SARASOTA, Fla. — Booker has hired former University of South Florida quarterback Lance Hoeltke as its new head football coach, placing a program with championship expectations in the hands of an outside leader during a period of unprecedented late-summer change.

The school announced Hoeltke’s hiring Wednesday on its Instagram account, describing him as a former NCAA Division I quarterback, an inaugural USF team captain and a high school coach with state championship experience.

Hoeltke replaces Carlos Woods, who was dismissed as Booker’s head football coach and athletic director Friday. The change came less than a month before the Tornadoes open the 2026 season against Venice.

Hoeltke inherits a program that has reached the state semifinals in three consecutive seasons. But after an abrupt leadership change and a wave of player departures, the roster that takes the field this fall could look substantially different from the one that helped build that run.

Three straight trips to the state semifinals

Booker has emerged as one of the state’s most consistent postseason programs over the past three seasons.

The Tornadoes reached the Class 2S state semifinals in 2023, where their season ended against eventual state champion Cocoa. Booker returned to the final four in Class 3A in 2024 and advanced to the Class 3A semifinals again in 2025.

Booker finished 10-4 in 2024 and 12-2 last season, compiling 22 victories over that two-year span. The Tornadoes’ 2025 season ended with a loss to eventual state champion Raines in the state semifinals.

That success creates expectations for Hoeltke, but the circumstances surrounding his arrival make this more than a straightforward coaching transition.

He is not taking over a conventional rebuilding project. He is assuming control of a program that has established itself as a state-title contender but has experienced significant disruption weeks before the season.

An abrupt change in leadership

Hoeltke replaces Carlos Woods, whose dismissal was first reported July 22 by Andy Villamarzo of Rivals/On3.

Rivals reported, citing multiple sources, that Woods had been dismissed after one season as Booker’s head football coach. Woods later confirmed the move during a phone conversation with the outlet.

Woods took over the program from Scottie Littles following the 2024 season after previously serving as Booker’s defensive coordinator. Hoeltke will become the Tornadoes’ third head coach in three seasons.

WWSB ABC7 subsequently reported that Woods is the subject of a criminal investigation by the Sarasota Police Department. No criminal charges had been publicly announced as of Wednesday evening.

Booker did not address Woods or the investigation in its announcement introducing Hoeltke. The school instead focused on Hoeltke’s background and the direction it wants the program to take under its new coach.

Player departures reshape the roster

Hoeltke’s first challenge will be determining what remains of a roster that appeared positioned to contend again in 2026.

More than a dozen Booker athletes, including several of the program’s highest-rated prospects, have been reported through public social media announcements as transferring since Woods’ dismissal.

Those players have reportedly landed at programs across the Sarasota-Manatee area, including Cardinal Mooney, Palmetto, Southeast and Venice, among others.

The complete impact of the departures will not be known until enrollment, eligibility and fall rosters are finalized. The movement nevertheless leaves Hoeltke with an immediate need to evaluate the personnel still at Booker, establish relationships with the remaining players and determine how the Tornadoes will replace the talent and depth that departed.

The transfers also create several potentially compelling matchups. Venice, Palmetto, Southeast and Cardinal Mooney are all on Booker’s 2026 schedule.

Whether each reported transfer ultimately appears against Booker will depend on enrollment and eligibility determinations, but Hoeltke will not have to wait long to encounter two of the programs that have reportedly added former Tornadoes.

Booker opens against Venice on Aug. 21 and visits Palmetto one week later.

Little time before a demanding schedule

Hoeltke has just more than three weeks from the announcement of his hiring to prepare Booker for its season opener.

The Tornadoes begin with Venice before traveling to Palmetto on Aug. 28. An open week follows, providing Hoeltke and his staff with their first extended opportunity to evaluate the team and make adjustments.

Booker begins District 3A-12 play against Braden River on Sept. 11. The Tornadoes will also face district opponents Southeast, Wellen Park, Bayshore and Cardinal Mooney.

The nondistrict schedule includes Venice, Palmetto, St. John’s College High of Washington, D.C., Valdosta of Georgia and Riverview.

Booker’s 2026 schedule

*District 3A-12 opponent

The schedule includes four home games, six road games and five district contests. It also sends Booker outside Florida to face one of Georgia’s most prominent programs in Valdosta, while also traveling to Washington D.C. to face a national-caliber team in St. John’s.

There is little room for a prolonged adjustment period. The Tornadoes’ first two games come against programs that have reportedly received Booker transfers, while a district race involving Southeast and Cardinal Mooney awaits later in the season.

Hoeltke helped launch USF football

Hoeltke’s experience includes being part of a program built from its beginning.

He started his college career at Austin Peay before transferring to USF as the Bulls prepared to launch football. Hoeltke was selected as one of the four captains for USF’s inaugural team and appeared at quarterback on the Bulls’ first roster in 1997.

During USF’s first public scrimmage in 1996, Hoeltke connected with wide receiver Charlie Jackson for a 70-yard touchdown on the opening play.

“Coach Hoeltke has been part of building something from the ground up before,” Crook said. “Successful programs are built through standards, structure, relationships and daily accountability.”

The comparison only goes so far.

Hoeltke is not launching a program at Booker. He is taking over one with an established postseason standard, a recent history of developing college prospects and expectations created by three consecutive state semifinal appearances.

His task is to preserve that standard while reconstructing the program’s immediate foundation.

Championship experience in Kentucky

Hoeltke began his high school coaching career at Christian Academy of Louisville, where he contributed to Kentucky Class 2A state championships in 2016 and 2018.

The 2018 senior class completed its four-year run with a 50-7 record.

Hoeltke later served as offensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Kentucky Country Day School, helping the program advance to the 2020 Kentucky Class 1A state championship game.

That background provides Booker with a coach who has worked inside championship programs and experienced the preparation required to make deep postseason runs.

