for St. Andrew’s and Newman. That bottom part of the bracket is very talented.
Region 4 #1 Seed Hollywood Chaminade would host #8 seed Palmetto Bay Palmer Trinity
Region 4 #2 Seed Miami Westminster Christian would host #7 seed Doral Divine Savior Academy
Region 4 #3 Seed Miami Riviera Prep would host #6 seed Miami Florida Christian
Region 4 #4 Seed Miami Country Day would host #5 seed Miami Ransom Everglades
NOTES: Chaminade (#2), Riviera Prep (#3) and Westminster Christian (#8) are the state-ranked teams in this region. It wouldn’t surprise if those three teams change potential seeding over the course of the remainder of the season. Whoever gets the #1 seed has a bit easier path to Lakeland.