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Football Hotbed Florida High School Football Round 1 Playoff Rankings

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Marcus Benjamin @_benjaminmoney

Round two could be one of the most exciting rounds in all of the playoffs.  We find out if last week was a fluke or if teams are truly for real.  You know how the saying goes, “Big time players make big time plays in big time games.”  Three weeks from now sixteen teams will be traveling to Orlando for the state championships.  The time is now.

The largest class in the state (8A) has a strong showing from the tri-county area as eight of the sixteen teams in the second round are from Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.  One of the favorites to go to Orlando in this class is Miami Columbus.  The private all-boy school defeated district rival Coral Gables 38-21 behind Henry Parrish Jr.‘s 266 yards on the ground on 20 carries.  Parrish earned Football Hotbed MVP honors with his performance and is currently uncommitted to a college.

Junior Running Back Henry Parrish Jr.

Columbus has dedicated their season to their late teammate Ari Arteaga who died in a car crash this summer.  Arteaga also played baseball and would have been a junior safety for the Explorers this season.

Columbus will battle Miami Palmetto in the second round as the Panthers overwhelmed Belen Jesuit (Miami) 45-7 on Thursday night.  Palmetto players wanted this match-up against Columbus to truly test how great they can be.  Game time was moved up early to a 4PM kick this Thursday.

Western (Davie) is proving again that they are team to be reckoned with in these playoffs.  They defeated Atlantic (Delray) 21-7 and behind a three touchdown performance by Jesse Rivera.  The senior quarterback threw dimes all over the field and was able to make plays on the run for his Wildcats.  He passed for one touchdown and scored on two QB sneaks.

Wekiva (Apopka) erases the one blemish on their record this season with a 16-0 win over West Orange (Winter Garden) Friday.  Florida State commit Renardo Green had a receiving touchdown and an interception to preserve the shutout for the Mustangs.

 

Wekiva gets a rematch with an Apopka team that they shut out on October 26th.  The Mustang defense has not allowed an offensive point since their one point loss to West Orange in September.

In another rematch from the regular season, Columbia (Lake City) fired back with 31 straight points to defeat Fletcher (Jacksonville Beach) 38-10.  The Tigers barely got by Fletcher 21-20 about a month ago, but had no trouble this time around.  Quarterback Jordan Smith went 26 of 48 for 449 yards and four touchdowns.  The junior dual-threat quarterback also rushed for 95 yards and touchdown.  The Tigers get a rematch with Lee (Jacksonville) in round two.  They defeated the Generals 42-17 back in September.

Brian Battie of Braden River (Bradenton) carried his team to a 28-23 win over Plant City Friday night.  The junior running back rushed for 349 yards on 39 carries.  He also rushed for over 300 yards in the regular season finale for the Pirates.  He scored all four touchdowns for his team and his defense was able to get a fourth down defensive stop with just over a minute to play to prevent a comeback.  The Pirates get defending 7A champion Venice in the second round for the third consecutive year.

Bloomingdale (Valrico) wins its first game in school history with a convincing 45-8 win over previously unbeaten Riverdale (Fort Myers).  Sophomore quarterback Charles Montgomery who was in for injured junior quarterback  Lance Alderson, passed for two touchdowns and rushed for one in the historic victory for the program.  The Bulls find themselves hosting Palmetto in the second round who pulled off the upset win over Pinellas Park 38-21.

 

Top Performers

Carson Beck, QB, Mandarin (Jacksonville) – The junior threw for five touchdowns to four different receivers in a 35-0 win over Deland.

Cobe Stribling, WR, Edgewater (Orlando) – Scored touchdowns including a 70-yarder in a 65-21 drubbing of Bucholz (Gainesville).

Tavaris Thomas, CB, Armwood (Seffner) – The junior cornerback had two interceptions for touchdowns in the 54-0 rout of South Lake (Groveland).

