Class 6A football full brackets: recruits to watch, biggest question

The Class 6A bracket has been released and the stage is set for another State Champion.

Notable Class 6A giants Venice and Columbus are not in the State Series this year, but are in the FHSAA’s inaugural Open Division. With the Indians and the Explorers out, the road to a state championship in the class is much wider.

Seminole is the top-seed in Region 1, across the bracket from a powerful DeLand squad at No. 2. Vero Beach is the No. 1 seed in Region 2 after winning their last six games. with Venice out, Sarasota Riverview earns the top-seed in Region 3, and the same is true for Miami Palmetto in Region 4.

Here are the full brackets, along with burning questions and recruits to watch for each class.

Region 1

Regional Quarterfinals

(1) Seminole* vs. (8) Lake Brantley

(4) Creekside* vs. (5) Lake Mary

(3) Mainland at (6) Winter Park*

(2) Deland* vs. (7) Spruce Creek

Burning question: Can anyone stop DeLand’s offense?

Depending on who football fans are rooting for, they talk about Rick Darlington’s single wing offense with either reverence or fear. There’s a good reason. The Bulldogs are averaging 47.5 points per game and scored at least 33 points in every game this season. DeLand scored 35 points against national power St. Frances (Maryland) in Week 2, becoming the first team to do so since St. John Bosco (California) in 2023. Three different DeLand players have scored at least 10 touchdowns this season. Lake Mary, which upset DeLand in the regional final in 2025, held the Bulldogs to their season low this year. Seminole’s coaching staff also has a lot of experience against the single wing from their rivalry with Apopka.

Recruit to watch: DeLand 2028 RB Taihj Moore

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound All-American is elite. Moore has 128 carries for 1,037 yards (8.1 yards per carry) and scored 18 rushing touchdowns this season. It’s his third consecutive year topping the 1,000-yard mark. Moore is a four-star recruit with offers from Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, UCF and many other Power 4 programs.

Region 2

Regional Quarterfinals

(1) Vero Beach* vs. (8) Fort Pierce Central

(4) West Orange vs. (5) Dr. Phillips

(3) Lake Nona* vs. (6) East Ridge*

(2) Edgewater* vs. (7) Ocoee

Burning question: Will Vero Beach’s defense lead them to another regional title?

Vero Beach reached the Class 7A state championship game in 2025, snapping a 27-year drought with a state semifinal appearance. The Fighting Indians are the No. 1 seed in the region this year and are undefeated in Florida. The defense has allowed just 119 points, with more than half of that coming in the first two weeks of the season. Senior edge rusher Dontallis Render leads the team with 14,5 tackles for loss to go along with 4.5 sacks. Junior linebacker Kaden Huggins has 13.5 tackles for loss and a team-best five sacks.

Recruit to watch: West Orange WR Yuto Kawamura-Johnson

Kawamura-Johnson has the distinction of being the first nationally ranked former Japanese high school football player to commit to Power 4 program. The Michigan commit started high school in Japan and played for the national flag football team before returning to the United States in 2025. He has 38 catches for 787 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.

Region 3

Regional Quarterfinals

(1) Sarasota Riverview vs. (8) Haines City*

(4) Plant City vs. (5) Durant

(3) Lennard* vs. (6) Sarasota

(2) Alonso* vs. (7) Newsome

Burning question: With Venice in the Open Division, who is the favorite to win the region?

Venice had six consecutive regional titles, but the Indians late jump into the Open Division creates a major opportunity for these eight teams. Riverview gave Venice all it wanted in the regular season before losing 41-32. The Rams also have the benefit of home field advantage throughout the regional playoffs. Alonso’s lone loss was by a touchdown at St. Petersburg Catholic. Lennard’s only losses were to Class 5A powers Armwood at Tampa Bay Tech. Sarasota quarterback Hudson West has thrown for more than 3,000 yards and 36 touchdowns this season.

Recruit to watch: Lennard 2027 S Mekhi Williams

Williams, the No. 18 player on the USA Today Florida top 100, is a Wisconsin commit — and the top-rated player in the Badgers 2027 class. At 6-foot-2½, 160 pounds with good speed, Williams has the ability to cover a lot of ground. He also has the coverage skills to shut down the opposition’s top receiver when Lennard wants to put him on an island at cornerback. Williams has 34 tackles, a tackle for loss and six pass breakups this season.

Region 4

Regional Quarterfinals

(1) Miami Palmetto vs. (8) Jupiter*

(4) West Broward vs. (5) South Dade

(3) Western vs. (6) Spanish River*

(2) Cypress Bay* vs. (7) Palm Beach Central

Burning question: Can Miami Palmetto take the next step this season?

The Panthers came painfully close to reaching the Class 7A state championship game in 2025, when they lost at Vero Beach in overtime in a thrilling state semifinal. This year’s version has been very good, with the two losses coming against state powers Columbus and Carol City. Other than those two games, only South Dade managed to score more than nine points against Palmetto. The Panthers offense, led by Georgia Tech wide receiver commit Kaden Howard and senior quarterback Jamison Larsen, has scored at least 21 points in six consecutive games.

Recruit to watch: Western CB Bryce Williams

Williams has elite length at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds and has been a true No. 1 cornerback for the Wildcats for multiple seasons. The Nebraska commit is ranked No. 33 on the USA Today Florida top 100. Williams had 15 tackles, an interception and three pass breakups in seven games during the regular season.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Class 6A football full brackets: recruits to watch, biggest question