Top 25 Florida high school football rankings (9/21/2024)

IMG Academy, St. Thomas Aquinas remains the state's top two teams after Week 5's craziness; Venice moves into Top 5

St. Thomas Aquinas 2027 4-star receiver Julias Jones had two spectacular catches in his team's 23-15 victory over Western on Friday night. / Matt Christopher

Florida high school football has had plenty of ups and downs through the first five weeks.

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 5, as we see it.

SBLive/SI Top 25 Florida football rankings

1. IMG Academy (4-1)

IMG quarterback Ty Hawkins (#2) eludes Cocoa High defenders Javion Hilson (#9) and Chavaris Thompson (#50). 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

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: When the Ascenders defeated Cocoa 34-13 back on Sep. 6th, we feel like that's been the best win for Billy Miller's group thus far. Games against Phenix City Central (Alabama), St. Frances Academy (Maryland) and Venice loom large.

2. St. Thomas Aquinas (4-1)

St. Thomas Aquinas receiver Justice Fitzpatrick. / Matt Christopher

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Just last week, defeating a talented Western squad 23-15 definitely was a better victory than most would give the Raiders credit for.

3. Lakeland (4-0)

Lakeland Dreadnaughts (23) Jordan Henderson runs into a tackle from Winter Haven (18) Jerry Alls during first half action at Denison Stadium Friday September 13 2024, in Winter Haven Fl. Ernst Peters/The Ledger / Ernst Peters/The Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: The Dreadnaughts knocking off Miami Central, 16-8, on the road at Traz Powell Stadium remains Lakeland's best victory this season.

4. Armwood (5-0)

Armwood wide receiver Tyler Williams / The Portal 305

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: The Sep. 6th come-from-behind victory over rival Tampa Bay Tech, 31-27, is Armwood's best victory in 2024.

5. Venice (5-0)

Action from a high school football game between Bishop Verot and Venice at Bishop Verot on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. Venice won the offensive slugfest. / Andrew West/The News-Press/USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Got to go with this most recent one against Cocoa, 54-51. It displayed a little bit of everything and arguably, the most difficult one to date.

6. Cocoa (3-2)

Cocoa defenders O'kece Battle (#20) and DJ Bryant (#8) converge on Venice Dorian Irving-Jones (#21). The Venice Indians hosted the Cocoa Tigers on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. / Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Strolling into Daytona Stadium and blasting Mainland, last year;s Class 3S state champion 51-0, is the Tigers' most impressive win.

7. Miami Central (4-1)

Jan Hendry

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Friday night's 35-32 victory over Plantation American Heritage becomes Miami Central's best victory of the season so far.

8. Chaminade-Madonna (3-2)

Chaminade-Madonna standouts RJ Alphonse (56) and Derrek Cooper (1) after the Lions roar past Miami Norland, 45-20. / Joe Frisaro

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Thursday's 45-20 win over Miami Norland is Chaminade-Madonna's best victory of the season. The Lions still face St. Thomas Aquinas this fall, which could be game of the year in South Florida.

9. Jones (4-0)

Jones' 2025 wide receiver Vernell Brown III will announce his college commitment on July 21st / Vernell Brown III/X

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: We know it just happened on Thursday night, but the 34-28 overtime win over Kissimmee Osceola has to be the Fightin' Tigers top win this season.

10. Plantation American Heritage (2-3)

American Heritage (Fla.) receiver Brandon Bennett eyes a pass while defended by a Milton (Ga.) defender during his team's season opener in Florida. / Photo by Matt Christopher

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: The Patriots best victory came in a Week 2 51-12 romp of Western. Plantation American Heritage has to be the best 3-loss team in the country.

11. Clearwater Central Catholic (5-0)

Clearwater Central Catholic vs. Chaminade-Madonna FHSAA 1M Final December 7, 2023 / Matt Christopher

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Chris Harvey leading his team to a ho-hum 28-14 season opening victory over Berkeley Prep is the Marauders' best win to date.

