BOYS & GIRLS SOCCER: Several teams face win-or-go-home playoff scenarios at districts

The FHSAA released the seeding for the boys and girls soccer district tournaments on Sunday. Here’s where, and who, the area teams will play and where they sit in their respective playoff races.

BOYS DISTRICT 2-5A

All games at higher seed

Schedule: Jan. 25, quarterfinals: No. 5 Middleburg at No. 4 Columbia, 7 p.m.; No. 6 Ridgeview at No. 3 Rickards, 7 p.m.; Jan. 29, semifinals: Middleburg-Columbia winner at No. 1 Clay, 7 p.m.; Ridgeview-Rickards winner at No. 2 Lincoln, 7 p.m.; Jan. 31, championship: 7 p.m.

Region 1-5A rankings: No. 8 Clay (9-3-3), No. 9 Lincoln (4-8-3), No. 11 Rickards (9-3-0), No. 13 Columbia (6-6-5), No. 15 Middleburg (6-5-3), No. 19 Ridgeview (3-8-1)

Playoff scenario: This is pretty simple — whoever wins the district tournament will likely be the district’s lone playoff qualifier. That’s certainly the only hope for Columbia, which dropped to 13th in the latest FHSAA rankings with a 1.780 rating. District leader Clay is currently in eighth at 7.859 and District 4 leader Belleview is back in 10th but is the frontrunner to steal an automatic bid, meaning No. 7 Menendez, which has a 9.210 rating, is currently the final at-large team. Columbia will have to pull off some upsets and win the first district title in program history to keep its season going.

GIRLS DISTRICT 2-5A

All games at higher seed

Schedule: Jan. 24, quarterfinals: No. 5 Ridgeview at No. 4 Middleburg, 6 p.m.; No. 6 Rickards at No. 3 Columbia, 7 p.m.; Jan. 26, semifinals: Rickards-Columbia winner at Clay, 7 p.m.; Ridgeview-Middleburg winner at Lincoln, 7 p.m.; Jan. 30, championship: 7 p.m.

Region 1-5A rankings: No. 1 Lincoln (11-5-1), No. 2 Clay (11-1-1), No. 3 Columbia (8-3-0), No. 9 Middleburg (7-6-1), No. 13 Ridgeview (4-5-1), No. 21 Rickards (2-8-2)

Playoff scenario: Columbia is on the playoff bubble, currently holding the final spot in Region 1-5A with a 6.007 rating. But Middleburg isn’t far behind at 5.782 and neither is Choctawhatchee at 5.519. It may take a couple of wins in the district tournament for Columbia to solidify a playoff spot depending on how the rest of the region shakes out and if there are any upsets in the other districts by teams that could steal a bid.

BOYS DISTRICT 2-4A

At Santa Fe

Schedule: Jan. 24, quarterfinals: No. 5 Palatka vs. No. 4 Eastside, 6 p.m.; Jan. 26, semifinals: No. 3 Baker County vs. No. 2 Suwannee, 5:30 p.m.; Palatka-Eastside winner vs. No. 1 Santa Fe, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 30, championship: 6 p.m.

Region 1-4A rankings: No. 2 Santa Fe (9-3-2), No. 12 Suwannee (7-12-1), No. 16 Baker County (9-5-6), No. 18 Eastside (1-11-4), No. 20 Palatka (0-16-1)

Playoff scenario: Suwannee’s only hope to make the playoffs is to win the district title. That’s because the Bulldogs are 12th in the region with a -2.952 rating, which is too far back of No. 8 Wakulla’s 3.780 for the final at-large bid. Santa Fe, which has a 9.145 rating, is a heavy favorite to win the district and beat Suwannee 1-0 during the regular season.

GIRLS DISTRICT 2-4A

At Citizens Field in Gainesville

Schedule: Jan. 25, quarterfinals: No. 5 Palatka at No. 4 Eastside, 6 p.m.; Jan. 27, semifinals: No. 3 Baker County vs. No. 2 Suwannee, 5 p.m.; Palatka-Eastside winner vs. No. 1 Santa Fe, 7 p.m.; Jan. 31, championship: 6 p.m.

Region 1-4A rankings: No. 6 Santa Fe (6-6-1), No. 11 Suwannee (6-10-2), No. 13 Baker County (7-8-1), No. 17 Eastside (1-13-1), No. 19 Palatka (2-9-1)

Playoff scenario: Suwannee currently holds a -3.377 rating and is too far back of No. 8 Paxon (0.063) for the region’s final at-large berth. It means the Bulldogs need to win the district title to make the playoffs. They’ll have to beat Baker County, who they topped 7-1 during the season, and then likely Santa Fe, which beat them 6-0 during the season.

