Sunshine State Athletic Conference announces 2023 teams for 11-man, 8-man and Atlantic leagues

The Sunshine State Athletic Conference has announced that 40-teams will be part of the conference’s 11-man slate of teams that consist of mostly private school programs across the state along with some smaller charter schools, making it the most schools the SSAC will ever have as part of their 11-man league conference since the SSAC was formed in 2008.

That 40-man slate of teams will join the 12-team slate of teams that will be a part of their Atlantic League of teams that will consist primarily of public high schools that have been struggling to compete over the years along with the 25-team eight-man league that will include six divisions up from four divisions over the previous two years.

However, one league that was formed in 2019 will not be returning in 2022 as the North Florida League which involved teams from Class 1R programs has come to an end after that league fell to eight teams spread out over a long distance during the 2022 season.

“It seemed as if the SSAC was no longer the best option [in regards to the North Florida League ending]. We remain in good standing with these schools and we were happy to fill a need for them when asked,” SSAC Football administrator Gage Brown told FloridaHSFootball.com.

In the 11-man SSAC Division, all teams that participated in the 11-man division last year have returned with the exception of Central Florida Christian Academy (Orlando) which appears to have been removed from the SSAC after issues arose that led to an FHSAA investigation regarding an athlete that was considered homeschool and then enrolled at nearby public high school during the 2022 season that led to a forfeiture of all-games, the resignation of the head coach, and fines and penalties by the FHSAA.

“The SSAC has strict guidelines about what is permissible. It is clear to members that these policies must be followed. Those members schools who violate these policies, knowingly or otherwise, must adhere to the penalties listed in our policies,” Brown said regarding Central Florida Christian Academy no longer being a part of the conference’s 11-man league.

However, the loss of Central Florida Christian has been mitigated with All Saints Academy (Winter Haven) rejoining the 11-man league after spending the last few seasons in the eight-man league while Duval Charter (Jacksonville) will be shifting to 11-man football from the eight-man league as well.

Several teams including Christ’s Church Academy (Jacksonville), Glades Day (Belle Glade), Orangewood Christian (Maitland), and SLAM Academy (West Palm Beach) are leaving the FHSAA state series to be a part of the SSAC 11-man league. Christ’s Church Academy and Orangewood Christian are former members of the SSAC that once again returning to the league.

Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach) which once had a varsity program in the FHSAA state series before disbanding in 2018 and then returning as a junior varsity program in 2022 will return to the varsity ranks in 2023 as a member of the SSAC.

NSU University School (Fort Lauderdale) which once was considered a team to watch in the FHSAA state series and did not field a team in 2020 and returned as a junior varsity program in 2021 and a varsity program in 2022 will be another new member of the SSAC as well.

Impact Christian (Jacksonville), Palm Beach Christian Prep (Greenacres), and Zarephath Academy (Jacksonville) are several independent teams from last season that will join the SSAC to give them a conference for the first time in their program’s history.

https://twitter.com/SSACFootball/status/1618289758270271490?s=20&t=aNW27Bb4CjrHWjhGiag9rA

The 12-team SSAC Atlantic League, it expands by eight teams to join Interlachen, Paxon (Jacksonville), Stanton (Jacksonville), and Cocoa Beach who were the first four teams to form the league last season.

Teams like Crescent City, Coral Springs Charter, Spanish River (Boca Raton), Sebastian River, Lake Weir (Ocala), Tradition Prep (Port St. Lucie), Bronson, and Space Coast (Cocoa) will join the league to form what is being felt as a league that will be competitive.

“It seems more and more schools like the options we are presenting there [regarding the Atlantic League]. Most are excited about the prospects of playing for a championship and having a rich, in-depth, meaningful season for the student-athletes,” Brown said.

Crescent City, Coral Springs Charter, Lake Weir, Bronson, and Space Coast join the Atlantic League after being in the FHSAA State Series last season while Spanish River and Sebastian River were independent of the state series. Tradition Prep, which was a part of the SSAC’s 11-man league has shifted to the Atlantic league for this season.

