Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, coaches, players, family and fans, welcome to the playoffs! This is the time of year when teams feel a heightened thrill of victory and an extreme low of the agony of defeat. There has been much talk about how the teams made it into the playoffs as there were some surprises in seeding and some obvious snubs. The teams we got are the teams we have and unfortunately, we can only control what we can control.
These rankings will continue weekly throughout the playoffs as they have all season. Once a team is eliminated from the playoffs they will be eliminated from these rankings. When the season concludes we will re-rank a final top 25. Last year we saw teams emerge through the rankings as the playoffs progressed and I would imagine the same this season.
We will delve into the playoffs, but first, let’s take a look at the big games from last week.
Raiders Roll Wildcats
The #2 ranked team in the nation by USA Today took care of business in their final game of the season. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) walloped Western (Davie) to the tune of 7 turnovers in a 41-16 beatdown. Aquinas completed their first undefeated season since 2010 and are focused on one goal and one goal only, returning to the 7A state championship and winning it this time.
Post Game Interview: Senior @GatorsFB commit @DerekWingo of @STA_Football is looking to finish his final #highschoolfootball season with a state championship and avenge last years loss to Lakeland. @FootballHotbed pic.twitter.com/DdRsLmsVwj
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) November 2, 2019
Colby Dempsey opened some eyes Friday night registering two interceptions returning one for a touchdown.
Raider defensive back Colby Dempsey denies James Williams of a touchdown and helps preserve a shut out at the half. @STA_Football up 3-0 over Western at halftime. @FootballHotbed pic.twitter.com/tJVbKOA3rw
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) November 2, 2019
Colby Dempsey Western Game Film
Ball Hawks Get Another Shutout
Another team looking to erase the taste of losing in the 2018 state championship game is the Armwood (Seffner) Hawks. Armwood moved up to the 7A class after losing back-to-back state championship games to Miami Northwestern. The Hawks finished their season last week with a shutout win over 6A title contender Gaither (Tampa). Quarterback Cam’ron Ransom scored the only offensive touchdown as the Armwood defense has not allowed a point since September 27th.
Senior three-star cornerback Emmanuel “EJ” Perry stripped the football from the Gaither quarterback and ran 33 yards for the Hawk’s defensive score. The 14-0 shutout of Gaither was Armwood’s fifth shutout in a row and their sixth of the season.
Rockledge Wins Rivalry Game
“The BBQ Bowl” between Cocoa and Rockledge was a closely contested battle that came down to the end. A pick-six by Kenard Snyder and two late touchdowns by Elias Allen and Avery Smith would prove to be the difference in a 24-17 final. Four-star Cocoa all-purpose back and Penn State commit Caziah Holmes made it interesting with 48 and 55-yard touchdown runs, but it would not be enough to take down the rival Raiders.
Caziah Holmes Rockledge Game Film
Explorers Travel, Return With W
Another runner-up from 2018 state championship is proving that they are worthy of another title run is the Columbus (Miami) Explorers. The Explorers traveled to Delray and dominated a good Atlantic team 27-7 to roll into the playoffs with momentum. Senior four-star playmakers Henry Parrish Jr. and Xzavier Henderson made two of the most explosive plays of the game. Henderson scored on an electrifying 48-yard touchdown catch and run and Parrish scored on a 36-yard screen pass to pull away from the Eagles.
Quick pass from #1 @b_mcduffey to #2 @DoubleTay_21 for another Columbus TOUCHDOWN!! Score is now 20-7 after a blocked PAT. 6:06 left in the third quarter. #CPride #Adelante #HSF #BeatAtlantic #UTLFlorida @ColumbusFtball @FlaHSFootball @FHSAA @HeraldSportsHS @FootballHotbed pic.twitter.com/OM5WMoRc1E
— CCNN Live (@CCNNLive) November 2, 2019
Columbus has been inconsistent this season but maybe this is the game that starts another 8A championship run.
PLAYOFF PREVIEW
Toughest Class – 7A
7A State Championship Game Prediction – St. Thomas Aquinas Vs. Lakeland
Final Four Prediction – Edgewater, Lakeland, Palm Beach Lakes, St. Thomas Aquinas
2019 FHSAA Football State Championship Class 7A Football
Not only does the class have the two best teams in the state in Lakeland and St. Thomas Aquinas according to our rankings and USA today all year, but other teams like Armwood, Niceville, and Edgewater (Orlando) will not go down without a fight. Palm Beach Lakes and Venice is an intriguing potential second-round matchup that I think will determine the winner of region 3.
