Week 9: Things Are Getting Interesting

We waited months for the 2022 season to start – and now as we race toward the end of October, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

With playoff spots on the line many programs are starting to really feel the pressure as district games have taken center stage and are bringing out the best in so many programs.

As we roll out another set of state rankings you will see some new programs join this elite group – while others are staying hot and can see the finish line.

 Here is a look at how things stack up with this week's Top 25: 

1. Miami Central (2M – 7-0). THIS WEEK: It's GMAC Week and the Rockets will play No. 6 Miami Christopher Columbus on Oct. 21. NEXT GAME: A regular season-ending game at home against Miami Monsignor Pace on Oct. 28. LAST WEEK: The Rockets took care of Miami Norland in a district game, 53-7.

2. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna (1M – 6-0). THIS WEEK: A home district game next Friday against Hollywood Avant Garde Academy. NEXT GAME:  A home district game on Oct. 27 against Boca Raton Saint John Paul II. LAST WEEK: The Lions scored early and often in their first game in two weeks against Deerfield Beach Somerset Key, 90-0.

3. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (3M – 7-0). THIS WEEK: A home game against a much-improved Coconut Creek Monarch on Oct. 21. NEXT GAME: The regular season comes to an end on the road against Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson on Oct. 28. LAST WEEK: The Raiders started slow but then put it all together in a 49-13 district game against Fort Lauderdale.

4. Bradenton IMG Academy (Independent – 5-1). THIS WEEK: The team will take off. NEXT GAME: An Oct. 28 home game against Middletown, Delaware. LAST WEEK: The Ascenders took care of Clearwater American Collegiate Academy, 55-0.

5. Lakeland (4S – (6-0). THIS WEEK: An Oct. 21 home game against Clearwater Academy International. NEXT GAME: The annual matchup on the road on Oct. 28 against Lakeland Kathleen. LAST WEEK: The Dreadnaughts rolled on with a non-district win against Bartow, 38-0.

7. Plantation American Heritage (3M, 7-1), THIS WEEK: A trip to Naples to play the Golden Eagles on Oct. 21. NEXT GAME: The regular season comes to an end at home on Oct. 28 against Hallandale. LAST WEEK: The Patriots all but wrapped up the district title with a 24-0 win against Fort Lauderdale Stranahan.

6. Miami Christopher Columbus (4M, 8-0). THIS WEEK: It's GMAC Week and the Explorers will face off with No. 1 Miami Central. NEXT GAME: The regular season comes to an end with a non-district home game against Hialeah Barbara Goleman on Oct. 28. LAST WEEK: The Explorers wrapped up the district title with a 35-7 win against Doral Academy.

8. Tampa Bay Tech (3M – 8-0). THIS WEEK: An away game against Tampa Jesuit on Oct. 21. NEXT GAME: The regular season comes to an end with another road contest at Seffner Armwood on Oct. 28. LAST WEEK: The Titans extended their scoreless streak to 13 quarters with a convincing 28-0 win against Tampa Wharton.

9. Orlando Edgewater (3M – 8-0). THIS WEEK: A home district game against West Orange Horizon on Oct. 21. NEXT GAME: After a week off, the regular season comes to an end with the annual showdown at home against Orlando Boone on Oct. 28.  LAST WEEK: The Eagles won a non-district road game against Ocoee, 23-13.

10. Jacksonville Trinity Christian (1M – 7-0). THIS WEEK: An away game on Thursday, Oct. 20 against Jacksonville Christ's Church Academy. NEXT GAME: A home district game on Oct. 28 against Jacksonville Providence. LAST WEEK: A huge district with against Jacksonville University Christian, 20-13.

11. Gainesville Buchholz (4S – 6-0). THIS WEEK: A huge away district contest on Oct. 21 against No. 14 St. John's Bartram Trail. NEXT GAME:  A Thursday home district game against Orange Park Fleming Island on Oct. 27. LAST WEEK: The Bobcats won a huge district game against Orange Park Oakleaf, 45-31.

