See where Fort Walton-area teams are headed in the girls flag football playoffs this week
Choctaw is a perennial flag football powerhouse that competes for state titles. Fort Walton Beach is coming off the biggest win of its young program. Navarre is coming off the best season of its young program. And Niceville is, well, just the gold standard of consistency under Adron Robinson.
All four area programs have qualified for their respective FHSAA regional tournaments, which start Wednesday.
Choctaw (12-1), despite a 9-7 loss to crosstown rival Fort Walton in the District 1-1A championship, is the top seed and reigning champion in the Region 1-1A tournament and opens with No. 8 Booker T. Washington (10-4) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The two haven't faced off this year, but of note the Big Green are missing sophomore starting quarterback Diaris Morales due to concussion protocol. After finishing state runner-up last year, Choctaw enters Wednesday's quarterfinal in Fort Walton Beach outscoring foes 323-53 on the season.
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Earlier, at 6 p.m., Fort Walton Beach (9-7) hosts Tallahassee Lincoln (10-4). The Vikings have outscored foes 262-192 this season and flashed their defense in the district final, nabbing three interceptions to avenge a 13-6 loss to Choctaw earlier in the season.
A win for Choctaw and Fort Walton would set up Round 3 in the region semifinals April 23 at 7 p.m.
In 2A, Navarre earned the No. 2 seed in the Region 1 bracket after finishing 14-2 and District 1 runner-up. Outscoring foes 410-106 this season, the Raiders will host seventh-seeded Forest (10-5) Thursday at 6 p.m.
Sixth-seeded Niceville (9-6) is on the same side of the bracket and will travel Thursday to face a familiar foe in District 1 champ Pace (12-5). Against foes not named Pace, Niceville has a 223-103 margin of victory. But the Patriots are 3-0 against Niceville with a 92-6 margin of victory, including a 34-0 victory in last week's district tournament.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: FHSAA flag football playoffs: Regional seeds for Fort Walton Beach teams
