MIDDLEBURG - Middleburg High football coach Ryan Wolfe continued his streak of region playoff berths and now wants to take the Broncos one step further with a region playoff game win and a second-round game.

For Wolfe, the previous three years have featured annual improvements in the Broncos program that have been rewarded with wins, rankings and playoff spots; three in a row, but the goal that has eluded Wolfe is the region playoff game win.
With finishes of 5-5, 5-5, 7-3 and now 8-2, Wolfe has steadily brought some street cred to the Bronco sidelines while balancing the need to keep his schedule intact with enough firepower—called playoff points and wins—to keep his region playoff record intact.

In 2025, the Broncos stormed to a six straight win opening salvo for their schedule with wins of impressive fashion; 355 points scored versus just 76 points scored against with a 28-0 shutout against district 3-5A rival Orange Park for the sixth win.

After the six-game opening, Middleburg stalled with a 41-14 loss to top seed Ponte Vedra but then regrouped enough to surprise eventual district champion Beachside with an overtime 37-36 loss off a blocked extra point kick.

The win fueled some excitement for the Broncos who would travel to another district game at county foe Fleming Island. Fleming Island, though, took some umbrage in being the possible odd man out in a district that put four of its five teams into the region playoffs last year and stunned Middleburg with a 21-10 upset loss that, at the time, kept the district lineup in a jumble.

For Wolfe, the more achievable goal for 2025 was to improve on the 7-3 record; done, then finish not in the eighth seed position for the region playoff lineup; done as the number seven seed.

In 2022, Wolfe finished at 5-5 prior to the regions and also came in as the seventh seed to play second seed Escambia with the Broncos losing 42-18 as Wolfe's first foray as a head coach having to prepare a six-hour travel package to the Florida Panhandle.

The second part of Wolfe's long-term plan was to not have to face the region top seed in game one; St. Augustine and Niceville in the previous two region brackets. The results; all losses, had Wolfe itching to get out of the repeating of scenario by being the seventh or sixth seed with a district title, but, 2025 proved to be a bit more of the same as the Broncos; seventh seeded will travel not as far to face off against top seed Daytona Beach Mainland in the region opener.

Mainland, 7-2, has played an impressive schedule of opponents with Cocoa, Spruce Creek and DeLand on the roster; losses to Spruce Creek and DeLand, as well as Coffee County (GA) and county rival Daytona Beach Seabreeze. Cocoa is a defending three-time Class 2A and 2S state champion with two state Class 4A runner up in the prior to season and Mainland opened 2025 with a 19-14 win over the Tigers.

Mainland's first loss was to 7A power Spruce Creek, 20-16, with Spruce Creek finishing at 8-2. Spruce Creek's losses were to undefeated (10-0) 7A DeLand (42-0) and 7A Seminole (16-10). Where the factor comes in with these three teams is DeLand, beating Mainland 28-20.

In one out-of-state game, Mainland defeated Georgia 5A power Coffee County: a 2023 state champion with a 15-0 slate and a 2024 state Final Four finisher. Coffee is also in the Georgia state playoffs.

For Middleburg, who reversed a trend of two seasons of opening with a slew of state contenders for their first five games, 2025's six game opening streak did not have the firepower of opponents such as Hawthorne, Bradford and Bishop Kenny, but did give the Broncos enough momentum, coupled with the win over Beachside to secure their spot in the regions despite the losses to Fleming Island and top seed Ponte Vedra.

One question will be the health of starting quarterback Mason Bacus who has led the Broncos offense but got dinged up a few games ago and Wolfe had Dalton Motes in for the upset win over Beachside.

"We have to cover well and get some pressure on the quarterback," Wolfe said. "Mason played against North Marion and is our likely starter at quarterback."

Looking at the statistics matchup, Mainland has a passing game, led by senior quarterback Sebastian Johnson, ranked fifth in Class 5A with 2,054 yards in the air with 18 touchdowns with a 228 yards per game average and just five interceptions. Johnson also finished regular season play with an impressive 113.9 QB Rate. DeLand was the only defense to keep Johnson under 200 yards passing with a 126-yard effort on 10 of 18 passes and no scores. DeLand showed a heavy run game with an 8.1 yards per carry average and 153 yards and three scores from running back Taihj Moore. Two of Johnson's best games were a 279- and 270-yard effort against Cocoa and Coffee.

With the cannon arm of Johnson releasing missiles downfield, the Buccaneers have a wealth of pass receivers led by junior Chris Butler with 34 catches with seven scores—one an 80-yard bomb. Johnson has two more quality targets in sophomore Kadin Flores with 27 catches and seven scores and senior Christian Cooper with 21 snags with two scores. Butler and Flores both average over 21 yards per catch.

On the ground, Mainland is solid, but more reliant on the pass game with top rusher junior Braylan Simmons finishing with 757 yards on 128 carries with six touchdowns and just an 84.1 yards per game average.

On defense, Mainland has double sack masters win junior Tamaj Woodard with an astounding 22 sacks and junior Tommy Bostick, Jr., with 12 sacks. Lead tackler is senior Dennis King III with 89 tackles with Woodard at 78 stops and Bostick at 31 tackles.

Against Cocoa, Mainland allowed just 2.7 yards per carry. The Mainland secondary has just seven interceptions with senior Jhavin Westbrook with two leading the defense.

For Middleburg, the strength of the offense centers around the running legs of running back Gino Addison; 1014 yards, 16 touchdowns and the elusiveness of wide receiver Jordan Williams; 27 catches for 605 yards and seven touchdowns.
After Williams, though, the Broncos' passing game has no one else in double figure catches; eight apiece to Deshun Green and CJ Williams with H-Back Sam Craven grabbing six out of the backfield.

Wolfe does have a handful of receivers with catches near 20 yards per catch including Jordan Avellino (30 yards per catch), Green at 19 yards per catch and CJ Williams at 18.8 yards per catch.

Addison is ranked sixth best rusher in Class 5A with his tough second level breaks past the line of scrimmage with his best game a 285-yard effort in the Beachside win with four touchdowns.

Middleburg has been utilizing a multi-personnel backfield after Addison with senior Travis Pinkard adding 459 yards and eight scores and sophomore Brayden Ventura running strong with 369 yards and six scores.

Middleburg's bread and butter is going to be a tough defense and holding on to the ball for extending drives on offense behind Addison.

Whether initial starting quarterback Mason Bacus returns from a chest injury (1,088 yards passing, 11 touchdowns) is a question with backup Dalton Motes directing the attack against Beachside, but Wolfe putting Addison and the run game as the primary weapon for 451 yards on the ground total.