JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With one week to go, the high school football playoff picture got a bit clearer on Tuesday afternoon.
The latest RPI playoff standings had few big changes, although a big one in Region 1-8A.
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Defending state champion Mandarin climbed into the eighth and final spot in the region, just .09 in front of Lake Brantley. The game that bears watching in Week 11, Fletcher at Mandarin on Thursday night.
A win by Mandarin over a 6-3 Fletcher would likely be enough to stay in front of Lake Brantley, which faces a 2-7 Harmony.
A similar scenario exists for Fletcher, which is in ninth place in Region 1-7A, but actually 10th in how things shake out, RPI-wise. The 12th place team in the region, Winter Springs, is actually a district champ and will get one of the top four seeds. That puts the Senators (.544) competing with Chiles (eighth in RPI, but ninth in reality, and Navarre (seventh in RPI, but eighth).
The Senators could get to 7-3 with a win over Mandarin, which would push them up. But will it be enough to catch Navarre (.560) or Chiles (.549)?
Already in: Bartram Trail (1-8A), Fleming Island (1-7A), Lee and Ponte Vedra (both 1-6A), Parker (1-5A) and Menendez (2-5A), by virtue of district championships. They have earned one of the top four seeds in their respective regions and will host playoff games in the opening round on Nov. 8.
In, but not official yet: Bolles, West Nassau and Bradford in 1-4A; Keystone Heights in 2-4A; Episcopal, Baldwin and Trinity Christian in 1-3A; University Christian (1-2A). Most of those programs are ranked in the top four or five in their region, with the exception of Trinity.
The Conquerors are sixth, but have such a wide lead on Wolfson that there's no chance at losing that this week.
The biggest changes outside of Mandarin were Ponte Vedra moving up to the No. 2 seed in 1-5A, Suwannee going from ninth to eighth in 1-A and Union County going from seventh to sixth in 1-3A.
Week 10 RPI standings
* Indicates district champ and will be a top four seed in the region when field is announced Sunday. The top eight seeds reach the playoffs in Classes 5A-8A and the top six seeds reach the playoffs in 1A-4A.
Region 1-8A: 2. Bartram Trail (.729)*, 5. Flagler Palm Coast (.638), 8. Mandarin (.598)
Region 1-7A: 3. Fleming Island (.655)*, Other: 9. Fletcher (.544)
Region 1-6A: 2. Ponte Vedra (.643), 3. Columbia (.627), 5. Lee (.608), 7. St. Augustine (.557)
Region 1-5A: 3. Westside (.577), 4. Baker County (.561), 5. Parker (.550)*, 6. Raines (.548)*, 8. Suwannee (.524), Other: 10. Ribault (.486)
Region 2-5A: 7. Menendez (.542)*
Region 1-4A: 1. Bolles (.652), 2. West Nassau (.613), 5. Bradford (.523), Other: 8. Fernandina Beach (.488)
Region 2-4A: 3. Keystone Heights (.606), Other: 9. Palatka (.442)
Region 1-3A: 4. Episcopal (.633), 5. Baldwin (.622), 6. Trinity Christian (.595), Others: 7. Wolfson (.533), 9. Interlachen (.461)
Region 1-2A: 1. University Christian (.681), 5. St. Joseph (.452), 6. NFEI (.440), Other: 9. Eagle's View (.389)
Region 3-1A: 4. Hilliard (.508), 6. Union County (.480), Other: 7. Fort White (.456),