The first round of the Florida high school football playoffs delivered close games, big upsets and the end of the road for Winter Park.
Mainland 31, Winter Park 28
Winter Park gave Mainland everything it could handle Friday night, but the Wildcats came up just short in a 31-28 loss in the Class 6A, Region 1 quarterfinals.
Winter Park went into the game as the No. 6 seed with a 5-5 record, hosting the No. 3 seed Buccaneers. The three-point loss ends the Wildcats’ season. Mainland moves on to the regional semifinals.
Lake Mary Stuns Creekside
The biggest surprise in the region came from Lake Mary. The No. 5 seed entered the playoffs with just a 2-8 record but beat No. 4 Creekside 28-25 on the road. Creekside had come in at 8-2, with its only two losses coming by a combined seven points.
Seminole and DeLand Roll On
- (1) Seminole 50, (8) Lake Brantley 36: The unbeaten Seminoles put up 50 points and stay perfect.
- (2) DeLand 42, (7) Spruce Creek 7: DeLand cruised to an easy win.
Seminole will next face Lake Mary in a rematch of a close regular-season game, while Mainland is set to meet DeLand in the other regional semifinal.
Other Central Florida Scores
- Dr. Phillips 20, West Orange 19
- Edgewater 14, Ocoee 11
- Oviedo 57, Bartow 30
- Bishop Moore 45, River Ridge 13
- The First Academy 35, Calvary Christian 7
- Evans 26, Bartram Trail 13
- Vanguard 47, Zephyrhills 0
Open Division Shocker
In Florida’s brand-new Open Division, No. 5 Lakeland knocked off No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas 27-24 in overtime. The Open Division uses pool play, so St. Thomas Aquinas still has more games to play, but it’s a statement win for Lakeland.
What’s Next
The regional semifinals are set for Friday, Nov. 20. Regional finals follow on Nov. 27, and the state semifinals are Dec. 4. State championships will be played Dec. 9-12 in Miami.
For Winter Park, it’s a tough way to end the season, but a three-point playoff loss to a higher seed shows this team competed to the final whistle.