The FHSAA released softball state championship brackets Friday afternoon, and five area teams made the cut. Each has a different road to Longwood.
Key: * — District champion
Class 6A, Region 1
No. 1 Pace* vs. No. 8 Nease*
No. 2 Tocoi Creek* vs. No. 7 Forest*
No. 3 Navarre vs. No. 6 Buchholz
No. 4 Crestview vs. No. 5 Horizon
After the best season in program history, the Crestview Bulldogs find themselves as the No. 4 seed. Following a district semifinal loss to Navarre, it was uncertain whether Crestview would host a first-round home game, but the Bulldogs will welcome Horizon to town in a matchup where they should be favored.
A win would likely set up a game against Pace, which beat Crestview 9-0 on March 10. Should the Bulldogs advance from there, Tocoi Creek or Navarre would likely await in the Elite 8. It’s a tough road, but Crestview has shown all season that this team has plenty of room to grow.
Class 5A, Region 1
No. 1 Niceville* vs. No. 8 Fleming Island*
No. 2 Chiles* vs. No. 7 Milton
No. 3 Lincoln vs. No. 6 Middleburg
No. 4 Gulf Breeze vs. No. 5 Ponte Vedra*
For the second straight year, the Niceville Eagles enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, and they’re the early favorite to win the state title. Niceville will host Fleming Island in the opening round in a matchup the Eagles should win.
From there, a Sweet 16 date with Gulf Breeze or Ponte Vedra likely awaits. The Dolphins handed Niceville a 1-0 loss on opening night and pushed the Eagles in a hard-fought district championship game Thursday. Should Niceville advance, Chiles or Lincoln would likely follow. The road will challenge the Eagles, but they look like the favorites to reach the Final Four.
Class 4A, Region 1
No. 1 Columbia* vs. No. 8 Escambia*
No. 2 Baker County* vs. No. 7 Menendez
No. 3 Fort Walton Beach* vs. No. 6 St. Augustine
No. 4 Arnold vs. No. 5 Clay*
Taryn Gray’s squad enters the playoffs having clearly recaptured its state championship form after a slow start to the year. The Fort Walton Beach Vikings are district champions and winners of 10 straight.
Fort Walton begins its title defense at home against St. Augustine in a matchup the Vikings should win. A win would likely mean a trip to Glen St. Mary to face Baker County, with a possible Elite 8 battle against Columbia to follow. Can Fort Walton carry its momentum to back-to-back titles? We’ll see.
Class 3A, Region 1
No. 1 Wakulla* vs. No. 8 Wolfson*
No. 2 Paxon School for Advanced Studies* vs. No. 7 Suwannee
No. 3 South Walton vs. No. 6 West Florida Tech*
No. 4 West Nassau vs. No. 5 Yulee
The South Walton Seahawks are fresh off a frustrating district title loss and will hit the road in the first round to face a lower-seeded district champion — West Florida Tech, the team that defeated them to claim that district crown. If South Walton wins, a trip to Jacksonville to face Paxon School for Advanced Studies likely awaits. From there, Wakulla looms. It’s a tough path, but anything can happen.
Class 1A, Region 1
No. 1 University Christian* vs. No. 8 Rocky Bayou
No. 2 North Florida Christian* vs. No. 7 Harvest Community
No. 3 St. John Paul II vs. No. 6 Peniel Baptist*
No. 4 Christ’s Church Academy vs. No. 5 St. John’s Country Day*
The Rocky Bayou Knights will face a steep challenge in the opening round against University Christian, the No. 1 team in the entire class and the favorite for a state title.
Should Rocky Bayou pull off the upset, a battle with the winner of Christ’s Church Academy and St. John’s Country Day would follow, with North Florida Christian or St. John Paul II likely waiting beyond that. It will be difficult, but you can’t count out Rocky Bayou.
