High school football playoffs ‘23: Baker, Bradford, Bartram, St. Augustine and Union after final four spots

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s the third round of the high school football state playoffs and the area still has five teams standing in the regional finals. Baker County, Bartram Trail, Bradford, St. Augustine and Union County are all chasing berths in the state semifinals in the Suburban and Rural divisions. Here’s a glance at Friday’s games.

Region 1-4S

(3) Bartram Trail (8-4) at (1) Gainesville Buchholz (12-0), 7:30 p.m.

• Road here: Bartram d. Navarre, 67-55; d. Niceville, 28-21; Buchholz d. Mosley, 59-0; d. Ponte Vedra, 34-21.
• Other regional finals (overall classification seed in parentheses): Treasure Coast (2)-DeLand (6); Lakeland (8)-Lake Minneola (16); Venice (3)-Riverview Sarasota (23).
• Where does Bartram Trail rank: Bartram is ranked No. 7 in Class 4S. It could host a state semifinal if it beats Buchholz and gets wins by Lake Minneola and Riverview Sarasota.
• Glance: The rematch we expected comes with a state semifinal berth attached to the winner. Bartram has won two playoff games in the Panhandle and returns to Citizen’s Field, the site of one of the worst losses in program history (44-7 on Oct. 19) trying to make amends. Bartram has the offense to beat any team. RB Laython Biddle surpassed the 2,000-yard mark last week (2,073, 26 TDs) and has been the area’s most bruising back. He’s averaging 172.8 yards rushing per game. QB Riley Trujillo is a two-way threat who is capable of beating a team with his legs (693 yards, 4 TDs). WR De’andre Caldwell (509 receiving yards, 6 TDs) and RB Arthur Lewis IV (nearly 800 yards of offense, 6 TDs) are explosive players, too. Can Bartram’s defense put up a speed bump against Buchholz? They’re allowing 29.5 ppg. The Bobcats have been one of the state’s most consistent teams, even with a new head coach this year in Chuck Bell. The Bobcats ended Bartram’s perfect season in 2022 in this game, a 21-20 win that was the only loss in a 12-win year. QB Trace Johnson (2,261 passing yards, 29 TDs), RB Quinton Cutler (866 rushing yards, 13 TDs), WR Justin Williams (834 receiving yards, 15 TDs) and two-way star Myles Graham (51 tackles, 13 rushing TDs) give Buchholz some firepower. Johnson is the son of former Gators QB Doug, while Graham’s father, Earnest, was a star running back at Florida.

Region 1-3S

(3) Choctaw (10-2) at (1) St. Augustine (11-0), 7:30 p.m.

• Road here: Choctaw d. Columbia, 37-14; d. Tallahassee Lincoln, 38-7; St. Augustine d. Middleburg, 52-14; d. Pensacola Escambia, 31-14.
• Other regional finals (overall classification seed in parentheses): Daytona Beach Mainland (2)-Sebring (12); Ocala Vanguard (4)-Lake Wales (5); Dunbar (15)-Naples (10).
• Where does St. Augustine rank: The Yellow Jackets are ranked No. 1 in Class 3S so they are guaranteed to host a state semifinal if they win.
• Glance: The Yellow Jackets and Indians have met twice before, a 1999 playoff meeting that was the first postseason game at St. Augustine for longtime coach Joey Wiles. Choctaw won that game 17-7. These teams met in the playoff opener last year with Choctaw winning 42-35. The Yellow Jackets have been back to the postseason every year but once (2001) since then. Last week’s win over Escambia was a bit of a change. It was rainy and sloppy and misty, forcing St. Augustine’s typically heavy passing attack to the ground. RB Devonte Lyons delivered with four rushing TDs. He’s got 22 on the season and 1,192 rushing yards. St. Augustine has a lethal passing game, with QBs Locklan Hewlett and backup Dylan Cook combining to throw 35 TDs. WRs Carl Jenkins Jr. and Myles Simmons have combined to snag 23 of those. Trenton Jones and Somourian Wingo have 11 more. They are stacked at receiver. Defense played big last week and they’ll need to turn in a season-best-type of game against Choctaw. LB Drake Lusk and S Julian Quintero have combined for 164 tackles. DBs Braylon James and Marquice King have three picks apiece. The Indians blasted Tallahassee Lincoln last week. Choctaw runs the ball very well behind RB Cole Tabb (1,670 rushing yards, 18 TDs) and is even better through the air with QB Jesse Winslette (1,706 passing yards, 23 TDs, INT). WR Isaiah Johnson has 760 yards receiving and 12 TDs.

