Eight weeks are in the books for the 2021 Florida high school football season and the FHSAA has released their latest look at the RPI football playoff rankings as we head into Week 9 of the season.
As such this update provides the entire state a glimpse of what the potential playoff matchups could be looking like come the second week of November, but remember things change, as we still have three weeks worth of games (including this week) to go, however, the playoff picture is starting to become much more clearer with few games left.
In Classes 5A-8A, district record was taken into consideration except on certain exceptions which are noted.
For Class 5A, you will find a breakdown of RPI rankings for each team in every region and a projected seeding (including tiebreakers) based upon the guidelines as published by the FHSAA (click here to view), as well as quick thoughts about each region.
REGION 1
| Rank | Team | Record | RPI |
| 1 | West Florida | 6-1 | 0.657 |
| 2 | Ed White | 5-1 | 0.620 |
| 3 | Raines | 5-2 | 0.610 |
| 4 | Wakulla | 5-2 | 0.584 |
| 5 | Baker County | 5-2 | 0.583 |
| 6 | Bishop Kenny | 4-2 | 0.539 |
| 7 | Clay | 5-2 | 0.519 |
| 8 | Terry Parker | 5-3 | 0.518 |
| 9 | North Marion | 4-3 | 0.510 |
| 10 | Yulee | 3-4 | 0.484 |
| 11 | Suwannee | 3-4 | 0.480 |
| 12 | Menendez | 3-4 | 0.428 |
| 13 | Godby | 1-7 | 0.427 |
| 14 | Paxon | 1-6 | 0.394 |
| 15 | Arnold | 1-5 | 0.384 |
| 16 | Ribault | 1-7 | 0.377 |
| 17 | Palatka | 1-5 | 0.347 |
| 18 | Pensacola | 1-6 | 0.330 |
| 19 | Eastside | 0-7 | 0.317 |
PROJECTED DISTRICT CHAMPS
This is based on current district standings and taking the highest-rated team among the district standings if they have won district games. Should a district not have any district games played as of yet, the highest-rated team will be mythically slotted in as a district champion for projection purposes only. Teams highlighted in red have officially clinched their district championship.
5A-1: Wakulla – No. 3
5A-2: Ed White – No. 1
5A-3: Raines – No. 2
5A-4: Clay – No. 4
PROJECTED REGIONAL QUARTERFINAL PAIRINGS
No. 8 Terry Parker vs. No. 1 Ed White
No. 5 West Florida vs. No. 4 Clay
No. 6 Baker County vs. No. 3 Wakulla
No. 7 Bishop Kenny vs. No. 2 Raines
QUICK THOUGHTS: Ed White could clinch the No. 1 seed overall, while West Florida which is the top-ranked team in the RPI in the region is looking at possibly the No. 5 seed after dropping a game in overtime last week to Wakulla. Raines is currently the only team in the region that has clinched a playoff berth via a district championship but Wakulla and Ed White could join them as soon as this weekend.
REGION 2
| Rank | Team | Record | RPI |
| 1 | Rockledge | 7-0 | 0.733 |
| 2 | Satellite | 6-1 | 0.618 |
| 3 | Merritt Island | 6-1 | 0.617 |
| 4 | Dunnellon | 5-2 | 0.598 |
| 5 | Seabreeze | 4-4 | 0.552 |
| 6 | Tavares | 6-1 | 0.538 |
| 7 | Leesburg | 5-2 | 0.522 |
| 8 | Palm Bay | 3-4 | 0.502 |
| 9 | Deltona | 5-3 | 0.501 |
| 10 | Bayside | 3-4 | 0.488 |
| 11 | Bishop Moore | 2-5 | 0.487 |
| 12 | Eustis | 6-2 | 0.476 |
| 13 | Crystal River | 2-6 | 0.421 |
| 14 | Citrus | 1-6 | 0.397 |
| 15 | Pine Ridge | 2-4 | 0.364 |
| 16 | Lake Weir | 1-5 | 0.353 |
| 17 | Atlantic (Port Orange) | 1-5 | 0.341 |
| 18 | Titusville | 0-7 | 0.340 |
| 19 | Mount Dora | 1-6 | 0.330 |
| 20 | Horizon | 1-6 | 0.230 |
| 21 | Lake Buena Vista | 0-7 | 0.214 |
PROJECTED DISTRICT CHAMPS
This is based on current district standings and taking the highest-rated team among the district standings if they have won district games. Should a district not have any district games played as of yet, the highest-rated team will be mythically slotted in as a district champion for projection purposes only. Teams highlighted in red have officially clinched their district championship.
5A-5: Dunnellon – No. 2
5A-6: Tavares – No. 4
5A-7: Seabreeze – No. 3
5A-8: Rockledge – No. 1
PROJECTED REGIONAL QUARTERFINAL PAIRINGS
No. 8 Palm Bay vs. No. 1 Rockledge
No. 5 Satellite vs. No. 4 Tavares
No. 6 Merritt Island vs. No. 3 Seabreeze
No. 7 Leesburg vs. No. 2 Dunnellon
QUICK THOUGHTS: A lot of interesting things are happening in this region, but the teams that should be likely winning their districts likely will this week with the given slate of games on the line this week. It should be no surprise that Rockledge leads the region far and wide on the RPI rankings.
