Florida High School Football Playoff Rankings After Week 8: Open Division, Classes 1A-6A

Armwood knocked Tampa Bay Tech from the unbeaten ranks Friday, but the Hawks remain just outside Florida’s projected Open Division football playoff field. Sunday’s FHSAA ratings leave Columbia and Armwood less than a quarter-point behind The First Academy for the final spot, while St. Thomas Aquinas stays first, and Carol City’s postseason ban reshapes the race.

The rankings remain fluid with several weeks of the regular season remaining.

Under the FHSAA's new postseason format, the eight highest-ranked eligible teams from Classes 1A-6A will advance to the Open Division. The remaining Classes 1A-6A playoff fields will include four district champions and four at-large teams in each region.

Here's how the Open Division race and individual classifications stand following Week 8.

Projected Open Division Field

1. St. Thomas Aquinas, Class 5A (7-0) - 97.36

2. Columbus, Class 6A (7-1) - 91.02

3. West Boca Raton, Class 5A (6-1) - 89.21

4. Chaminade-Madonna, Class 2A (5-2) - 88.38

5. Miami Central, Class 3A (6-1) - 84.50

6. Cardinal Newman, Class 2A (5-2) - 84.32

7. Cardinal Mooney, Class 3A (6-1) - 83.52

8. The First Academy, Class 2A (6-1) - 82.30

First three out: Columbia (82.14), Armwood (82.09), Lakeland (81.63)

Columbia is the first team out at 82.14, just 0.16 points behind The First Academy. Armwood follows at 82.09, 0.21 points behind. Lakeland follows at 81.63, a 0.67-point gap. American Heritage, Plantation (81.59), Raines (81.58), and Tampa Bay Tech (81.33) are also within one point of The First Academy, trailing by 0.71, 0.72, and 0.97 points, respectively.

Armwood’s 14-7 win Friday improved the Hawks to 6-1 and handed Tampa Bay Tech its first loss. The victory left Armwood 0.76 points ahead of its district rival in Sunday’s ratings. The Hawks visit Bloomingdale on Oct. 16, while Tampa Bay Tech hosts Leto.

Miami Carol City still carries an 85.23 rating, which would otherwise put them fifth among teams in the Open Division; the Chiefs are excluded from this projection because of the FHSAA postseason ban imposed after the Oct. 2 fight with Grayson.

Class 1A

1. True North Classical Academy (4-3) - 78.36

2. Carrollwood Day (7-0) - 76.28

3. Trinity Christian Academy, Jacksonville (3-4) - 76.20

4. Hawthorne (8-0) - 72.79

5. Madison County (4-4) - 64.46

6. Lakeland Christian (7-0) - 62.25

7. John Carroll Catholic (5-2) - 61.24

8. St. John Neumann (7-1) - 58.52

9. Melbourne Central Catholic (5-1) - 58.35

10. University Christian (6-2) - 57.57

True North Classical Academy jumped from fourth to first after a 31-20 win over John Carroll Catholic moved the Titans to 4-3. At 78.36, True North leads unbeaten Carrollwood Day by 2.08 points. Carrollwood Day holds just a 0.08-point edge over Trinity Christian, while Hawthorne fell from first to fourth despite improving to 8-0.

Class 2A

1. Chaminade-Madonna (5-2) - 88.38

2. Miami Carol City* (4-3) - 85.23

3. Cardinal Newman (5-2) - 84.32

4. The First Academy (6-1) - 82.30

5. Clearwater Central Catholic (5-2) - 81.25

6. Bolles (5-1) - 79.12

7. Berkeley Prep (4-2) - 76.34

8. Tampa Catholic (5-2) - 64.82

9. Bradford (8-0) - 64.47

10. Cocoa (2-4) - 62.68

Chaminade-Madonna remains first in Class 2A after beating Cardinal Newman 20-7 in the state championship rematch. The Lions hold No. 4 in the projected Open Division field, and Newman remains sixth despite the loss. The First Academy has much less room at eighth, just 0.16 points ahead of Columbia, while Clearwater Central Catholic moved past Bolles into fifth in the class ratings.

*Miami Carol City remains listed in the class ratings but is excluded from the Open Division projection under the current postseason ban.

Class 3A

1. Miami Central (6-1) - 84.50

2. Cardinal Mooney (6-1) - 83.52

3. Raines (6-0) - 81.58

4. Merritt Island (7-0) - 76.17

5. Eau Gallie (4-3) - 73.47

6. Godby (5-2) - 71.68

7. Cardinal Gibbons (5-2) - 66.29

8. Bishop Kenny (2-3) - 63.53

9. Baker County (5-2) - 60.53

10. Bishop Verot (4-2) - 59.24

Miami Central moved past Cardinal Mooney to first after a 63-7 win over Key West improved the Rockets to 6-1. Central leads Mooney by 0.98 points, and both are in the projected Open Division field. Raines remains third at 81.58, just 0.72 points from the cutoff, but the gap to fourth-place Merritt Island is 5.41 points despite both programs being unbeaten.

Class 4A

1. Columbia (7-0) - 82.14

2. American Heritage, Plantation (4-3) - 81.59

3. Port Charlotte (4-2) - 76.49

4. Jones (4-2) - 73.13

5. Lake Wales (6-1) - 72.99

6. Bishop Moore (5-2) - 72.77

7. Mosley (6-0) - 71.69

8. Choctawhatchee (4-2) - 71.42

9. St. Augustine (7-0) - 71.16

10. Miami Norland (3-4) - 66.77

Columbia remains first in Class 4A and is now just 0.16 points from the final projected Open Division spot. American Heritage kept the race tight with a 27-2 win over Norland that improved the Patriots to 4-3. At 81.59, Heritage trails Columbia by 0.55 points and the Open Division cutoff by 0.71, leaving both Class 4A leaders just outside the field.

Class 5A

1. St. Thomas Aquinas (7-0) - 97.36

2. West Boca Raton (6-1) - 89.21

3. Armwood (6-1) - 82.09

4. Lakeland (6-1) - 81.63

5. Tampa Bay Tech (7-1) - 81.33

6. Mandarin (6-1) - 77.48

7. Archbishop McCarthy (3-4) - 73.11

8. Buchholz (8-0) - 72.62

9. Nease (4-3) - 71.15

10. Oakleaf (3-3) - 68.02

St. Thomas Aquinas improved to 7-0 with a 48-0 shutout of McArthur and remains first in Class 5A, 8.15 points ahead of West Boca Raton. Armwood’s 14-7 win over Tampa Bay Tech ended the Titans’ unbeaten start and left the Hawks just 0.21 points from the Open Division field. Lakeland moved past Tampa Bay Tech into fourth and trails Armwood by 0.46 points, while unbeaten Buchholz slipped to eighth.

Class 6A

1. Columbus (7-1) - 91.02

2. Vero Beach (7-1) - 78.98

3. Venice (7-1) - 78.04

4. Seminole (7-0) - 76.55

5. Edgewater (4-2) - 73.95

6. DeLand (6-1) - 73.01

7. Mainland (3-3) - 72.69

8. Miami Palmetto (6-1) - 72.37

9. Cypress Bay (8-0) - 64.46

10. Western (5-2) - 64.45

Columbus extended its lead atop Class 6A after beating Coral Gables 51-13 to improve to 7-1. The Explorers now lead Vero Beach by 12.04 points, up from their 9.57-point advantage over Venice last week. Vero Beach climbed from fifth to second and holds a 0.94-point edge over Venice, while unbeaten Seminole jumped from sixth to fourth. Cypress Bay is also unbeaten at 8-0 and sits ninth.

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