Top 25 Florida high school football rankings (10/6/2024)

No. 1 IMG Academy narrowly got by No. 5 Venice; St. Thomas Aquinas cruises past Hollywood Hills and Cocoa drops after loss to Miami Norland

IMG Academy wide receiver Donovan Olugbode (#1) looks to gain extra yardage against the Venice defense. The Venice High School Indians hosted the IMG Academy Ascenders National team on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. / Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Florida high school football has had plenty of ups and downs through the first seven weeks and Hurricane Milton now bearing down on the state made are making things that much crazier.

Upsets and close calls have filled the scoreboards as we try and configure every week who are exactly the Sunshine State's top football programs week in and week out.

This past week was no different. Plenty of exciting games were on tap, bringing to you a whole new perspective on the best out of Florida.

We list every team's most impressive win this season in this week's rankings.

Here's the Top 25 Florida high school football teams after Week 7, as we see it.

High School On SI Top 25 Florida football rankings

1. IMG Academy (5-1)

IMG Academy running back Tyson Park (#27) carries the ball against the Venice defense. The Venice High School Indians hosted the IMG Academy Ascenders National team on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. / Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Another test against a Florida-ranked club and the Ascenders passed, barely. IMG Academy went down the road to Venice and came away with a 21-16 win. Billy Miller's team can absolutely win out at this point.

2. St. Thomas Aquinas (6-1)

St. Thomas Aquinas receiver Justice Fitzpatrick. / Matt Christopher

Ahead of a showdown with Chaminade-Madonna at Pitbull Stadium, the Raiders throttled Hollywood Hills 64-0. At halftime, St. Thomas Aquinas was up by 49 points.

3. Lakeland (6-0)

LakelandFootball2023.jpeg /

It was another ho-hum week for the Dreadnaughts as they came away with a 28-0 victory over Sumner. Now they'll head down to Firemen's Field to take on Sebring, a 31-14 winner over Sarasota Booker last week.

4. Armwood (6-0)

The Portal 305

Playing on a Thursday night? No problem for the Hawks as they went into Dads Stadium and shutout Plant 26-0. Armwood can absolutely run the table to 10-0.

5. Venice (6-1)

Venice High running back Dorian Irving-Jones (#21) is wrapped up by IMG Academy defenders. The Venice High School Indians hosted the IMG Academy Ascenders National team on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. / Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

We thought about dropping Venice down a spot, but when you lose to one of the top programs in he nation by five points, hard to do that. Indians are still the favorite in Class 7A.

6. Miami Central (5-1)

Chaminade-Madonna vs Miami Central Football 2023 / Robson Lopes

In the battle for the 305, the Rockets held up and defeated rival Miami Northwestern 24-21. They'll be playing in the GMAC championship on Oct. 18th against Miami Norland.

7. Chaminade-Madonna (5-2)

After capturing its first win last week in an instant classic with American Heritage, Chaminade-Madonna is back in action Thursday night as the Lions host Edison. / Matt Christopher

Down two quarterbacks, Dameon Jones' outfit still got the job done against Monarch, rolling to a 37-8 victory over the Knights. Nice win for the Lions.

8. Jones (6-0)

Jones Tigers quarterback Dereon Coleman. / Dereon Coleman Hudl

When you can roll into Polk County and defeat a team like Auburndale 49-7, definitely says something about the talent at Jones. Now they will host Lake Wales this week.

9. Miami Norland (5-1)

Ennio Yapoor leads the Miami Norland Vikings on the road against the Chaminade-Madonna Lions in South Florida clash. / Matt Christopher

Ennio Yapoor rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another in Norland's dominating 33-14 victory over Cocoa on the road.

10. Plantation American Heritage (3-3)

Plantation American Heritage's Dia Bell has already committed to Texas. / Matt Christopher

The Patriots reach the .500 mark after they easily defeated Plantation, 35-0. Next time challenge for American Heritage is this week against Miami Norland.

11. Clearwater Central Catholic (6-0)

Clearwater Central Catholic's Quarterback Jershaun Newton (1) finds running room during early first quarter action. The Clearwater Central Catholic Marauders traveled to Jacksonville, FL to take on the University Christian Christians in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1M starts football semifinal match Friday, December 2, 2022. The Marauders came away with a 29 to 34 win over the Christians. / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Marauders just stay consistent and winning, running away with a 42-7 win over Northside Christian.

12. Cocoa (3-3)

Cocoa High quarterback Brady Hart (#13) passes the ball as he gets pressure from IMG Acadmey linebacker Gavin Nix (#6). The IMG Academy National squad hosted the Cocoa High School Tigers Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 in Bradenton. / Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

With another loss on the record, this time it was a 33-14 decision to Miami Norland. The Tigers are looking to bounce back this week against Apopka, pending if the game is still on with Milton on its way.

