Week 8: Coming Down The Homestretch

While many some schools are still in the recovery phase from Hurricane Ian, life has moved on in other areas of the Sunshine State.

As we head toward Week 8 in this quick moving football season, games are now becoming more precious as key district contests are being played.

For many schools effected by the deadly storm, they are starting to put their lives back together and have talked about getting back to playing sports and attending school virtually.

With little movement in the top of this week's rankings, there are some new schools who are making some major strides in the lower half.

 Here is a look at this week's Top 25: 

1. Miami Central (2M – 6-0). THIS WEEK: Miami Norland on Oct. 14. NEXT GAME: It's GMAC Week and the Rockets will play No. 6 Miami Christopher Columbus. LAST WEEK: The Rockets rolled over rival Miami Northwestern, 42-7.

2. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (1M – 5-0). THIS WEEK: A Thursday home game against Deerfield Beach Somerset Key. NEXT GAME: A home district game next Friday against Hollywood Avant Garde Academy. LAST WEEK: The Lions were off after the game against Venice was cancelled due to Hurricane Ian.

3. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (3M – 6-0). THIS WEEK: A home district game against Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 14. NEXT GAME: A home game against a much-improved Coconut Creek Monarch on Oct. 21. LAST WEEK: The Raiders rolled over Fort Lauderdale Dillard in a district game on the road, 24-6.

4. Bradenton IMG Academy (Independent – 4-1). THIS WEEK: An Oct. 14 road game against Clearwater Collegiate Academy.  is pending. NEXT GAME: The Ascenders will have next week off. LAST WEEK: The Ascenders knocked off St. Thomas More of Wisconsin, 45-0.

5. Lakeland (4S – (5-0). THIS WEEK: An away game against Lakeland George Jenkins on Oct. 14 is scheduled. NEXT GAME: An Oct. 21 home game against Clearwater Academy International. LAST WEEK: The Dreadnaughts beat rival Lakeland Laker Gibson, 47-14, before Hurricane Ian hit.

6. Miami Christopher Columbus (4M, 7-0). THIS WEEK: An away game on Oct. 14 against Doral Academy. NEXT GAME: It's GMAC Week and the Explorers will face off with No. 1 Miami Central. LAST WEEK: The Explorers continued to roll on with a 21-6 win at state-rated Homestead.

7. Plantation American Heritage (2M, 6-1). THIS WEEK: An away game at Fort Lauderdale Stranahan on Oct. 14. NEXT GAME: A trip to Naples to play the Golden Eagles on Oct. 21.  LAST WEEK: The Patriots rolled over Davie Western, 42-18.

8. Tampa Bay Tech (3M – 7-0). THIS WEEK: A home game on Oct. 14 against No. 23 Tampa Wharton. NEXT GAME: An away game against Tampa Jesuit on Oct. 21. LAST WEEK: The defending state runner up Titans beat Tampa Hillsborough, 28-0.

9. Orlando Edgewater (3M – 6-0). THIS WEEK: An away game on Oct. 14 against Ocoee. NEXT GAME: A home district game against West Orange Horizon on Oct. 21. LAST WEEK: The Eagles beat Orlando Timber Creek, 40-0 last Thursday, and XXXXXXX.

10. Jacksonville Trinity Christian (1M – 6-0). THIS WEEK: A huge district home game on Oct. 14 against unbeaten Jacksonville University Christian. NEXT GAME: An away game on Thursday, Oct. 20 against Jacksonville Christ's Church Academy. LAST WEEK: The Conquerors' beat Jacksonville Riverside, 30-14.

11. Gainesville Buchholz (4S – 5-0). THIS WEEK: A home district game on Oct. 14 against Orange Park Oakleaf. NEXT GAME: A huge away contest on Oct. 21 against No. 14 St. John's Bartram Trail. LAST WEEK: The Bobcats beat crosstown rival Gainesville, 49-0.