Plantation and Hialeah should be one of the best first-round matchups in the entire state.
Unfortunately, the winner gets a St. Thomas team hungry to get back to the state title game. If Lakeland makes a return trip to the title game they likely would have beaten Armwood and Edgewater to get there. If the Dreadnaughts can repeat as champions they would do it in impressive fashion defeating three of the top six teams in the state.
Toughest Region – 4A – 4
4A State Championship Game Prediction – Miami Booker T. Washington Vs. Cocoa
Final Four Prediction – Bolles (Jacksonville), Cocoa, Lakewood (St. Petersburg), Miami Booker T. Washington
2019 FHSAA Football State Championship Class 4A Football
Every team in this region (Except for Monsignor Pace, sorry Spartans) has a legitimate case on how they can win a state title. Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) and Miami Booker T. Washington are ranked in the top ten in our rankings and have been there for a while and somehow both teams do not get first-round byes in the region.
University School (Davie) and Gulliver (Miami) get the gift of an off-week and will await the winners of Washington versus Miami Carol City and Pace versus Gibbons. Carol City and Booker T. square off in the first round Thursday night and the winner is my favorite to win it all.
The number one seeds of Lakewood, Cocoa, and Bolles (Jacksonville) in the other regions seemingly will walk into the final four.
1A State Championship Game Prediction – Blountstown Vs. Madison County
Final Four Prediction – Baker, Blountstown, Madison County, Pahokee
2019 FHSAA Football State Championship Class 1A Football
The smallest class plays big. Madison County and Pahokee, in particular, played a number of large schools and are playoff ready. The Mad County Cowboys are going for a third straight championship and the Cowboys seem destined to achieve that feat.
Watch out for 2018 state runner-up Baker as they have revenge on their minds and Blountstown after rebounding from the destruction of Hurricane Michael, seems like a team of destiny. Blountstown defeated Baker 33-7 last week.
8A State Championship Game Prediction – Miami Palmetto Vs. Bartram Trail (St. Johns)
Final Four Prediction – Bartram Trail, Osceola (Kissimmee), Vero Beach, Miami Palmetto
2019 FHSAA Football State Championship Class 8A Football
The largest class in the state is arguably the most wide open. All year, there has not been a team that has separated themselves from the pack. At the beginning of the season, we had Miami Palmetto as the favorite and now that we have come to the end of the season and Miami Palmetto has re-emerged as the top top contendoer.
Western and South Dade is an intriguing first-round matchup as the winner gets Palmetto in round 2 in region 4.
A potential regional final of Vero Beach and Deerfield Beach is a toss-up at this point but a factor is the home field advantage that Vero holds. In region one, DeLand, Seminole (Sanford), Apopka and Bartram Trail are my first round winners but the more I look at this region the more unsure I become. You might have a better chance of predicting the weather in South Florida. Region 3 is perhaps more wide open with no overwhelming favorite. I just got a feeling about Osceola but your guess is as good as mine.
5A State Championship Game Prediction – Miami Northwestern Vs. Jones (Orlando)
Final Four Prediction – Wakulla (Crawfordville), Jones, Rockledge, Miami Northwestern
2019 FHSAA Football State Championship Class 5A Football
The Bulls will be going for a third straight championship, but this year Miami Northwestern will look to do it in a different class.
The Bulls moved down from 6A and will have to win region four on the road if American Heritage (Plantation) advances to the regional final.
Should that game happen, the winner will be the favorite to win it all but do not count out the top ten ranked Rockledge and Jones who have athletes to get the job done.
2A State Championship Game Prediction – University Christian (Jacksonville) Vs. Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah)
Final Four Prediction – University Christian (Jacksonville), Victory Christian (Lakeland), Cambridge Christian (Tampa), Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah)
2019 FHSAA Football State Championship Class 2A Football
In 2017, both University Christian and Champagnat Catholic met for the 2A state championship with Champagnat coming out victorious 24-7. Victory Christian and Cambridge Christian have the best chance to derail the 2017 rematch from happening. In 2016, U-Christian beat Champagnat 24-8 for the title. U Christian won states in 2015. Victory Christian was the last team to win the state title not named U Christian or Champagnat in 2014 besides last year when North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) won it all over Champagnat. A team outside of the predicted final four making it all the way would be a huge upset.
