The Vikings and Knights both earned district titles and will host first-round playoff games Saturday.
4A Region 1: Fort Walton Beach enters as No. 3 seed
Chris Carswell’s Fort Walton Beach Vikings enter the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the state.
The Vikings have won eight straight games and nine of their last 10, with their only loss during that stretch coming on a buzzer-beater at Choctaw on Jan. 9. Along the way, they’ve shown a knack for finding ways to win, clawing back from sizeable deficits against both Milton and Choctaw.
- Now, Fort Walton Beach has both a playoff berth and a district championship for the first time since 2016.
As the No. 3 seed and a district champion, the Vikings are guaranteed to host at least one playoff game. They’ll welcome No. 6 seed Rickards to the Fort on Saturday in a first-round matchup that favors the home team — Fort Walton Beach is ranked 46 spots ahead of the Raiders in the statewide rankings.
A win there would likely send the Vikings on the road to Tallahassee to face No. 2 seed Godby in what projects to be a tougher test. Beyond that, the path could lead to No. 1 seed Bishop Kenny, a Crusaders squad that is just as hot as the Vikings right now and could be the toughest opponent Fort Walton Beach has faced all season.
The Vikings have the ingredients of a Final Four contender: star power in Rodric Starks, Xy Childres and Kyle Jones, along with depth, efficiency and the resilience they’ve demonstrated all season. A Final Four appearance would be the program’s first since 2011.
2A Region 1: Rocky Bayou makes its return
The Rocky Bayou Knights are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016, carrying a 21-6 record — the program’s first winning season since that same year — and their first district title since 2014.
That district championship earns the Knights a home game Saturday, where they’ll host No. 5 seed San Jose Prep in what should be a competitive first-round matchup.
If Rocky Bayou advances, the road gets significantly tougher. The likely second-round opponent would be No. 1 seed Providence School, the top-ranked team in the class, the No. 6 team in Florida and the No. 67 team in the country.
A win there could set up an Elite 8 matchup against either The First Academy or University Christian — the latter of which beat the Knights by 29 back in December. But as Calix McCune and company have shown this season, anything can happen.