12. Pensacola Pine Forest (3S – 7-0). THIS WEEK: Will have the week off. NEXT GAME: A trip to play a district game at Pensacola Escambia. LAST WEEK: The Eagles rolled on with a convincing 28-7 win against No. 21 Niceville.

13. Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (2M, 6-1). THIS WEEK: A Thursday Road game at Hallandale on Oct. 13. NEXT GAME: A Friday trip to the west coast to play Bradenton Manatee on Oct. 21. LAST WEEK: The Chiefs bounced back after their first loss of the season with a 38-0 win against Miami Belen Jesuit.

14. St. John's Bartram Trail (4S – 6-0). THIS WEEK: A big district game on Oct. 14 at St. John's Creekside. NEXT GAME: A huge non-district game against No. 11 Gainesville Buchholz. LAST WEEK: The Bears continued to roll on with a 17-0 win against Fleming Island.

15. Venice (4S – 2-2). THIS WEEK: The Indians are schedule to play a district game against Sarasota on Oct. 21. NEXT GAME: The Indians are schedule to play a district game against Sarasota Riverview on Oct. 28. LAST WEEK: The game with district rival Sarasota was called off and moved.

16. Sanford Seminole (4M – 5-1). THIS WEEK: An away game on Oct. 14 against DeLand. NEXT GAME: An Oct. 21 home game against Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley. LAST WEEK: The Seminoles won a huge overtime game against Cocoa, 35-29.

17. Orlando Jones (3M – (4-2). THIS WEEK: An away game on Oct. 19 against Orlando Boone. NEXT GAME: An away district game on Oct. 21 at Apopka Wekiva. LAST WEEK: The Tigers beat Orlando University 62-0 last Thursday and beat Kissimmee Osceola 18-7 on Monday.

18. Rockledge (3S, 5-1). THIS WEEK: Will be at home against Satellite on Oct. 14. NEXT GAME:  A huge district game on Oct. 21 at Merritt Island. LAST WEEK: The Raiders got back on the winning track with a 20-6 win against Tampa Carrollwood Day.

19. Vero Beach (4S, 7-0). THIS WEEK: An away game against much improved Port St. Lucie Centennial on Oct. 14. NEXT GAME: An away district game on Oct. 21 against Stuart Martin County. LAST WEEK: The Indians continued to open some eyes with a 41-14 win against Wellington.

20. Niceville (4S, 6-1). THIS WEEK: The team will enjoy the week off. NEXT GAME: An away district game at Tallahassee Leon on Oct. 21. LAST WEEK: The Eagles dropped their first game of the year to No. 12 Pensacola Pine Forest, 28-7.

21. Homestead (3M, 6-1). THIS WEEK: An away game on Oct. 14 against Miami Southridge NEXT GAME: A GMAC Week contest with Miami Northwestern on Oct. 20. WEEK: The Broncos lost their first game of the season, 21-6, to No. 6 Miami Christopher Columbus.

22. Winter Park (4M, 5-1). THIS WEEK: The team will play the much-anticipated game against No. 24 Oviedo Hagerty on Monday Oct. 17. NEXT GAME: An away district game against Orlando Colonial on Oct. 21. LAST WEEK: The Wildcats were shocked in overtime by Ocoee, 31-28.

23. Tampa Wharton (3M, 5-1). THIS WEEK: A huge away game against No. 8 Tampa Bay Tech. NEXT GAME: A home game against Valrico Bloomingdale. LAST WEEK: The Wildcats knocked off Lithia Newsome, 42-21.

24. Oviedo Hagerty (4M, 5-0). THIS WEEK: An Oct. 24^th game against Orlando Colonial. NEXT GAME: The team will play the much-anticipated game against No. 22 Winter Park on Monday Oct. 17. LAST WEEK: Remained unbeaten with a 24-3 win against Harmony.