REGION 3
| Rank | Team | Record | RPI |
| 1 | Clearwater | 6-1 | 0.627 |
| 2 | Zephyrhills | 6-4 | 0.624 |
| 3 | Nature Coast | 5-2 | 0.588 |
| 4 | Sebring | 4-3 | 0.567 |
| 5 | Gibbs | 4-3 | 0.547 |
| 6 | Hudson | 5-2 | 0.545 |
| 7 | Wesley Chapel | 4-2 | 0.528 |
| 8 | Hardee | 3-4 | 0.515 |
| 9 | Port Charlotte | 3-3 | 0.501 |
| 10 | Chamberlain | 2-5 | 0.439 |
| 11 | Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel) | 2-5 | 0.430 |
| 12 | Tarpon Springs | 3-4 | 0.413 |
| 13 | Middleton | 3-4 | 0.407 |
| 14 | Gulf | 2-4 | 0.356 |
| 15 | Robinson | 2-6 | 0.355 |
| 16 | Booker | 0-6 | 0.340 |
| 17 | Weeki Wachee | 0-7 | 0.334 |
| 18 | Dunedin | 1-6 | 0.313 |
| 19 | Anclote | 1-6 | 0.282 |
PROJECTED DISTRICT CHAMPS
This is based on current district standings and taking the highest-rated team among the district standings if they have won district games. Should a district not have any district games played as of yet, the highest-rated team will be mythically slotted in as a district champion for projection purposes only. Teams highlighted in red have officially clinched their district championship.
5A-9: Zephyrhills – No. 2
5A-10: Clearwater – No. 1
5A-11: Chamberlain – No. 4
5A-12: Sebring- No. 3
PROJECTED REGIONAL QUARTERFINAL PAIRINGS
No. 8 Wesley Chapel vs. No. 1 Clearwater
No. 5 Nature Coast vs. No. 4 Chamberlain
No. 6 Gibbs vs. No. 3 Sebring
No. 7 Hudson vs. No. 2 Zephyrhills
QUICK THOUGHTS: Things are starting to settle here with the region as it’s becoming clearer which teams are going to be locking into playoff spots. However, the No. 1 seed is far from decided and it is becoming clear that it is coming down to Clearwater and Zephyrhills for that top spot. A lot of things can still happen as this region is very weak with three weeks to go.
REGION 4
| Rank | Team | Record | RPI |
| 1 | Killian | 8-0 | 0.711 |
| 2 | American Heritage (Plantation) | 3-3 | 0.635 |
| 3 | Miami Central | 5-2 | 0.598 |
| 4 | Stranahan | 5-2 | 0.557 |
| 5 | Boynton Beach | 5-2 | 0.525 |
| 6 | North Miami Beach | 3-3 | 0.488 |
| 7 | Key West | 4-3 | 0.488 |
| 8 | Estero | 5-3 | 0.484 |
| 9 | Cypress Lake | 3-4 | 0.477 |
| 10 | Miami Jackson | 2-5 | 0.442 |
| 11 | Jensen Beach | 2-4 | 0.420 |
| 12 | St. Brendan | 0-7 | 0.364 |
| 13 | Bonita Springs | 2-5 | 0.349 |
| 14 | Miami Springs | 1-6 | 0.343 |
| 15 | Mariner | 2-5 | 0.335 |
| 16 | Island Coast | 1-5 | 0.324 |
| 17 | LaBelle | 1-5 | 0.315 |
| 18 | Hialeah-Miami Lakes | 0-8 | 0.237 |
PROJECTED DISTRICT CHAMPS
This is based on current district standings and taking the highest-rated team among the district standings if they have won district games. Should a district not have any district games played as of yet, the highest-rated team will be mythically slotted in as a district champion for projection purposes only. Teams highlighted in red have officially clinched their district championship.
5A-13: Estero – No. 4
5A-14: Stranahan – No. 3
5A-15: Miami Central – No. 2
5A-16: Miami Killian – No. 1
PROJECTED REGIONAL QUARTERFINAL PAIRINGS
No. 8 Key West vs. No. 1 Miami Killian
No. 5 American Heritage (Plantation) vs. No. 4 Estero
No. 6 Boynton Beach vs. No. 3 Stranahan
No. 7 North Miami Beach vs. No. 2 Miami Central
QUICK THOUGHTS: Right now Miami Killian continues to hold the lead in the region with the No. 1 seed while right now American Heritage which has the second-best RPI in the region is projected as an at-large team as Stranahan holds the lead currently in District 5A-14. However, with a few weeks left, expect things to change when we revisit things next week and the week after.
