Tampa Bay has a knack for producing state championship caliber teams year-in and year-out. Who will it be this year? Armwood? Plant? Maybe a surprise team? Here is our preseason Top 10 rankings for the Tampa Bay region to get you ready.
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Below is our Tampa Bay Preseason Top 10 Rankings with 2013 records in parenthesis.
1. Armwood (14-1)
Why: The Hawks return a lot of their skilled players from last season who were an instrumental part of the Hawks’ run to Orlando. Byron Cowart returns as one of the top players in the nation and will be a force to be reckoned with on the defense. Jordan Griffin will be the anchor to a strong linebacking core that will give passing teams fits. The offense should be solid and could be well balanced, keeping opposing defenses guessing all season long.
2. Plant (11-2-1)
Why: Plant could be on the verge of making another state title run this season. The Panthers have a strong quarterback in Rex Culpepper who will take over as the starting quarterback this season. However, the one player to really watch will be along the offensive line is Jake Fruhmorgen who could help Plant’s offensive line be the best in the region and in the state this season.
3. Sickles (11-2)
Why: The Gryphons are coming off their best season in school history, but are looking for more this season. The loss of quite a few seniors from the the team could hurt slightly, but having back one of the top rushers in the state in Ray Ray McCloud III should be able to keep Sickles towards the top in District 7A-7. Expect the defense to take a few weeks to gel though before they really show true form what they can do.
4. Lakewood (10-4)
Why: The biggest thing the Spartans want to do is make another run and get another shot at a chance of  playing for a state championship. The loss to Clay in the Class 5A state semifinals still hurts from last season, but there is tons of talent lurking around the Spartans program that should be able to make a run again. The biggest name to watch is senior quarterback Ryan Davis who had over 2,100 yards passing last season.
5. East Lake (13-1)
Why: The Eagles were hit hard through graduation, but the rise of over 30 juniors could prove to be worthy for the East Lake program. The biggest name on the team in George Campbell, a multi-position athlete, will be one player that the Eagles will lean on a lot this year as the team gels. The biggest thing for East Lake is that they want to repeat what they did last year by reaching the State Semifinals.
6. Clearwater Central Catholic (11-3)
Why: The Marauders reached the Class 3A state finals for the first time last season and despite a few key players graduating, a repeat trip representing Class 3A South would not be far fetched as the four most southern districts have shrunk in size during the offseason. One big name that was instrumental last year was C.J. Cottoman who is going into sophomore season this year. He can play a multiple positions and will certainly be one weapon that the Marauders have on the roster.
7. Pinellas Park (10-2)
Why: Looking for a team to threaten East Lake’s dominance in the district? Here is the team that could do it. The Patriots showed really true form last year racking up almost 5,000 yards in rushing, which is towards the top of the list for all teams regardless of classification. The only thing basically left for the Patriots is now to revenge East Lake for the only two losses they suffered on the field last season.
8. Pasco (7-4)
Why: The Pirates managed to get into the playoffs last season after a hotly contested game against Zephyrhills for the runner-up spot in District 6A-5. Pasco which has a lot of injuries last season looks poised to shake that and be on the rebound to make things happen again and contend for a district championship. Andrew Ivie and Bowman Archibald are two of the biggest names fans will hear about this season from the Pasco sideline.
9. Largo (8-3)
Why: Largo will enter the season with some question marks that will have to be solved early in the season. The Packers have a new head coach in Marcus Paschal, but he is no stranger to the program having played and coached for the program already. The chance to compete for a district title once again will be on the table, but the other three teams in District 6A-7 are certainly look at Largo’s way of keeping them from doing so this season.
10. Berkeley Prep (5-4)
Why: Despite missing the playoffs, this team is very likely to shock all of District 3A-3. A lot of talent returns and some of that talen is already pulling in offers. QB Brad Mayes will once again be the leader of the offense and his numbers should improve greatly from last season. Another player to watch will be on the line with Bo Peek who is already racking up several Division I offers.