It does not, however, eliminate the immediate difficulty of arriving from outside the program after practices have begun and with the roster still changing.

Booker emphasizes a broader purpose

Booker’s announcement placed significant emphasis on the type of program it expects Hoeltke to build away from the field.

The school said its next chapter will be rooted in academic excellence, character, discipline, accountability and opportunity for every student-athlete.

“Our school is an academic institution first,” Crook said. “We want student-athletes prepared for college, technical education, the military, apprenticeships or the workforce. Football should expand their opportunities.”

Hoeltke earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and an MBA from USF. He is also a managing partner with Plan Advisors, where his work has included strategic planning, organizational growth and client relations.

Booker said it will announce opportunities for players, families and community members to meet Hoeltke, hear his vision for the program and learn how they can support the Tornadoes.

The long-term expectation is clear: sustain a program that has reached the state semifinals three years in a row.

The immediate assignment is more complicated.

Hoeltke must stabilize the program, bring together the athletes who remain and prepare a reshaped roster for Venice on Aug. 21.

FloridaHSFootball.com has released teams ranked No. 101 through No. 572 in the Florida Power Rankings Index, beginning the Countdown to Kickoff rankings rollout ahead of the start of regular-season play.

For the first time, every FPRI ranking will be available free for all readers throughout the season. No subscription or account will be required to view the statewide rankings.

Separate classification and regional rankings will be introduced later during the preseason rollout.

The Top 100 is intentionally not included in this opening release.

Beginning Thursday, FloridaHSFootball.com will reveal the 2026 Preseason Top 100 through individual team previews, starting with No. 100 and continuing in exact order toward the top-ranked program in Florida.

The opening release includes 472 teams representing Classes 6A through 1A, the Sunshine State Athletic Association, the FHSAA Independent Leagues and independent programs from across the state.

A new preseason starting point

The 2026 preseason rankings are powered by the Florida Power Rankings Index, FloridaHSFootball.com’s proprietary system for evaluating high school football programs across Florida.

The FPRI has undergone a complete rebuild entering the 2026-27 school year, incorporating lessons learned from the 2025 tackle football season and the spring 2026 girls flag football season.

The preseason rankings are not simply a continuation of the final 2025 order.

Instead, the system establishes a new starting point by evaluating multiple seasons of available information and broad factors that include game results, scoring performance, opponent quality, strength of schedule and recent form.

A team’s 2025 record matters, but it is not evaluated in isolation.

Its previous season, level of competition, scoring results and complete recent profile can all influence where the program begins the new year.

Once games begin, 2026 performance will receive increasing weight while the preseason component gradually falls away.

For a complete explanation of the system, read:

How the Florida Power Rankings Index works for the 2026 season:

Records provide context, but they do not determine the rankings

The 2024 and 2025 records, along with 2025 postseason finishes, help explain several of the largest movements in the opening release.

They also demonstrate why the FPRI should not be viewed as a standings table.

A strong record does not automatically produce a high rating. A losing season does not automatically push a team toward the bottom.

Opponent quality, scoring performance, schedule strength and the larger two-year profile all matter.

Some programs struggled in 2025 but are supported by stronger 2024 seasons. Others produced outstanding records last fall but moved lower because their broader recent profile did not rate as strongly.

Postseason advancement also provides useful context, but it does not create an automatic ranking bonus.

FHSAA playoff games, Florida Invitational Tournament games and association postseason games are evaluated as part of the complete body of work. Their value depends on the opponents, competitiveness of the results and how those games fit within the team’s entire season.

A crowded group immediately outside the Top 100

Taylor County (Perry) opens at No. 101, making the Bulldogs the first team outside the Preseason Top 100.

Taylor County finished 10-2 in 2025 after going 7-4 in 2024. The Bulldogs moved from No. 106 in the final 2025 FPRI to No. 101 entering the new season.

Williston follows at No. 102 after finishing 10-2 and reaching a Rural regional final.

Only 1.03 rating points separate Taylor County at No. 101 from Monarch at No. 110, creating a tightly packed group that could change quickly once regular-season games begin.

The group shows how different paths can lead to nearly identical preseason ratings.

St. Petersburg Catholic went 12-1 and reached a regional final. Newberry finished 5-6 and exited in the regional quarterfinals. Niceville also finished 6-5, while Florida High went 5-7.

Despite those contrasting records, the four programs are separated by less than four-tenths of a rating point.

Niceville makes a major move toward the Top 100

One of the most significant rises near the cutoff belongs to Niceville.

The Eagles finished No. 218 in the final 2025 FPRI but enter the preseason at No. 106, a gain of 112 positions.

Niceville’s rating increased from 44.45 to 59.83.

The Eagles finished 6-5 and reached a Class 5A regional quarterfinal in 2025 after going 12-2 the previous year.

That two-season contrast illustrates how the preseason reset can evaluate a program differently from its final position following one uneven season.

Niceville begins only six spots outside the Top 100.

Newberry rises 59 positions

Newberry begins at No. 105 after finishing No. 164 in the final 2025 rankings.

The Panthers gained 59 positions, with their rating increasing from 51.32 to 60.04.

Newberry went 5-6 and reached a Class 2A regional quarterfinal last season after finishing 10-3 in 2024.

Its placement shows how a stronger previous season can remain meaningful in the preseason evaluation even after a sub-.500 campaign.

Gadsden County records one of the largest jumps

Gadsden County (Havana) makes one of the most substantial upward moves among the teams included in the opening release.

The Jaguars climbed from No. 332 in the final 2025 FPRI to No. 145 in the preseason, a gain of 187 positions.

Their rating increased from 31.92 to 54.07.

Gadsden County finished 3-5 last season after going 13-2 in 2024.

The Jaguars’ new position does not erase their 2025 struggles. It reflects a broader recent profile that remains stronger than the latest record alone would suggest.