12. Pensacola Pine Forest (3S – 7-0). THIS WEEK: A trip to play a district game at Pensacola Escambia. NEXT GAME: Another district contest at home on Oct. 28 against Pensacola Booker T. Washington. LAST WEEK: The Eagles had the week off.

13. Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (2M, 7-1). THIS WEEK: A Friday trip to the west coast to play Bradenton Manatee on Oct. 21. NEXT GAME: The regular season comes to an end with a home district game against Fort Lauderdale Stranahan on Oct. 28. LAST WEEK: The Chiefs rolled to a district road win against Hallandale, 49-6.

14. St. John's Bartram Trail (4S – 7-0). THIS WEEK: A huge non-district game against No. 11 Gainesville Buchholz. NEXT GAME: An away district game on Oct. 28 against Orange Park Oakleaf. LAST WEEK: The Bears rolled along with a district win on the road against rival St. John's Creekside, 59-27.

15. Venice (4S – 3-2). THIS WEEK: A district game on the road on Oct. 21 against Sarasota Riverview, NEXT GAME: A home game on Oct. 28 against Bradenton IMG White. LAST WEEK: The Indians got back to football after two weeks off due to Hurricane Ian with a district away contest against Sarasota, 47-7.

16. Sanford Seminole (4M – 6-1). THIS WEEK: An Oct. 21 home game against Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley. NEXT GAME: A huge road district game on Oct. 28 against Lake Mary.  LAST WEEK: The Seminoles kept rolling along with a non-district road win against DeLand, 27-10.

17. Orlando Jones (3M – (5-2). THIS WEEK: An away district game on Oct. 21 at Apopka Wekiva. NEXT GAME: An Oct. 28 home district matchup with Winter Garden Horizon. LAST WEEK: The Tigers won for the fourth straight time, 13-9, to Orlando Boone.

18. Rockledge (3S, 6-1). THIS WEEK: A huge district game on Oct. 21 at streaking Merritt Island. NEXT GAME: Another big home district game on Oct. 28 against Eau Gallie. LAST WEEK: The Raiders won a key district home game against Satellite, 42-7.

19. Vero Beach (4S, 8-0). THIS WEEK: An away district game on Oct. 21 against Stuart Martin County. NEXT GAME: Like the past two years, it could be the district championship game when Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast comes in for an Oct. 28 game. LAST WEEK: The Indians once again showcased their impressive program with a road district win against Port St. Lucie Centennial, 41-13.

20. Niceville (4S, 6-1). THIS WEEK: An away district game at Tallahassee Leon on Oct. 21. NEXT GAME: A Thursday, Oct. 27 home district game against Lynn Haven Mosley. LAST WEEK: The Eagles took the week off.

21. Winter Park (4M, 6-1). THIS WEEK: An away district game against Orlando Colonial on Oct. 21. NEXT GAME: A Thursday, Oct. 27 home district game against Orlando Timber Creek. LAST WEEK: The Wildcats were impressive in Monday night's 35-0 win over No. 25 Oviedo Hagerty.

22. West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman (8-0, 1M). THIS WEEK: A Thursday home non-district game against West Palm Beach Sports Leadership & Management. NEXT GAME: After a week off, a trip to Miami Gulliver Prep is scheduled for Nov. 3. LAST WEEK: The Crusaders jumped into the Top 25 with a convincing 69-0 district win over Boca Raton Saint John Paul II.

23. Lake Wales (3S, 7-0). THIS WEEK: A Friday road district game against Kissimmee Liberty. NEXT GAME: An away district game against Auburndale on Oct. 28. LAST WEEK: The Highlanders continued to dominate with a 42-0 win against Kissimmee Gateway.

24. Bradford County (1S, 7-0). THIS WEEK: A home non-district contest against Dunnellon on Friday. NEXT GAME: A big road district game on Oct. 28 against Palatka. LAST WEEK: For the sixth time in seven games, the Tornadoes posted a shutout – 27-0 over St. Augustine Tacoi Creek, propelling them into the Top 25 for the first time this season. They have outscored their seven opponents, 191-7.