6A State Championship Game Prediction – Miami Central Vs. Gaither (Tampa)
Final Four Prediction – Lee (Jacksonville), Gaither, Palmetto, Miami Central
2019 FHSAA Football State Championship Class 6A Football
The Rockets of Miami Central will have to blast through region four as a four seed and potentially will have to go on the road to Naples and to Fort Lauderdale to take on an undefeated Dillard team. Just maybe the embarrassing 27-7 loss to Chaminade-Madonna wakes this team up and the Rockets can make a title run.
I would not be surprised one bit if Dillard beats Miami Central and moves on to the next round because the Panthers are out to prove doubters wrong and they will have their home crowd behind them.
3A State Championship Game Prediction – Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) Vs. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville)
Final Four Prediction – Trinity Christian, Lakeland Christian, Berkeley Prep (Tampa), Chaminade-Madonna
2019 FHSAA Football State Championship Class 3A Football
When the season started and the classes realigned, anyone who knows anything about high school football predicted that Chaminade-Madonna (going for their third straight title) would meet Trinity Christian for the 3A state crown.
Anything that waivers from that outcome would be a huge surprise. Although, the Conquerors are a five seed it is believed that they will weather the storm to get to Tallahassee for the title game. TCA had one of the toughest schedules in the state and mustered a 5-5 record.
Chaminade’s schedule, also one of the toughest in the state, finished 8-2.
Games To Watch This Week In Florida
(All Game Times Eastern)
#7 Miami Booker T. Washington Vs. Miami Carol City Thursday 7:00
#21 Dunnellon Vs. North Marion Friday 7:30
#14 Seminole (Sanford) Vs. Mandarin (Jacksonville) Friday 7:30
Plantation At Hialeah Friday 7:30
Western Vs. South Dade (Homestead) Friday 7:30
Viera Vs. Tampa Bay Tech Friday 7:30
Top 25
1. Lakeland (7A) (10-0)
Last Week: Bye
This Week: Vs. Wiregrass Ranch (Wesley Chapel) Friday 7:30
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) (7A) (9-0)
Last Week: Defeated Western (Davie) 41-16
This Week: Vs. South Broward Friday 7:30 PM
3. Miami Northwestern (5A) (8-2)
Last Week: Defeated Miami Edison 30-0
This Week: Vs. Stranahan (Fort Lauderdale) Saturday 7:00
4. American Heritage (Plantation) (5A) (8-1)
Last Week: Bye
This Week: Vs. Key West Friday 7:30
5. Armwood (Seffner) (7A) (9-1)
Last Week: Defeated Gaither (Tampa) 14-0
This Week: Vs. Melbourne Friday 7:30
6. Edgewater (Orlando) (7A) (9-1)
Last Week: Defeated Boone (Orlando) 54-20
This Week: Vs. Crestview Friday 7:30
7. Miami Booker T. Washington (4A) (8-2)
Last Week: Bye
This Week: Vs. Miami Carol City Thursday 7:00
8. Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) (4A) (8-2)
Last Week: Defeated Monarch (Coconut Creek) 56-14
This Week: Vs. Monsignor Pace (Miami) Friday 7:30
9. Jones (Orlando) (5A) (9-1)
Last Week: Defeated West Orange (Winter Garden) 42-10
This Week: Vs. Bishop Moore (Orlando) Friday 7:30
10. Rockledge (5A) (8-1)
Last Week: Defeated Cocoa 24-17
This Week: Vs. Chamberlain (Tampa) Friday 7:30
11. Vero Beach (8A) (9-0)
Last Week: Defeated Viera 28-14
This Week: Vs. Boca Raton Friday 7:30
12. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) (3A) (8-2)
Last Week: Defeated Everglades (Miramar) 52-0
This Week: Bye
13. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (8A) (10-0)
Last Week: Defeated Raines (Jacksonville) 38-15
This Week: Vs. Spruce Creek Friday 7:30
14. Seminole (Sanford) (8A) (9-0)
Last Week: Vs. Lyman (Longwood) (Canceled)