Booker T. Washington surges despite its record

Booker T. Washington (Miami) enters the preseason at No. 178 after ending 2025 at No. 320.

The Tornadoes gained 142 positions, while their rating increased from 33.56 to 49.56.

Booker T. Washington finished 3-9 last season but reached the semifinals of the FIT 1A-3A bracket. The Tornadoes also went 10-3 in 2024.

That movement reinforces one of the central principles of the FPRI: a team’s record does not provide the complete picture by itself.

The struggles remain part of the evaluation, but so do the previous season, complete schedule and postseason results.

Blanche Ely climbs nearly 150 positions

Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach) climbed from No. 421 in the final 2025 rankings to No. 273 entering the new season.

The Tigers gained 148 positions, with their rating rising from 20.44 to 39.18.

Blanche Ely went 2-7 last season after finishing 8-4 in 2024.

Like Gadsden County and Booker T. Washington, the Tigers demonstrate how a stronger previous season can influence the preseason starting point after a difficult fall.

Columbus moves closer to the Top 100

Columbus (Miami) begins at No. 133 after finishing No. 248 in the final 2025 FPRI.

The Explorers gained 115 positions, with their rating increasing from 41.73 to 55.90.

Columbus finished 4-8 last season after going 9-4 in 2024 and reaching a regional semifinal in 2025.

The Explorers begin 33 spots outside the Top 100 and have an opportunity to climb quickly if their early results support the preseason projection.

Several Panhandle teams gain ground

The opening release includes several notable rises among Panhandle programs.

In addition to Gadsden County and Niceville:

• Escambia (Pensacola) moved from No. 376 to No. 262, gaining 114 positions.
• Marianna climbed from No. 499 to No. 388, a rise of 111 positions.
• Florida High (Tallahassee) moved from No. 162 to No. 108, gaining 54 positions.

Escambia finished 3-7 in 2025 after going 9-3 in 2024.

Marianna went 1-9 last season after finishing 10-1 the year before.

Florida High went 5-7 following an 8-4 season in 2024.

Those year-to-year differences show why the preseason rankings consider multiple seasons rather than treating one fall as the complete identity of a program.

Strong records do not guarantee upward movement

Several teams with successful 2025 seasons moved lower during the preseason recalibration.

The clearest example near the Top 100 is St. Petersburg Catholic.

The Barons finished 12-1 and reached a Class 1A regional final but open at No. 104 after finishing No. 29 in the final 2025 FPRI.

Their rating declined from 75.19 to 60.11.

St. Petersburg Catholic went 5-5 in 2024, creating a different two-year profile than its 12-1 record alone would indicate.

Central Florida Christian (Orlando) also experienced a substantial decline despite going 9-1 last season.

The Eagles moved from No. 100 in the final 2025 order to No. 281 in the preseason, with their rating falling from 61.56 to 37.68. Central Florida Christian went 3-6 in 2024.

Windermere Prep finished 8-3 and was the runner-up in the SSAA 11-Man 1A postseason bracket, but the Lakers fell from No. 236 to No. 403. They went 2-7 the previous year.

Liberty County (Bristol) went 7-3 in 2025 but opens at No. 314 after finishing No. 166. The Bulldogs were 1-9 in 2024.

Those examples do not mean the successful 2025 seasons were ignored. They show that the preseason starting point evaluates the larger recent body of work rather than carrying the final order forward unchanged.

Other notable declines

Several additional programs experienced substantial downward movement:

• Cambridge Christian (Tampa): No. 205 to No. 342
• North Florida Educational (Jacksonville): No. 217 to No. 353
• Eagle’s View (Jacksonville): No. 220 to No. 348
• Trinity Prep (Winter Park): No. 370 to No. 504
• Santa Fe Catholic (Lakeland): No. 145 to No. 264
• Milton: No. 155 to No. 272
• Father Lopez (Daytona Beach): No. 349 to No. 471
• Santa Fe (Alachua): No. 173 to No. 286
• McArthur (Hollywood): No. 51 to No. 153
• Trenton: No. 114 to No. 218

McArthur finished 10-3 last season after going 2-8 in 2024.

Milton went 7-4 and reached a regional quarterfinal after finishing 0-10 the previous year.

Trenton went 7-4 and reached a Rural regional semifinal after posting a 5-8 record in 2024.

Those dramatic contrasts help explain why a successful 2025 season does not always preserve a team’s final ranking in a preseason model evaluating a broader period.

Postseason advancement is part of the résumé

Several programs included in the opening release reached the FHSAA playoffs or competed in FIT and association postseason brackets last season.

Those finishes provide useful context, but the FPRI does not rank teams solely by the round they reached.

A regional finalist can move down. A quarterfinalist can move up. A FIT participant with a losing record can make a substantial climb.

For example:

• Williston went 10-2 and reached a regional final but moved from No. 101 to No. 102.
• Community School went 8-3 and reached a regional semifinal but moved from No. 81 to No. 103.
• Niceville went 6-5 and reached a regional quarterfinal but climbed 112 positions.
• Booker T. Washington went 3-9 and reached the FIT semifinals but rose 142 positions.
• Windermere Prep went 8-3 and finished as an SSAA postseason runner-up but dropped 167 positions.

Those results demonstrate why postseason labels alone cannot explain a rating.

The competition, scores and complete résumé provide the larger context.

Preseason influence will fade during the season

The preseason FPRI establishes a starting point, but that starting point will not remain fixed.

As 2026 games are played, current-season results will receive more weight while the preseason component gradually declines.

Early in the year, the preseason foundation helps prevent one unusual result from creating an extreme overreaction.

As more games are completed, the system gains a larger current-season sample and becomes increasingly driven by what teams accomplish on the field.

