MaxPreps released its 2012 Pre-Season National Top 25 Rankings this morning and fans of three Florida teams will rejoice the fact that their team has been ranked.
Steve Spiewak, MaxPreps’ National Football Editor, compiled the rankings together with suggestions coming from a variety of media members across the country including FloridaHSFootball.com. The teams that landed on the list are no surprise at all to most who keep a track of national rankings year-in and year-0ut.
Tampa Plant, who will be defending the Class 8A State Championship this season, came in at number 14 in the rankings. Plant which had over 120 players out for spring football this year is stock piled with talent and has been able to keep things going with making the trip to the state finals 5 times out of the past 6 years, winning 4 titles in the process. They are a heavy favorite to repeat again this year.
A hot and explosive Miami Booker T. Washington team cracked the top 10, coming in at number 9. Washington made it to the Class 4A state final and led most of the game before falling to Jacksonville Bolles after they had made a 4th quarter comeback. With most of the team returning this season, most believer that Washington will win it all.
However, the best for last was saved for the defending Class 7A State Champion, Bradenton Manatee. For Manatee they were a lock over teams like Grayson (GA) and Dallas (TX) Skyline. With most of the core players returning, Manatee will have a challenge for itself this year with a schedule that includes South Florida powerhouse teams, Miramar and Miami Central, plus usual Southwest Florida powerhouses Bradenton Southeast and Venice. A repeat is expected, but Dwyer or St. Thomas Aquinas could throw a wrench into those plans if they come out stronger this season.
You can read the entire Top 25 countdown by clicking here and we will post links to the previews MaxPreps will release during the month on each of the three teams right here on Blog Central!
