Southwest Florida has been to some exciting football over the years and the top team from the region can vary from year-to-year. Who will be the top team this season and who will have a chance to possibly take home a state title? Our preseason Top 10 will give you our insights to who we think will be the best of the best in Southwest Florida.
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Below is our Southwest Florida Preseason Top 10 Rankings with 2013 records in parenthesis.
1. Naples (9-3)
Why: The Golden Eagles will line up one of their best teams in recent years and that will include over a dozen starters returning. The Golden Eagles could put themselves in state championship contention if the cards fall right by the time the playoffs roll around in November. Expect defense to be a big part of the Golden Eagles’ looks this season.
2. Venice (8-3)
Why: Venice looks to have one of its best teams on the field in the last few seasons and this could prove to be beneficial for them. All work done will need to prepare them for mid-November when a run-in to Armwood will likely be on deck in the playoffs. Overall, with 14 starters back things should be easy for Venice to at least win a district championship this season.
3. Manatee (11-1)
Why: No more Joe Kinnan running along the sideline and replacing over 30 seniors from a regional semifinalist team could be a lot for the Hurricanes to handle. John Booth took over as head coach this summer after five years at Bloomingdale in Hillsborough County. Manatee will face a tough challenge on the road when they open up against Ware County at Lowndes High School. That game could set the tone for Manatee for the rest of the season.
4. Port Charlotte (10-2)
Why: The Pirates haven’t usually been a team you will find in the tops of preseason rankings, but the culture and attitude has changed for the Charlotte County program. The program has 13 starters back which will help keeps going and it should be no surprise that the Pirates are expected to be the top team for District 7A-11 which also includes Fort Myers and perennial playoff power, Charlotte.
5. South Fort Myers (9-4)
Why: The Wolfpack has been the most dominant team in Lee County and the playoff record from the last five-six seasons does a lot of the explaining. Another thing is being able to produce Division I talent which is a signature part of the program. The biggest shortcomings for the Wolfpack at the moment is finding a lot of players to fill in the holes of those who have graduated. The biggest asset this will certainly be defense.
6. Immokalee (9-3)
Why: The Indians will have to replace a lot of senior talent for the second season in a row. However, there is no reason to count out the Indians from winning the district championship or going deep into the playoffs. But, do expect the offense to carry the load in the early part of the season until the defense matures, which is the hardest hit area on the teams when comes to graduation losses from last season.
7. Fort Myers (7-3)
Why: The Green Wave looked really good last season until a couple of slips in district play kept them out of the playoffs that was paired along with key injuries. This year the Green Wave appear to be in better shape with over a dozen starters back and tons of skill players loaded up at key positions. Expect the Green Wave to contend for a playoff spot alongside Port Charlotte and Charlotte this sseason.
8. Clewiston (10-2)
Why: The Tigers are coming off their best season since 2006 and some think this might be a year where Clewiston could shock the state in Class 4A. The Tigers are a loaded with talent that is returning from last season, but the road won’t be easy to get to Orlando at playoff powers Cocoa and defending state champion Booker T. Washington will stand in the way to making the goal reality.
9. Island Coast (7-3)
Why: The Gators have a new head coach in Wayne Blair who comes over to the school from Boyd Anderson. The team will be talented like it has been over the last few years under previous head coach Joe Bowen. Defense will be a key area to improve upon, but the expect Island Coast to be in contention for the District 5A-14 championship in a highly contested seven team district.
10. Charlotte (6-5)
Why: The Tarpons are going to be a team that will have to reload at some key skill positions, but there is a rule that you should never count the Tarpons out of playoff contention. The Tarpons will have their work cut out of them though as Port Charlotte has risen as a team to beat and Fort Myers appears to be improved and healthier compared to the last two seasons.
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