Six Panhandle Teams Qualify for FHSAA Playoffs

The FHSAA released its 2026 high school football playoff bracket, with Choctaw and Walton hosting region quarterfinal games on November 13.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Football

Six Panhandle Teams Qualify for FHSAA Playoffs

The FHSAA released the 2026 high school football playoff bracket for Florida Panhandle teams, with six area schools qualifying: Baker, Choctaw, Destin, Freeport, South Walton, and Walton. The bracket was revealed on YouTube on Friday, November 6, after a 12-week regular season.

Why it matters

The seeding places Panhandle programs across four regions in the Florida state playoffs, setting up region quarterfinal matchups on November 13. Teams' regular-season records determined their seeding within each region.

The bracket reflects a 12-week regular season, with Columbia (10-0) seeded first in Region 1-4A and Blountstown (9-1) and Pensacola Catholic (8-1) seeded second in their respective regions. Region quarterfinal outcomes on November 13 remain undetermined.

The players

Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA)

The FHSAA is the state governing body that administers interscholastic athletics, including the high school football playoffs, for public and member schools across Florida.

The details

Choctaw and Walton will host region quarterfinal games on Friday, November 13, while Baker, Destin, Freeport, and South Walton will play on the road that same night. Regions span the Panhandle and north-central Florida, including Region 1-2A, which lists Destin, Freeport, and Walton among its eight schools.

November 6, 2026: FHSAA playoff bracket revealed on YouTube.
November 13, 2026: Region quarterfinal games played, hosted by Choctaw and Walton.

Seasonal Patterns

The 2026 bracket follows the FHSAA's established regional seeding structure, which places eight schools in each class-based region and advances seeded teams to region quarterfinals. This season's Panhandle qualifiers continue that pattern across Regions 1-1A through 1-4A.

Fans following Panhandle teams can track region quarterfinal matchups on November 13, with Choctaw and Walton at home. Teams advancing will face the next round of the state playoffs based on their regional seeding.

The takeaway

Seeding in the FHSAA bracket rewards regular-season records, so teams with strong 10-0 and 9-1 starts enter the playoffs as favorites in their regions. Readers can watch for the November 13 quarterfinal results to see how the seeds hold up.

What happens next

Region quarterfinal games are scheduled for Friday, November 13, 2026, with Choctaw and Walton hosting and Baker, Destin, Freeport, and South Walton playing on the road.