We have reached the opening week of the high school football season in the Sunshine State. Each Monday throughout the season, HSSportsFlorida will reveal their Top 15 Statewide Rankings across all classifications. Here is this week’s first edition of the Top 15 teams in the state of Florida.
#1 IMG Academy (0-0)
This Week: Thu 8/22 at Corner Canyon (UT)
The IMG Academy Ascenders check in at the top spot in our first edition of the Top 25 Statewide Rankings. Look for the Ascenders to have a high-potent offense in 2024 where they are led by senior quarterback Ty Hawkins (TCU commit).
#2 Chaminade-Madonna (0-0)
This Week: Sat 8/24 vs St. John Bosco (CA) (Broward County Showcase)
The 3-time defending state champion Chaminade-Madonna Lions will be eyeing their fourth consecutive title which only seven schools have done and could be the first since Miami Central won four straight state championships from 2019 to 2022.
The Lions are loaded on both sides of the football where they will turn into a new signal-caller in sophomore quarterback Zac Katz as well as return their wide receiver duo between senior Koby Howard (Penn State commit) and junior Jabari Brady.
#3 Cocoa (0-0)
This Week: Fri 8/23 vs Titusville
The reigning Class 2S Champion Cocoa Tigers could be heavy favorites once again to win the Class 2A title when they return junior quarterback Brady Hart (Michigan commit) along with senior wide receiver Jayvan Boggs (UCF commit) and DL Hardison who caught 28 passes for 469 yards and 6 touchdowns last season for the Tigers. On defense, the Tigers return their leading tackler and pass rusher in senior defensive end Javion Hilson (Florida State commit).
#4 St. Thomas Aquinas (0-0)
This Week: Sat 8/24 vs Bishop Gorman (NV) (Broward County Showcase)
The Raiders are coming off their fifth consecutive state title and brought in a bunch of new faces on both sides of the football. They’ll likely turn to senior quarterback Andrew Indorf as the team’s starter in Week 1. They will also look to turn to senior running back Cedric Wyche II (Illinois commit) to help lead the charge in the running game.
On defense, The Raiders will be led by arguably the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2026 in defensive back Justice Fitzpatrick who didn’t play in the team’s preseason classic at Bishop Verot but should be back in the Raiders secondary for Week 1.
#5 American Heritage (Plantation) (0-0)
This Week: Fri 8/23 vs Milton (GA) (Broward County Showcase)
The Patriots round out the Top 5 as they are looking to get back into the state championship contention as they fell in the Class 2M State Semifinals to Berkeley Prep last season.
On offense, The Patriots will look to be carried by junior wide receiver Malachi Toney, junior quarterback Dia Bell, and senior running back Byron Louis.
On defense, The Patriots will return their second-leading tackler in defensive end Omarian Abraham (NC State commit) who was credited for 75 total tackles and 3.0 sacks in 12 games last season.
#6 Miami Central (0-0)
This Week: Fri 8/23 vs Lakeland
The Rockets are looking to get back into state championship aspirations as came up short in 2023 losing in the Class 2M Regional Final to eventual state runner-up Miami Norland snapping their streak of four consecutive state titles.
The Rockets will look to turn to three-star senior wide receiver Kha’leal Sterling (Pittsburgh commit) who led the team in receiving yards as a junior last season. They will also have a new signal-caller in quarterback Bekkem Kritza (Penn State commit).
The team’s leading tackler on the defensive end returns as well featuring four-star linebacker Ezekiel “EJ” Marcelin (Miami commit).
#7 Berkeley Prep (0-0)
This Week: Fri 8/23 at Clearwater Central Catholic
The Buccaneers are coming off the program’s first state title in school history in 2023 and return most of their culprit from last season.
They will be led by four-star senior linebacker Dallas Golden (Notre Dame commit) who will likely be playing as a defensive back at the next level. They also have a dynamic running back in senior Joseph Troupe who rushed for over 1500 yards and had a team-high 21 touchdowns for the Buccaneers as a junior last season.
#8 Mandarin (Jacksonville) (0-0)
This Week: Fri 8/23 vs Creekside
The Mustangs are coming off a state runner-up in 2023 and finished with an 11-4 record.
The Mustangs have a dangerous dynamic duo on the offensive end where they will turn back to senior quarterback Tramell Jones (Florida State commit) and five-star senior wide receiver Jamie Ffrench who is arguably the nation’s top uncommitted prospect in the class.
#9 Lakeland (0-0)
This Week: Fri 8/23 at Miami Central
The Dreadnaughts are coming off their second consecutive state title and have high expectations of a potential 3-peat which no Polk County team has done since the Dreadnaughts from 2004 to 2006.
The Dreadnaughts are led by their gun-slinging quarterback in senior Zander Smith (North Dakota State commit), senior wide receiver Jermichael Gillis (South Florida commit) and senior defensive back Keon Young (Ole Miss commit)
#10 Venice (0-0)
This Week: Fri 8/23 vs Tampa Bay Tech
The Indians will have a new signal caller under center this season where they will turn to senior quarterback Jayce Nixon (Northern Iowa commit) who transferred from Gaither during the offseason. The Indians also have a dynamic wide receiver in senior Ryan Matulevich who had 652 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a junior last season.
The Indians will look to get back to the state championship game for a third consecutive year as they’ve split with Lakeland in the previous two.
#11 South Sumter (0-0)
This Week: Fri 8/23 at Niceville
The Raiders will look to turn to senior running back Malakhi Boone who is coming off a season where he was credited for 48 carries for 351 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns as a junior. On defense, Boone got snaps as the primary linebacker where he led the team with 107 total tackles. Another name on the South Sumter offense to watch out for will be senior Stanley Young who will often get snaps at running back as well as the wide receiver position.
#12 Orlando Jones (0-0)
This Week: Fri 8/23 vs Winter Park
The Fightin’ Tigers can make a strong case to be contenders for the Class 4A Championship this season as they added senior wide receiver Vernell Brown III (Florida commit), junior quarterback Dereon Coleman (Miami commit), and junior wide receiver Larry Miles to go with their high-potent offense.
#13 St. Augustine (0-0)
This Week: Fri 8/23 at Palatka
The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 13-1 record in 2023 where they reached the Class 3S Championship Game.
Keep an eye on senior quarterback Locklan Hewlett (Wake Forest commit), junior running back Trendell Anderson, and senior two-way player Carl “CJ” Jenkins.
#14 Armwood (0-0)
This Week: Fri 8/23 at Gaither
The Armwood Hawks look to be regular state-championship contenders after a dominant outing in their preseason classic against Miami Norland.
The Hawks’ offense looks to go through senior running back Girard Pringle (Miami commit) and senior wide receiver Tyler Williams (Georgia commit).
#15 Sanford Seminole (0-0)
This Week: Fri 8/23 vs Robinson
The Seminoles are looking to rebound from their 10-3 record in 2023 where they reached the Class 4M Regional Final.
The Seminoles will look to be led by senior tight end David Parks, senior linebacker Ethan Pritchard (Florida State commit), and senior quarterback Michael Clayton II.
