Eustis, Fla. — The path to the postseason for The Villages High School football team begins tonight.

The Buffalo (1-3) will open Class 2S-District 10 play at 7 p.m. this evening on the road at Eustis (3-2), where they'll kick off the first of three district contests to be played over the next five weeks.

District champions, such as Eustis last fall in the postseason format's debut, receive an automatic bid into the state's playoff field.

VHS is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 55-14 loss last Friday night at Leesburg, while the Panthers have alternated wins and losses each week of the season — most recently enjoying a 63-45 win against Foundation Academy.


THE MATCHUP
The Villages Buffalo
Record: 1-3 overall, 0-0 district
Class 2S Rank (MaxPreps): 41
Head Coach: Richard Pettus, 21st year
Eustis Panthers
Record: 3-2 overall, 0-0 district
Class 3S Rank (MaxPreps): 26
Head Coach: Frank Scott, 4th year

THE SCENE
Date: Friday, Sept. 29
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Panther Den, Eustis High School, 1300 E Washington Avenue, Eustis (Fla.)
Surface: Grass
Series: The Villages leads 2-1
Last Meeting: Eustis 29, The Villages 22 (Nov. 1, 2022)
Live Updates: @VHSFootballFBT (Twitter/X)
Website: athletics.tvcs.org
Tickets: $7 (at the gate or online at GoFan.co)
Parking: $5 (cash only)

THE STANDINGS
Class 2S-District 10
1. Mount Dora: 0-0 district, 3-1 overall
2. Eustis: 0-0 district, 3-2 overall
3. The Villages: 0-0 district, 1-3 overall
4. Umatilla: 0-0 district, 0-4 overall

FOUR DOWNS
1. Get Up and Go: VHS started slow in all three of its losses this season, falling behind 21-0 to South Sumter, 14-0 to Zephyrhills and 28-0 to Leesburg. In their only win this season, the Buffalo led Citrus 14-0 at halftime.
2. Here Comes Harding: Buffalo junior defensive end Jonathan Harding has flustered opposing quarterbacks all season long. His five sacks and 12 quarterback hurries both lead VHS.
3. Roaring For A Repeat: The Panthers begin their Class 2S-District 10 title defense tonight against VHS, after going a perfect 3-0 in district play last season. Eustis outscored its district opponents 108-47 in three games last fall.
4. Poised Panther: Eustis is led by an experienced quarterback in Troy Saladin. The senior has completed nearly 50% of his passes this season for 203.6 yards per game, while tossing 12 touchdowns to just six interceptions.

FROM THE HEADSET
"These are the games that get you to the postseason. We've got to be ready to go. You don't want to start 0-1 and hope you can find a tiebreaker later on down the road." — VHS head coach Richard Pettus


Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment at cody.hills@tvcs.org or by calling (352) 259-6890.