FHSAA releases football playoff brackets

A West Orange/Ocoee clash and a big road game for Dr. Phillips highlights the newly released football brackets.

By Troy Herring
| 12:14 p.m. October 7, 2020

Sports

The Florida High School Athletic Association football playoffs are going to look a lot different this year than last, and that’s obvious looking at the newly released playoff brackets

This morning — Wednesday, Oct. 7 — the FHSAA put out its playoff brackets for all eight classifications, which utilized a blind draw created by a computer program to determine pairings. Host teams were decided by a coin flip.

And unlike previous years, all teams who didn’t opt out of the state playoffs automatically qualified regardless of win-loss records.

Despite the uncertainty of the new measures — which were put into place due to complications brought on by COVID-19 — the blind draw creates for interesting matchups right out of the gate, with West Orange taking on Ocoee just two weeks after the two teams play their regular season game. Meanwhile Dr. Phillips faces a steep task, as the Panthers have to travel to Miami to take on perennial power Palmetto — the only 8A team out of Miami to opt into the playoffs.

The following is the opening schedule for schools in the Observer coverage area that will be participating in the state playoffs. All games will start at 7:30 p.m.

CLASS 8A

REGION 2

Play-In Game – Friday, Nov.13

West Orange at Ocoee (Winner will host either Colonial or Timber Creek Nov. 20)

REGION 3

Play-In Game – Friday, Nov. 13

Dr. Phillips at Palmetto (Winner travels to Lake Nona in quarterfinals Nov. 20)

Oak Ridge at Olympia (Winner hosts either Cypress Creek or Treasure Coast in quarterfinals Nov. 20)

Windermere at Freedom (Winner travels to Boone in quarterfinals Nov. 20)

CLASS 3A

REGION 2

Quarterfinal — Friday, Nov. 13

John Carroll Catholic at The First Academy (Winner travels to either Father Lopez or Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in regional semifinal Nov. 20)