South Florida High School Football Playoffs

     The 2018 FHSAA football playoff brackets were released on Sunday. There are a total of 50 schools from the South Florida tri-county area represented. The region had 43 teams from the three counties last year. A major factor for the increase was that classifications from Class 4A down to 1A added two playoff spots in every region.
     Palm Beach County is sending just 12 schools this year and is one less than in 2017. Atlantic(8A) and American Heritage(3A) are the only squads from southern part of the county. Three of the schools from The Muck will take part with Glades Central(4A), Pahokee(1A) and Glades Day(2A). Northern Palm Beach County has Dwyer(7A) and Benjamin(3A) while the central Palm Beach County area consists of Palm Beach Central(8A), Wellington(8A), Palm Beach Lakes(7A), Kings Academy(3A) and Cardinal Newman(3A).
     Broward County puts in 17 teams into the playoffs in 2018 which is an improvement from 12 last year. Deerfield Beach(8A), Coconut Creek and Coral Springs Charter(4A) are the schools from northern Broward County. The Fort Lauderdale area has St. Thomas Aquinas(7A), Cardinal Gibbons(5A), Fort Lauderdale(7A), Dillard(6A) and Calvary Christian(3A). Central Broward County includes American Heritage(5A), Plantation(8A), Piper(8A), Western(8A), University(4A) and West Broward(7A). Southern Broward County has Miramar(8A), Chaminade-Madonna(3A) and McArthur(7A).
     Dade County has 21 schools in the FHSAA playoffs and improved from 18 in 2017. They include Carol City(6A), Miami Central(6A), Miami Northwestern(6A), Norland(6A), Booker T. Washington(4A), Columbus(8A), Miami Southridge(8A), Hialeah(8A), Belen Jesuit(8A), Miami Palmetto(8A), South Dade(8A), North Miami(8A), Coral Gables(8A), Doral Academy(7A), South Dade(7A), Monsignor Pace(4A), Gulliver Prep(4A), Westminster Christian(3A), Palmer Trinity(3A), Champagnat Catholic(2A) and Miami Christian(2A).