This is the second installment of a four part series setting the District playoff brackets.  You can check out the North bracket here.

This past Saturday marked the final date for any district games in the FHSAA season.   The district tournaments will take place April 9th and 10th.  With the days winding down on the regular season and many of the district seeds already set (unofficially for now) we thought it might be a good time to take a look at how some of the teams stand around the state.

District 9 should see Lake Brantley hold off other contenders.  This may not be the strongest Lake Brantley team in recent memory but Jared Bernhardt and company should hold off any threat from Apopka, Wekiva, or Lyman.  Apopka was their closest district game this season at 16-5.  The Patriots finish up the regular season against Oviedo which just maybe a preview of the first round of the State Playoff. Oviedo is currently well in control of District 10.  They are 4-0 against district opponents and defeated their top competitor, Hagerty, by a score of 13-4.  They have a couple of tough games left to finish the regular season, Winter Park and Lake Brantley, but assuming they come out unscathed they will be the team to beat in the district.

District 11 is the home of Lake Highland Prep.  We’re willing to go out on a limb and say they are the favorite to advance out of that district.  It’s unfortunate for Winter Park.  Despite this not being one of the Wildcats strongest years, they are one of the state’s top tier public school programs year in an year out.  Bishop Moore has had a great season at 10-5 (two of those losses came in the last few days to Ponte Vedra and Bolles) and if they were in a different district we just might see them make a play off run.  This is another one of those districts that really makes you wish lacrosse advanced two teams like just about every other sport in the FHSAA.

District 12 will most likely see a rematch of an exciting regular season game that went to OT.  Boone seems to have Timber Creek’s number.  Last year TC won the regular season match up but gave up a come from behind victory to Boone in the District Championship.  This could be one of the better district championship games this season as these two teams are very evenly matched.

Dr. Phillips is undefeated in district 13 play this season and will have the top spot going into the playoff.  The Panthers stumbled out of the gate this season dropping 4 of their first 5 games.  But since then they have gone 9-1 including a current 6 game win streak.   They recently knocked off a very strong Oviedo team.  They should be able to take this district but you can’t count out First Academy.  They are a well coached team and are always ready for the tough games.  Windermere Prep and Lake Nona took the other two playoff spots leaving Freedom (Orlando) the odd team out. West Orange secured the number 1 seed in district 14 and should advance from this district.  The Warriors beat each of their district opponents convincingly during the regular season and will face East Ridge in the first round.  Olympia is set to face Ocoee in the other semi-final game. That should be a fun game as those two teams went to Double OT during the regular season.  Lake Minneola (0-4, 7-6) is out of contention. District 15 is going to be a wild one.  Berkeley Prep has had a great season sitting atop District 15 with a 7-0 district record and 10-3 overall.  They beat Tampa Jesuit for the first time in program history and have the number one seed in the playoff.  But nobody is going to take this district championship easily.  By our calculations Steinbrenner should be the number four seed and Berkeley’s first opponent.  Jesuit is going to play Plant in the other semi-final game.  Judging by the regular season games anything could happen in this championship.  Berkeley went to OT  with Plant during the regular season and Jesuit went to OT with Steinbrenner.  These four teams are all evenly matched and this will be one of the most entertaining district playoffs in the state. At 12-0 overall and 8-0 in district play Newsome is well in control of their own fate.  There were only tested twice during the regular season, both times by teams from District 15.  We fully expect Newsome to emerge with the district 16 Championship but they will have their hands full early in the state playoffs.  One interesting note about the District 16 playoff picture is the inclusion of All Saints Academy. Update; Apparently there is a 3 way tie. Freedom beat All Saints, All Saints beat Durant, Durant beat Freedom. So our inclusion of All Saints is, at this point, speculation.  We’ll update when we get the final word on who the fourth team is. Update; Freedom was awarded the tie breaker and will be the four seed  We were told before the season even began by head coach Ray Ryan that the single goal of the All Saints team this season was to make the top four in their 9 team district and make the playoffs.  Well done All Saints Academy.  We believe Wharton will be the number two seed and Tampa Catholic, riding a six game win streak into the final week of the season,  is the number three team in the playoff. Keep an eye out for our South Central district round ups coming soon and enjoy the final week of the regular season.