2025 Central Florida High School Football Playoff Preview – All Classes

Thirty-seven schools begin their trek toward postseason glory

Evans running back Li'Darious Pryor leads the Trojans (8-2) into the Class 6A state playoffs against Pace on Friday, Nov. 14. / Li'Darious Pryor

Central Florida long has been a serious contender for state high school football championships, having won a whopping 31 titles since the FHSAA began holding playoffs in 1963.

Of those 31, 25 were won by schools that have captured multiple state championships. Cocoa has won an impressive seven titles and is a defending three-time state champ, and the Tigers are once again in the postseason.

Last year, three area teams – Lake Mary (Class 7A), Kissimmee Osceola (Class 6A) and Jones (Class 4A) finished as state runner-up in their respective classifications and are back for another run.

Without further ado, here is a quick snapshot of the schools representing Central Florida (Orange, Osceola, Lake, Seminole, Volusia, Brevard, and Indian River counties) in the first round of the FHSAA playoffs on Nov. 14:

CLASS 7A

Region 1

St. Johns Creekside (4-6) at DeLand (10-0), 7 p.m. DeLand finished its regular season undefeated for the first time since 1995 and is led by its running back duo of Marceles Carey and Taihj Moore.

Winter Park (6-4) at Boone (9-1), 7 p.m. Boone raced to a 9-0 start before losing to Edgewater, 28-7. The Braves held off Winter Park, 44-38, during the regular season. Quarterback Sam Johnson leads Boone,

Hagerty (6-4) at Lake Mary (7-3), 7 p.m. Defending Class 7A state runner-up Lake Mary has played a tough schedule and features Notre Dame commit Noah Grubbs at quarterback. The Rams beat Hagerty, 55-17, during the regular season. Hagerty's Leo Gutierrez is one of the best all-around players in the area.

Seminole (5-5) at Spruce Creek (8-2), 7 p.m. Seminole beat the Hawks,16-10, in overtime on Oct. 17. Senior Anthony Gay III leads a talented and underrated Seminoles squad. PJ Miller has shined at quarterback for Spruce Creek.

Region 2

Plant City (7-3) at West Orange (9-1), 7:30 p.m. West Orange won the District 5 title and is on a six-game win streak behind the play of sophomore quarterback AJ Chung.

Ocoee (5-5) at Riverview Sumner (8-2), 7:30 p.m. Ocoee has played one of the toughest schedules in the state, losing all five games to playoff-bound teams. Three of the Knights’ losses have come by seven points or less.

Region 3

East Ridge (6-4) at Vero Beach (10-0), 7 p.m. The unbeaten Indians are No. 2 in the High School on SI Central Florida Top 10 rankings, led by senior athlete Efrem White, who has stepped in admirably and performed well when sophomore Champ Monds went down to injury earlier this season.

Lake Nona (7-3) at St. Cloud (8-2), 7:30 p.m. St. Cloud edged Lake Nona, 25-17, during the regular season. The Bulldogs feature sophomore quarterback Jeremiah Lattier, while Lake Nona has senior athlete Luke Ramsey.

Dr. Phillips (7-3) at Jupiter (10-0), 7 p.m. DP has played a tough schedule and it doesn’t get any easier this week, Jupiter is stacked, led by senior quarterback Andrew Embick. Senior running back Zion Matthews leads DP.

CLASS 6A

Region 1

Oviedo (8-3) at Gainesville Buchholz (10-1), Nov. 13. Oviedo won the District 4 title with a 29-28 double-overtime win against Evans, but fell just short in its regional quarterfinal game against Buchholz, losing 49-41, on Nov. 13. Oviedo quarterback Sebastian Galeano passed for more than 2,200 yards this season.

Evans (8-2) at Pace (9-1), 7:30 p.m. The Trojans face a monster 6-hour drive from Orlando to Santa Rosa County, but could give the Patriots some trouble with running back Li’darious Pryor, who has 1,149 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.

Region 2

Melbourne (6-4) at Seffner Armwood (10-0), 7:30 p.m. The Bulldogs face a brutal task in Armwood, one of the state’s premier programs. The Hawks are led by senior quarterback Rhys Brush.

Riverview (6-4) at Viera (6-4), 7:30 p.m. Viera will be looking to extend its season behind the play of senior quarterback Eric Nelson.

