Who Is Deeper in 8A, South Florida or Orlando?

[OldSchoolLion 1,626]

I did a thread like this last year.  Below are arguably the top 8 teams in 8A from each area.  Imagine this.  Atlantic played the 8 Orlando area teams this past season.  Now repeat that exercise such that each team played the 8 from the other region this past season.  After adding up all the wins and losses, who would have won the most games, Orlando or South Florida?  In 8A, has Orlando caught up to south FL yet in terms of overall depth of good/very good teams?

South Florida 8A

Atlantic 

Columbus 

Coral Gables 

Deerfield Beach 

Miramar 

Southridge 

South Dade 

 

Orlando Area 8A

Apopka 

Boone 

Dr Phillips

Osceola 

Seminole 

Wekiva 

Winter Park 

[Coach 47]

I am from the Orlando area and I personally think there are is a lot of good football up here. With that said, I think that in South Florida, there is just so much depth and talent that it's hard to say Orlando has "caught up." On top of the powerhouses in 8A, Miami-Dade and Broward have a ton of great teams in 7A and even 6A that can go toe-to-toe with anybody in the state. Outside of 8A, the Orlando area doesn't have the depth that South Florida has. 

[OldSchoolLion 1,626]

interesting fact...Between 1994-2010, a Miami-Dade team won the 6A state title(the largest class at the time) 10 out of 17 years.  Since 2011, a Miami-Dade team has won an 8A title just twice in 8 years...South Dade in 2013 and Southridge in 2016

[Stangs1 18]

I think Wekiva is now 7A this year

[OldSchoolLion 1,626]

49 minutes ago, Stangs1 said:

I think Wekiva is now 7A this year

This was just a comparison of this past season.  

[Stangs1 18]

Oh ok i gotcha.  After the new changes, North Florida has gotten more teams in the mix in 8A for this upcoming season.  Hopefully that can continue as well.

[DarterBlue2 1,763]

1 hour ago, Stangs1 said:

I think Wekiva is now 7A this year

How do you feel about Wekiva going back to 8A? Easier or more difficult path?

[Stangs1 18]

21 hours ago, DarterBlue2 said:

How do you feel about Wekiva going back to 8A? Easier or more difficult path?

Best D my Mandarin  team faced all year along with Raines.  However, i have no clue how much Wekiva is returning because they had alot of senior key pieces like Mandarin did.  

[ColumbiaHighFan2017class 2,349]

2 hours ago, Stangs1 said:

Best D my Mandarin  team faced all year along with Raines.  However, i have no clue how much Wekiva is returning because they had alot of senior key pieces like Mandarin did.  

Slightly off topic but does Mandarin have any openings on schedule next year?

 

[OldSchoolLion 1,626]

33 minutes ago, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

Slightly off topic but does Mandarin have any openings on schedule next year?

 

How about Mandarin vs Columbia?

[ColumbiaHighFan2017class 2,349]

20 minutes ago, OldSchoolLion said:

How about Mandarin vs Columbia?

That's actually why I was asking lol

 

To my knowledge the only nonconference game locked in for us is Trinity Christian

 

We then have Middleburg, Gainesville and Lee in district

 

 

Odds are Madison County and buchholz will be back on the schedule, suwannee up in the air

 

 

So 3-4 openings on schedule, Mandarin very close by and would present a challenge with a now senior QB in Carson Beck so I see a value in that game happening again (they played a few times in the 90s)

[DarterBlue2 1,763]

4 hours ago, Stangs1 said:

Best D my Mandarin  team faced all year along with Raines.  However, i have no clue how much Wekiva is returning because they had alot of senior key pieces like Mandarin did.  

That sounds about right. Over the last three seasons they have been able to reload. Not sure what effect the departure of Apopka's HBC will have for them. 

My feeling is that their path to state may be a bit easier in 7A. However, with St. Thomas as the likely opponent, that is probably a higher hurdle to climb than Columbus (a good team), was. 

[Stangs1 18]

On 1/20/2019 at 1:42 PM, OldSchoolLion said:

How about Mandarin vs Columbia?

I thought there was a rumor of some kickoff classic with mandarin and a ranked team.  I have heard no details though.

[OldSchoolLion 1,626]

As much as the transfer situation around the state irritates some, it may have allowed other parts of the state to be as competitive as Miami-Dade in 8A.  It may be helping certain teams, ie certain Orlando schools, and hurting others, ie Dade schools like Killian, Palmetto, etc