Florida Top 25 Rankings – August 30, 2024

Welcome to the second FloridaHSFootball.com Florida Top 25 for the 2024 season!

Each week, I will provide a brief synopsis of the Top 10 and present the rest of the Top 25 listed below that. Starting next week, records and previous rankings will be shown. The FloridaHSFootball.com Top 25 rankings will not necessarily reflect the FloridaHSFootball.com Sports Media Poll Weekly Rankings that are running each week during the season.

FLORIDA TOP 25 FOLLOWING WEEK 1

TOP 10

1. Cocoa (2A) (1-0) – The Tigers dominated Titusville and honestly, they are likely to beat Mainland (Daytona Beach) in a battle of defending state champion this week and have a huge chance of beating IMG Academy (Bradenton) next week. Thus moving them to No. 1 overall in the state seems like a reasonable answer. Last Week: No. 3
2. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) (1A) (0-1) – The Lions had it going good, but it let slip late against St. John Bosco (CA). However, that does not make the Lions any less of a state championship threat than before. They will have a much easier foe this week in Class 5A Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach). Last Week: No. 1
3. IMG Academy (Bradenton) (IND) (0-1) – Getting upset by Corner Canyon (UT) will fire up the Ascenders, but they should be careful because programs in Florida are finally understanding what it takes it to defeat them or give them close games and Cocoa will be the first team to get a crack at them in-state next week after playing Bergen Catholic (NJ) this week. Last Week: No. 2
4. Lakeland (5A) (1-0) – I am not ready to put Lakeland as the top team overall in the state, because, honestly Miami Central looked a little flatter than the three programs above them and it is hard to justify pushing Lakeland all the way to the top at the moment while it is still early in the season. However, that win over the Rockets is nothing to dismiss either and the Dreadnaughts earned that win in a very tough place to play – Traz Powell Stadium. Last Week: No. 9
5. Miami Norland (4A) (1-0)– Preseason struggle is behind you and honestly, shutting out a regional finalist from 2023 in Miramar was a good way to answer back. The Vikings may not be fully the fifth best team in the state, but we are looking at the ball here and the spot of the ball moved in their favor in Week 1. Last Week: No. 7
6. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) (5A) (0-1) – Talk about a fast start leading to a fast let down and instead of 1-0, the Raiders are 0-1 to start title defense. Don’t get me wrong, I am a full believer still that the Raiders will be likely playing for a state championship come December and that defense could likely go through Lakeland at this particular point. Taking on Boyd Anderson this week to open district play should have the Raiders focused for next week’s opponent in Columbus (Miami). Last Week: No. 4
7. Miami Central (3A) (0-1) – Call it what you want, but the Rockets did not play like the Rockets would normally have at Traz Powell against Lakeland and it cost them on the scoreboard. This week you have Miami Edison on the slate and honestly if that is not a victory, there will be even more questions about what the season could shape out to be for the Rockets. Last Week: No. 5
8. American Heritage (Plantation) (4A) (0-1) – Field goals will never win you games and that is what cost the Patriots against Milton (GA) to open the season. This week a tough foe in Western (Davie) is coming in and the schedule won’t get any easier at this point. Still a state championship contender in Class 4A right now, but we will see if the tough schedule will help or not as things roll along. Last Week: No. 6
9. Venice (7A) (1-0) – Getting into a barnburner with Tampa Bay Tech, might not have been the most ideal thing to start the season, but you got a victory. However, you might not want to get into a barnburner with your next opponent in Miami Northwestern as a lot of people in Miami-Dade County have said the Bulls look like what they used to be with Teddy Bridgewater and that is dangerous right there. Last Week, No. 9
10. Mandarin (6A) (1-0) – Talk about a showing of offensive capabilities, the Mustangs totally dominated Creekside (St. Johns) to open the season and just showed them exit out of the corral after that. This week’s opponent is rival Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville), another game that should see the Mustangs do exceeding well in. Last Week: No. 10

THE REST OF THE TOP 25

11. Miami Northwestern (3A) (1-0), Last Week: No. 20
12. Armwood (Seffner) (6A) (1-0), Last Week: No. 11
13. Edgewater (Orlando) (5A) (0-0), Last Week: No. 13
14. Jones (Orlando) (4A) (0-0), Last Week: No. 14
15. Columbus (Miami) (7A) (1-0), Last Week: No. 16
16. Lake Mary (7A) (1-0), Last Week: No. 19
17. Clearwater Central Catholic (1A) (1-0), Last Week: NR
18. Berkeley Prep (2A) (0-1), Last Week: No. 15
19. St. Augustine (4A) (1-0), Last Week: No. 21
20. Plant (Tampa) (6A) (1-0), Last Week: No. 22
21. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (1-0), Last Week: No. 23
22. Western (Davie) (7A) (0-1), Last Week: No. 17
23. Tampa Bay Tech (5A) (0-1), Last Week: No. 18
24. Miami Palmetto (7A) (1-0), Last Week: NR
25. Monarch (Coconut Creek) (6A) (1-0), Last Week: No. 25

DROPPED OUT: No. 12 Homestead; No. 24 Mainland (Daytona Beach)