Tampa Plant (5-5) at South Lake (9-1), 7 p.m. South Lake boasts one of its finest teams in years, led by quarterback Tre Kelly and running back Malik Holman.

Plant City Durant (5-5) at Kissimmee Osceola (6-4), 7 p.m. The Kowboys ran all the way to the Class 6A state championship game last year, but have endured a rollercoaster-type season in 2025. Senior Alijah Jenkins leads Osceola.

CLASS 5A

Region 1

Middleburg (8-2) at Mainland (7-2), 7:30 p.m. Two years ago, Mainland won a state title. The Buccaneers are trying to get back to that form this season behind the play of quarterback Sebastian Johnson.

Region 2

Lake Gibson (5-5) at Edgewater (10-0), 7 p.m. The Eagles enter the playoffs with one of their most balanced teams in years. Quarterback Carter Emanuel and running back Damian Moore lead Edgewater, which finished the regular season unbeaten for the third time in four seasons. The Eagles are No. 1 in the High School on SI Central Florida Top 10 Football Rankings.

Winter Springs (7-3) at Tampa Gaither (9-1), 7:30 p.m. Two years ago, Winter Springs went 0-10. Today, they are in the playoffs. The Bears are led by quarterback Makiye Mcburse, running back Carlos Carmoega and wide receiver Johan Torres.

Region 4

Palm Bay Heritage (4-6) at Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (9-1), 7:30 p.m. The Panthers face their toughest test of the year when they trek south to play one of the nation’s best teams in STA, whose only loss came to California power, Mater Dei, 26-23.

CLASS 4A

Region 2

Deltona (5-5) at Jones (8-2), 7:30 p.m. Jones is looking for more after finishing as Class 4A state runner-up last year. Miami quarterback commit Dereon Coleman leads the Tigers.

Rockledge (3-7) at Zephyrhills (10-0), 7:30 p.m. The Raiders won state titles in 2001 and 2002, but have struggled to achieve that success since then. They face a monstrous task in unbeaten Zephyrhills, which is led by senior quarterback Patrick Harding.

Lake Wales (8-2) at New Smyrna Beach (8-2), 7:30 p.m. The Barracudas could make a run this season with running back Todd Cutler Jr., and a stout defense. But Lake Wales has plenty of postseason history.

CLASS 3A

Region 2

Hernando (7-3) at Bishop Moore (9-1), 7 p.m. Bishop Moore reeled off nine straight victories before falling to Class 7A Lake Mary, 42-22, The Hornets are led by sophomore quarterback Blake McCullough, who has nearly 2,800 passing yards.

Tavares (6-4) at Eau Gallie (7-3), 7:30 p.m. Eau Gallie went 12-2 and advanced to the Class 3A state semifinals last year – its best finish ever. The Commodores will need everything they can get from Oregon commit/athlete Xavier Lherisse as they face Tavares running back Tamauri Collins, who has galloped for 1,478 yards and 25 TDs.

Titusville (5-5) at Merritt Island (6-4), 7:05 p.m. Merritt Island beat THS, 31-28, during the regular season but Mustang fans are not likely to forget their team lost to the Terriers, 17-14, in a wild playoff game last year. Quarterback Kevin Verpaele leads Merritt Island, Tank Harvey leads THS.

CLASS 2A

Region 2

Newberry (5-5) at Cocoa (5-4), 7:30 p.m. Three-time defending state champion Cocoa has played a tough schedule, which likely has prepared for the Tigers for another deep playoff run. Junior quarterback Champ Smith and junior linebacker Kyree Brooks lead Cocoa.

CLASS 1A

Region 2

Daytona Beach Father Lopez (6-4) at Tampa Carrollwood Day School (9-0), 7:30 p,m. The Green Wave will make a trip across I-4 to face one of Tampa’s best teams in CDS. The Patriots are led by quarterback Myles McDonald and sophomore running back Kameron Battle.

Orlando Christian Prep (6-4) at Melbourne Central Catholic (2-7), 7 p.m. MCC beat the Warriors, 38-14, during the regular season. Sophomore quarterback Sebastian Troyan leads the Hustlers.

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Jeff Gardenour can be reached via email at jgardenour1962@gmail.com or X @JMarkG1962