By the later portion of the regular season, a team’s position will be shaped primarily by its 2026 results, scoring performance, opponent quality, schedule strength and recent form.

That means every team has an opportunity to move.

Programs outside the Top 100 can climb by performing well against quality competition. Teams beginning near the top can fall when their results no longer support their initial placement.

Tackle football rankings will update weekly throughout the season.

The Top 100 countdown begins Thursday

The release of Nos. 101 through 572 is only the beginning of FloridaHSFootball.com’s preseason rankings coverage.

Beginning Thursday, each team in the Preseason Top 100 will receive a complete individual preview.

The series will start with No. 100 and continue in exact order toward No. 1.

Each preview will include:

• Head coach and district information
• 2024 and 2025 records
• 2025 final FPRI rating and state rank
• 2026 preseason rating and state rank
• Classification rank
• 2025 playoff or FIT finish
• Schedule overview and complete schedule
• Key losses
• Players to watch
• Toughest opponents
• District breakdown
• Playoff outlook
• Schedule difficulty rating
• Projected season range

Each team’s schedule and postseason outlook will be examined through four areas:

• 1st Down — The Gauntlet
• 2nd Down — Strength of Schedule
• 3rd Down — The Proving Ground
• 4th Down — Playoff Picture

The previews will conclude with a season outlook identifying the team’s realistic record range, potential ceiling and the factors most likely to determine whether it meets its preseason expectations.

View the 2026 preseason FPRI rankings

Teams ranked No. 101 through No. 572 are available now on FloridaHSFootball.com’s permanent rankings page.

The Top 100 remains unrevealed and will be added as teams are introduced through the Countdown to Kickoff preview series.

View the 2026 Preseason FPRI Rankings:

The rankings represent the preseason starting point and will update weekly once regular-season results begin arriving.

The Countdown to Kickoff continues Thursday with the reveal of No. 100.

Known as the FPRI, the system will serve as the foundation for statewide rankings, classification rankings, regional rankings, strength-of-schedule analysis, weekly game forecasts and postseason probabilities throughout the tackle football and girls flag football seasons.

The latest version represents four years of development and incorporates lessons learned from the 2025 tackle football season and the spring 2026 girls flag football season.

It is designed to do more than place teams in order.

The FPRI will evaluate schedules, compare programs across classifications, forecast individual games and track district, playoff and championship races as each season develops.

Continuing a tradition of statewide rankings and forecasts

Development of the FPRI began following the passing of longtime rankings expert Joe Pinkos, whose forecasts and power rankings appeared on FloridaHSFootball.com for many years.

Pinkos helped establish the value of combining statewide rankings with weekly game forecasts. His work gave readers more than a list of teams by also providing a way to compare matchups throughout Florida.

The FPRI continues that broader tradition while operating as FloridaHSFootball.com’s own proprietary system.

It is not a recreation of Pinkos’ formula. The system has been developed independently to evaluate the modern Florida high school football landscape, which includes hundreds of programs competing across multiple classifications, associations and independent groupings.

Entering the 2026-27 school year, FloridaHSFootball.com is unveiling the Enhanced Florida Power Rankings Index, a complete rebuild shaped by what was learned during the past tackle and girls flag football seasons.

After that introduction, the system will simply be referred to as the FPRI.

What the FPRI evaluates

The FPRI evaluates teams through a collection of performance-based factors rather than relying solely on wins and losses.

The broad areas considered include:

• Game results
• Scoring performance
• Opponent quality
• Strength of schedule
• Recent form
• Current-season performance
• Available historical performance
• Sport-specific scoring and scheduling patterns

The rankings are not a standings table.

Two teams with identical records can carry significantly different ratings depending on the quality of their opponents, the competitiveness of their games and their complete bodies of work.

A victory over a highly rated opponent can provide more value than a win over a struggling program. A competitive loss against one of Florida’s strongest teams can also be evaluated differently than a loss to a lower-rated opponent.

One result does not tell the entire story.

The FPRI examines how every result fits into the team’s overall résumé and continues reassessing that résumé as additional games are completed.

Why strength of schedule matters

Strength of schedule is a central part of the FPRI.

A team’s record cannot be evaluated without considering the competition that produced it. A 9-1 record against a difficult schedule may represent something different from the same record against a collection of lower-rated opponents.

The system evaluates the quality of each opponent and continues updating that evaluation throughout the season.

That means an early result can gain or lose context later.

A victory can become more valuable if the defeated opponent goes on to have a strong season. A result that initially appeared significant can carry less weight if that opponent struggles afterward.

The same principle applies to losses.

Losing to a highly rated team is not evaluated the same way as losing to an opponent rated considerably lower. The opponent, score and overall performance all contribute to the result’s place within the rating.

The preseason rankings establish a starting point

Every team needs an initial rating before current-season results are available.

The preseason FPRI establishes that starting point by evaluating multiple seasons of available program information and broader performance indicators.

The preseason order is not simply a copy of the final 2025 rankings.

A team may begin higher or lower than where it finished last season based on its larger recent performance profile, schedule quality, scoring results and available historical information.

That is why a program coming off a difficult season may still move upward during the preseason reset when its previous performance provides a stronger foundation.

The reverse can also occur.

A team may have posted an outstanding 2025 record but move lower when its broader profile, including the previous season and strength of schedule, is considered.

The preseason ranking provides context. It does not permanently define the team.

Preseason influence will gradually fall away

The preseason component will not maintain the same influence throughout the season.

As 2026 games are completed, current-season performance will receive more weight while the preseason influence gradually declines.

Early in the season, the preseason foundation helps prevent the ratings from overreacting to a single unusual result. One game should not completely redefine a team when only a small sample of current-season information exists.

As more games are played, the FPRI gains a larger collection of current results and relies less on the preseason starting point.

