FOOTBALL: Sunshine State Athletic Conference announces football division alignments for upcoming 2022 season

The Sunshine State Athletic Conference announced earlier this week their division alignments for the upcoming 2022 season for both 11-man and 8-man football which includes some changes coming to the 11-Man League of the conference.

CHANGES ABOUND IN SSAC 11-MAN FOOTBALL

Starting with the original 11-man SSAC football league, the SSAC will place the team into North and South divisions based upon the school’s location.

The biggest changes will be the loss of Jacksonville Christ’s Church Academy, which is rejoining the FHSAA State Series while adding in two teams who are leaving the FHSAA State Series while adding three more teams that are either transitioning from 8-man football to 11-man football or launching new 11-man programs in 2022.

The two teams leaving the FHSAA State Series to join the SSAC include Belle Isle Cornerstone Charter which will be part of the 11-man North Division while Cape Coral Oasis will join the SSAC as part of the 11-man South Division.

Trenton Riverside Christian will join the SSAC 11-man North Division after playing 8-man football the last few years including the last couple of years as a part of the SSAC’s 8-Man League.

Port St. Lucie Tradition Prep and Sarasota Christian will be the newest schools to launch 11-man programs in 2022 and will both be a part of the SSAC 11-man South Division.

Boca Raton Christian rejoins the SSAC after a few years of hiatus from the league after playing a more traditional independent schedule outside the FHSAA State Series.

As for the SSAC playoff structure, Gage Brown, Sports Coordinator for the SSAC, told FloridaHSFootball.com that the 11-man bracket will include the top four teams from each division and will face-off leading to one team from each division reaching the championship game.

SSAC 11-Man Football:North and South Divisions pic.twitter.com/sHnmjggFUb

— SSAA Football (@SSAAFootball) March 7, 2022

SSAC 11-MAN NORTH DIVISION

Jacksonville Bishop Snyder

Jacksonville Christ’s Church Academy

Orlando Central Florida Christian

Belle Isle Cornerstone Charter

Jacksonville Eagle’s View

Leesburg First Academy

Jacksonville Harvest Community

Ocoee Legacy Charter

Pensacola Lighthouse PCA

Mount Dora Christian

Gainesville Oak Hall

Trenton Riverside Christian

Lecanto Seven Rivers Christian

Oviedo Master’s Academy

Deltona Trinity Christian

SSAC 11-MAN SOUTH DIVISION

Riverview Bell Creek Academy

West Palm Beach Berean Christian

Boca Raton Christian

Fort Myers Canterbury

Orlando Faith Christian

Fort Myers Gateway Charter

Jupiter Christian

Port St. Lucie Tradition Prep

Orlando Lake Highland Prep

Cape Coral Oasis

Sarasota Out-of-Door

Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic

Sarasota Christian

Vero Beach St. Edward’s

Bradenton Saint Stephen’s Episcopal

SSAC 8-MAN FOOTBALL GROWS TO 24 TEAMS FOR 2022

The SSAC 8-Man league which was launched in 2020 will grow to its largest size with 24 teams and will be divided among four divisions for the 2022 season.

The biggest additions for the 2022 season come from Holiday World of Knowledge which launched 8-man football last season as an independent program outside of the SSAC and will also add in Classical Academy from Sarasota well as Countryside Christian from Gainesville to round out the teams as part of the league.

As for the 8-Man playoffs, Brown told FloridaHSFootball.com that there will be three brackets of 8 teams each with the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, and the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds from each division based on a North and South basis with travel considerations in mind.

In that scenario, for example, the No. 1 seed one South Division will play the No. 2 seed from the other South Division and so on. In the end, the North winner and the South winner of their respective brackets will meet for the 8-Man State Championship at the end of the season.

SSAC 8-MAN GULF DIVISION (NORTH)

St. Petersburg Shorecrest Prep

Clearwater Lakeside Christian

St. Petersburg Canterbury

Land O’ Lakes Academy at the Lakes

Holiday World of Knowledge

Clermont Real Life Christian

SSAC 8-MAN FIRST COAST DIVISION (NORTH)

Jacksonville Duval Charter

St. Augustine Florida Deaf & Blind

Orange Park St. Johns Country Day

Ocala St. John Lutheran

Ocala Christian

Jacksonville Old Plank Christian

SSAC 8-MAN BAY DIVISION (SOUTH)

Winter Haven All Saints

Gainesville Countryside Christian

Sarasota Classical Academy

Winter Haven Oasis Christian

Ave Maria Donahue Academy

Valrico Foundation Christian

SSAC 8-MAN ATLANTIC DIVISION (SOUTH)

Vero Beach Master’s Academy

Merritt Island Christian

Orlando Eastland Christian

Lake Mary Prep

West Melbourne Calvary Chapel

Kissimmee City of Life Christian

New format for SSAC 8-Man with North and South Divisions! Thankful for the 3 new additions! pic.twitter.com/pOTmVw8Fl0

— SSAA Football (@SSAAFootball) March 7, 2022

NORTH FLORIDA LEAGUE SHRINKS

The SSAC North Florida League will see fewer teams participating in the North Florida League in 2022 after having nearly 20 teams as part of the league.

In 2022 it will consist of just 10 teams which is a combination of teams most located along the Interstate 10 corridor in North Florida.

According to Brown, the reason for the lower number of teams participating in the league is mainly due to travel concerns as all the teams in the North Florida League also are eligible to play in the FHSAA State Series as part of the Class 1A-Rural classification.

However, it should be noted that one team, Panama City Bozeman will be leaving the Class 1A-Rural classification for Class 2A-Suburban as the school has jumped over the 600-enrollment cutoff, the highest enrollment number a school can have and still play in Class 1A-Rural, but still be a part of the North Florida League for 2022.

The North Florida league will play one division crossover game with the No. 1 team playing the No. 2 team for the league title and other teams playing each other based upon the rankings in Week 10.

SSAC NORTH FLORIDA LEAGUE

Blountstown

Panama City Bozeman

Port St. Joe

Hilliard

Bonifay Holmes County

Bristol Liberty County

Wewahitchka

Sneads

Trenton

Jasper Hamilton County

SSAC North Florida League pic.twitter.com/dXPJmaOQl0

— SSAA Football (@SSAAFootball) March 8, 2022