8 underrated Southwest Florida high school football teams heading into 2024

These are the teams capable of a surprising some of their opponents and launching playoff runs

The Barron Collier Cougars competes against the Charlotte Tarpons in a spring football game at Golden Gate High School in Naples on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. / Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA

High school football practice started this week, and expectations are high throughout Southwest Florida.

You know the teams that seem to compete for district championships year in and year out, but there are a handful of teams poised to make noise in 2024. These are the teams that ended last season strong and have a lot of talent returning, raising hopes of taking the next step this year.

Here are eight underrated high school football teams to look out for this season in Southwest Florida.

1. Barron Collier

Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA

The Cougars were 8-3 last season but got overlooked thanks to sharing a district with local juggernaut Naples High and a record-breaking Golden Gate team. This year, Barron Collier returns one of the best quarterbacks in the area in Nico Boyce. Plus, the Cougars no longer share a district with Naples and are in the very winnable Class 3A-District 14.

2. Community School of Naples

Community School of Naples continues to add talent as it pursues equal footing with district football rival First Baptist Academy. / Community School of Naples football

Like Barron Collier, CSN often gets overlooked because of who it shares a district with -- 2022 state champ First Baptist. The Seahawks still are in the same district as FBA, but they've loaded up on talented transfers. They have a lineman committed to Ole Miss in Taren Hedrick, a receiver with multiple Power Five offers, and a returning QB in Cale Austin (1,778 yards last year).

3. East Lee County

The Jaguars turned a lot of heads last year, going 5-5 after going winless (0-9) in 2022. East Lee closed the season winning four of its final five games. Now the Jaguars are looking to build on that with plenty of returning talent, including Lazaro Rogers. The Northern Illinois commit ran for 1,515 yards and 18 touchdowns last season.

4. Evangelical Christian School

Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News / USA

The Sentinels went 6-5 last season, but four of those losses were to playoff teams, and one was to IMG Academy White. ECS made the playoffs, losing to First Baptist. The Sentinels lost one of the area's most prolific passers in Tanner Helton, but they added Jamarion McIlroy at QB. McIlroy started at Gateway last season.

5. Immokalee

Coach James Delgado is resurrecting one of the best small-town programs in the state. The Indians, who won state in 2004, won just three total games in the three seasons before Delgado arrived. They've gone 10-11 in two years under Delgado, including 6-6 last year with a district title. In 5A-District 12 with three teams that could struggle (Golden Gate, Gulf Coast, Palmetto Ridge), Immokalee could make it back-to-back titles.

6. Island Coast

Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune /

The Gators were one of the youngest teams in the area last season, and they had a first-year coach in Tyran Jones. They had just one single senior at a skill position on offense, and 10 of their top 11 tacklers were underclassmen. And yet Island Coast still went a respectable 4-6 (with four losses to playoff teams). This year the Gators share 3A-District 13 with three teams they're capable of beating (Cypress Lake, Estero, Lemon Bay).

7. North Fort Myers

It might sound crazy to call the Red Knights underrated after they averaged seven wins a year from 2014-2022. But people might be sleeping on North Fort Myers after an uncharacteristic 3-7 record last fall under first-year coach David Pasquale. The Knights have enough athletes back to show improvement, especially on defense where North Fort Myers is always strong.

8. Port Charlotte

Andrew West/The News-Press / USA TODAY

Because the Pirates are tucked way up in Charlotte County, people might overlook them when discussing the best programs in Southwest Florida. But Port Charlotte has never had a losing season in 12 years under Jordan Ingman. The Pirates went 9-3 last year, but it ended with a bitter 63-33 loss to Naples in the regional semifinals. They have enough firepower back on both sides of the ball to compete in a loaded 4A-District 12.