12. Sanford Seminole (4-0)

Seminole kicker Liam Allen / Scott Miller

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Give us last week's victory over Monarch, 30-26, as the Seminoles best victory this season. We would get more excited about Lake Mary, but the Rams dropping another game lessens the importance.

13. Miami Norland (3-1)

Berkeley Prep vs Miami Norland FHSAA 2M Final December 9, 2023 / Matt Christopher

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Look no further than the guys below the Vikings, the Miami Northwestern Bulls. That's Miami Norland's best win this season.

14. Miami Northwestern (2-2)

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

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Starting off the season with a 45-0 shellacking of Coconut Creek was the Bulls' best victory of 2024 so far.

15. The First Academy (5-0)

The First Academy quarterback Salomon Georges threw a pair of touchdown passes in a 77-19 Kickoff Classic rout of Leto High School. / The First Academy

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Something about Week 1's trip up to Nashville and beating Lipscomb Academy, 28-23, reasonates within us. That's the Royals best win thus far.

16. Monarch (3-1)

Monarch's Samari Reed led the Knights to a 30-29 victory over Peachtree Ridge / Samari Reed/X

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Defeating a solid Peachtree Ridge team out of Georgia, 30-29, at the Broward County Classic remains the Knights' top victory to date.

17. Niceville (5-0)

Niceville WR Jon Bocchino celebrates a catch for a first down during the Choctaw Niceville football game at Choctaw. / Michael Snyder / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: The season opening 35-28 win over South Sumter really set the tone for the strong start. This has all happened without the services of East Carolina commitment Eddie Love Jr.

18. Dr. Phillips (4-0)

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

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: The win that catapulted the Panthers into these rankings, a 26-21 upset of Lake Mary. Yeah, we're pretty sure that's the one.

19. Lake Mary (3-2)

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: We'll roll with the 49-20 drubbing of Cardinal Gibbons at the Broward County Classic as the Rams' best win.

20. Bradford (4-0)

Bradford Tyler Berry (8) celebrates his interception in the first half. The Bradford Tornadoes hosted the Mandarin Mustangs at David Hurse Stadium at Bradford High School in Starke, FL on Friday, September 13, 2024. The Mustangs lead 13-6 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.[Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner] / Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Week 4's 18-13 win over Mandarin was expected by the Bradford faithful. We call it the Tornadoes' best victory so far.

21. Manatee (4-1)

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

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: It's got to be last week's against Buchholz on the road, defeating the Bobcats 34-27. Jacquez Green has his best team in his tenure at Manatee.

22. Nease (4-0)

Quarterback Nate Harry leads Nease's team onto the field for warm-ups before a high school football game against Fletcher on September 13, 2024. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union] / Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: We're going to say this Week 5 victory, 35-34, over rival St. Augustine is the win that's really impressed us the most.

23. St. Augustine (3-1)

St. Augustine's Locklan Hewlett (11) hands off to Trendell Anderson (23) on a play that had Anderson run into the end zone for a late first quarter touchdown. The Choctawhatchee Indians traveled to Saint Augustine High School to take on the Yellow Jackets in the FHSAA Region 1-3A High School Football Finals Friday, November 24, 2023. The Yellow Jackets led 21 to 17 at the half. / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: We like Week 4's 47-35 victory over Riverside. The Yellow Jackets took a big dip this week after the loss to Nease.

24. Cardinal Mooney (5-0)

Cardinal Mooney's Raymen Mosley (#1) picks up a first down. Cardinal Mooney played host to Bishop Verot winning 49-28 over Verot at John Heath Field at Austin Smithers Stadium in Sarasota. / Thomas Bender/ Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: Blowing the doors off of previously ranked Bishop Verot 49-28 now stands as by far Cardinal Mooney's best victory.

25. Delray Beach Atlantic (4-1)

Quarterback Lincoln Graf readies for a practice drill during the Atlantic Community High School Eagles practice Monday afternoon as the varsity boys football team prepares for the upcoming season on July 29, 2024, in Delray Beach, Fla. / THOMAS CORDY/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN: We're going to go with the Eagles 42-13 thrashing of Blanche Ely as this club's best victory.

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

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