LocalReplay Class 6A Florida Football Rankings (Preseason Edition)
August 31st, 2007 Posted in Florida Sports, Recruiting News, High School Sports, Florida Football, football, High School FootballLinks to other Florida high school football class previews:
Class 1A Florida High School Football Rankings
Class 1B Florida High School Football Rankings
Class 2A Florida High School Football Rankings
Class 2B Florida High School Football Rankings
Class 3A Florida High School Football Rankings
Class 4A Florida High School Football Rankings
Class 5A Florida High School Football Rankings
Well, this is the last of them. Just before sunset, more than 500 Florida high school football teams will take the field. That’s more than 10,000 individuals all seeking the same ultimate goal, victory.
There will be blood. There will be sweat. There will be tears. And, when it’s all said and done, there will be glory that lasts a lifetime. Everyone forgets the Pythagorean Theorem and the difference between a gerund and a participle. But nobody forgets high school football, at least not completely. And, with us, there’s no reason to forget at all. Upload your video to our site, and we’ll keep it safe so you and Al Bundy can go back and review just how great you were.
Anyway, here’s the last of our rankings. Northwestern is our No. 1. If you know your Florida football, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. What might, though, is an inspired Mandarin team. We expect them to do well this season even after losing their coach, J.D. Hall, in June to a massive heart attack.
We hope you enjoy the season as we update our top 20 lists each week and provide you with the game action and statewide news reports that make life grand in the Sunshine State.
1. (Miami) Northwestern—What is there to say about a defending state champion that’s considered by many to be one of the nation’s best? With senior QB Jacory Harris running an offense that features WR Aldarius Johnson and WR Tommy Streeter, this team is going to air it out and drop 60 on most teams. The Bulls are coming off an undefeated 15-0 season, and they return 13 of 22 starters.
2. (Altamonte Springs) Lake Brantley—Oh, so close. If Northwestern is the incredible power folks say it is, then where does that leave the Patriots? Lake Brantley rolled past some good playoff teams to get to the state championship before losing in a respectable 34-14 contest to Northwestern. The team is loaded with talent, including QB Derrick Shaw, who transferred from Apopka. Shaw or someone else will need to fill the vacancy left by the graduation of last year’s starting quarterback, but you can expect George Clayton to solve that one.
3. (Orlando) Dr. Phillips—The year started with much hype for Dr. Phillips, but Edgewater’s 21-14 win Thursday night should knock them down a few rungs. We’ll leave them here for now, but it’s going to change if they lose again.
4. Palm Beach Gardens—We can’t read tea leaves, but we’re not a bad reader of Palms. After bowing out 18-7 to Orlando Boone last in the regional finals last year, expect the Gators to bounce back and vie for a state title in 2007. There’s lots of experience and lots of talent on coach Kevin Fleury’s squad, so expect a District 6A-7 title to come again.
5. (Orlando) Edgewater—The season is already under way for Edgewater, and it got off to a great start with a 21-14 victory Thursday night against rival Dr. Phillips. Both are likely playoff teams, and one could go deep into the season.
6. (Lauderdale Lakes) Boyd Anderson—It has to help when one of the state’s top rushers, Chris Anderson, transfers into a program coming off a 9-3 playoff season. The Cobras also have senior RB Derrick Warthen, also a transfer. It shouldn’t take coach Mark James long to find ways to get the ball to his two backs. Look for Anderson to make a deep playoff run in 2007.
7. Flagler Palm Coast—Senior QB Mark Jones is the leader of this team, which lost its top runner to graduation last fall. But Jones can get it done. In fact, he’ll likely go over 1,500 yards this fall and could tally 15 touchdowns. The district is watered down this year, and there’s almost no reason to believe the Bulldogs won’t win the district title, but that’s why they play the games.
8. Apopka—The Blue Darters lost several players from their program to the city’s new Wekiva High School, which is planning to play a varsity schedule this fall. That could have an impact for a team that was virtually humiliated by 5A powerhouse Seabreeze last week in the preseason classic for both teams. Apopka also is breaking in a new quarterback. It could be a trying season for coach Rick Darlington and his troops.