Next Week: Vs. Mandarin (Jacksonville) Friday 7:30
15. Miami Central (6A) (7-3)
Last Week: Bye
This Week: Vs. Dunbar (Fort Myers) Friday 7:30
16. Lakewood (St. Petersburg) (4A) (10-0)
Last Week: Defeated Dunbar (Fort Myers) 31-24
This Week: Bye
17. Madison County (1A) (8-2)
Last Week: Defeated Crestview 34-13
This Week: Bye
18. Dillard (Fort Lauderdale) (6A) (10-0)
Last Week: Defeated Blanche Ely (Pompano) 60-14
This Week: Vs. Lely (Naples) Friday 7:30
19. Miami Palmetto (8A) (9-1)
Last Week: Defeated Homestead 56-6
This Week: Vs. Taravella (Coral Springs) Friday 7:00
20. Gulliver (Miami) (4A) (10-0)
Last Week: Defeated American Heritage (Delray) 34-13
Next Week: Bye
21. Dunnellon (5A) (8-1)
Last Week: Defeated Trinity Catholic (Ocala) 27-7
This Week: Vs. North Marion (Citra) Friday 7:30
22. Palm Beach Lakes (7A) (9-0)
Last Week: Defeated Palm Beach Gardens 34-14
This Week: Vs. East Lake (Tarpon Springs) Friday 7:30
23. University School (Davie) (4A) (8-2)
Last Week: Immokalee 44-6
This Week: Bye
24. Columbus (Miami) (8A) (6-4)
Last Week: Defeated Atlantic (Delray) 27-7
This Week: Vs. Coral Gables Thursday 7:00
25. Gaither (Tampa) (6A) (9-1)
Last Week: Lost to Armwood (Seffner) 14-0
Next Week: Vs. Boca Ciega (Gulfport) Friday 7:00
Others Receiving Votes:
Apopka (8A) (8-1)
Last Week: Defeated Wekiva (Apopka) 34-0
This Week: Vs. Flagler Palm Coast Friday 7:30
Atlantic (Delray) (7A) (6-3)
Last Week: Lost to Columbus (Miami) 27-7
This Week: Vs. Blanche Ely (Pompano) Friday 7:30
Bloomingdale (Valrico) (7A) (8-2)
Last Week: Defeated East Bay (Gibonston) 25-21
This Week: At Winter Haven Friday 7:30
Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah) (2A) (6-3)
Last Week: Bye
This Week: Bye
Cocoa (4A) (6-3)
Last Week: Lost to Rockledge 24-17
This Week: Bye
Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (7-3)
Last Week: Lost to North Marion (Citra) 41-34
This Week: At Ponte Vedra Friday 7:30
Deerfield Beach (8A) (7-3)
Last Week: Defeated Hallandale 48-18
This Week: Vs. Palm Beach Gardens Friday 7:30
Escambia (Pensacola) (6A) (10-0)
Last Week: Defeated Pensacola 52-7
This Week: New Smyrna Beach Friday 7:30
Florida State High (Tallahassee) (3A) (9-1)
Last Week: Defeated Leon (Tallahassee) 47-10
This Week: Bye
Lake Wales (5A) (10-0)
Last Week: Defeated Bartow 50-14
This Week: Vs. Sebring Friday 7:30
Miami Carol City (4A) (5-5)
Last Week: Defeated American (Hialeah) 42-0
This Week: Vs. Miami Booker T. Washington Thursday 7:00
Naples (6A) (9-0)
Last Week: Bye
This Week: Vs. South Fort Myers Friday 7:30
Niceville (7A) (10-0)
Last Week: Bye
This Week: Vs. Chiles (Tallahassee) Friday 7:30
Plantation (7A) (8-1)
Last Week: Defeated Stoneman Douglas (Parkland) 39-10
This Week: At Hialeah Friday 7:30
Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (5-5)
Last Week: Bye
Next Week: At Trinity Catholic (Ocala) Friday 7:30
Venice (7A) (5-4)
Last Week: Bye
This Week: At Lehigh Friday 7:30
Class Rankings (Top Three)
8A
Vero Beach
Bartram Trail (St. Johns)
Seminole (Sanford)
7A
Lakeland
St. Thomas Aquinas
Armwood (Seffner)
6A
Miami Central
Dillard (Fort Lauderdale)
Columbia (Lake City)
5A
Miami Northwestern
American Heritage (Plantation)
Jones (Orlando)
4A
Miami Booker T. Washington
Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale)
Lakewood (St. Petersburg)
3A
Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood)
Trinity Christian (Jacksonville)
Florida State High (Tallahassee)
2A
Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah)
University Christian (Jacksonville)
Victory Christian (Lakeland)
1A
Madison County
Blountstown
Baker
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