Daniel Crawford, RB/LB, Fort Lauderdale – The two way player had a 97 yard pick six to help the Flying Ls win their first playoff game since ’66.

 

Games To Watch This Week

Miami Carol City Vs. Miami Central At Traz Powell Stadium Friday 7:30PM

Miami Columbus Vs. Miami Palmetto At Tropical Park Thursday 4:00 PM

Columbia (Lake City) Vs. Lee (Jacksonville) Friday 7:30 PM

Vero Beach Vs. Dr. Phillips (Orlando) Friday 7:30 PM

American Heritage (Plantation) At Rockledge Friday 7:30 PM

Deerfield Beach Vs. Plantation Friday 7:30 PM

Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) Vs. Jones (Orlando) Friday 7:30 PM

Miami Southridge Vs. South Dade (Homestead) Friday 7:30 PM

Venice Vs. Braden River (Bradenton) Friday 7:30 PM

Miami Booker T. Washington Vs. Glades Central (Belle Glade) At Traz Powell Stadium Thursday 7:00 PM

Clearwater Central Catholic Vs. Tampa Catholic Friday 7:30 PM

Wekiva (Apopka) Vs. Apopka Friday 7:30 PM

Navarre Vs. Escambia (Pensacola) Friday 7:30 PM

Palm Beach Central Vs. Western (Davie) Friday 7:30 PM

Winter Park Vs. Mandarin (Jacksonville) Friday 7:30 PM

 

Top 25

  1. Miami Carol City (6A) (9-2)

Last week: Defeated Miami Norland 34-0

This week:  At Traz Powell Stadium Vs. Miami Central Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Miami Central (6A) (9-2)

Last week: Defeated Dillard (Fort Lauderdale) 35-20

This week: At Traz Powell Stadium Vs. Miami Carol City Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) (7A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated South Miami 77-20

This week: Vs. Fort Lauderdale Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (5A) (11-0)

Last week: Defeated Suwannee (Live Oak) 62-15

This week: Vs. Wakulla (Crawfordville) 7:30 PM Friday

 

  1. Deerfield Beach (8A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated Miramar 32-14

This week: Vs. Plantation Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Miami Columbus (8A) (11-0)

Last week: Defeated Coral Gables 38-21

This week: Vs. Miami Palmetto Thursday 4:00 PM

 

  1. Columbia (Lake City) (7A) (10-1)

Last week:  Defeated Fletcher (Jacksonville Beach) 38-12

This week: Vs. Lee (Jacksonville) Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Vero Beach (8A) (11-0)

Last week: Defeated Gateway (Kissimmee) 48-6

This week: Vs. Dr. Phillips (Orlando) Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) (5A) (9-2)

Last week: Defeated Merrit Island 49-14

This week: Vs. Jones (Orlando) Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. American Heritage (Plantation) (5A) (9-1)

Last week: Defeated Westwood (Fort Pierce) 37-14

This week: At Rockledge Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Lakeland (7A) (11-0)

Last week: Defeated Wiregrass Ranch (Wesley Chapel) 43-7

This week: Vs. Kathleen (Lakeland) Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) (3A) (8-2)

Last week:  Bye

This week: Vs. Palmer Trinity (Miami) Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Lee (Jacksonville) (7A) (9-1)

Last week: Defeated Hagerty (Oviedo) 48-7

This week: At Columbia (Lake City) Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Godby (5A) (Tallahassee) (11-0)

Last week: Defeated Ponte Vedra 34-23

This week: Vs. Bolles (Jacksonville) Thursday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Wekiva (Apopka) (8A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated West Orange (Winter Garden) 16-0

This week: Vs. Apopka Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Miami Southridge (8A) (9-2)

Last week: Defeated North Miami 35-21

This week: Vs. South Dade (Homestead) Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Miami Palmetto (8A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated Belen Jesuit (Miami) 45-7

This week: Vs. Miami Columbus Thursday 4:00 PM

 

  1. Clearwater Central Catholic (3A) (10-0)

Last week: Bye

This week: Vs. Tampa Catholic Friday 7:30 PM

 

     19. Venice (7A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated Tampa Bay Tech 59-23

This week: Vs. Braden River (Bradenton) Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Vanguard (Ocala) (6A) (11-0)

Last week: Defeated Sebring 35-7

This week: Vs. Lake Wales Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Rockledge (5A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated Coconut Creek 35-7

This week: Vs. American Heritage (Plantation) Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Armwood (Seffner) (6A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated South Lake (Groveland) 54-0

This week: Vs. Lake Weir (Ocala) Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Tampa Jesuit (5A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated DeSoto County (Arcadia) 44-0

This week: Vs. Immokalee Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Bloomingdale (Valrico) (7A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated Riverdale (Fort Myers) 45-8

This week: Vs. Palmetto Friday 7:30 PM

 

  1. Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) (7A) (10-1)

Last week: West Broward (Pembroke Pines) 43-0

This week: Vs. Palm Beach Lakes Friday 7:30 PM

 

Also Receiving Votes:

 

Braden River (Bradenton) (7A) (9-2)

Last week: Defeated Plant City 28-23

This week: At Venice Friday 7:30 PM

 

Edgewater (Orlando) (7A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated Bucholz (Gainesville) 35-21

This week: At Lincoln (Tallahassee) Friday 7:30 PM

 

Jones (Orlando) (5A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated Bishop Moore (Orlando)

This week: At Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) Friday 7:30 PM

 

Madison County (1A) (9-1)

Last week: Bye

This week: Vs. Lafayette (Mayo) Friday 7:30 PM

 

Miami Booker T. Washington (4A) (5-5)

Last week: Bye

This week: Vs. Glades Central (Belle Glade) Thursday 7:00 PM

 

Miami Northwestern (6A) (6-5)

Last week: Defeated Mainland (Daytona Beach) 31-16

This week: At Heritage (Palm Bay) Friday 7:30 PM

 

Naples (6A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated Lehigh 27-6

This week: Vs. Fort Myers Friday 7:30 PM

 

Navarre (6A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated Pace 38-6

This week: Vs. Escambia (Pensacola) Friday 7:30 PM

 

Palm Beach Central (Wellington) (8A) (10-1)

Last week:  Defeated Wellington 44-14

This week:  Vs. Western (Davie) Friday 7:30 PM

 

Plant (Tampa) (7A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated Gaither (Tampa) 36-16

This week: At Viera Friday 7:30 PM

 

Plantation (8A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated Piper (Sunrise) 23-12

This week: At Deerfield Beach Friday 7:30 PM

 

Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (9-1)

Last week: Bye

This week: Vs. Marianna Friday 7:30 PM

 

Seffner Christian (2A) (10-0)

Last week: Bye

This week: Vs. Carrollwood Day (Tampa) Friday 7:30 PM

 

South Dade (Homestead)  (8A) (9-2)

Last week: Defeated Hialeah 49-14

This week: At Miami Southridge Friday 7:30 PM

 

University School (Davie) (4A) (9-1)

Last week: Bye

This week: Vs. Gulliver (Miami) Friday 7:30 PM

 

Western (Davie) (8A) (9-2)

Last week: Defeated Atlantic (Delray) 21-7

This week: At Palm Beach Central Friday 7:30 PM

 

Winter Park (8A) (10-1)

Last week: Defeated Flagler Palm Coast 34-7

This week: Vs. Mandarin (Jacksonville) Friday 7:30 PM

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Marcus Benjamin works as the senior writer and editor for FootballHotbed.com. He attended Florida A&M and Florida Memorial University completing a bachelors degree in communications in 2010. He's covered high school football in the South Florida area since 2010 for the Miami Herald, Miami Sports Tribune and ShawSports.net. He is married and lives in Fort, Lauderdale, FL.

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