25. Oviedo Hagerty (4M, 5-1). THIS WEEK: A home district game on Oct. 21 against Orlando Colonial. NEXT GAME: An away non-district game against Port Orange Spruce Creek on Oct. 28. LAST WEEK: The Huskies dropped a 35-0 decision to No. 21 Winter Park on Monday night.

OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH: Apopka (4M, 4-2), Auburndale (3S, 4-2), Baker County (2S, 5-2), Bartow (4S, 5-2), Blountstown (1R, 5-3), Bradenton Braden River (3S, 4-2), Bradenton Manatee (4S, 5-1), Bushnell South Sumter (2S, 8-0), Chiefland (1R, 5-0), Citra North Marion (2S, 6-2), Clearwater Central Catholic (1M, 6-1), Cocoa (2S – 3-3), Dade City Pasco (3S, 6-1), Davie Western (4M, 5-2), Daytona Beach Mainland (3S, 5-1), DeLand (4S, 3-3), Deltona (3S, 5-2), Dover Strawberry Crest (4M, 5-3), Eau Gallie (3S, 6-1), Flagler Palm Coast (4S, 5-3), Fort Lauderdale Dillard (3M – 3-3), Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy (6-0, Independent), Fort Myers Bishop Verot (2S, 5-2), Fort Myers Dunbar (3S, 3-1), Fort Pierce John Carroll (1S, 4-1), Harmony (4A, 4-2), Hawthorne (1R, 6-0),Homestead (3M, 6-2), Interlachen (SSAC, 7-0), Jacksonville Bolles (2M, 5-3), Jacksonville Ed White (2M, 4-2), Jacksonville Mandarin (4M, 4-3), Jacksonville Raines (2M, 5-1), Jacksonville University Christian (1M, 7-1), Jensen Beach (3S, 7-1), Kissimmee Osceola (4S, 4-3),Lakeland Christian (1S, 6-0), Lake Mary (4M, 5-1), Lake Minneola (4S, 6-1), Land O'Lakes (4S, 6-1), Lantana Santaluces (4M, 6-0), Lynn Haven Mosley (4S, 5-3), Madison County (1R, 2-5), Melbourne (4S, 5-2), Miami Norland (2M, 4-2), Miami Northwestern (2M – 4-3), Miami Westminster Christian (1M, 7-0),Miramar (3M, 6-1), Naples (3S, 7-1), North Fort Myers (3S, 3-1), Ocala Vanguard (3S, 5-3), Orange Park Fleming Island (4S, 4-2), Orlando Olympia (4M, 3-3), Oviedo (3M, 6-1), Pace (4S, 5-2), Pahokee (1R, 6-1), Palatka (2S, 7-0), Palm Bay (2S, 5-2), Pensacola Catholic (2S, 7-0), Plantation (3M, 4-2), Port St. Joe (1R, 6-1), Port St. Lucie Centennial (4S, 5-2), Plant City Durant (7-1, 4M), Quincy Munroe Day (1S, 4-3), Riverview Sumner (4M, 5-3), Sebring (3S, 4-2), Seffner Armwood (3M, 4-3), Spring Hill Springstead (4S, 8-0), St. Augustine (3S, 4-3), St. Augustine Tacoi Creek (2S, 5-3), St. John's Creekside (5-2), St. Petersburg (3M, 5-2), St. Petersburg Lakewood (2M, 5-3), Stuart Martin County (4S, 5-2), Tallahassee Florida High (2S, 7-0), Tallahassee Lincoln (3S, 4-3), Tallahassee North Florida Christian (1S, 8-0), Tampa Alonso (6-2, 4M), Tampa Berkeley Prep (2M, 4-3),Tampa Jesuit (3M – 4-3),Tampa Wharton (3M, 5-2),Wellington Palm Beach Central (4M, 6-1), Wesley Chapel Cypress Creek (3S, 6-1), Wildwood (1R, 5-2), Winter Garden Horizon (3M, 6-1), Winter Garden West Orange (4M, 3-3).

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/

WEEK 8 STATE RANKINGS. https://prepredzone.com/2022/10/week-8-coming-down-the-homestretch/

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.