13. Sanford Seminole (6-0)

Seminole kicker Liam Allen / Scott Miller

The Seminoles had another strong home outing against a good Titusville team, pulling away with a 33-10 victory.

14. Miami Northwestern (3-3)

Miami Northwestern takes on Coconut Creek in the season opener / The Portal 305/FootballHotbed.com

Like Cocoa and Venice, Miami Northwestern lost but we just can't stomach dropping the Bulls because they lost to Miami Central by three points. The Bulls are still a very good team.

15. The First Academy (6-1)

Demetrice McCray of The First Academy (Orlando) was the winner of SBLive's Central Florida High School Football Player of the Week voting, last week, and he is a candidate again this week. / The First Academy Football

The Royals barely lost to Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Georgia) 49-42 last week. A heavyweight bout with Sanford Seminole on Oct. 18th looms large.

16. Niceville (7-0)

Johnny Lewis Jr. attempts to outrun the Escambia defender in Niceville's 42-21 win. / Reed Green

A 41-7 win over Gulf Breeze was nice, but now Niceville will sink its teeth into the meat of the schedule with meetings against Mosley and Lincoln back-to-back.

17. Dr. Phillips (6-0)

Dr. Phillips quarterback Stanley Anderson-Lofton is a dual-threat quarterback who combined for more than 1,500 yards rushing and passing, as well as 17 touchdowns in 2023. / Courtesy of Stanley Anderson-Lofton

Playing in a rare Wednesday night game, the Panthers took care of business in a 34-7 rout of Lake Nona.

18. Lake Mary (4-2)

The Rams have arguably their biggest game of the season when they take on Sanford Seminole on Thursday, if Hurricane Milton doesn't postpone the contest.

19. Monarch (3-2)

Monarch 2028 athlete Darren Jeudy / Aden McGregor

After a 37-8 loss to Chaminade-Madonna, the Knights take a little dip in this week's rankings. Having Jabari Brady back should take make Monarch better as the season progresses.

20. Western (2-4)

Western Football - Adam Ratkevich - 8:24:2023 /

Hear us out on this one: The Wildcats are the 2-4 team in the country. Among their losses are to Chaminade-Madonna, Hoover, Plantation American Heritage and St. Thomas Aquinas. Beating a previously undefeated West Boca Raton team convinced us the Wildcats need to move into the ranks.

21. Bradford (6-0)

Bradford's Marlin Haywood (18) and Branden Williams (9) celebrate a touchdown score during the first quarter of a high school football matchup Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024 at Bradford High School in Starke, Fla. The Bradford Tornadoes blanked the Keystone Heights Indians 40-0. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Another week and another blowout win for the Tornadoes, this time a 41-0 shellacking of Palatka.

22. Manatee (5-1)

The Manatee Hurricanes with a 41-0 win over the Southeast Seminoles in a non-district game Friday night, Aug. 30, 2024, in Bradenton. / Thomas Bender/ Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Hurricanes took care of business last week on Monday night in a 34-10 victory over Pinellas Park.

23. Nease (5-0)

Nease Panthers quarterback Nate Harry (4) stares down Ponte Vedra Sharks Cooper Sobiecki (36) on a scramble during second half action. The Nease Panthers hosted the Ponte Vedra Sharks in High School Football Friday evening, August 23, 2024. The Panthers were the 24 to 7 victors over the Sharks. / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

Colin Drafts' bunch picked up another impressive victory, this time a 20-17 win over Buchholz. This week is a matchup against Bartram Trail.

24. Cardinal Mooney (6-0)

Cardinal Mooney's Connail Jackson has stepped into the Cougar backfield to replace Carson Beach. / Thomas Bender/ Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cougars played in a rare Tuesday night game against Lakewood, cruising to a 40-16 victory.

25. Naples (6-1)

Shawn Simeon #5 of the Naples High School football team gains yards during a game against Fort Myers High School at Fort Myers on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Naples won. / Andrew West/The News-Press/USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Golden Eagles ran by Fort Myers in a 42-6 rout. Naples should win out the rest of the way.

On the outside looking in: Berkeley Prep, Bishop Moore, Bishop Verot, Blanche Ely, Bolles, Buchholz, Cardinal Newman, Cardinal Gibbons, Choctawhatchee, Delray Beach Atlantic, Dunbar, Eau Gallie, Edgewater, Escambia, Gadsden County, Kissimmee Osceola, Lincoln, First Baptist Academy, Hawthorne, Jesuit, Lake Wales, Leesburg, Madison County, Mandarin, Miami Booker T. Washington, Mitchell, Newberry, Pensacola Catholic, Raines, Sarasota Booker, Sebring, Southridge, St. Augustine, Tampa Bay Tech, Union County, University, Vanguard, West Orange, Wiregrass Ranch

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl