We have reached the midway point 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 edition of the Top 15 teams in Florida.
#1 IMG Academy (4-1)
Previous Rank: 1
Last Week: Defeated Mandarin, 49-6
This Week: at Central (Phenix City, Ala.)- Friday at 7:00 p.m. CT
The Ascenders are at the top of the HSSportsFlorida statewide football rankings for the third consecutive week. IMG Academy is coming off a thrashing 49-6 win over Mandarin (Jacksonville) in their last game where they had a big second quarter to pull off the rout.
#2 St. Thomas Aquinas (4-1)
Previous Rank: 2
Last Week: Defeated McArthur, 56-0
This Week: at Bishop Moore- Friday at 7:00 p.m.
The Raiders have won four consecutive games since suffering an opening-week loss to Bishop Gorman (NV). Senior quarterback Andrew Indorf played just the first half of last Friday’s win over McArthur where he completed 7-of-8 passes for 107 yards and threw for four touchdowns.
Senior running back Chance Washington led the rushing attack and had 102 yards on 5 carries (20.4 yards per carry) where he also played just the first half in the win.
#3 Lakeland (4-0)
Previous Rank: 4
Last Week: Defeated Booker T. Washington (Miami), 48-13
This Week: vs Lake Gibson- Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
The Dreadnaughts will be playing two games in the span of five days as their upcoming game against Lake Gibson has been pushed up from Friday to Tuesday, due to the forecast of a potential hurricane hitting across the state of Florida later this week.
Junior running back Jadarius Dobie led the rushing attack finishing with 62 yards on 12 carries (5.2 yards per carry) in the win over Booker T. Washington last week.
#4 Venice (5-0)
Previous Rank: 5
Last Week: Defeated Cocoa, 54-51
This Week: at Lehigh- Friday at 7:30 p.m.
In what was an instant classic in their last game that ended in the leg of Venice senior kicker Brunno Angello Reus (South Florida commit). The Indians are averaging a whopping 57.0 points per game through the first five weeks of the season.
Sophomore running back Dorien Jones had himself a night where he had 217 rushing yards on 31 carries coming in relief of Jamarice Wilder (James Madison commit) who exited the game with an injury.
#5 Armwood (5-0)
Previous Rank: 6
Last Week: Defeated Hillsborough, 49-7
This Week: at Plant- Friday at 7:30 p.m.
The Hawks round out our Top 5 in this week’s HSSportsFlorida statewide football rankings. The Hawks’ defense has been stifling as well through the first five weeks, allowing just 12.0 points per game, and are led by senior linebacker Cameron White with 43 total tackles.
#6 Clearwater Central Catholic (5-0)
Previous Rank: 7
Last Week: Defeated Trinity Catholic, 55-7
This Week: at Indian Rocks Christian- Friday at 7:00 p.m.
The Marauders are coming off an impressive road win where they got two passing touchdowns from senior quarterback Jershaun Newton (Illinois commit). Senior linebacker Drake Witt led the defensive charge picking up 10 total tackles and recording a sack in last week’s win.
#7 Chaminade-Madonna (3-2)
Previous Rank: 8
Last Week: Defeated Miami Norland, 45-20
This Week: at Western- Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Junior two-way player Derrek Cooper was electrifying on both sides of the ball in last week’s win over Miami Norland, where he got the scoring started on a 55-yard run. He also had a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown to spark the Lions the win.
The Lions will look to extend their current win streak to four games, when they travel to Western on Friday night in a non-district contest.
#8 Miami Central (4-1)
Previous Rank: 10
Last Week: Defeated American Heritage Plantation, 35-32
This Week: Bye Week
Miami Central is coming off one of its most impressive wins of the season, knocking off American Heritage Plantation and erasing a 15-point deficit.
The Rockets have been deploying a two-quarterback system between senior Bekkem Kritza (Penn State commit) and junior Anthony McQueen.
#9 Cocoa (3-2)
Previous Rank: 3
Last Week: Lost to Venice, 54-51
This Week: Bye Week
Junior quarterback Brady Hart (Michigan commit) and senior wide receiver Jayvan Boggs (UCF commit) did all they could for the Tigers offensively but came up short in the hands of No. 4 Venice. Hart threw for 527 passing yards and four touchdowns in the loss, while Boggs had 247 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
#10 Bradford (5-0)
Previous Rank: 14
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: vs Keystone Heights- Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Despite having a bye week, the Tornadoes move up four spots from No. 14 to No. 10 in this week’s statewide football rankings.
#11 Seminole (Sanford) (4-0)
Previous Rank: 15
Last Week: Defeated Lake Wales, 41-38
This Week: at Lake Brantley- Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Junior quarterback Michael Clayton completed 14-of-22 passes for 213 yards and threw for three touchdowns in the win over Lake Wales. Senior wide receiver Xavier Tucker also had a big night on the receiving end finishing with 122 yards on five catches and had two touchdowns.
#12 Orlando Jones (4-0)
Previous Rank: Not Ranked
Last Week: Defeated Kissimmee Osceola, 34-28 (OT)
This Week: vs Winter Park- Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
The Fightin’ Tigers will have a short week to prepare for their matchup with Winter Park as Tropical Storm Helene has forced the game to be moved from Friday to Tuesday. Junior quarterback Dereon Coleman (Miami commit) completed 23-of-35 passes for 488 yards and four touchdowns in a wild back-and-forth game against Kissimmee Osceola.
#13 Miami Norland (3-1)
Previous Rank: 12
Last Week: Lost to Chaminade-Madonna, 45-20
This Week: at Archbishop McCarthy- Friday at 7:00 p.m.
The Vikings dropped their first game of the season to No. 7 Chaminade-Madonna but were led by senior quarterback Ennio Yapoor and junior wide receiver Dawson Quarterman.
#14 Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota) (5-0)
Previous Rank: Not Ranked
Last Week: Defeated Bishop Verot, 49-28
This Week: at Lakewood (St. Petersburg)- Friday at 7:00 p.m.
In what appeared to be an “upset” by our HSSportsFlorida statewide football rankings, Cardinal Mooney head coach Jared Clark called last week’s “statement” win just another day in the office. The Cougars were led by junior quarterback Devin Mignery and junior wide receiver Bo O’Daniel.
#15 Eau Gallie (Melbourne) (5-0)
Previous Rank: Not Ranked
Last Week: Defeated University (Orange City), 40-7
This Week: at Titusville- Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Eau Gallie scored in every quarter and held University to just seven points to win the meeting between the two undefeated teams.
The Commodores were led by sophomore quarterback Joseph Allen completing 12-of-19 passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns. Senior running back Tay Welch led the rushing attack finishing with 138 yards on 15 carries (9.2 yards per carry) and had a rushing touchdown in the win.
On The Bubble: American Heritage (Plantation), Atlantic (Delray Beach), Berkeley Prep, Bishop Verot, Buchholz (Gainesville), Cardinal Newman, Dunnellon, Dr. Phillips (Orlando), First Baptist Academy (Naples), Jesuit (Tampa), Hawthorne, Lake Mary, Lincoln (Tallahassee), Mandarin (Jacksonville), Manatee, Miami Northwestern, Monarch, Naples, Nease, Niceville, Pensacola Catholic, Ponte Vedra, Raines (Jacksonville), St. Augustine, The First Academy (Orlando), Tampa Bay Tech, Wiregrass Ranch