By the later stages of the regular season, the ratings will be driven primarily by what teams have accomplished during the 2026 season, including:

• Current game results
• Scoring performance
• Opponent quality
• Strength of schedule
• Recent form
• The complete current-season résumé

No team is locked into its preseason position.

A program beginning outside the Top 100 can move upward by consistently performing well against quality competition. A highly rated team can fall if its results no longer support its starting placement.

Recent performance will matter

The FPRI considers the complete season, but it also accounts for recent form.

That allows the rankings to recognize when a team is improving or declining as the year develops.

A program that struggles early but begins producing stronger results later should not be evaluated exactly the same as a team trending in the opposite direction.

Recent-form weighting does not erase earlier games. Instead, it provides additional context for how a team is performing as it approaches district play, playoff qualification races and the postseason.

How postseason games are evaluated

FHSAA playoff games, Florida Invitational Tournament games and association postseason games are included as part of each team’s complete body of work.

A team does not receive an automatic rating bonus simply for reaching a specific round.

The value of a postseason run depends on factors such as:

• Opponent quality
• Competitiveness of the games
• Scoring performance
• Strength of schedule
• The team’s complete season résumé

A regional finalist can move lower during the following preseason reset if its larger performance profile does not support its previous position.

A team with a losing record can still receive value from competing against strong opponents or producing meaningful postseason results.

The FPRI evaluates the games themselves rather than assigning value solely from labels such as district champion, regional finalist or state semifinalist.

Tackle football and girls flag football

Tackle football and girls flag football use the same underlying mathematical foundation, but the two sports are not treated as identical.

Each has different scoring environments, scheduling structures and postseason formats.

The FPRI uses sport-specific adjustments designed to account for those differences while maintaining a consistent statewide framework.

Tackle football rankings will update weekly during the fall season.

Girls flag football rankings will update daily during the spring season as results are entered and verified.

What the FPRI will produce

The FPRI will power a larger collection of rankings, forecasts and analytical products throughout the year.

Those products will include:

• Statewide rankings
• Classification rankings
• Regional rankings
• Strength-of-schedule ratings
• Weekly game forecasts
• Win probabilities
• Projected final scores
• District championship probabilities
• Playoff qualification probabilities
• FHSAA Open Division qualification probabilities
• Classification championship probabilities
• Open Division championship probabilities
• Playoff bracket projections
• Prediction accuracy reports
• Advanced statistical breakdowns
• Weekly written previews and analysis

The ratings will also be incorporated directly into FloridaHSFootball.com’s Top 100 team previews.

Each preview will compare the team’s final 2025 FPRI position with its 2026 preseason rating while using opponent ratings to examine the schedule, district race and postseason path.

Rankings and weekly quick picks will remain free

All statewide, classification and regional FPRI rankings will be available free to readers.

No account or subscription will be required to view the rankings.

FloridaHSFootball.com will also publish a free weekly forecast identifying the team favored to win each game.

Those quick picks will provide a straightforward look at which team the FPRI favors without placing the primary rankings or projected winners behind a paywall.

The permanent rankings page is available at:

What Season Ticket subscribers receive

Season Ticket subscribers will receive the complete predictive layer built around the FPRI.

That includes:

• Exact win probabilities
• Projected final scores
• District championship probabilities
• Playoff qualification probabilities
• Open Division qualification probabilities
• Classification championship probabilities
• Open Division championship probabilities
• Week-over-week probability tracking
• Playoff bracket projections
• Prediction accuracy reports
• Advanced statistical breakdowns
• Weekly written previews and analysis

Season Ticket membership is available for $59.99 per year or $7.99 per month.

Get Season Ticket:
https://floridahsfootball.com/seasonticket/

How forecasts should be interpreted

No ranking or forecasting system can guarantee the result of a high school football game.

The FPRI provides probabilities and projections using the information available at the time.

Unexpected results will happen.

Injuries, player availability, weather, travel, turnovers, coaching decisions and other game-day factors can influence an outcome in ways no mathematical model can completely anticipate.

A team carrying a 70% win probability is favored, but the opponent still has a realistic opportunity to win. The number represents relative likelihood, not certainty.

Projected scores should be interpreted the same way. They represent an expected result produced by the system, not a guaranteed final score.

Forecast accuracy will be tracked

FloridaHSFootball.com will track the performance of FPRI forecasts throughout the season.

Accuracy reports will examine areas such as:

• Straight-up winners
• Projected scores
• Win probabilities
• Performance by classification
• Performance by week
• Changes as the season develops

Publicly tracking the results creates accountability and provides measurable information that can guide future improvements.

The FPRI will continue evolving as additional seasons of verified results become available.

An independent analytical product

The FPRI is an independent analytical product created by FloridaHSFootball.com.

It is not an official ranking produced by the Florida High School Athletic Association, Sunshine State Athletic Association or MaxPreps.

That distinction is especially important when discussing the FHSAA Open Division.

FloridaHSFootball.com’s Open Division probabilities will project each team’s likelihood of qualifying based on available results and the developing postseason race.

Those projections will not determine which teams officially qualify.

The FHSAA’s official selection process and any ranking source designated by the association remain separate from the FPRI.

Why the complete formula will remain private

FloridaHSFootball.com will explain the broad factors influencing the FPRI, but the complete internal formula will remain proprietary.

That includes the exact:

• Weights
• Rating scales
• Adjustments
• Floors
• Benchmarks
• Probability calibration
• Sport-specific calculations

Publishing the complete formula would make it easier for others to copy the system and would limit FloridaHSFootball.com’s ability to continue refining it.

Readers will still be able to evaluate its performance through the published rankings, forecasts, probabilities and accuracy reports.

The results will provide the clearest measurement of how well the system performs.

The Top 100 preview series

FloridaHSFootball.com’s Countdown to Kickoff Top 100 begins Thursday with the reveal of No. 100.

Each ranked team will receive a complete preseason scouting report rather than a short ranking capsule.

