FLEMING ISLAND - Monster schedules, excruciating losses and now, the heat is on.

Area high school football teams are very much aware at the midway point of the 2023 season as to who has a shot at the coveted top eight spots per region that will go to the state playoffs.

Theoretically, by FHSAA rules, the top 32 teams per class are those who qualify for region invitations.

Based on a whole slew of calculations and numbers, teams can now put some adjustments into play to achieve what the entire summer was all about.

With schedules and strengths of schedules now the key factor to an in or an out, those who go are not just the top team and the runner-up based on district schedules.

Sure, winning key district games is a must, but also playing and beating tough teams from afar is more helpful.

Middleburg, with a gauntlet to start their last two seasons, is in a prime position to achieve a repeat region bid despite losing the first three games.

With a 14-0 win over Ribault two weeks ago and a 36-0 trampling of Ridgeview on Friday with everything back Jaydan Jenkins all over the field with 130 yards rushing, a flying horizontal pass catch of about 40 yards and a 70-yard scoring run, Middleburg may have found the keys to winning again although the penalty flags were piling up on both sides something consistent around area games that seemed a bit ridiculous at times.

Also, kicker Kaleb Robison whipped end zone kickoffs, a 65 yard punt, and field goals of 42 and 20 plus all PAT kicks.

Coach Ryan Wolfe has an unpredictable Columbia High team, loaded with athletes and long on playoff history, as the first-most obstacle to getting a second playoff shot as they are a direct district foe, but Clay High, in the Middleburg region, but not district can gum up the works in this week's clash at Blue Devil Field.

"I think we are at number seven or eight now, but I won't look at that stuff until later in the season," said Wolfe. "The kids saw last year that going 0-4 does not keep us out of the playoffs. All we can do is keep winning games. Clay will be a good rivalry game. I think Columbia, though 1-4, is still the team to watch for us."

Middleburg has Columbia the week after Clay in their final district game.

"Clay is in the region and that makes it an important game," said Wolfe. "Plus there are some good teams in the Panhandle; Escambia, Lincoln, Choctawhatchee that will get region spots."

Clay coach Kyle Kennard, with back-to-back late field goal wins wrapped around a 35-14 win over Gainesville, has the Blue Devils also in prime position for a playoff spot and now the game has a bit more rivalry tinge to it than just bragging rights on Blanding Blvd though he thinks not.

"Middleburg is just an in-county rivalry," said Kennard. "All of our games are important for playoff implications. One week at a time."

Kennard has Middleburg on the hook this week with three district games to follow; Menendez, and Matanzas; both on the road, then St. Augustine at Clay. The final game, home vs. Oakleaf, could be a defining factor for Oakleaf as well who is on the bubble right now.

Theoretically, again, Clay and Middleburg could get their playoff nod with St. Augustine running away with the top spot in the region, but Matanzas and even Orange Park have minute shots of breaking in if things go sour around the region quickly and with some lucky bounces.

Oakleaf, and, in the same district, Fleming Island, have a runaway train of their own in Buchholz to take the top spot, but the rest of the region is up for grabs with maybe Ponte Vedra and Flagler Palm Coast's top prospects, at this point with Leon, Pace and Niceville in the Panhandle.

Fleming Island coach Chad Parker has a buzzsaw to end his season with Lake Minneola (6A Final Four annual contender), Mandarin (was unbeaten until Creekside), Creekside (just knocked off Oakleaf) and Buchholz (aforementioned buzzsaw). A win or two of the four would be critical; Buchholz's upset at home would be massive. Golden Eagles showed some fourth-quarter fight against Bartram Trail, from 0-0 at half to 49-28 showed Parker's boys can take a punch. Rocky Balboa once said, "It ain't how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get up."

FHSAA Playoffs (2M-4M, 2S-4S)

includes MHS, RHS, OPHS, FIHS, OHS, CHS

1. Playoff fields will be made up of 32 teams in each Class

2. Each region will advance eight qualifiers; four district champions, and 4 at-large qualifiers. Those eight will be seeded 1-8 based on FHSAA Power Rankings

3. Higher seed hosts.

FHSAA Playoffs (1M and 1S)

includes Keystone Heights

1. Playoff fields will be made up of 32 teams in each Class.

2. Two FHSAA Power Rankings District Champions and the next two at-large based on FHSAA Power Rankings advance to the region bracket.

3. Higher seed will host.

The FHSAA Power Rankings ranks teams and forecasts games based on the strength of schedule, including the strength of opposition and margin of victory, with more recent games weighing more heavily as a factor.

Region 1 Class 4S

Team name, overall record, Class rank (Reminder: Top 32 per class advance to region playoffs)

District 1

Gulf Breeze, 2-2-0, 34th in 4S

Milton, 2-4-0, 53rd in 4S

Navarre 3-2-0, 21st in 4S

Pace 4-1-0, 6th in 4S

Tate 2-2-0, 33rd in 4S

District 2

Chiles 2-2-0, 20th in 4S

Crestview 1-3-0, 35th in 4S

Leon 5-0-0, 26th in 4S

Mosley 3-2-0, 30th in 4S

Niceville 5-1-0, 7th in 4S

District 3

Bartram Trail 3-2-0, 1-0, 5th in 4S

Buchholz 5-0-0, 1-0, No. 1 in 4S

Creekside 3-3-0, 1-1, 12th in 4S

Fleming Island 2-3-0, 28th in 4S

Oakleaf 2-2-0, 1-1, 19th in 4S

District 4

Flagler Palm Coast 2-3-0, 0-1, 23rd in 4S

Nease 4-2-0, 0-0, 32nd in 4S

Ponte Vedra 4-1-0, 1-0, 8th in 4S

Tocoi Creek 3-3-0, 0-0, 38th in 4S

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Region 1 Class 3S

District 1

Choctawhatchee 3-2-0, 9th in 3S

Escambia 5-1-0, 10th in 3S

Fort Walton Beach 3-3-0, 39th in 3S

Pine Forest 4-2-0, 17th in 3S

District 2

Arnold 0-4-0, 67th in 3S

Lincoln 4-1-0, 3rd in 3S

Rickards 2-4-0, 29th in 3S

District 3

Columbia 1-4-0, 1-0, 18th in 3S

Middleburg 2-3-0, 1-0, 24th in 3S

Orange Park 2-4-0, 0-1, 35th in 3S

Ridgeview 1-4-0, 0-1, 61st in 3S

District 4

Clay 4-1-0, 0-0, 27th in 3S

Gainesville 1-5-0, 0-1, 51st in 3S

Matanzas 3-2-0, 0-1, 28th in 3S

Menendez 2-4-0, 1-1. 44th in 3S

St. Augustine 6-0-0, 2-0, 2nd in 3S

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Region 2 Class 2S

District 6

Keystone Heights 2-3-0, 0-0, 39th in 2S

Bradford 5-0-0, 0-0, 43rd in 2S

Palatka 4-1-0, 0-0, 32nd in 2S

District 5

Baker County 2-3-0, 2-0, 24th in 2S

Baldwin 3-2-0, 1-1, 22nd in 2S

Fernandina Beach 2-3-0, 0-2, 28th in 2S

West Nassau 1-5-0, 0-1, 43rd in 2S

Yulee 4-1-0, 1-0, 18th in 2S

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Top 25 Florida (All Classes)

1. IMG Academy, 4-0, FREELANCE

2. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) 5-0-0, Class 1M

10. Buchholz (Gainesville) 5-0-0, Class 4S

17. St. Augustine 4-0-0, Class 3S