Heading Toward The Halfway Point
In this article:
As this season is moving along quickly, we look at this week’s Top 25 teams in the state and see 17 programs that are still unbeaten.
With several key games coming up over the next three weeks, those numbers could change.
While only a few teams changed places this past week, keep an eye on some upcoming games that feature some of the best in the Sunshine State.
Here is a look at this week’s Top 25:
1. Miami Central (2M – 3-0). THIS WEEK: A home game against No. 17 Fort Lauderdale Dillard on Sept. 24. NEXT GAME: An away game on Sept. 30 against North Miami Beach. LAST WEEK: The Rockets only needed one half to beat Miami Carol City, 34-0.
2. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (1M – 4-0). THIS WEEK: Thursday, Sept. 22 at Miami Gulliver Prep at 3:30. NEXT GAME: A home game on Sept. 30 against Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast. LAST WEEK: The Lions stayed unbeaten with a thrilling home win against No. 9 Plantation American Heritage, 42-34.
3. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (3M – 4-0). THIS WEEK: The team returns home for a Friday, Sept. 23 game against Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast. NEXT GAME: A home game against Miramar on Sept. 30. LAST WEEK: The Raiders went on the road and took care of No. 23 Davie Western, 30-0.
4. Bradenton IMG Academy (Independent – 2-1). THIS WEEK: A Sept. 23 road contest at Phenix City Central, Alabama. NEXT GAME: A home game against No. 25 Orlando Jones on Sept. 30. LAST WEEK: The Ascenders had the week off.
5. Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (2M – 4-0). THIS WEEK: A trip to Key West on Friday to play the Conchs on Sept. 23. NEXT GAME: It’s a huge home game on Sept. 30 against No. 9 Plantation American Heritage. LAST WEEK: The Chiefs got it going on both sides of the ball in a 34-6 win against St. Petersburg Northeast.
6. Sanford Seminole (4M – 4-0). THIS WEEK: It’s back on the road as this team will be tested at No. 24 Venice on Friday, Sept. 23. NEXT GAME: Another away contest against Apopka on Friday, Sept. 30. LAST WEEK: The Seminoles rolled to a 51-0 win against Orlando Evans.
7. Lakeland (4S – (3-0). THIS WEEK: Will spend the week off. Another big contest at home against state-rated Kissimmee Osceola. NEXT GAME: A Sept. 30 home game against longtime rival Lakeland Lake Gibson. LAST WEEK: The Dreadnaughts hung on to win a home game against Kissimmee Osceola, 25-22.
8. Miami Christopher Columbus (4M – 4-0). THIS WEEK: Another road game on Thursday, Sept. 22 at No. 19 Miami Northwestern. NEXT GAME: An away game on Friday, Sept. 30 against Miami High. LAST WEEK: The Explorers continued to turn heads as they beat Miami Palmetto, 23-10.
9. Plantation American Heritage (2M – 4-1). THIS WEEK: They will take this week off after five straight games. NEXT GAME: A huge road game at No. 5 Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons on Oct. 7. LAST WEEK: The Patriots lost for the first time this season in a thrilling game against No. 2 Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, 42-34.
10. Tampa Jesuit (3M – 2-1). THIS WEEK: A Friday, Oct. 23 road game at Seffner Armwood. NEXT GAME: A Sept. 23 meeting at Seffner Armwood. LAST WEEK: They return home on Oct. 30 against Tampa Leto.
11. Tampa Bay Tech (3M – 4-0). THIS WEEK: Another challenge at home on Sept. 23 against Tampa Gaither. NEXT GAME: A home game on Friday, Sept. 30 against Tampa Freedom. LAST WEEK: The Titans cruised to a 38-0 win against Valrico Bloomingdale.
12. Jacksonville Trinity Christian (1M – 4-0). THIS WEEK: A home game on Sept. 23 against Lake City Columbia. NEXT GAME: A Sept. 30th away game at Jacksonville Christ Church Academy on Sept. 20. LAST WEEK: The defending state champion Conquerors made it four straight with a 27-14 win against Jacksonville Bolles.
13. Orlando Edgewater (3M – 4-0). THIS WEEK: A home game against defending state runner up Apopka on Sept. 23. NEXT GAME: A Sept. 30th road game against Apopka Wekiva. LAST WEEK: The Eagles remained unbeaten with a thrilling 14-13 win against No. 25 Orlando Jones.
14. Gainesville Buchholz (4S – 3-0). THIS WEEK: They stay on the road with a trip to play a tough Ocala Vanguard on Sept. 23. NEXT GAME: Will take the week off. LAST WEEK: The Bobcats remained unbeaten with a big road win at St. John’s Creekside, 48-41.
15. Pensacola Pine Forest (3S – 4-0). THIS WEEK: A home game against Pensacola West Florida on Sept. 23. Friday (Sept. 16) home game against Fort Walton Beach Choctawhatchee. NEXT GAME: It’s back on the road for a game on Sept. 30 at Fort Walton Beach. LAST WEEK: The Eagles stayed unbeaten with a home win against Fort Walton Beach Choctawhatchee, 28-7.
16. Rockledge (3S, 4-0). THIS WEEK: A huge home game on Sept. 23 against a feisty and talented Kissimmee Osceola team. NEXT GAME: After an outstanding start, the Raiders will take the week off. LAST WEEK: In outscoring the first four opponents 165-7, this is a team that had no problem in beating Bayside in their first road game, 41-0.
17. Fort Lauderdale Dillard (3M – 2-1). THIS WEEK: It’s No. 1 Miami Central on Saturday, Sept. 24. NEXT GAME: A home game on Sept. 30 against Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson. LAST WEEK: The Panthers had the week off.
18. St. John’s Bartram Trail (4S – 4-0). THIS WEEK: A home game against St. Augustine on Friday, Sept. 23. NEXT GAME: A home game against Fleming Island on Sept. 30. LAST WEEK: The Bears leaped into the Top 25 with a big win against Tallahassee Lincoln, 24-7.
19. Miami Northwestern (2M – 3-1). THIS WEEK: A key Thursday night (Sept. 22) home game against No. 8 Miami Christopher Columbus. NEXT GAME: The team will take the week off before the showdown with No. 1 Miami Central. LAST WEEK: The Bulls rebounded from the loss to Chaminade-Madonna with a 42-22 win against Miami Edison.
20. Niceville (4S, 4-0). THIS WEEK: A road game on Sept. 23 against Fort Walton Beach Choctawhatchee. NEXT GAME: It’s on the road on Sept. 30 at Crestview. LAST WEEK: The Eagles had a tough home game against Tallahassee Chiles, winning 28-25.
21. Homestead (3M, 4-0). THIS WEEK: The Broncos will take the week off. NEXT GAME: A home game against South Miami on Sept. 30. WEEK: The Broncos only needed one half to get by Southwest Miami, 44-0.
22. Winter Park (4M, 4-0). THIS WEEK: A home game on Friday, Sept. 23 against Orlando Evans. NEXT GAME: A home game on Sept. 30 against Oviedo Hagerty. LAST WEEK: The Wildcats remained unbeaten with a convincing road game at Orlando University, 35-0.
23. Davie Western (4M – 2-1). THIS WEEK: The team will return home to play Coral Springs Taravella on Sept. 23. NEXT GAME: It’s back on the road on Sept. 30 at Sunrise Piper. LAST WEEK: The Wildcats dropped their first game of the season at home against No. 3 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, 38-0.
24. Venice (4S – 1-2). THIS WEEK: The rugged schedule continues with a big home contest with No. 6 Sanford Seminole on Sept. 23. NEXT GAME: A road game at Sarasota Riverview, Sept. 30. LAST WEEK: The Indians dropped a home game to national power St. Frances, Maryland, 34-17.
25. Orlando Jones (3M – (1-2). THIS WEEK: Another challenging home game on Sept. 23 against Winter Garden West Orange. NEXT GAME: Back on the road at No. 4 IMG Academy in Bradenton on Sept. 30. LAST WEEK: The Tigers lost a heartbreaker at home against No. 13 Orlando Edgewater, 14-13.
OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH: Apopka (4M, 2-1), Auburndale (3S, 2-0), Baker County (2S, 2-1), Bartow (4S, 3-1), Blountstown (1R, 3-1), Bradenton Braden River (3S, 3-0), Bradenton Manatee (4S, 3-1), Bradford County (1S, 3-0), Bushnell South Sumter (2S, 4-0), Chiefland (1R, 4-0), Citra North Marion (2S, 4-0), Clearwater Central Catholic (1M, 3-1), Cocoa (2S – 2-2), Coconut Creek (3M, 2-2), Dade City Pasco (4-0), Daytona Beach Mainland (3S, 2-1), Dover Strawberry Crest (4M, 4-0), Eau Gallie (3S, 4-0), Flagler Palm Coast (4S, 3-1), Fort Myers Bishop Verot (2S, 3-1), Fort Myers Dunbar (3S, 3-0), Fort Pierce John Carroll (1S, 3-0), Hawthorne (1R, 3-0), Jacksonville Bolles (2M, 2-1), Jacksonville Mandarin (4M, 3-1), Jacksonville Raines (2M, 2-1), Jacksonville Riverside (2M, 2-2), Jacksonville University Christian (1M, 4-0), Jensen Beach (3S, 4-0), Lakeland Christian (1S, 3-0), Lake Mary (4M, 3-1), Lake Minneola (4S, 4-0), Lake Wales (3S, 4-0), Land O’Lakes (4-0), Lynn Haven Mosley (4S, 3-1), Madison County (1R, 2-2), Melbourne (4S, 3-1), Miami Norland (2M, 3-0), Miramar (2-1), Naples (3S, 3-1), New Port Richey Cypress Creek (3-0), North Fort Myers (3S, 3-1), New Port Richey Mitchell (4S, 3-1), Ocala Vanguard (3S, 3-1), Orange Park Fleming Island (4S, 3-1), Orlando Olympia (4M, 2-2), Oviedo (3M, 3-1), Pace (4S, 3-1), Palatka (2S, 3-0), Pensacola Catholic (2S, 3-0), Plantation (3M, 3-1), Port St. Joe (1R, 2-1), Port St. Lucie (3S, 2-1), Quincy Munroe Day (1S, 2-1), Riverview Sumner (4M, 4-0), Sebring (3S, 3-1), Seffner Armwood (3M, 2-1), Spring Hill Springstead (4S, 4-0), St. John’s Creekside (3-1), St. Petersburg Lakewood (2M, 2-2), Stuart Martin County (4S, 3-1), Tallahassee Florida High (2S, 4-0), Tallahassee Lincoln (3S, 3-1), Tallahassee North Florida Christian (1S, 4-0), Tampa Alonso (4-0, 4M), Tampa Berkeley Prep (2M, 2-1), Tampa Gaither (3M, 1-2), Tampa Wharton (3M, 2-1) Vero Beach (4S, 4-0), Wellington Palm Beach Central (4M, 3-1), West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman (1M, 4-0), Wildwood (1R, 3-1), Winter Garden West Orange (4M, 2-2).
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/
You Can Contact Larry Blustein with prospect or team information at: Floridakids1@aol.com.