Looking ahead to 2026

[Dr. D]

Since we can’t get this year’s brackets totally ironed out, why not briefly look ahead to the upcoming Open Division bracket.  Unless amended by the FHSAA Board of Directors, the Open Division will debut in 2026 as a mandatory (not optional) bracket for the top 8 teams in the FHSAA rankings after the regular season.  If the Open Division was in effect this year, these would be the opening round matchups:

• #8 Bolles @ #1 DeLand
• #5 Miami NW @ #4 Buchholz
• #6 Mandarin @ #3 Vero Beach
• #7 Carrollwood Day @ #2 Cardinal Mooney

Not terrible, but these are some of the teams left out (and their final ranking): Raines (#9); Armwood (#10); Edgewater (#12); Lakeland (#14); C-M (#15); STA (#17).  Once again, relying solely on computer rankings may not achieve the desired goals.   

[Perspective]

4 hours ago, Dr. D said:

Since we can’t get this year’s brackets totally ironed out, why not briefly look ahead to the upcoming Open Division bracket.  Unless amended by the FHSAA Board of Directors, the Open Division will debut in 2026 as a mandatory (not optional) bracket for the top 8 teams in the FHSAA rankings after the regular season.  If the Open Division was in effect this year, these would be the opening round matchups:

 

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• #8 Bolles @ #1 DeLand
• #5 Miami NW @ #4 Buchholz
• #6 Mandarin @ #3 Vero Beach
• #7 Carrollwood Day @ #2 Cardinal Mooney

Not terrible, but these are some of the teams left out (and their final ranking): Raines (#9); Armwood (#10); Edgewater (#12); Lakeland (#14); C-M (#15); STA (#17).  Once again, relying solely on computer rankings may not achieve the desired goals.   

I wish that the mandatory open division playoffs were happening this year . . . because if both Lakeland and STA got left out, all hell would break loose and the FHSAA would have to change things fast!   

[badbird]

On 11/7/2025 at 3:43 PM, Perspective said:

I wish that the mandatory open division playoffs were happening this year . . . because if both Lakeland and STA got left out, all hell would break loose and the FHSAA would have to change things fast!   

How many of these top 8 win a state title?  The open division is a great idea until you use the FHSAA rankings which suck.  

[PinellasFB]

On 11/7/2025 at 11:26 AM, Dr. D said:

Since we can’t get this year’s brackets totally ironed out, why not briefly look ahead to the upcoming Open Division bracket.  Unless amended by the FHSAA Board of Directors, the Open Division will debut in 2026 as a mandatory (not optional) bracket for the top 8 teams in the FHSAA rankings after the regular season.  If the Open Division was in effect this year, these would be the opening round matchups:

• #8 Bolles @ #1 DeLand
• #5 Miami NW @ #4 Buchholz
• #6 Mandarin @ #3 Vero Beach
• #7 Carrollwood Day @ #2 Cardinal Mooney

Not terrible, but these are some of the teams left out (and their final ranking): Raines (#9); Armwood (#10); Edgewater (#12); Lakeland (#14); C-M (#15); STA (#17).  Once again, relying solely on computer rankings may not achieve the desired goals.   

I'm stunned.  The whole purpose was to get STA, Chaminade, AHP, CCC, MNW, Miami Central, Venice, etc. into their own bracket.  The open division does not solve this at all.

[Dr. D]

19 hours ago, badbird said:

How many of these top 8 win a state title?  The open division is a great idea until you use the FHSAA rankings which suck.  

I looked back to last year and 4 of the top 8 teams in the end-of-regular-season rankings won state titles -- Venice, C-M, West Boca Raton, and AH-P.  I would put this year's over/under at 2 for state titles out of the current group.  

[Ray Icaza]

14 hours ago, PinellasFB said:

I'm stunned.  The whole purpose was to get STA, Chaminade, AHP, CCC, MNW, Miami Central, Venice, etc. into their own bracket.  The open division does not solve this at all.

It would have if the number of teams scooped up in that bracket was 16 like I believe it should be and they went with straight MaxPrep rankings. 

[nolebull813]

5 hours ago, Ray Icaza said:

It would have if the number of teams scooped up in that bracket was 16 like I believe it should be and they went with straight MaxPrep rankings. 

That would make every other bracket the worst in the history of the sport 

[Ray Icaza]

4 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

That would make every other bracket the worst in the history of the sport 

Perspective my friend as the OPEN CHAMPION would be declared the only STATE CHAMPION.  However, there are still many good, solid programs out there that could compete for a GOLD, SILVER & BRONZE championship award with fair competition in each and every bracket as most observers would declare what we currently have today is closer to your "Worst in History" declaration.   Less teams would resign themselves to leave the FHSAA as is happening today due to the lack of hope in reaching a desired goal.  But what do I know when disagreeing with the "ALL KNOWING ORACLE OF DELPHI"!

