Week 7 Starts With Many Schools In Limbo
It goes without saying that the past week has been something quite unusual in the state of Florida.
Because of the effects of Hurricanes Ian, much of Florida came to a standstill this past week as ravaged areas were starting the long recovery process.
For many, the storm changed their lives forever – with property and lives lost during this powerful wind and rain maker. And while many in other areas of the state were much more fortunate, football and other activities were simply the furthest thing from anyone’s mind.
As schools begin to open in many areas, the slow process of coming back to football fields will slowly start – giving many communities a much-needed diversion during these toughest of times.
With several teams not back to action, here is a look at this week’s Top 25:
1. Miami Central (2M – 5-0). THIS WEEK: The annual war against Miami Northwestern on Oct. 7 at Traz Powell Stadium. NEXT GAME: Miami Norland on Oct. 14. LAST WEEK: The Rockets remained unbeaten with a 41-0 district win over North Miami Beach.
2. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (1M – 5-0). THIS WEEK: The Lions will be off. NEXT GAME: The game with Venice was called off because of Hurricane Ian. LAST WEEK: The game with Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast was called off because of Hurricane Ian.
3. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (3M – 5-0). THIS WEEK: A huge road district matchup with a Fort Lauderdale Dillard team that came close to beating them last year this Friday. NEXT GAME: A home district game against Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 14. LAST WEEK: The game with Miramar was called off because of Hurricane Ian.
4. Bradenton IMG Academy (Independent – 3-1). THIS WEEK: A home game against St. Thomas More of Wisconsin on Oct. 7 is pending. NEXT GAME: A Oct. 14 road game against Clearwater Collegiate Academy. LAST WEEK: The Ascenders were off.
5. Lakeland (4S – (4-0). THIS WEEK: An away game against Bartow is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 7. NEXT GAME: An away game against Lakeland George Jenkins on Oct. 14 is scheduled. LAST WEEK: The Dreadnaughts beat rival Lakeland Laker Gibson, 47-14, before Hurricane Ian hit.
6. Miami Christopher Columbus (4M, 6-0). THIS WEEK: A huge hurdle on Oct. 7 against No. 16 Homestead on the road. NEXT GAME: The team stays on the road on Oct. 14 with a game against Doral Academy. LAST WEEK: The Explorers stayed unbeaten with a 54-14 win against Miami High.
7. Plantation American Heritage (2M, 5-1). THIS WEEK: A big home game on Oct. 7 against No. 18 Davie Western. NEXT GAME: An away game at Fort Lauderdale Stranahan on Oct. 14. LAST WEEK: The Patriots turned plenty of heads with a road win against No. 13 Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons, 21-2.
8. Tampa Bay Tech (3M – 6-0). THIS WEEK: An away game on Friday against Tampa Hillsborough. NEXT GAME: A home game on Oct. 14 against Tampa Wharton. LAST WEEK: The Titans rolled over Tampa Freedom, 75-0.
9. Orlando Edgewater (3M – 5-0). THIS WEEK: A Thursday (Oct. 6) home game against Orlando Timber Creek. NEXT GAME: An away game on Oct. 14 against Ocoee. LAST WEEK: The Eagles were off.
10. Jacksonville Trinity Christian (1M – 5-0). THIS WEEK: An Oct. 7 away game at Jacksonville Riverside. NEXT GAME: A huge district home game on Oct. 14 against Jacksonville University Christian. LAST WEEK: The Conquerors’ game with Jacksonville Christ’s Church Academy was postponed by Hurricane Ian.
11. Gainesville Buchholz (4S – 4-0). THIS WEEK: A Thursday home game against Gainesville on Oct. 6. NEXT GAME: A home district game on Oct. 14 against Orange Park Oakleaf. LAST WEEK: The Bobcats took the week off.
12. Pensacola Pine Forest (3S – 6-0). THIS WEEK: A huge home game on October 7 against No. 15 Niceville. NEXT GAME: Will have the week off. LAST WEEK: The Eagles won for the sixth straight time, 54-0, over Fort Walton Beach.
13. Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (2M, 5-1). THIS WEEK: A Thursday (Oct. 6) home game against Miami Belen Jesuit. NEXT GAME: A Thursday road game at Hallandale on Oct. 13. LAST WEEK: The two-time defending state champions suffered their first loss of the season at home against No. 7 Plantation American Heritage, 21-2.
14. St. John’s Bartram Trail (4S – 5-0). THIS WEEK: A home game against Fleming Island on Oct. 7 to make up last week’s contest lost to Hurricane Ian. NEXT GAME: A big district game on Oct. 14 at St. John’s Creekside. LAST WEEK: The Bears had their game postponed by Hurricane Ian.
15. Niceville (4S, 6-0). THIS WEEK: A very big game on Oct. 7 against No. 12, Pensacola Pine Forest. NEXT GAME: The team will enjoy the week off. LAST WEEK: The Eagles remained unbeaten with a 13-9 win against Crestview.
16. Homestead (3M, 6-0). THIS WEEK: A really big home game on Oct. 7 against No. 6 Miami Christopher Columbus. NEXT GAME: An away game on Oct. 14 against Miami Southridge. WEEK: The Broncos remained unbeaten with a 22-6 win against previously unbeaten South Miami.
17. Winter Park (4M, 5-0). THIS WEEK: A Thursday away game on Oct. 6 against Ocoee. NEXT GAME: The team was scheduled for an off week. LAST WEEK: A key district game with unbeaten Oviedo Hagerty was postponed by Hurricane Ian.
18. Davie Western (4M, 4-1). THIS WEEK: Another big road game against No. 7 Plantation American Heritage on Oct. 7. NEXT GAME: A home game against Weston Cypress Bay on Oct. 14. LAST WEEK: The game with Sunrise Piper was postponed.
19. Venice (4S – 2-2). THIS WEEK: The Indians will have the week off to recover from Hurricane Ian. NEXT GAME: Sarasota Riverview on Oct. 10. LAST WEEK: The game with district rival Sarasota was called off and moved.
20. Sanford Seminole (4M – 4-1). THIS WEEK: A home game against a talented Cocoa team on Friday. NEXT GAME: An away game on Oct. 14 against DeLand. LAST WEEK: The Seminoles’ game with Apopka was postponed until Nov. 1 because of Hurricane Ian.
21. Orlando Jones (3M – (2-2). THIS WEEK: A Thursday home game against Orlando University on Oct. 6. NEXT GAME: A Monday night (10/10) game at home against No. 23 Kissimmee Osceola. LAST WEEK: The Tigers’ game against No. 4 Bradenton IMG Academy was called off because of Hurricane Ian.
22. Kissimmee Osceola (4S, 2-2). THIS WEEK: The Kowboys will take the week off. NEXT GAME: Two away games on tap. Against Orlando Jones on 10/10. A contest against Celebration on Oct. 13. LAST WEEK: An away game against St. Cloud was postponed and will be made up on Monday, Oct. 17.
23. Rockledge (3S, 4-1). THIS WEEK: A schedule road game on Friday, Oct. 7 against Bradenton Manatee. NEXT GAME: Will be at home against Satellite on Oct. 14. LAST WEEK: The team had the week off, battling Hurricane Ian.
24. Tampa Jesuit (3M – 3-2). THIS WEEK: A Friday, Oct. 7 home game against Clearwater Central Catholic. NEXT GAME: An Oct. 14 away game against Tampa Gaither. LAST WEEK: The Tigers crushed Tampa Leto on Monday night, 71-0.
25. Vero Beach (4S, 6-0). THIS WEEK: A home game against Wellington. NEXT GAME: An away game against much improved Port St. Lucie Centennial on Oct. 14. LAST WEEK: The Indians moved into the Top 25 for the first time with a convincing 47-7 win against Fort Pierce Central on Monday night.
OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH: Apopka (4M, 2-2), Auburndale (3S, 2-1), Baker County (2S, 4-1), Bartow (4S, 4-1), Blountstown (1R, 4-2), Bradenton Braden River (3S, 3-0), Bradenton Manatee (4S, 4-1), Bradford County (1S, 5-0), Bushnell South Sumter (2S, 6-0), Chiefland (1R, 4-0), Citra North Marion (2S, 4-2), Clearwater Central Catholic (1M, 4-1), Cocoa (2S – 2-2), Dade City Pasco (3S, 5-0), Daytona Beach Mainland (3S, 3-1), Deltona (3S, 5-0), Dover Strawberry Crest (4M, 5-1), Eau Gallie (3S, 4-0), Flagler Palm Coast (4S, 4-2), Fort Lauderdale Dillard (3M – 2-2), Fort Myers Bishop Verot (2S, 3-2), Fort Myers Dunbar (3S, 3-0), Fort Pierce John Carroll (1S, 4-1), Harmony (4A, 3-1), Hawthorne (1R, 4-0), Interlachen (SSAC, 5-0), Jacksonville Bolles (2M, 3-3), Jacksonville Ed White (2M, 4-0), Jacksonville Mandarin (4M, 3-2), Jacksonville Raines (2M, 4-1), Jacksonville University Christian (1M, 6-0), Jensen Beach (3S, 5-1), Lakeland Christian (1S, 4-0), Lake Mary (4M, 3-1), Lake Minneola (4S, 4-1), Lake Wales (3S, 4-0), Land O’Lakes (4S, 5-0), Lantana Santaluces (4M, 5-0), Lynn Haven Mosley (4S, 4-2), Madison County (1R, 2-3), Melbourne (4S, 3-2), Miami Norland (2M, 4-0), Miami Northwestern (2M – 3-2), Miramar (3-1), Naples (3S, 4-1), North Fort Myers (3S, 3-1), Ocala Vanguard (3S, 3-2), Orange Park Fleming Island (4S, 3-1), Orlando Olympia (4M, 2-2), Oviedo (3M, 4-1), Oviedo Hagerty (4M, 4-0), Pace (4S, 3-2), Pahokee (1R, 4-1), Palatka (2S, 4-0), Pensacola Catholic (2S, 6-0), Plantation (3M, 3-1), Port St. Joe (1R, 4-1), Port St. Lucie Centennial (4S, 5-1), Plant City Durant (5-1, 4M), Quincy Munroe Day (1S, 3-2), Riverview Sumner (4M, 4-2), Sebring (3S, 3-2), Seffner Armwood (3M, 3-2), Spring Hill Springstead (4S, 6-0), St. Augustine Tacoi Creek (2S, 4-1), St. John’s Creekside (4-1), St. Petersburg Lakewood (2M, 3-3), Stuart Martin County (4S, 4-2), Tallahassee Florida High (2S, 5-0), Tallahassee Lincoln (3S, 3-1), Tallahassee North Florida Christian (1S, 6-0), Tampa Alonso (5-1, 4M), Tampa Berkeley Prep (2M, 2-2), Tampa Wharton (3M, 3-1) Wellington Palm Beach Central (4M, 4-1), Wesley Chapel Cypress Creek (3S, 4-1), West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman (1M, 6-0), Wildwood (1R, 4-1), Winter Garden West Orange (4M, 2-3).
WEEK 1 STATE RANKINGS. https://prepredzone.com/2022/08/top-25-the-season-gets-started/
WEEK 2 STATE RANKINGS. https://prepredzone.com/2022/08/top-25-miami-central-to-the-top/
WEEK 3 STATE RANKINGS. https://prepredzone.com/2022/09/top-25-chaminade-madonna-solidifies-ranking/
WEEK 4 STATE RANKINGS. https://prepredzone.com/2022/09/the-landscape-begins-to-change/
WEEK 5 STATE RANKINGS. https://prepredzone.com/2022/09/heading-toward-the-halfway-point/
WEEK 6 STATE RANKINGS. https://prepredzone.com/2022/09/hurricane-ian-takes-center-stage-this-week/
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.