The previews will include:

• Head coach and district information
• 2024 and 2025 records
• 2025 final FPRI rating and statewide rank
• 2026 preseason rating and statewide rank
• 2026 classification rank
• 2025 playoff or FIT finish
• Schedule overview and complete schedule
• Average opponent rating
• Combined opponent record and win percentage
• Key departures
• Returning players to watch
• Toughest opponents
• District breakdown
• Playoff outlook
• Schedule difficulty rating
• Projected season range

Each preview will be organized around four areas:

1st Down — The Gauntlet

The most difficult portion of the schedule and the challenges the team must solve during that stretch.

2nd Down — Strength of Schedule

An evaluation of the complete schedule and how it could help or hurt the team’s development, ranking and postseason résumé.

3rd Down — The Proving Ground

The swing games and defining matchups most likely to determine the direction of the season.

4th Down — Playoff Picture

The district race, automatic qualification path, wildcard possibilities and broader postseason outlook.

Each preview will conclude with a season outlook examining the team’s realistic record range, ceiling, potential floor and the primary factors that will determine whether it meets its preseason expectations.

The countdown begins with No. 100 and continues in order toward the No. 1 team in Florida.

The preseason ratings provide the starting point.

What happens next will be determined on the field.

The return to the practice field also marks the beginning of FloridaHSFootball.com’s annual Countdown to Kickoff.

Over the coming weeks, FloridaHSFootball.com will roll out a full slate of preseason coverage leading into the start of the 2026 regular season. The SSAA opens regular-season play Aug. 14, followed by the first full night of FHSAA action Aug. 21.

The Countdown to Kickoff will include the release of the complete Florida Power Rankings Index for more than 500 teams across the state. For the first time, every statewide, classification and regional ranking will be available free for all readers.

The preseason rollout will also feature:

• Individual previews for every team ranked in the FloridaHSFootball.com Preseason Top 100
• Classification and regional rankings
• District championship probabilities
• Playoff qualification probabilities
• FHSAA Open Division qualification projections
• Classification state championship probabilities
• Open Division championship probabilities
• Strength-of-schedule analysis
• Opening-week game previews
• Weekly forecasts and predictions
• Spotlights on the new features launching across FloridaHSFootball.com

The complete statewide rankings will provide the foundation for the preseason coverage, while the Top 100 preview series will take a deeper look at the teams expected to lead Florida high school football in 2026.

Each preview will examine the team’s recent performance, schedule, district race, postseason outlook and applicable championship probabilities.

Throughout the Countdown to Kickoff, FloridaHSFootball.com will also introduce the tools and technology that will power coverage during the season—from live scoreboards and automatically updated standings to enhanced rankings, postseason tracking and community features.

The goal is to provide readers with something new to follow throughout the preseason while building toward opening night.

The Countdown to Kickoff is not only about previewing the teams taking the field. It will also introduce the new platform FloridaHSFootball.com has built to follow them throughout the season.

Here is what is coming to FloridaHSFootball.com in 2026.

FLHSFBpedia: Preserving Florida’s gridiron history

FLHSFBpedia is FloridaHSFootball.com’s growing encyclopedia of Florida high school football.

Fans can search for their favorite school, explore current and historical programs, view schedules and discover news and coverage connected to each team—all in one place.

The search system makes it easy to find active programs as well as historical schools and teams that are no longer competing.

Each team’s 2026 schedule is currently being imported into the system. Over the coming weeks, months and years, FLHSFBpedia will continue to expand with historical records, scores, stories, photographs and other information that helps document and preserve Florida’s gridiron history.

FLHSFBpedia is a living project that will continue to grow as more information is collected and added.

Each team page also includes two exclusive banner-advertising positions available to local businesses for $150 per year. These placements are designed to provide businesses near each school with direct exposure to the fans, families and communities following that program.

Businesses interested in sponsoring a team page can contact Joshua Wilson at joshua.wilson@floridahsfootball.com.

Explore FLHSFBpedia:
https://floridahsfootball.com/flhsfbpedia/

An all-new live scoreboard experience

FloridaHSFootball.com is introducing an entirely new scoreboard built in-house for the 2026 season.

Scores will update automatically every 15 seconds without requiring readers to refresh the page. When a score changes, fans will remain in the same place on the scoreboard instead of being returned to the top of the page and having to locate the game again.

A team-search feature will allow readers to find a specific school instantly. Classification and regional filters can also be combined to create a customized scoreboard view without leaving the page.

Most games will include stadium information with clickable directions through Google Maps. Available NFHS Network broadcasts, other livestreams, radio broadcasts and game notes will also be displayed when information is available.

Game notes can identify rivalry matchups, special events, school celebrations and other important details surrounding a contest.

FloridaHSFootball.com may receive a commission from qualifying NFHS Network subscriptions.

Our goal is to build one of the most complete and user-friendly high school football scoreboards available anywhere in the country.

View the new scoreboards:
https://floridahsfootball.com/scoreboards/

Real-time district and regional standings

Fans will no longer have to wait for district, division and regional standings to be updated manually.

The new standings pages calculate records directly from entered game results and update the moment a score is saved. There is no separate import or manual recalculation process.

Fans can select a classification, review previous seasons and narrow the standings by region.

Classes 6A through 1A and SSAA 8-Man will display district or division records alongside overall records because not every game counts toward the district or divisional race.

SSAA 11-Man, SSAA Atlantic, the FHSAA Independent Leagues and Independent teams will be organized by region and display overall records because those groups do not use the same district-game structure.

The number displayed next to each team will represent its current statewide Florida Power Rankings Index ranking.

View district and regional standings:
https://floridahsfootball.com/district-region-standings/

The Enhanced Florida Power Rankings Index

The Florida Power Rankings Index has been in development for the past four years following the passing of rankings expert Joe Pinkos.

