FLORIDA TOP 25 PREVIEW: No. 21 Columbus Explorers team preview

With the 2022 high school football season here we are previewing the Top 25 teams in our Florida Top 25 rankings that we have already debuted on Varsity Sports Network’s Florida Gridiron Report last week. Rankings for the Florida Top 25 will be updated each Wednesday night on the Florida Gridirion Report and on FloridaHSFootball.com along with all classification rankings.

NO 21. COLUMBUS EXPLORERS

Head Coach: Dave Dunn, 4th year (second stint), 6th year (overall)

Classification & District: 4M-15

2021 Record: 9-4

Key Athletes: DB/WR Ahmere Foster, Sr; OL Konnor Man, Sr; DT Derrick Hart, Sr; DE Dylan Stephenson, Jr; RB Sedrick Irvin Jr., Sr; DE TJ Capers, Jr; QB Adrian Posse, Jr; DL Daylen Russell, Jr; WR Jose Leon, Jr; LS Jonathan Zarut, Jr; QB Alberto Mendoza, Jr

2022 Schedule

Kickoff times 7:30 PM ET unless noted

All home games at Tropical Park unless noted

Fri. 8/26 (Week 1) – Savannah Benedictine, Ga., 7

Thu. 9/1 (Week 2) – Miami Killian, 7

Fri. 9/9 (Week 3) – Tampa Jesuit, 7

Fri. 9/16 (Week 4) – @ Miami Palmetto, 7 (at Tropical)

Thu. 9/22 (Week 5) – @ Miami Northwestern (at Traz Powell)

Fri. 9/30 (Week 6) – @ Miami High* (at Curtis Park)

Fri. 10/7 (Week 7) – @ Homestead (at Harris Field)

Fri. 10/14 (Week 8) – @ Doral Academy*

Fri. 10/21 (Week 9) – GMAC Bowl Game – TBA

Fri. 10/28 (Week 10) – Miami Goleman*

Fri. 11/4 (Week 11) – BYE WEEK

Season Outlook: After winning it all in 2019 and then winning the Tri-County Gold Championship in 2020, the Explorers came up one step short of returning to the Class 8A State Championship game in 2021 after falling to Venice in the state semifinals. This year, Columbus is one of a dozen teams that are vying for the Class 4M State Championship, and they will have a lot of quality athletes between the senior and junior classes that will make a statement on the field including Foster, Stephenson, and Irvin. The schedule is also going to challenge the Explorers which is part of the expectations that are set year-in and year-out. Overall, for head coach Dave Dunn, he knows what it will take to be able to reach the mountain top once again with the talent that he has on the field in 2022.