GREEN COVE SPRINGS - Clay High's flag football team will not see their usual rivals in the region playoffs, but the likes of Choctawhatchee and ED White could be on the docket in the state semifinals or finals as the Blue Devils new place in region 2 of Class 2A brings new faces to Green Cove Springs for region action.
Fleming Island, in Class 3A and region 1-3A, will face off a second time against Fletcher, who defeated the Golden Eagles 13-12 in the district semifinal in an upset of sorts while Bartram Trail took out top seed Ponte Vedra in the same district tournament.  Fletcher eliminated Fleming Island in last year's region semifinal.
Keystone Heights, with a flurry of close games against top teams in the latter part of their season; 13-12 wins over Suwannee and Columbia plus two wins to finish the season with a 9-8 record. Keystone Heights lost 20-6 to Santa Fe in t their district semifinal, but secured a sixth seed for the region.
Unfortunately, the Indians will face off against No. 3 Bradford (12-2), who blew out a 53-0 win over Newberry in their district semifinal and a final 14-0 win over Santa Fe for the district title. Bradford beat Keystone Heights 45-12 in March.
For Clay and Fleming Island, the route has been treacherous with the Blue Devils surviving a 7-6 district championship win over Ridgeview while the Golden Eagles held a 12-0 halftime lead on Fletcher before falling 13-12.

Class 2A Bracket features No. 2 Clay, ranked fourth in 2A and a 1A state quarterfinalist last year, in a more southern batch of teams including top seed Hernando (11-3, ranked seventh) and programs from Nature Coast Tech (12-3, ranked ninth), New Smyrna Beach (11-5, ranked 12th, region finals 2A last year), Weeki Wachee (10-5, ranked 14th), Orlando Jones (9-5, ranked 16th, 1A region semifinalist) and Dunnellon (7-3, ranked 27th).

Class 3A Bracket, games played Wednesday, April 23, features No. 6 Fleming Island (11-3, ranked 15th) at No. 3 Fletcher (13-2, ranked eighth) and No. 7 Navarre (region semifinals last year) at No. 2 Chiles with, in the opposite bracket, No. 1 Pace (14-1, ranked third) hosts No. 8 Bartram Trail (13-4, ranked 16th) and No. 4 Ponte Vedra (13-2, ranked 18th) hosts No. 5 Oviedo (10-0, ranked 12th). Pace finished as a Final Four team last year.

Class 1A Bracket, games played Wednesday, April 23, features No. 6 Keystone Heights (9-8, ranked 30th) at No. 3 Bradford (11-2, ranked seventh) and No. 7 Newberry (5-5, ranked 40th) at No. 2 University Christian (8-0, ranked fifth) on one side with No. 1 FSU High (12-3, ranked fourth, regional finalist last year 1A) hosting No. 8 Andrew Jackson (8-8, ranked 29th) and No. 4 Santa Fe (10-1, ranked ninth) hosting No. 5 Suwannee (9-7, ranked 26th).