The Florida High School Athletic Association released its second rankings for the 2022 season on Wednesday afternoon.
Chaminade-Madonna, the No. 1 team in Class 1M in USA Today’s Florida Top 100, remains the No. 1 team in the state regardless of classification.
More Florida HSFB: Best games, highlights from the first half of the regular season
Other sets:Edwin Joseph leads the state’s prospects on the rise after the first half
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Here are five observations from the second state ranking:
Bradford stands out
Bradford’s undefeated season was impressive for many reasons, not least because the Tornadoes outscored opponents a combined 164-7 with five shutouts in six games. Bradford, ranked No. 8 overall and No. 1 in Class 2S, also has the distinction of being the lone suburban program in the top 10. For what it’s worth, eight of the teams ranked 11 through 20 are suburban schools.
Cardinal Newman moves up
The Crusaders (6-0) beat previously unbeaten John Carroll Catholic, 40-7, on Monday to finish 10th overall in the state. Cardinal Newman plays in a deep classification (four of the state’s top 10 teams are in Class 1M) and has a very tough Region 3-1M checkpoint in Chaminade, but the ranking is a testament to the work coach Jack Daniels has done in his first 18 months in West Palm Beach.
more:Football Recruiting: The Curious Case of Cardinal Newman DB Winkevus Pierre
Class 4S is as deep as expected
Once the new football classes were released, it looked like the teams in Class 4S would have the toughest road to the state championship. The ratings after six weeks are the same. Five of the top 18 teams overall — Vero Beach (No. 11), Buchholz (12), Bartram Trail (13), Niceville (14) and Lakeland (18) — are in Class 4S. That doesn’t even include Venice, the 2021 state champion in Class 8A, which is No. 6 in the state. Undefeated Land O’Lakes is No. 7 and Lake Mineola (2020 5A state finalist) is No. 9.
Williston is the #1 rural program
Williston is off to an impressive 5-0 start to the season, posting three straight shutouts and scoring at least 42 points in each game. The Red Devils are the top-ranked rural team and No. 25 overall in the state — ahead of traditional powers like Tampa Bay Tech (2021, Class 7A state), Miami Northwestern, Venice (2021, Class 8A, champ state) and others. Chiefland (#30) and Hawthorne (#37) are the only rural programs in the top 40.
Just for fun
Let’s play the what-if game for a second. If the playoffs started today and the top-seeded team won every game, this is what the Final Four would look like in every classification.
4M class
Newsom in Columbus
Santaluces in Winter Park
Class 3M
Largo in St. Thomas Aquinas
Manor in Edgewater
2M class
Bishop Kenny at Plantation-American Heritage
Clearwater-Calvary Christian at Miami Central
1M class
Miami-Westminster Christian at Chaminade-Madonna
Northside Christian at Trinity Christian
Class 4S
![Buchholz Bobcats Creed Whittemore (2) scrambles for yards. On Friday, September 23, 2022, Vanguard High School hosted Buchholz High School at Booster Stadium in Ocala, Florida. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/09/24/NOSB/a292f72f-4fe1-4b98-a24d-924b6de72566-OCA_Buchholz_at_Vanguard_football_006.JPG?width=660&height=588&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Venice on Vera Beach
Lake district in Buchholts
Class 3S
Mainland in Dunbar
Pine forest on Lake Wales
Class 2S
Bishop Vero in Bradford
South Sumter on Florida High
1C class
![Ocala Trinity Catholic's JaMarcus Starks (7) runs down the field after making a catch during the game against Gainesville High School at Citizens Field in Gainesville, Florida. September 8, 2022 [Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/09/17/NDAC/7093fe1e-e7e9-4968-8ba3-30c9394dca72-FLGAI-GHSvs.Trinity-10.JPG?width=660&height=583&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Ocala-Trinity Catholic at Naples-First Baptist Academy
John Carroll, Catholic, Christian in North Florida
Class 1R
Had breakfast in Williston
Northview in Union County
John Santucci is the state high school football reporter for the USA Today Florida Network. He can be reached at jsantucci@gannett.com.
