TOP 25: The Season Gets Started

While Plantation American Heritage officially got the 2022 season started this past week, it was pretty much a dress rehearsal for everyone else in the Sunshine State.

With Thursday kicking off the much-anticipated year, this off-season provided plenty of exposure for teams from Key West to Pensacola and everywhere in between.

While this past week had many fans and football analysts talking a good game – with some surprising outcomes – the reality of it all is that NOTHING counted. It was simply the last chance to get things right.

MIKE SMITH'S DEBUT

Make no mistake, the Plantation American Heritage Patriots are on a mission after falling short of a state title last season.

With veteran head coach Pat Surtain returning to his Miami Dolphin roots as a defensive secondary coach, Mike Smith, an assistant for many years, moved into the head spot without a problem.

Heading up to play Lowndes County in Valdosta, Georgia, the Patriots showed that they are ready to contend, and even though they were ranked No. 13 to start the year off, it's how you finish that counts.

If you follow any sport, you realize that the first ranking is just a temporary way of getting things started. Getting angry and writing to express your feelings is NOT the way to get your point across. WINNING IS!

Here is a look at 82 teams to keep an eye on:

1. Bradenton IMG Academy (Independent – (0-0). THIS WEEK: No. 3 Miami Central, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: At St. Louis De Smet Jesuit, Sept. 2).

2. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (1M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: St. John's Washington DC, Aug. 27. NEXT GAME: No. 15 Fort Lauderdale Dillard, Sept. 2).

3. Miami Central (2M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: At No. 1 IMG Academy, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: Miami Booker T. Washington, Sept. 9).

4. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (3M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: St. Joseph's Prep, Pennsylvania, Aug. 27. NEXT GAME: At Fort Myers, Sept. 2).

5. Tampa Jesuit (3M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: At Tampa Wharton, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: No. 18 Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast, Sept. 2

6. Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (2M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: Hyattsville DeMatha, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian, Sept. 2).

7.  Venice (4S – (0-0). THIS WEEK: No. 8 Miami Northwestern, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: Naples, Sept. 2).

8. Miami Northwestern (2M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: At No. 7 Venice. NEXT GAME: Miami Jackson, Sept. 2).

9. Sanford Seminole (4M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: Sarasota Riverview, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: At Kissimmee Osceola. Sept. 2).

10. Lakeland (4S – (0-0). THIS WEEK: At Clearwater, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: Largo, Sept. 2).

11. Cocoa (2S – (0-0). THIS WEEK: No. 16 Orlando Jones, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: At No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas, Sept. 9).

12. Tampa Bay Tech (3M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: At Tampa Plant. NEXT GAME: Lutz Steinbrenner, Sept. 2).

13. Plantation American Heritage (2M – 1-0: THIS WEEK: Los Alamitos, California (1-0), Aug. 27. NEXT GAME: Lakeland Lake Gibson, Sept. 2). LAST WEEK: Coach Mike Smith's debut was successful at Valdosta Lowndes County – beating the Vikings, 30-18. Los Alamitos started the season with a convincing 41-0 win against Garces Memorial in California.

14. Jacksonville Trinity Christian (1M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: At Jacksonville Ed White, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: Jacksonville Raines, Sept. 2).

15. Fort Lauderdale Dillard (3M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: Rock Christian, Maryland, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: At No. 2 Chaminade-Madonna, Sept. 2).

16. Orlando Jones (3M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: At No. 11 Cocoa, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: At Duncanville, Texas, Sept. 3).

17. Orlando Edgewater (3M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: At Orlando Bishop Moore, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: At Ramsey Don Bosco Prep, New Jersey, Sept. 2).

18. Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast (4S – (0-0). THIS WEEK: At Kissimmee Osceola, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: At No. 5 Tampa Jesuit, Sept. 2).

19. Davie Western (4M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: Johns Creek, Georgia, Aug. 25. NEXT GAME: At Coconut Creek, Sept. 9).

20. Apopka (4M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: Ocoee, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: At Winter Garden West Orange, Sept. 2).

21. Palm Beach Central (4M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: Palm Beach Lakes, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: At St. Petersburg Lakewood, Sept. 2).

22. Gainesville Buchholz (4S – (0-0). THIS WEEK: Lake City Columbia, Aug. 25. NEXT GAME: Sarasota Riverview, Sept. 2).

23. Miami Palmetto (4M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: Homestead, Aug. 25. NEXT GAME: At Clearwater Academy International, Sept. 2).

24. Miami Christopher Columbus (4M – (0-0). THIS WEEK: Benedictine, Georgia, Aug. 26. NEXT GAME: Miami Killian, Sept. 1).

25. Pensacola Pine Forest (3S – (0-0). THIS WEEK: Cantonment Tate, Aug. 25. NEXT GAME: At Navarre, Sept. 2).

OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH: Auburndale (3S), Blountstown (1R), Boca Raton (4M), Bushnell South Sumter (2S), Chiefland (1R), Clearwater (2M), Clearwater Central Catholic (1M), Coconut Creek (3M), Daytona Beach Mainland (3S), DeLand (4S), Fort Myers Dunbar (3S), Fort Pierce John Carroll (1S), Fort Walton Beach Choctawhatchee (3S), Glen St. Mary Baker County (2S), Hawthorne (1R), Homestead (3M), Jacksonville Bolles (2M), Jacksonville Raines (2M), Jacksonville Riverside (2M), Kissimmee Osceola (4S), Lakeland Christian (1S), Lake Wales (3S), Lehigh Acres (4S), Lynn Haven Mosley (4S), Madison County (1R), Merritt Island (3S), Miami Gulliver Prep (2M), Miami Norland (2M), Naples (3S), North Fort Myers (3S), New Port Richey Mitchell (4S), Niceville (4S), Ocala Trinity Catholic (1S), Ocala Vanguard (3S), Oviedo (3M), Pace (4S), Pahokee (1R), Plantation (3M), Port St. Joe (1R), Port St. Lucie (3S), Quincy Munroe Day (1S), Rockledge (3S), Sebring (3S), Seffner Armwood (3M), St. John's Bartram Trail (4S), St. Petersburg Lakewood (2M), St. Petersburg Northeast (3M), Tallahassee Florida High (2S), Tallahassee Lincoln (3S), Tallahassee North Florida Christian (1S), Tampa Berkeley Prep (2M), Tampa Gaither (3M), Tampa Plant (4M), Tampa Wharton (3M), The Villages (2S), Vero Beach (4S), Winter Garden West Orange (4M)