[nolebull813]

5 hours ago, Ray Icaza said:

Perspective my friend as the OPEN CHAMPION would be declared the only STATE CHAMPION.  However, there are still many good, solid programs out there that could compete for a GOLD, SILVER & BRONZE championship award with fair competition in each and every bracket as most observers would declare what we currently have today is closer to your "Worst in History" declaration.   Less teams would resign themselves to leave the FHSAA as is happening today due to the lack of hope in reaching a desired goal.  But what do I know when disagreeing with the "ALL KNOWING ORACLE OF DELPHI"!

So if that was the case then that would be ok. But that would never happen. If they just called the open winner the “state champion” and the rest of the winners the “Gold bracket champ”, “silver bracket champ” etc etc

Only the FHSAA can take something that is the worst in history and make it worse!

[badbird]

The open division should automatically include STA.  

[badbird]

On 11/7/2025 at 11:26 AM, Dr. D said:

Since we can’t get this year’s brackets totally ironed out, why not briefly look ahead to the upcoming Open Division bracket.  Unless amended by the FHSAA Board of Directors, the Open Division will debut in 2026 as a mandatory (not optional) bracket for the top 8 teams in the FHSAA rankings after the regular season.  If the Open Division was in effect this year, these would be the opening round matchups:

• #8 Bolles @ #1 DeLand
• #5 Miami NW @ #4 Buchholz
• #6 Mandarin @ #3 Vero Beach
• #7 Carrollwood Day @ #2 Cardinal Mooney

Not terrible, but these are some of the teams left out (and their final ranking): Raines (#9); Armwood (#10); Edgewater (#12); Lakeland (#14); C-M (#15); STA (#17).  Once again, relying solely on computer rankings may not achieve the desired goals.   

This is not going well.  The rankings are a joke.  FHSAA you must adjust your mystical rankings that you use and don't tell anyone how you get it.

[nolebull813]

They should take @LAZ rankings and @Joshua Wilson rankings and combine them for one super epic ranking. Instead of a room full of zoo animals throwing shit at the wall. 

[Dr. D]

On 11/8/2025 at 4:24 PM, badbird said:

How many of these top 8 win a state title?  The open division is a great idea until you use the FHSAA rankings which suck.  

Now that the dust has settled on the 2025 playoffs, we can look at the 8 teams that would have been placed in the Open Division had it been in effect this year, and how they fared in this year’s playoffs:

• #1 DeLand – lost in regional finals
• #2 Cardinal Mooney – won 2A championship
• #3 Vero Beach – lost in state finals
• #4 Buchholz – lost in state semifinals
• #5 Miami NW – lost in state finals
• #6 Mandarin – lost in regional finals
• #7 Carrollwood Day – lost in state semifinals
• #8 Bolles – lost in state finals

The net effect is that only the 2A bracket would have had a different champion (although granted that Vero and MNW could have gone the other way).  But as it stands, the 7 other classifications would have been largely unaffected by the presence of an Open Division under the current selection criteria.  Obviously, using the FHSAA rankings seriously undermines the intent of the Open Division (i.e. placing the 8 “best” teams in one bracket).  And if many, if not all of us, can see that the FHSAA rankings are a problem, why can’t the FHSAA figure it out?  (Never mind, I answered my own question)

[PinellasFB]

If the open division doesn't contain AHP, Lakeland, Armwood, STA, Chaminade, MNW, Venice, West Boca and Miami Central then it is utterly useless.  Basically, all of the NIL/recruiting teams need their own division. I'm still stunned that almost the entire West Boca team doesn't even attend the school.  How are people okay with this?  I can't blame the kids for doing what's best for them, but those schools should be playing each other since it is utterly unfair for a paid all-star team to play any team that does things the above-board way.  One or two recruits can be difference makers so a team full of transfers is just stupid.

