Orange County pulls football teams out of FHSAA districts
Orange County Public Schools petitioned the Florida High School Athletic Association this week to allow some of its 23 Metro Conference football teams to play as independents during the 2024 and ’25 seasons.
While the move allows those programs to construct their own schedules and avoid mandatory district play, independent teams are not eligible to participate in the FHSAA playoffs.
Friday is the final day for schools to appeal placement in new classifications and districts that were drafted by the FHSAA last month. A final revision is expected to be released late next week.
“We don’t have a solid number quite yet,” OCPS athletics administrator Lonnie Flores said Thursday following a meeting between county ADs at Windermere High School. “Once the final districts are released we’ll know exactly what schools are approved for independence.”
Multiple sources told Orlando Sentinel that the eight teams expected to play as independents are Colonial, Cypress Creek, East River, Lake Buena Vista, Oak Ridge, University, Windermere and Innovation, which opens this fall with no senior class as a relief school for Lake Nona.
“I did receive an email from Lonnie that up to eight schools were appealing to be moved out of districts,” FHSAA associate director Scott Jamison said. “That’s a school-based decision and we do accommodate those requests. We’ll go ahead and take them out.”
Those programs combined for an 18-51 record last season. Lake Buena Vista (5-4) was the lone team to turn in a winning record. Oak Ridge finished 4-5.
The independent programs will face each other and play one additional Metro Conference opponent as part of their 10-game schedules in each of the next two years.
That aligns with a previously proposed OCPS plan to create a three-tier scheduling system for its football teams before the FHSAA approved its most recent classification, which is based on student enrollment.
“Our concern is ensuring our Metro Conference games are being played,” Flores said.
The three-tier system would likely create annual games between perennial powers Apopka, Edgewater, Jones and Winter Park, each of which finished inside the Top 8 of Sentinel Super 16 rankings in 2023.
OCPS athletic directors will meet next Friday to continue working on football schedules.
The decision by Orange County to make eight teams independent forces a drastic revision of FHSAA classifications and districts that involve Orlando area teams.
The initial draft was rolled out shortly after the governor-appointed FHSAA board of directors voted to approve a motion made to require mandatory district games.
Jones High is currently slotted in an out-of-area district in Class 4A with Auburndale, Lake Region and Lake Wales.
Edgewater, along with East River and Lake Buena Vista, are in a 5A district with Seminole County’s Lyman and Winter Springs.
Independent status for Colonial, Oak Ridge and University leaves only Timber Creek and Winter Park in Class 7A District 4.
Windermere would leave a 7A district that includes Orange County schools Boone, Dr. Phillips and Olympia.
Cypress Creek (7A-10) is among a district with Lake Nona and Osceola County’s Celebration, Harmony and Tohopekaliga.
“We’ll pull the map out again early next week and we’ll look at all the appeals and finalize the process,” Jamison said. “We definitely have to make some adjustments.”
Cypress Creek, East River and Oak Ridge have head coaching vacancies. Announcements are forthcoming regarding new hires at University and Wekiva, according to Flores.
Innovation hired former Orlando First Academy coach Leroy Kinard in December to launch its program.
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.