9. Oviedo—Expectations are high for the Lions, but the season started on a bad note when senior LB Zach Dudley was injured and airlifted from the field. He’s okay, but the scare had him reconsidered whether to continue his football career. If he’s out of the game plan, the team will need some extra special contributions from senior RB Garrett Wilkins, who also plays on the defense.
10. (Miami) Central—After an 11-2 season, Central rolls into 2007 with one of the state’s top recruits from the Class of 2010, sophomore QB Jeffrey Godfrey. Youth is served with Godfrey, who topped 1,000 yards last fall while playing at Miami Edison. A strong defense gives Central some nice balance. Expect a playoff spot for this team, and it could be a deep run if Godfrey emerges and limits the turnovers that often come with youth.
11. Palm Beach Lakes—While Palm Beach Gardens sets the bar in District 6A-7, this team is hoping to blast through the ceiling in 2007. Senior QB Alonzo Bellamy leads the offense, but he’ll get plenty of help from sophomore RB Matt Elam, who should get most of the carries.
12. (Weston) Cypress Bay—The Lightning return most starters from a 6-4 season. Now they’re ready to roll under new coach Mark Guandolo, who left Chaminade at the same time that a few of his kids transferred to other schools. Defense is stressed in the new coaches system, and Cypress Creek has the horses to excel in that regard. Look for the team to earn a playoff spot in 2007.
13. (Jacksonville) Mandarin—The Mustangs finished last season with a 7-3 mark and missed the playoffs after losing to DeLand and Sandalwood in what were billed as upsets. That wasn’t good news, but the worst news came in June, when coach J.D. Hall, a charismatic former standout quarterback at Bethune-Cookman University, passed away after a massive heart attack. It’s something that surely will be on the mind of these kids, but young people aren’t hard to inspire. Look for this bunch to rise this fall in District 6A-1. Even while they’ve lost a lot of talent from last fall, so to have some of their opponents, including Sandalwood and DeLand. The team’s season could hinge on an Oct. 21 game at Flagler Palm Coast, last year’s district runner-up.
14. (Orlando) Boone—After reaching the state semifinals last fall, Boone looks to make more noise in 2007. If they do, though, it will come from some new noise-makers. The Braves lost the heart of their offense to graduation. That leaves Senior WR Jeremy Brown as one of the building blocks to the this fall’s success. Brown has great athleticism, but he’ll need someone to get him the ball.
15. Deerfield Beach—Lots of familiar faces will lead the Bucks back to the playoffs in 2007. Art Taylor’s bunch is led by junior QB Denard Robinson, who should throw for more than 1,200 yards this fall.
16. American—Most of the Patriots players are back, including junior QB Columbus Bryant. If he is the starter, he’ll benefit from a big target in senior WR Marquise Law and speedy senior RB Demetrius Stone.
17. Coral Gables—The Cavaliers were 8-3 in 2006. This fall, they return most of their starters, including senor QB Christopher Gordon, who produced prolific passing numbers last year while leading Coral Gables to a 5-0 mark in District 6A-7.
18. North Miami Beach—Look for another playoff run from this Chargers bunch. Coach Jeff Bertani’s team could see further emergence from junior QB Nico Flores, who has the size and accuracy to play at the collegiate level. He’ll often hand the ball to senior RB Aaron Winchester, who’s likely to go over 1,000 yards.
19. Southridge—The Spartans won their district last fall, but there are no guarantees for a team that has to rebuild most of its defense. That’s one of the most challenging tasks for any prep team. Perhaps senior Christopher Edgecomb will go both ways. At 6-6 and 380 pounds, he could fill a running hole, or a small valley.
20. (Orlando) Timber Creek—The defense picked off a lot of passes in District 6A-3 last fall, and that allowed them to pick off a playoff spot as well during a 9-2 campaign. Apopka, though, dropped the Wolves 20-0 in the regional quarterfinals, and that was the end. The trouble is that Edgewater is in the same district. The teams face off on Oct. 5.