25. Kissimmee Osceola (4S, 2-3). THIS WEEK: A contest against Celebration on Thursday, Oct. 13. NEXT GAME: An away game against St. Cloud was postponed and will be made up on Monday, Oct. 17. LAST WEEK: Lost on Monday to No. 17 Orlando Jones, 18-7.

OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH: Apopka (4M, 3-2), Auburndale (3S, 2-2), Baker County (2S, 4-2), Bartow (4S, 4-2), Blountstown (1R, 4-3), Bradenton Braden River (3S, 3-2), Bradenton Manatee (4S, 5-1), Bradford County (1S, 6-0), Bushnell South Sumter (2S, 7-0), Chiefland (1R, 5-0), Citra North Marion (2S, 5-2), Clearwater Central Catholic (1M, 5-1), Cocoa (2S – 2-3), Dade City Pasco (3S, 6-0), Davie Western (4M, 4-2), Daytona Beach Mainland (3S, 4-1), DeLand (4S, 3-2), Deltona (3S, 5-1), Dover Strawberry Crest (4M, 4-3), Eau Gallie (3S, 6-1), Flagler Palm Coast (4S, 4-3), Fort Lauderdale Dillard (3M – 2-3), Fort Myers Bishop Verot (2S, 3-2), Fort Myers Dunbar (3S, 3-0), Fort Pierce John Carroll (1S, 4-1), Harmony (4A, 3-2), Hawthorne (1R, 5-0), Interlachen (SSAC, 6-0), Jacksonville Bolles (2M, 4-3), Jacksonville Ed White (2M, 4-1), Jacksonville Mandarin (4M, 4-2), Jacksonville Raines (2M, 5-1), Jacksonville University Christian (1M, 7-0), Jensen Beach (3S, 6-1), Lakeland Christian (1S, 5-0), Lake Mary (4M, 4-1), Lake Minneola (4S, 5-1), Lake Wales (3S, 7-0), Land O'Lakes (4S, 6-0), Lantana Santaluces (4M, 5-0), Lynn Haven Mosley (4S, 4-3), Madison County (1R, 2-4), Melbourne (4S, 4-2), Miami Norland (2M, 4-1), Miami Northwestern (2M – 3-3), Miramar (4-1), Naples (3S, 5-1), North Fort Myers (3S, 3-1), Ocala Vanguard (3S, 3-3), Orange Park Fleming Island (4S, 3-2), Orlando Olympia (4M, 2-3), Oviedo (3M, 4-1), Pace (4S, 4-2), Pahokee (1R, 5-1), Palatka (2S, 6-0), Pensacola Catholic (2S, 7-0), Plantation (3M, 4-1), Port St. Joe (1R, 5-1), Port St. Lucie Centennial (4S, 5-1), Plant City Durant (6-1, 4M), Quincy Munroe Day (1S, 3-3), Riverview Sumner (4M, 5-2), Sebring (3S, 3-2), Seffner Armwood (3M, 3-3), Spring Hill Springstead (4S, 7-0), St. Augustine (3S, 4-3), St. Augustine Tacoi Creek (2S, 5-2), St. John's Creekside (5-1), St. Petersburg (3M, 5-1), St. Petersburg Lakewood (2M, 4-3), Stuart Martin County (4S, 5-2), Tallahassee Florida High (2S, 5-0), Tallahassee Lincoln (3S, 3-1), Tallahassee North Florida Christian (1S, 7-0), Tampa Alonso (5-2, 4M), Tampa Berkeley Prep (2M, 3-2),Tampa Jesuit (3M – 3-3),Wellington Palm Beach Central (4M, 5-1), Wesley Chapel Cypress Creek (3S, 5-1), West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman (1M, 7-0), Wildwood (1R, 4-2), Winter Garden Horizon (3M, 5-0), 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/

WEEK 7 STATE RANKINGS. https://prepredzone.com/2022/10/week-7-starts-with-many-schools-in-limbo/

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.