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Florida High School Football Playoff Rankings After Week 10: Open Division, Classes 1A-6A

Cardinal Newman and Lakeland enter the projected eight-team field, with Cardinal Mooney just 0.05 points behind the Dreadnaughts for the final spot.
Lakeland enters Florida’s projected Open Division playoff field after a 35-10 win over Lake Gibson, sitting just 0.05 points ahead of Cardinal Mooney for the final spot.
Lakeland enters Florida’s projected Open Division playoff field after a 35-10 win over Lake Gibson, sitting just 0.05 points ahead of Cardinal Mooney for the final spot. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Cardinal Newman returns to Florida’s projected Open Division football playoff field following a 49-0 win over Saint Andrew’s. Lakeland also enters after beating Lake Gibson 35-10, as Armwood and unbeaten Raines drop outside the top eight.

The eight highest-ranked eligible teams from Classes 1A-6A will compete in the Open Division once the regular season ends. The lists below use the Oct. 25 FHSAA playoff ratings and retain projected Open Division teams in their current classifications.

Projected Open Division Field

1. St. Thomas Aquinas, Class 5A (9-0) - 100.24

2. Columbus, Class 6A (9-1) - 96.25

3. West Boca Raton, Class 5A (7-1) - 93.50

4. Chaminade-Madonna, Class 2A (7-2) - 91.04

5. Miami Central, Class 3A (7-2) - 88.30

6. The First Academy, Class 2A (7-1) - 87.25

7. Cardinal Newman, Class 2A (6-2) - 86.95

8. Lakeland, Class 5A (8-1) - 84.54

First three out: Cardinal Mooney (84.49), Clearwater Central Catholic (84.34), American Heritage, Plantation (84.28)

Lakeland’s 84.54 rating leaves Cardinal Mooney, Clearwater Central Catholic and American Heritage within 0.26 points of the cutoff. Raines is now the fourth team out, 0.44 points behind Lakeland, after holding the final spot in the Oct. 18 projection.

Carol City’s 89.74 rating would place the Chiefs fifth, but this projection excludes them under their reported postseason ban.


Class 1A

1. Carrollwood Day (9-0) - 83.58

2. Trinity Christian Academy, Jacksonville (5-4) - 82.14

3. True North Classical Academy (4-4) - 81.40

4. Hawthorne (9-0) - 78.65

5. Madison County (5-4) - 67.42

6. Lakeland Christian (8-0-1) - 67.14

7. University Christian (6-3) - 62.68

8. Melbourne Central Catholic (6-1) - 60.77

9. John Carroll Catholic (6-3) - 59.89

10. St. John Neumann (7-2) - 59.85

Carrollwood Day stays first and extends its lead over Trinity Christian from 0.01 to 1.44 points. Lakeland Christian remains sixth after a 41-7 win over Victory Christian Academy, with its tie against American Heritage of Delray Beach keeping its record at 8-0-1. Carrollwood Day visits Cardinal Newman on Oct. 30.


Class 2A

1. Chaminade-Madonna (7-2) - 91.04

2. Miami Carol City* (6-3) - 89.74

3. The First Academy (7-1) - 87.25

4. Cardinal Newman (6-2) - 86.95

5. Clearwater Central Catholic (7-2) - 84.34

6. Bolles (6-2) - 83.58

7. Berkeley Prep (6-2) - 81.96

8. Tampa Catholic (7-2) - 74.91

9. Cocoa (3-5) - 69.54

10. Miami Killian (7-2) - 66.48

Chaminade-Madonna, The First Academy, and Cardinal Newman now occupy three projected Open Division spots. Cocoa moves up one position to ninth, and Miami Killian enters at No. 10. Bradford falls to 11th after a 19-18 loss to ED White ended the Tornadoes’ unbeaten season.

*Carol City remains in the published class ratings; its postseason status is addressed above.


Class 3A

1. Miami Central (7-2) - 88.30

2. Cardinal Mooney (8-1) - 84.49

3. Raines (9-0) - 84.10

4. Merritt Island (9-0) - 77.00

5. Eau Gallie (6-3) - 76.94

6. Godby (6-3) - 75.41

7. Cardinal Gibbons (6-3) - 72.24

8. Baker County (6-3) - 63.82

9. Bishop Verot (6-2) - 63.37

10. The Villages Charter (9-0) - 62.93

Cardinal Mooney passes Raines for second following its 58-36 win over Palm Beach Central. The Vikings beat Cocoa 35-20 to reach 9-0 but slipped to third in the class. If the projection holds, Mooney and Raines would remain in Class 3A while Miami Central moves into the Open Division. The Villages joins the top 10.


Class 4A

1. American Heritage, Plantation (6-3) - 84.28

2. Columbia (9-0) - 83.77

3. Port Charlotte (6-2) - 78.98

4. Bishop Moore (7-2) - 78.64

5. Jones (7-2) - 77.12

6. St. Augustine (9-0) - 76.37

7. Mosley (8-0) - 75.42

8. Miami Northwestern (6-4) - 74.86

9. Lake Wales (8-1) - 73.25

10. ED White (7-2) - 72.35

American Heritage remains first, 0.51 points ahead of unbeaten Columbia. Heritage is 0.26 points short of the projected Open Division field, while Columbia is 0.77 below the cutoff. St. Augustine climbs from eighth to sixth, and ED White enters at No. 10. Choctawhatchee falls to 11th.


Class 5A

1. St. Thomas Aquinas (9-0) - 100.24

2. West Boca Raton (7-1) - 93.50

3. Lakeland (8-1) - 84.54

4. Mandarin (8-1) - 82.32

5. Armwood (8-1) - 79.36

6. Buchholz (9-0) - 78.63

7. Archbishop McCarthy (4-5) - 77.58

8. Nease (6-3) - 76.30

9. Tampa Bay Tech (9-1) - 74.38

10. Pace (5-2) - 71.86

With St. Thomas Aquinas, West Boca Raton, and Lakeland all projected to move into the Open Division, Mandarin would be the highest-rated team remaining in Class 5A. Armwood falls from third to fifth, while Buchholz climbs one position to sixth. Pace joins the top 10, replacing Evans, which drops to 12th.


Class 6A

1. Columbus (9-1) - 96.25

2. Miami Palmetto (7-2) - 83.41

3. Venice (9-1) - 82.58

4. Vero Beach (8-1) - 81.60

5. DeLand (8-1) - 77.52

6. Edgewater (5-3) - 77.06

7. Seminole, Sanford (9-0) - 77.00

8. Mainland (4-4) - 75.48

9. Riverview, Sarasota (7-2) - 67.95

10. Cypress Bay (9-0) - 66.91

Columbus keeps the top spot after a 30-7 win over Miami Northwestern. Miami Palmetto passes Venice for second, while DeLand jumps from eighth to fifth following a 46-27 win over Mainland. Riverview of Sarasota enters at No. 9, and Cypress Bay holds the final top-10 position by just 0.02 points over Western.

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Jon Van Hoozer
JON VAN HOOZER

Jon Van Hoozer is a South Florida-based sportswriter covering high school athletics, with a primary focus on football, basketball, and recruiting. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Van Hoozer provides on-site coverage throughout South Florida, including game reporting, player and coach interviews, and recruiting coverage. His coverage focuses on the athletes, programs, and storylines shaping one of the nation's most competitive high school sports markets. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2026.