Region 2-2S

(3) Baker County (8-3) at (1) Bradford (12-0), 7:30 p.m.

• Road here: Baker County d. Baldwin, 38-21; d. Yulee, 32-14; Bradford d. Port Orange Atlantic, 42-0; d. Gainesville Eastside, 28-7.
• Other regional finals (overall classification seed in parentheses): Pensacola Catholic (10)-Florida High (7); Cocoa (1)-South Sumter (4); Bishop Verot (6)-Sarasota Booker (28).
• Where do the locals rank: Baker County has a No. 18 rank in Class 2S, so it is guaranteed to be on the road if it wins. Bradford is ranked No. 2 in 2S so it is guaranteed to be at home if it wins.
• Glance: A rematch of last year’s regional final, won 28-17 by the Tornadoes. Bradford has won three straight against Baker County — 21-0 in Week 1 last year and 12-0 in Week 1 this season. But don’t let that convince you that this is an easy Bradford game. Not at all. Baker County has been a very good team under coach Kevin Mays and they put things together after a Week 5 loss to Viera. They’ve won seven straight since then and haven’t given up more than 21 in game in that span. RB Benny Lewis (1,095 rushing yards, 12 TDs) has been the chain mover for Baker County, followed by QB Hudson Register (837 rushing yards, 8 TDs). But defense is what the Wildcats do best. LBs Seth Chestnut (133 tackles) and Case Foster (115 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 INTs) are active and relentless in that defense, as is DE Phillip Jackson (12 sacks). The back end of Baker County features a pair of freshmen in Rhett Rhoden and Chase Phillips, who have posted 10 of Baker County’s 24 picks. Bradford’s defense has been the best two seasons running now, with just 49 total points allowed. LBs Chason Clark (86 tackles, 16 TFL), Devon McBride (82 tackles, 9 TFL) and Duke Lewis (69 tackles, 15 TFL) are nasty on defense. S Jeremiah McKenzie (70 tackles) and DE Torrin Brazell (43 tackles, 19 TFL, 7 sacks) are gamechangers. Bradford has been slowed down offensively this season, but it has a very good two-way QB in Daejon Shanks. He has rushed for 813 yards (13 TDs) and passed for 1,025 (14 TDs), more than half of those going to Chalil Cummings (639 receiving yards, 8 TDs).

Region 3-1R

(3) Union County (8-3) at (1) Madison County (8-1), 7:30 p.m.

• Road here: Union County d. Hilliard, 58-8; d. Fort White; 17-10; Madison County had a first-round bye, then d. Lafayette, 60-7.
• Other regional finals (overall classification seed in parentheses): Port St. Joe (16)-Blountstown (9); Williston (1)-Hawthorne (2); Bozeman (4)-Holmes County (6) in the state semifinals.
• Where does Union County rank: Union County is ranked 11th in the state so it would have to travel for the state semifinals.
• Glance: The Tigers went on the road last week and stunned a nine-win Fort White. A win here would be significant for the Tigers. They beat Madison 27-16 in the playoffs last year en route to the state semifinals. QB Trenton Klein (1,222 passing yards, 13 TDs, 6 rushing TDs) and RBs Drew Simmons (513 rushing yards, 7 TDs), Ras Woodall (483 rushing yards, 3 TDs) and Thomas Williams (418 rushing yards, 4 TDs) lead a balance Union rushing attack. DBs Dayquan Diston and Gavin Jenkins have four picks apiece to lead the defense.