Atlantic League Teams:@Raider_Football @CSCSFootball @river_boyz1 @CocoaBeachFB @InterlachenRams
Sebastian River@lwhurricanes @TradPrepfb
Paxon@SCPBlueDevils
Bronson@CoastViper

Going to be a great competitive season!@FlaHSFootball @CenFLAPreps @Andy_Villamarzo

— SSAA Football (@SSAAFootball) January 13, 2023

In the SSAC 8-Man league, the majority of the team’s in the league will stay put while there is an addition of Liberty Christian Prep (Tavares) and Geneva School (Casselberry) join the league as new programs that will be launching for the 2023 season. Four Corners Charter will join the SSAC after playing as an independent eight-man team for the last few seasons.

https://twitter.com/SSACFootball/status/1616269991753531394?s=20&t=aNW27Bb4CjrHWjhGiag9rA

Overall, the SSAC is excited about what the 2023 season will bring to the conference with all the recent growth.

“We are thrilled with the growth of the conference and look for great things to come in 2023,” Brown said.

SSAC 11-MAN LEAGUE TEAMS

All Saints (Winter Haven)***

Bell Creek Academy (Riverview)

Berean Christian (West Palm Beach)

Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville)

Boca Ratoon Christian

Bradenton Christian

Canterbury (Fort Myers)

Cedar Creek Christian (Jacksonville)

Christ’s Church Academy (Jacksonville)*

Cornerstone Charter (Belle Isle)

Duval Charter (Jacksonville)***

Eagle’s View (Jacksonville)

Faith Christian (Orlando)

First Academy-Leesburg

Gateway Charter (Fort Myers)

Glades Day (Belle Glade)*

Harvest Community (Jacksonville)

Impact Christian (Jacksonville)**

Jupiter Christian

Lake Highland Prep (Orlando)

Legacy Charter (Ocoee)

Lighthouse PCA (Pensacola)

Mount Dora Christian

Oak Hall

Oasis (Cape Coral)

Orangewood Christian (Maitland)*

Out-of-Door (Sarasota)

Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach)**

Palm Beach Christian Prep (Greenacres)**

Santa Fe Catholic (Lakeland)

SLAM Academy (West Palm Beach)*

St. Edward’s (Vero Beach)

Saint Stephen’s (Bradenton)

The Master’s Academy (Oviedo)

Trinity Christian (Deltona)

NSU University School (Fort Lauderdale)**

Warner Christian (South Daytona)**

Westminster Academy (Fort Lauderdale)

Zarephath Academy (Jacksonville)**

* – New Member moving from FHSAA State Series
** – New Member coming from other independent status
*** – Moving from SSAC 8-Man to 11-Man

SSAC ATLANTIC LEAGUE TEAMS

Bronson*

Cocoa Beach

Coral Springs Charter*

Crescent City*

Interlachen

Lake Weir (Ocala)*

Paxon (Jacksonville)

Sebastian River**

Space Coast (Cocoa)*

Spanish River (Boca Raton)**

Stanton (Jacksonville)

Tradition Prep (Port St. Lucie)***

* – New Member moving from FHSAA State Series
** – New Member coming from other independent status
*** – Moving from SSAC 11-Man League

SSAC 8-MAN LEAGUE TEAMS

First Coast Division

Countryside Christian (Gainesville)

Florida School for the Deaf & Blind (St. Augustine)

Old Plank Christian (Jacksonville)

St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park)

Bay Division

Four Corners Charter (Davenport)

Oasis Christian (Winter Haven)

Ocala Christian

St. John Lutheran (Ocala)

Citrus Division

Eastland Christian (Orlando)

Geneva School (Casselberry)

Lake Mary Prep

Liberty Christian Prep (Tavares)

Real Life Christian (Clermont)

Atlantic Division

Calvary Chapel (West Melbourne)

City of Life Christian (Kissimmee)

Master’s Academy (Vero Beach)

Merritt Island Christian

Gulf Division

Academy at the Lakes (Land O’ Lakes)

Canterbury (St. Petersburg)

Lakeside Christian (Clearwater)

Shorecrest Prep (St. Petersburg)

Central Division

Classical Academy (Sarasota)

Donahue Catholic (Ava Maria)

Foundation Christian (Valrico)

Sarasota Christian