[i4football]

Man, this Open Division talk got me thinkin' 'bout how them computers settin' odds on our Florida high school boys is straight foolishness—like lettin' them sharp-dressed bookies down in Miami handle my money again. Noimsayin?Back in '88, I took a Greyhound down to South Beach with a crisp $500 envelope—rent money, mind you—'cause this cat named Rico swore he had the "lock of the century" on some FAMU game. Rico wearin' pink linen, gold chain thick as my wrist, smellin' like Drakkar Noir and bad decisions. He set the line himself: Rattlers minus 14. Sounded easy. I put it all down. FAMU win by 13 on a missed extra point in overtime. Rico shrug, light another cigarette, say "Vigorish, baby." I rode that bus home eatin' peanut butter crackers for two days straight, swearin' off bookies forever. But here I am, still throwin' twenties at the hard eight in Biloxi every chance I get.That's exactly what this FHSAA computer doin'—playin' Rico with our brackets. It set DeLand as the #1 lock, heavy favorite in this imaginary Open, like they unbeatable. Had Bolles comin' to town as a 20-point dog. Buchholz layin' points to Miami Northwestern. Hell, Carrollwood Day gettin' respect over Chaminade and STA? Boy, if I laid money on that line down in Miami, them boys would've had me workin' off my debt washin' pink Cadillacs outside the Fontainebleau.'Cause we all know how it really played out—STA, Chaminade, Lakeland, Armwood, them the ones collectin' rings or damn near. Them the parlays that cash. But the computer? It miss the juice, the eye test, the "that boy got next-level speed" factor. Just like Rico missin' that we played Bethune-Cookman with half our line hurt and still almost covered.Joshua Wilson and that LazIndex? They more like the old-timer sittin' at the OTB in Tampa—been watchin' film since integration, know when a team got dogs or just good uniforms. They set lines you can actually bet and eat that night. FHSAA algorithm settin' lines like Rico—flashy, confident, and leavin' you broke cryin' on the Turnpike.When this Open Division finally drop in '26, they better let some humans override that computer, or it's gon' be another Rico special—pretty on paper, disaster in real life. And I ain't ridin' no Greyhound home again. I done learned... mostly.Y'all keep chasin' them real dogs on Friday nights. That's the only sure bet in Florida.

[Hwy17]

11 hours ago, PinellasFB said:

If the open division doesn't contain AHP, Lakeland, Armwood, STA, Chaminade, MNW, Venice, West Boca and Miami Central then it is utterly useless.  Basically, all of the NIL/recruiting teams need their own division. I'm still stunned that almost the entire West Boca team doesn't even attend the school.  How are people okay with this?  I can't blame the kids for doing what's best for them, but those schools should be playing each other since it is utterly unfair for a paid all-star team to play any team that does things the above-board way.  One or two recruits can be difference makers so a team full of transfers is just stupid.

IMG outta be in this open division. But then the rest would want out.

[Perspective]

15 hours ago, Dr. D said:

Now that the dust has settled on the 2025 playoffs, we can look at the 8 teams that would have been placed in the Open Division had it been in effect this year, and how they fared in this year’s playoffs:

• #1 DeLand – lost in regional finals
• #2 Cardinal Mooney – won 2A championship
• #3 Vero Beach – lost in state finals
• #4 Buchholz – lost in state semifinals
• #5 Miami NW – lost in state finals
• #6 Mandarin – lost in regional finals
• #7 Carrollwood Day – lost in state semifinals
• #8 Bolles – lost in state finals

The net effect is that only the 2A bracket would have had a different champion (although granted that Vero and MNW could have gone the other way).  But as it stands, the 7 other classifications would have been largely unaffected by the presence of an Open Division under the current selection criteria.  Obviously, using the FHSAA rankings seriously undermines the intent of the Open Division (i.e. placing the 8 “best” teams in one bracket).  And if many, if not all of us, can see that the FHSAA rankings are a problem, why can’t the FHSAA figure it out?  (Never mind, I answered my own question)

So, of the so-called 8 best teams in the state, only one of them won a state championship?   Hmmm.  

[THAT S--T WAS FUNNY]

12 hours ago, i4football said:

smellin' like Drakkar Noir and bad decisions.

That s--t got me, LOL...Still got scars from that combo

[Nulli Secundus]

6 minutes ago, THAT S--T WAS FUNNY said:

That s--t got me, LOL...Still got scars from that combo

My college roommate dropped and broke my entire bottle.  Never went back after our room stank for a week.

[MC Rockets]

I truly hope they revamp the selection process of the open division and also get rid of the double elimination idea. As lazy as the FHSAA is, they should have a committee to select the teams(8 best) based on W-L, SOS, etc. Not this norm of letting a computer pick. I've been following football for a long time, and I have yet to see a computer "watch" a game. The state that Florida football is in now, they need a "tough" playoff bracket. It's too many watered down brackets where of 32 teams you pretty much know what 2-4 teams will be last standing. It would also help if you have a team in MNC contention with boosting their resume. And when it comes to the double elimination factor, who does that in football? Like really? If anything go to 16 teams, at least you will have 4 solid rounds of football IMO.