For many years, Pinkos’ forecasts and power rankings were published on FloridaHSFootball.com. His work established a standard for what a statewide Florida rankings system could be, and that standard has remained part of the vision behind everything developed since.

As the 2026-27 school year begins, FloridaHSFootball.com will unveil the Enhanced Florida Power Rankings Index, a complete rebuild incorporating lessons learned from the 2025 tackle football season and the spring 2026 girls flag football season.

The new system includes automated updates, advanced strength-of-schedule calculations, recent-form weighting, game forecasts, win probabilities, projected scores and championship probability tracking.

Tackle football rankings will update weekly during the season, while girls flag football rankings will update daily.

The enhanced system has been constructed on a common mathematical foundation while including sport-specific adjustments for tackle and girls flag football. Recent-form weighting will help recognize teams trending upward or downward as the season progresses.

The system will power:

• Statewide and classification rankings
• Regional rankings
• Strength-of-schedule analysis
• Weekly game forecasts
• Win probabilities
• Projected scores
• District championship probabilities
• Playoff qualification probabilities
• FHSAA Open Division probabilities
• State championship probabilities
• Playoff bracket projections
• Prediction accuracy reports
• Advanced statistical breakdowns
• Weekly written previews

Every ranking will be available free for every classification and region. A free weekly forecast identifying the projected winner of every game will also be available without an account.

Season Ticket subscribers will receive the complete predictive layer, including exact win probabilities, projected final scores, district championship probabilities, playoff probabilities, Open Division probabilities, state championship probabilities, bracket projections, advanced statistical breakdowns and weekly written previews.

Season Ticket membership is available for $59.99 per year or $7.99 per month.

Get Season Ticket:
https://floridahsfootball.com/seasonticket/

The precise formulas, internal weighting, calibration methods and other proprietary components behind the Enhanced FPRI will not be publicly disclosed.

A completely rebuilt Playoff Central

Playoff Central will receive a major overhaul during the 2026 season.

The new playoff-bracket system has been built to connect with the other components developed for FloridaHSFootball.com. Team information, results, standings and postseason placement can flow through the same underlying system instead of requiring every bracket and page to be updated independently.

The original nucleus of FLHSFBpedia was created to collect and preserve historical information. As its structure grew, it became clear that the same foundation could support much more than historical records.

That connected structure is now helping FloridaHSFootball.com create the type of postseason experience envisioned for years.

The new Playoff Central will also include support for the FHSAA Open Division, allowing fans to follow the new eight-team championship format through pool play and the State Finals.

Additional details will be released as the season progresses and the postseason approaches.

A major upgrade for FloridaHSFootball.com Pick’ems

The FloridaHSFootball.com Pick’ems competition is moving from a manually managed message-board contest to a dedicated online system.

The upgraded platform will allow more fans to participate in selecting winners from featured games across the state each week.

Weeks featuring 20 games or fewer will use confidence-style scoring. Each confidence value can be used once, with the highest number assigned to the game in which a participant has the most confidence.

A correct selection earns the number of confidence points assigned to that game. An incorrect selection earns zero points without an additional deduction.

For example, if a participant assigns 10 confidence points to Miami Central and Miami Central wins, the participant earns 10 points. If Miami Central loses, the participant earns zero points for that game.

Weeks containing more than 20 featured games will use straight scoring, with one point awarded for each correct pick.

The 2026 Pick’ems competition will begin with games played during the week of Aug. 17-22.

Businesses interested in sponsoring weekly or season-long prizes can contact Joshua Wilson at joshua.wilson@floridahsfootball.com.

Visit FloridaHSFootball.com Pick’ems:
https://floridahsfootball.com/florida-hs-football-pickems/

A new statewide Discord community

FloridaHSFootball.com will also launch a Discord server for Florida high school football fans during the 2026 season.

Discord combines the organization of a traditional message board with the speed of real-time group messaging. Instead of every conversation appearing together, discussions are separated into channels based on topics, regions and levels of football.

The FloridaHSFootball.com Discord server includes channels for:

• Statewide football discussion
• Live score updates
• Girls flag football
• Junior varsity and freshman football
• Recruiting and college football
• NFL discussion
• Regional football conversations
• Coaching changes
• Transfers
• Florida teams playing out-of-state opponents
• Former Florida high school players in the NFL
• Voice conversations during games and major events

Regional channels are available for the Panhandle, North Central Florida, Northeast Florida, Central Florida, Tampa Bay, Southwest Florida, the Space and Treasure Coasts and South Florida.

Voice channels such as Stadium, Press Box and Practice Field will provide spaces for live conversations.

Traditional message boards are generally built around individual discussion topics and longer-form exchanges. Discord supports that kind of interaction while also allowing faster score updates, game-night conversations and organized discussions inside dedicated channels.

The Discord server is being evaluated as a possible long-term successor to the FloridaHSFootball.com message boards. No final decision has been made, and the development of the community will be evaluated throughout the season.

Join the FloridaHSFootball.com Discord server:
https://discord.gg/8pAYAS7PJB

This is only the beginning

These projects represent years of ideas, planning and development aimed at creating the kind of Florida high school football platform we have always envisioned.

Some features are already live. Others will be introduced as kickoff and the postseason approach. Additional demonstrations, explanations and individual feature spotlights will be released throughout the Countdown to Kickoff.

The complete Florida Power Rankings Index, covering more than 500 teams, will be available free to every reader. The Top 100 team preview series, district and playoff probabilities, Open Division projections, championship outlooks and opening-week coverage will follow as the countdown continues.

Rankings and weekly forecasts will remain free for everyone. Season Ticket subscribers will unlock the complete predictive layer, including win probabilities, projected scores, championship probabilities, bracket projections and advanced analysis.

