2024 Schedule Analysis: Archbishop Carroll mixes easy with extremely tough games

After Archbishop Carroll had their deepest playoff run in program history and now they are preparing for the 2024 season, but will their schedule give the Bulldogs a chance to be prepared to repeat that success while learning what it will take to get to the next step? Let’s dive with our analysis of the 2024 schedule. 

ARCHBISHOP CARROLL BULLDOGS

2023 Record: 11-2

2024 District: 1A-15

2024 SCHEDULE

All Kickoff Times are 3:30 p.m. ET unless noted

* – District
** – Preseason (FHSAA)  

Week 0 – Fri. 8/16 – TBD**
Week 1 – Fri. 8/23 – at Florida Christian, 7
Week 2 – Fri. 8/30 – ABF Academy (Hialeah)
Week 3 – Fri. 9/6 – at Palmer Trinity (Miami), 4
Week 4 – Fri. 9/13 – SmartEn Sports Academy (Miami)
Week 5 – Thu. 9/19 – vs. Miami Jackson at TBD, 7
Week 6 – Fri. 9/27 – at True North (Miami)*, 7
Week 7 – Fri. 10/4 – Westminster Christian (Miami)*
Week 8 – Fri. 10/11 – Coral Shores (Tavernier)
Week 9 – Fri. 10/18 – Mater Academy (Hialeah)
Week 10 – Thu. 10/24 – vs. Columbus (Miami) at Tropical Park, 7
Week 11 – Fri. 11/1 – BYE WEEK

ROAD TRIPPING

As we know how it goes in South Florida, it does not take much to get games and to pretty much stay close to the comforts of home. For the Bulldogs that is what will happen as all of their games on the road will stay in confines of Miami-Dade County. The longest road trip will be in the game against Miami Jackson. While the distance used is directly to Miami Jackson, once the stadium location is announced where the game will be played at, this number could change some. 

To Florida Christian: 12/24
To Palmer Trinity: 14/28
To Miami Jackson: 23/46
To True North:10/20
To Columbus (at Tropical Park): 13/26

Total 2024 Milage: 72/144

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

Coming off a season that saw the Bulldogs going to the state semifinals, would the Bulldogs set a schedule that could set them up to repeat their successful ways? Looking at it as it stands, that might not be the case as only four teams out of the 10 teams on the schedule for Archbishop Carroll were teams from the playoffs from the 2023 season. The toughest game by far will be the game against Columbus in Week 10 to close out the regular season. Games against ABF Academy and SmartEn Sports Academy could prove to be a major hinderance for the Bulldogs when it comes to the playoff rankings during the season.

Archbishop Carroll SOS for 2024: .445

2-Year Combined Opp. Win-Loss: 104-84-1

THREE KEY GAMES

• 9/27 – at True North: With this game being one of two district games, this will be the biggest of those two games with the likely winner of this game likely to be the district champion. 

• 10/4 – Westminster Christian: The second of the two district games, this game could also be a potential trap game for the Bulldogs, especially if they do defeat True North. 

• 10/24 – vs. Columbus: This will be the toughest game of the season for the Bulldogs. Could it prepare the Bulldogs for another deep playoff run or could this be a total mismatch? That will the be biggest question to be answered. 

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Coming off the best season in program history, one would have hoped that Archbishop Carroll would have made strides to improve the schedule. While adding a game like Columbus to the schedule is an improvement, two games against programs that only have one year of varsity play under their belt is not necessarily the improvement one would look for on the schedule. If anything the Bulldogs will need the district championship to make the playoffs or at least seven wins on the schedule to be in the playoffs in 2024 given the weak schedule.