Buddy Collings knows all, at least when it comes to the high school football playoffs

Confidence counts plenty as high school football teams tee it up for the state playoffs Friday night. And nobody has more championship conviction than Daytona Beach Mainland (10-0), the only area team that did not taste defeat in the regular season.

The Buccaneers rely heavily on underclassmen, with the largest junior class (23) in Coach John Maronto’s 13-year tenure and a sterling sophomore group that includes leading rusher Marlin Lane and Division I safety prospect Cortez Davis. Youth didn’t show as the Bucs battered every opponent by two touchdowns or more in the regular season.

"Everybody’s got their heads held high. We want to carry it through to the state championship," said quarterback Greg Ross, one of Mainland’s key seniors.

Mainland’s defensive pursuit and offensive depth rival that of its 2003 state-title team.

"They’re so fast on the defensive front," said Seabreeze’s Marc Beach, coach of a 4A playoff team that was overpowered 34-7 by the Bucs last week. "And Ross is as good as any quarterback."

Other area teams on a roll, listed with their win streak, are East Ridge (nine games in a row), St. Cloud (nine), Dr. Phillips (eight), Timber Creek (seven), Wildwood (seven), The First Academy (seven), South Daytona Warner Christian (seven), Deltona Pine Ridge (six) and Seminole, which has won six in a row by an average score of 42-5.

"You never know from week to week, but our kids are fired up about being in the playoffs, I know that," said Mike Cullison, Seminole’s coach. "We had a great practice Monday."

The playoff gauntlet runs five weeks for teams in the upper four classifications (3A through 6A), four weeks for the four smaller classes (1B through 2A).

 Just the facts

Admission for regional and state semifinal games is $7.

Championship games at the Citrus Bowl: Friday, Dec. 12 — Class 1B, 1 p.m.; Class 1A, 7 p.m.. Saturday, Dec. 13 — Class 2B, 1 p.m.; Class 2A, 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 — Class 3A, 1 p.m.; Class 5A, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 20 — Class 4A, 1 p.m.; Class 6A, 7 p.m.

Finals tickets ($10) go on sale Friday at Ticketmaster and the Amway Arena box office.

PLAYOFF PROJECTIONS

Citrus Bowl-bound?

A good region run?

Bushnell South Sumter (9-1) in 2A: The Raiders have won first-round games by 35, 40 and 63 points the past three years, so bank on that. It gets much more difficult after that with second-ranked Jacksonville Bolles (10-0) and No. 1 Madison County (9-0) looming. South Sumter’s schedule has it prepared to play anybody.

The First Academy (9-1) in 1A: Winning a three-team tiebreaker for the District 4 title was huge. It means ’07 state runner-up Tallahassee North Florida Christian (6-2), which knocked out TFA 40-20 in the second round a year ago, would have to come to Orlando this time for a second-round rematch.

One and done?

Making the playoffs is a wonderful thing, but ...

Jones (7-3): Breakthrough year is a big building block for Tigers, but an opening-round ticket to play at Bolles (10-0) is the kiss of death. The Bulldogs are 17-0 in first-round games since 1990.

Déjà vu

Friday’s first round is full of matchups that spawn memories:

Class 6A

Lake Brantley (7-3) at Spruce Creek (8-2)*: Counting two Kickoff Classics, this is the fourth time these teams have seen each other in two seasons. Creek won 23-22 at Brantley in round one a year ago.

DeLand (5-5) at Seminole (8-2): The ‘Noles won 21-6 at DeLand in week two of the regular season. The rivalry dates to 1921.

Class 5A

Gainesville Buchholz (5-4) at Mainland (10-0): The Bucs spanked the Bobcats 31-0 in the first round a year ago at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium.

Class 3A

New Port Richey Gulf (9-1) at St. Cloud (9-1): Gulf lost at Bishop Moore 24-7 two years ago in its only previous playoff appearance. This Buccaneers team looks a lot better equipped with junior RB Adrian Golden (184 carries, 2,197 yards, 31 TDs).

Bishop Moore (7-3) at Dade City Pasco (9-1): The Hornets haven’t played the Pirates, but they have split two playoff games against Pasco County teams in the past three seasons. The loss was on the road at Hudson in ’06.

Class 1A

Jacksonville University Christian (8-2) at First Academy (9-1): Same matchup, same site as a year ago. TFA won 28-21 in ’07.

Class 1B

Merritt Island Christian (5-5) at Warner Christian (9-1): Warner waxed the Cougars 48-7 a month ago on the road.

Deltona Trinity (6-4) at Orangewood Christian (7-3)*: Orangewood went 2-1 against Trinity in a recent regular-season series (2004-06).

Prime real estate

Playoff brackets flip annually to alternate home-field advantages, but each season, one district title team in each half of the draw in every classification has the best odds of hosting every region game. These area teams are guaranteed to be at home for at least the first two rounds (assuming they win Friday):

First Academy: Royals could play for the 1A title without leaving Orlando. One of two area teams that are guaranteed home field through the semifinals, if they get there.