10 Games To Watch Opening Week
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We have reached that point where all the camps, combines and 7-on-7 events are behind us. The hard work and long hours are now in the past. Welcome to the opening week of high school football in Florida. A time…
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Continue ReadingWe have reached that point where all the camps, combines and 7-on-7 events are behind us. The hard work and long hours are now in the past.
Welcome to the opening week of high school football in Florida. A time when everyone starts even and all have the same dreams.
No matter what classes have changed, the objective remains the same. Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale remain the destinations to reach, and the optimism has never been higher.
For players, coaches, fans and parents, the hot summer travel to colleges and universities are gone. What you did during the off-season offers no guarantees of how things will play out in the 2022 season.
Our year-round coverage continues with a look at the Top 10 games to keep an eye on in Week 1.
These games have an opportunity to determine national and state ranking. Enjoy!
No. 3 Miami Central (0-0) at No. 1 Bradenton IMG Academy (0-0), Aug. 26, 7 p.m. In a week where there are so many attractive games, this is more intriguing than it is attractive. No school in Florida has been able to stand toe-to-toe with his giant of high school football, and while the Rockets and new head coach Jube Joseph have the talent, the Ascenders are loaded with elite prospects up and down the lineup.
St. John’s College Prep, Washington D.C. (0-0) at No. 2 Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (0-0), Aug. 27, 8 p.m., St. Thomas Aquinas (FLO Sports). This is perhaps the best matchup of the Inaugural Broward County Showcase – with the head coach Dameon Jones and his young Lions testing the waters against one of the country’s best teams. St. John’s is coming off a perfect season in 2021 and returns plenty of firepower. The nightcap of a triple header promises to be entertaining.
St. Joseph’s Prep, Philadelphia (0-0) at No. 4. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (0-0), Aug. 27, 12 Noon (ESPN). These season-openers are becoming old hat for head coach Roger Harriott and his three-time defending state champion Raiders. Last year, it was national power St. Francis of Maryland, and this time around, another elite program that won 10 times a year ago and have major prospects on both sides of the ball. This is indeed worthy of national attention.
No. 5. Tampa Jesuit (0-0) at Tampa Wharton (0-0), Aug. 26, 7 p.m. The defending state champions open the season much the way they ended it – loaded with impressive prospects and superior coaching under Matt Thompson, who guided the Tigers to an unbeaten season. For head coach Mike Williams and his football team, a productive 2021 season on top of a great spring and summer have added up. This is one of those battles to keep an eye on.
DeMatha Catholic, Hyattsville, Maryland (0-0) at No. 6. Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (0-0), Aug. 26, 7 p.m. Two Catholic schools on a Friday night is a perfect recipe as the two-time defending champion Chiefs and head coach Matt Dubuc look to start things out on a positive note against a really good program, who is always battled tested. Coach Bill McGregor and the Staggs come in loaded with elite talent. This is another Broward County Showcase contest that will get plenty of attention.
No. 8 Miami Northwestern (0-0) at No. 7 Venice (0-0), Aug. 26, 7 p.m. Last year, the Indians and head coach John Peacock embarrassed the Bulls with a barrage of points and an aggressive defense. Are things the same or have they changed since this team won an 8A state title last December? Head Coach Max Edwards and the Bulls have plenty of talent and will definitely stay in the game this time at a very tough place to play.
No. 16 Orlando Jones (0-0) at No. 11 Cocoa (0-0), Aug. 26, 7 p.m. Two weeks ago before head coach Elijah Williams and the Tigers played against Miami Northwestern, many felt that this would be a for sure showcase game, but for those in the know fully understand that head coach Ryan Schneider and his Tigers are perhaps one of the strongest teams in the state – with big time playmakers on both sides of the ball. This is for sure a statement game.
Los Alamitos, California (1-0) at No. 13. Plantation American Heritage (1-0), Aug. 27, 4 p.m. St. Thomas Aquinas (ESPN2). Both programs started the season off with big wins last week – and both teams are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. Head Coach Mike Smith made his debut with a win in Georgia – while veteran head coach Ray Fenton and the Griffins are ready and waiting for the challenge. Will the travel hamper Los Alamitos – or do they have a formula to showcase elite prospects? Stay tuned for this cross-country thriller.
18. Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast (0-0) at Kissimmee Osceola (0-0), Aug. 26, 7 p.m. Another game that pits two very impressive programs. Both loaded with talent and each well coached. For head coach Irvin Jones and his Titans, beating top-flight opponents on the road has become a trademark, but the Kowboys have plenty of weapons under Eric Pinellas and tremendous program.
Miami Gulliver Prep at Rockledge, 7. Two unranked programs, both elite a year ago, are out to prove they belong in the top 25 – as the Raiders and head coach Earl Sims will unleash a powerful offense and a stingy defense. For the Raiders of Rockledge, veteran head coach Wayne Younger showcased some quality talent during a very impressive off-season, where his 7-on-7 team and lineman were in the spotlight a number of times. The winner will enter to the top 25 next week!
THURSDAY SCOREBOARD
American Heritage (Delray) 49, Tradition 8
Avant Garde (Hollywood ) 68, Somerset Academy Key 3
Boca Ciega (Gulfport) 27, Seminole 0
Booker T. Washington 48, Killian 12
Braddock (Miami) 43, Mourning 0
Cardinal Newman (West Palm Beach) 40, Pahokee 12
Coral Gables 14, American (Hialeah) 13
Deltona 69, Winter Springs 0
Hialeah Miami-Lakes 20, Doral Reagan 14
Everglades (Miramar) 44, Taravella 0
Faith Christian (Orlando) 15, Cornerstone Charter 10
Flanagan (Pembroke Pines) 20, Nova 0
Gainesville Buchholz 31, Lake City Columbia 14
Homestead 19 Miami Palmetto 7
John Carroll (Fort Pierce) 24, Benjamin 21
Lakewood (St. Petersburg) 21, Northeast 0
Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton) 7, Lemon Bay 0
Life Christian, Virginia 21, Stranahan 6
Matanzas (Palm Coast) 42, Deltona Pine Ridge 0
Olympic Heights (Boca Raton) 14, Suncoast 12
Pace 31, Choctawhatchee 30
Palm Beach Christian Prep 30, LaBelle 13
Pine Forest (Pensacola) 34, Tate 0
Santaluces (Lantana) 32, Inlet Grove 20
Sebastian River 14, Golden, Colorado 6
Sebring 15, IMG White 5
South Miami 20, Miami Coral Reef 8
South Plantation 27, Coral Glades 18
Spruce Creek (Port Orange) 21, Daytona Beach Seabreeze 14
St. John Paul II Catholic (Tallahassee), 35, Rickards 33
University School (Fort Lauderdale) 13, Coral Springs Charter 9
West Boca Raton 34, John I. Leonard 0
Western (Davie) 33, Johns Creek, Georgia 14
UPDATED CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS. https://prepredzone.com/florida/rankings/2023-rankings/
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS. https://prepredzone.com/2022/08/updated-2024-florida-rankings/
Tracking Florida’s Football Teams For 2022 – https://prepredzone.com/2022/04/tracking-florida-football-teams/
You Can Contact Larry Blustein with prospect or team information at: Floridakids1@aol.com.
TOP 25: The Season Gets Started. https://prepredzone.com/2022/08/top-25-the-season-gets-started/