BOYS DISTRICT 4-3A

Semifinals and championship at Williston

Schedule: Jan. 24, quarterfinals: No. 7 Interlachen at No. 2 Keystone Heights, 7 p.m.; No. 8 Branford at No. 1 P.K. Yonge, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 25, quarterfinals: No. 5 Trinity Catholic at No. 4 Newberry, 7 p.m.; No. 6 Fort White at No. 3 Williston, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 29, semifinals: Fort White-Williston winner vs. Interlachen-Keystone Heights winner, 5 p.m., Branford-P.K. Yonge winner vs. Trinity Catholic-Newberry winner, 7 p.m.; Jan. 31, championship: 7 p.m.

Region 1-3A rankings: No. 6 P.K. Yonge (16-2), No. 8 Keystone Heights (12-2-2), No. 10 Williston (11-6-1), No. 15 Newberry (9-7-1), No. 16 Trinity Catholic (4-5-2), No. 19 Fort White (5-8-2), No. 20 Interlachen (6-9-1), No. 23 Branford (4-9-1)

Playoff scenario: Fort White holds a -7.576 rating and Branford sits at -11.147, way back of No. 8 Keystone Heights (4.437) for the final at-large playoff berth. Both teams must win the district tournament to make the playoffs.

GIRLS DISTRICT 4-3A

Semifinals and championship at Williston

Schedule: Jan. 24, quarterfinals: No. 7 Fort White at No. 2 Keystone Heights, 5 p.m.; No. 8 Interlachen at No. 1 P.K. Yonge, 6 p.m.; No. 5 Trinity Catholic at No. 4 Newberry, 7 p.m.; Jan. 25, quarterfinals: No. 6 Branford at No. 3 Williston, 6 p.m.; Jan. 26, semifinals: Fort White-Keystone Heights winner vs. Branford-Williston winner, 5 p.m.; Interlachen-P.K. Yonge vs. Trinity Catholic-Newberry winner, 7 p.m.; Jan. 30, championship: 7 p.m.

Region 1-3A rankings: No. 1 P.K. Yonge (10-3-3), No. 8 Keystone Heights (10-5-1), No. 9 Williston (10-4-0), No. 15 Newberry (10-8-1), No. 17 Trinity Catholic (6-9-1), No. 19 Branford (8-6-3), No. 21 Fort White (5-7-2), No. 24 Interlachen (6-11-1),

Playoff scenario: Branford holds a -7.587 rating while Fort White sits at -8.385, way back of No. 8 Keystone Heights (4.956) for the final at-large playoff berth. Both teams must win the district tournament to make the playoffs.

BOYS DISTRICT 2-2A

Quarterfinals at Saint Francis Catholic, semifinals and championship at Bell

Schedule: Jan. 25, quarterfinals: No. 5 Jefferson County vs. No. 4 Lafayette, 5 p.m.; No. 6 Trenton vs. No. 3 Saint Francis Catholic, 7 p.m.; Jan. 29, semifinals: Trenton-Saint Francis Catholic winner vs. No. 2 Bell, 5 p.m.; Jefferson County-Lafayette winner vs. Oak Hall, 7 p.m.; Jan. 31, championship: 7 p.m.

Region 1-2A rankings: No. 1 Oak Hall (11-0-1), No. 3 Bell (9-3-0), No. 7 Saint Francis Catholic (7-3-1), No. 13 Lafayette (7-8-0), No. 20 Jefferson County (0-10-0), Trenton (1-15-0)

Playoff scenario: Lafayette must win the district title to make the playoffs, currently sitting with a -6.924 rating that is too far behind No. 8 St. Johns Country Day (-1.491) for the final at-large berth.

GIRLS DISTRICT 2-2A

Quarterfinals at Trenton, semifinals and championship at Lafayette

Schedule: Jan. 24, quarterfinals: No. 5 Bell vs. No. 4 Oak Hall, 5 p.m.; No. 6 Saint Francis Catholic vs. No. 3 Trenton, 7 p.m.; Jan. 26, semifinals: Saint Francis Catholic-Trenton winner vs. Jefferson County, 5 p.m.; Bell-Oak Hall winner vs. Lafayette, 7 p.m.; Jan. 30, championship: 7 p.m.

Region 1-2A rankings: No. 5 Lafayette (10-5-0), No. 10 Jefferson County (7-7-1), No. 11 Trenton (5-9-1), No. 12 Oak Hall (6-3-3), No. 17 Bell (2-7-3), No. 19 Saint Francis Catholic (1-6-5)

Playoff scenario: Lafayette is already safely in the playoffs, currently holding the No. 5 seed in the region with a 1.116 rating. Even if the Hornets were to get upset in the district tournament, they’re far enough ahead of the first team out in the region, which is St. Joseph Academy at -3.147. In fact, the Hornets are likely locked into the region’s No. 5 seed as they’re a ways behind No. 4 University Christian (4.890) but more than three points ahead of No. 6 Academy at the Lakes (-2.370). Lafayette is a heavy favorite to win the district title as every other team in the district has a negative rating, with No. 2 seed Jefferson County notably sitting at -5.218.