The 2024 Flag Football State Playoffs will feature some of the strongest teams from the Treasure Coast region.
The Florida High School Athletic Association announced the regional brackets for the upcoming postseason Saturday morning, with seven regional teams punching their ticket to the Big Dance.
Local teams that earned the right to continue the season include district champions Fort Pierce Central, Martin County and Lincoln Park Academy, as well as at-large bidders Jensen Beach, Fort Pierce Westwood and John Includes Carroll Catholic and Vero Beach.
Regional quarterfinals for Class 1A teams will be played Wednesday, with Class 2A schools beginning play the following day.
District flag football: Lincoln Park Academy advances to third straight title with goal line stand
Flag Football Summary: Central District wins back-to-back district titles, Martin County takes first place again
Five of the seven local teams will host their opening playoff games, but the remaining two teams won't have to travel far for a game.
Central has had a great season since the beginning, earning the top seed in Region 5-2A. The Cobras have won multiple district championships, amassing a 16-1 record and currently rank fourth overall in the state. Central will face No. 8 seed Vero Beach (5-5) in a rematch of the District 19-2A title game, which Central won 34-0.
Elsewhere in the region, Martin County will look to continue its momentum after winning District 20 and 2A. The second-seeded Tigers (15-1), who have won their past 11 games, will play Stuart's No. 7 Orlando Freedom on Thursday.
The last team to lift the trophy last week just got a three-peat. Following three straight district championships, Lincoln Park Academy (13-3) is the No. 2 seed in Region 6-1A and will host No. 7 Pahokee in its district opener.
Jensen Beach (12-6), where the Greyhounds narrowly won the District 22-1A crown, is the No. 3 seed in the region. The Falcons will host No. 6 John Carroll Catholic (7-6) in the first meeting of the season between the two teams. If LPA and Jensen Beach win on Wednesday, the district semifinal game will be played April 23 at Lincoln Park Academy.
Fort Pierce-Westwood (7-4) is the last area team to advance to a home playoff game. The Panthers, who earned the No. 4 seed in Region 6-1A, will take on host No. 5 Dr. Joaquin Garcia in a first-year program.
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. Contact him at (772) 985-9692, @PatBernadeau at X, or email pbernadeau@gannett.com.