Get Season Ticket:
https://floridahsfootball.com/seasonticket/

Practice is underway. The regular season is approaching.

The Countdown to Kickoff has begun—and a new era for FloridaHSFootball.com is beginning with it.

Teams needing full-resolution photos can contact Joshua Wilson at Joshua.Wilson@floridahsfootball.com to receive the Dropbox link.

Teams needing full-resolution photos can contact Joshua Wilson at Joshua.Wilson@floridahsfootball.com to receive the Dropbox link.

Florida high school football programs claimed 53 spots in High School Football America’s 2026 Preseason Top 300, released Monday and powered by NFL Play Football, extending the Sunshine State’s streak as the most represented state in the country’s most comprehensive prep football rankings. Texas and Georgia each placed 38 programs. No one else was particularly close.

The rankings land at a pivotal moment for Florida prep football. The FHSAA is introducing an Open Division format this fall for the first time in state history — a standalone postseason bracket that pits the top eight MaxPreps-ranked teams in Florida against each other regardless of classification. No more hiding behind enrollment numbers. The question of who is actually the best team in the state will finally get a clean answer.

That context makes every ranking, every placement, and every movement in this list matter more than it ever has before.

STA slips to No. 4 and nobody in Fort Lauderdale is losing sleep over it

St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale), the defending HSFA national champion and winner of seven consecutive Florida state titles, opens 2026 ranked fourth in the country. The algorithm’s reasoning is cold logic — the Raiders went 14-1, with that one loss coming against Mater Dei in last year’s season opener — but the drop from No. 1 to No. 4 will fuel a program that has never needed much fueling to begin with.

Their August 29 opener against DeSoto, ranked 22nd nationally out of Texas, is already the most anticipated early-season game on Florida’s prep calendar. If STA handles it the way they’ve handled most things over the past seven years, the conversation about their national ranking will be very short-lived.

IMG Academy in Bradenton, meanwhile, opens at No. 3 after going undefeated at 9-0 in 2025. The Ascenders play a schedule that annually includes some of the best programs in the country and closes November 13 against No. 6 St. Frances Academy of Maryland — a game that figures to have serious national championship implications. Florida’s fingerprints will be all over the national title race, same as always.

The Open Division bubble is already bubbling

Below the two national independents, the FHSAA-eligible programs with Open Division aspirations are stacked in a tight national band — and several of them have legitimate grievances with where they landed.

Raines of Jacksonville went a perfect 14-0 last season and finished 2025 ranked 17th nationally. They open 2026 at No. 46. That’s the kind of number that gets taped to a weight room wall and stays there until November. Miami Northwestern (No. 26), Miami Central (No. 35), Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) (No. 37), and American Heritage (Plantation) (No. 41) round out the core of what figures to be a ferocious Open Division race.

Lakeland (No. 55), Cardinal Newman (No. 57), and West Boca Raton (No. 64) sit just outside that group, with Buchholz (Gainesville) (No. 120) as the most prominent bubble program in the state. The MaxPreps power ratings — which will actually determine the Open Division field — are a different animal than the HSFA algorithm, and a strong non-district schedule could move any of these programs significantly by October.

The most puzzling placement in the entire rankings

Columbus (Miami) went 4-8 last season. They were not ranked in the final 2025 HSFA 300. They open 2026 at No. 113 nationally.

That is not a typo. The algorithm looked past the record and found something — talent level, recruiting pipeline, the quality of competition Columbus was facing — and decided this program is significantly better than its win-loss column suggested. Columbus enters 2026 with more to prove than almost any team in the state, and if HSFA’s formula is right, they’re about to make a lot of noise.

Three programs the algorithm is clearly higher on than most people

Venice climbed 25 spots to No. 77 despite going 9-4 a year ago. The Indians played a difficult schedule, their losses came against quality opponents, and this is a program with enough institutional credibility that the algorithm doesn’t overreact to a down year. Expect a bounce-back.

Miami Norland jumped 42 spots despite going 6-6. Read that again. Forty-two spots, for a .500 team. That is a loud statement about a program the formula believes is loaded with talent that the scoreboard simply didn’t reflect. File it away.

Edgewater (Orlando) (No. 93, up 21 spots) and Jones (No. 86, up 20 spots) both out of Orlando make the Central Florida region worth watching as a collective this season. The I-4 corridor has been building toward something for a few years. These rankings suggest it’s arriving.

The big fallers and what it means

Port Charlotte went 11-3 and dropped 104 spots, from No. 159 to No. 263. That is the steepest single-program decline among Florida schools and almost certainly reflects schedule recalibration — the opponents Port Charlotte beat last year didn’t hold up well once the algorithm reassessed the full national picture. Choctawhatchee (Fort Walton Beach) (-66), Miami Southridge (-63), Vanguard (Ocala) (-60), and McArthur (Hollywood) (-50) all took significant hits despite winning records, for similar reasons.

Buchholz drops 26 spots to No. 120 after going 12-2. The Bobcats remain a Top 125 national program and a legitimate Open Division bubble team, but the competition around them recalibrated this offseason, and they’ll need to respond on the field.

The bigger picture

Fifty-three programs. Programs from Fort Walton Beach to Miami-Dade, from Lake City to Sarasota, from Ocala to Kissimmee — where Osceola sneaks into the national rankings for the first time after going unranked in 2025. Two programs in the national Top 5. A new Open Division format that is going to produce the most compelling postseason in the history of Florida prep football.

The rest of the country has been chasing Florida for years. The 2026 season, with more at stake than ever before, isn’t going to change that.

Fall camp opens July 27. The Kickoff Classics start August 14 while regular season games for FHSAA teams kickoff August 21. It’s almost time.

All 53 Florida Programs in the 2026 Preseason HSFA 300

(*) Denotes asterisk on original record as listed by HSFA.

Source: High School Football America / NFL Play Football, June 22, 2026.