Ten Brevard Teams Qualify for FHSAA Playoffs; Cocoa & Eau Gallie Clinch No. 1 Seeds, Astronaut Denied Spot Despite Victory Over The Villages.

Brevard County will have strong representation in the 2024 FHSAA playoffs, though not as robust as some had hoped. Ten teams earned their playoff spots on Friday night, but one omission has left fans and analysts alike baffled and disappointed. Astronaut High, despite its victory over The Villages, was excluded, sparking frustration and confusion within the community.

The big controversy centers around the exclusion of the 6-4 Astronaut War Eagles. Although Astronaut defeated The Villages 21-20 on Thursday, the FHSAA awarded The Villages the No. 7 seed, leaving Astronaut at No. 8. But due to a rule guaranteeing district champions a playoff berth regardless of their ranking, Astronaut was bumped from the playoffs to make room for a lower-ranked district champion in Class 2A, Region 2.

The Villages, with a 5-4 record overall and a winless district record, claimed the playoff spot over Astronaut, which finished 1-1 in district play. In the last FHSAA rankings from October 29, Astronaut was No. 7 while The Villages was No. 8. However, Astronaut’s loss to Titusville and The Villages’ victory over 8-1 Davenport likely contributed to The Villages’ playoff berth.

With no updated rankings released before Thursday’s game, many—including The Villages—believed the match was a final decider for the playoff spot, ultimately won by Astronaut, 21-20.

I dont claim to be a mathematician but THE MATH AINT MATHING!! How does Astronaut have a better record, beat the Villages head to head, have a better district record, and still get left out of the playoffs, when Villages is 3rd in the District? Its now time for transparency from the FHSAA because Houston we have a problem.

Class 1A Region 2

#3 MCC (8-2) vs #6 OCP (4-5)

#8 Holy Trinity (5-4) @ #1 Clearwater Central Catholic (8-2)

Class 2A Region 2

#1 Cocoa (6-3) vs #8 Lake Placid (5-5)

Class 3A Region 2

#1 Eau Gallie (9-1) vs #8 Crystal River (6-3)

#4 Titusville (6-4) vs #5 Merritt Island(7-3)

Class 4A- Region 2

#5 Rockledge (6-3) @ #4 Zephyrhills (8-2)

Class 5A Region 4

#5 Heritage (5-5) @ #4 Miramar (6-3)

Class 6A Region 2

#1 Armwood (10-0) vs #8 Melbourne (5-5)

#2 Osceola(8-2) vs #7 Viera (4-6)