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
