The first round of the FHSAA boys basketball playoffs kicked off on Feb. 14 and five Pensacola area teams were in action.
Read below to see who's moving on and which team's seasons came to an end.
Region 1-6A quarterfinals
No. 4 Milton 44, No. 5 Buchholz 41
The Panthers (24-4) lead 18-14 at halftime before the Bobcats (20-7) led 30-26 at the end of the third quarter and pulled out a narrow win to end Milton's season.
Buchholz (20-7) will host No. 8 Forest in the Region 1-6A quarterfinals on Feb. 21. Forest upset No. 1 seed Mainland 57-55.
Region 1-5A quarterfinals
No. 4 Booker T. Washington 81, No. 5 Leon 74
The Wildcats (21-5) held off the Lions (20-8) for their first state playoff win since 2011.
Booker T. Washington will play at No. 1 Fleming Island in the Region 1-5A semifinals on Feb. 21.
Region 1-4A quarterfinals
No. 4 Pensacola 72, No. 5 Baker County 55
Tigers head coach DJ Williams thoughts immediately went to his seniors.
Williams already knows what how playoff wins feel like, having helped PHS advance to the Final Four in 2004 with his father serving as head coach.
No one on Pensacola's roster knew that feeling. Before tonight the Tigers last state playoff win came in 2021. Before tonight, Pensacola seniors hadn't experienced a winning feeling, much less postseason success.
All that's changed now, as the Tigers led from early in the second quarter on before pulling away from Baker County late.
Pensacola (18-9) will play at No. 1 Bishop Kenny in the Region 1-4A semifinals on Feb. 21.
"I'm thankful and happy for the seniors that they got the ability to get a playoff win in their home," Williams said.
The Tigers showed flashes during the first three quarters before pulling away late. They're a team with athletes that can come in waves, able to force turnovers and score quickly. They can also execute in the halfcourt, with guards like Jabari Epps and Jamarcuz Fountain beating defenders off the dribble or moving the ball to find a litany of options.
But most importantly, they never stop working, which is a reflection of how Williams coaches. It might not always be pretty, but Pensacola will always compete until the final whistle.
"What I was taught as a player is the team takes on the personality of the coach," Williams said. "And I remembered that. Every time it comes to practice, I have practiced real intense in order to be able to translate to the game tonight. And when we need those intense moments, we've been there. Practice has been harder than the game."
It was a game of runs until the Tigers made the decisive one in the fourth quarter. Baker County (23-4) led 18-16 at the end of the first quarter after hitting four three-pointers and jumping pass lanes to force turnover after turnover.
Pensacola separated for the first time in the second quarter, going on a 12-0 run to take a 26-18 lead. Baker County hung in to cut the lead to 30-25 at halftime.
Then the Tigers started the third quarter on a 10-0 run, looking ready to break the game open for good. But the Wildcats cut the lead to 44-43 before three-pointers by Fountain and Rupert Sproles put PHS ahead 50-45 heading into the final frame.
Close games are nothing new for the Tigers. Six of their first eights wins were by five points or less.
"Our coach has always said short steps, long vision," Sproles said. "And that's kind of been something where we try to take something from each game and use it for times like this."
Pensacola stopped turning the ball over in the fourth quarter, using its speed and quickness advantage to put the game away. The Tigers went on a 14-0 run to take a 66-49 lead and led by as many as 20 points in the final frame.
Pensacola's Noah Jones recorded a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds and added four blocks. Sproles contributed 15 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Epps finished with 12 points. Fountain and Eccles also scored in double-figures with 10 points each.
Baker County's Joel Carver scored a team-high 17 points. Brady Jacobs added 10.
Region 1-3A quarterfinals
No. 3 Episcopal 72, No. 6 Pensacola Catholic 49
Pensacola Catholic (20-9) went one-and-done in its first state playoff appearance since 2019. Episcopal (22-7) will play at No. 2 Newberry in the Region 1-3A semifinals on Feb. 21.
Region 1-1A quarterfinals
No. 2 North Florida Education 68, No. 7 LEAD Academy 49
L.E.A.D Academy (15-9) was competing in its first ever FHSAA state playoffs.
North Florida Education (15-12) will host No. 6 FAMU DRS in the Region 1-1A semifinals on Feb. 21.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola area boys basketball playoff results. Who advanced?