On schedule Friday in the second round of the Florida high school football playoffs are huge matchups featuring local teams… Oak Ridge at Dr. Phillips; Winter Park at Seminole; DeLand at Orange Park.

The high school football regular season is officially in the books and the chase is on for teams wishing to become one of the last still standing in the state finals. Overall winners will be crowned in Orlando.

The Lake Mary boys golf team overcame difficult weather conditions at Deer Run last Wednesday to win the Seminole Athletic Conference Tournament. Lake Brantley finished second, followed by Winter Springs and Hagerty.

Later this week the College World Series begins, on Saturday, June 19. And while area teams such as UCF and Stetson will not be taking part, it doesn’t mean Central Florida players have been left out. Florida and Florida State have a combined eight locals on baseball rosters.

For the young ballplayers who recently accepted their high school diplomas, the decision is now whether to start collegiate playing careers or join minor league baseball teams. For current underclassmen hailing from nearby, the decision is a similar one to make.

Lake Brantley’s girls lacrosse team is right back where they left off last season. Well, sort of. The Patriots earned a third-straight trip to the state semifinals (this weekend at West Orange) with an 18-10 win in a play-in game at Lake Highland Prep on Friday.

The Oviedo and Winter Springs girls soccer teams were decisive in their Class 6A, District 3 semifinal wins on Wednesday. On Friday night they’ll meet up with the district title, and home field advantage in the region semifinals next week, on the line.

You would have had to seen it to believe it. The first round matchup between Winter Park and Lake Brantley played out like a movie, one that drags along early then climaxes to the point that the seat your sitting in just isn’t big enough to stay put in.

This week’s primetime matchup on Thursday night featured two former area high school football standouts on the same team. In this clash of Southeastern Conference foes, Lake Brantley alum Patrick DiMarco (Class of 2007) and Timber Creek alum Lem Jeanpierre (Class of 2005) helped host South Carolina upset No. 4 Ole Miss, 16-10.