West Orange enters Super 16 football rankings on eve of FHSAA playoff pairings announcement

Orlando area high school football teams find out Wednesday morning who they’ll face in the opening round of the Florida High School Athletic Association playoffs.

That includes programs such as West Orange and St. Cloud, who enter the Sentinel Super 16 rankings for the first time this season following big wins on Friday.

West Orange was dominant in its 34-7 blowout of then-No. 12 Lake Mary. The Warriors, who won their first game under new head coach Mike Granato, rank No. 15 entering Friday’s home game against neighboring rival Windermere High on Friday.

No. 16 St. Cloud remained unbeaten with a 43-0 win at Gateway to set up a Super 16 showdown this week vs. No. 7 Osceola, which also is unbeaten.

Other Super 16 matchups Friday include No. 3 Jones at No. 1 Apopka and No. 10 Wekiva at No. 5 Dr. Phillips. Both games start at 7 p.m. and will be played with limited capacity per Orange County Public Schools COVID-19 safety precautions.

The FHSAA is using a computer program to orchestrate a blind draw for playoff pairings in each region within its eight classifications. Every program in the state that did not opt out of postseason play this fall automatically qualifies for the playoffs, no matter a team’s win-loss record.

Among the omissions in the state series due to COVID-19 is every public school in Palm Beach County and Broward County and “a majority” of schools in Miami-Dade County, according to the FHSAA.

Defending state champions Miami Columbus (Class 8A) and Miami Booker T. Washington (4A) have opted out due to a late start to their seasons. Miami’s five other state champions from a year ago will be among the teams included in tournament brackets released Wednesday.

Apopka (8A), Edgewater (7A) and Jones (5A) all finished state runners-up in their respective classifications in 2019.

The Super 16 includes last week’s ranking in parenthesis if different and current win-loss records.

Sentinel Super 16

1. Apopka (3-0): Jaquan Lowman, Keondre Jones and Anthony Summerlin scored touchdowns for Blue Darters in a 30-0 win at then-No. 15 Lake Brantley (1-2). Next: Friday vs. No. 3 Jones (2-0).

2. Edgewater (1-1): Eagles game last week at No. 10 Wekiva (1-1) and this week vs. No. 8 Timber Creek (3-0) were canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests. Next: Oct. 16 at No. 7 Osceola (2-0).

3. Jones (2-0): Junior QB Julian Calvez rushed for three scores and threw a TD pass to Anthony Rucker in the first quarter of a 49-10 win at Lake Nona (2-1). Next: Friday at No. 1 Apopka (3-0).

4. Seminole (3-0): Seminoles jumped out to a 16-point lead and got two TD passes from senior Timmy McClain in a 25-13 win at then-No. 9 Lake Minneola (1-1). Next: Friday vs. Lake Brantley (1-2).

5. Dr. Phillips (2-1): Junior QB Joe Joe Patti finished 11-of-11 passing for 153 yards and four touchdowns in a 50-0 win at Windermere High (0-2). Next: Friday vs. No. 10 Wekiva (1-1).

6. DeLand (2-0): Timar Rogers (2 sacks) and Lamont Harding (forced fumble) each tallied 12 total tackles during a 30-24 win vs. Port Orange Spruce Creek (1-2). Next: Friday vs. Orange City University (2-1).

7. Osceola (2-0): Malachi Rennie and Izaiah Jean-Baptiste combined for four of Osceola’s eight touchdowns during a 56-0 win vs. Cypress Creek (0-2). Next: Friday at No. 16 St. Cloud (2-0).

8. Timber Creek (3-0): Senior RB Adrian Florez rushed for two touchdowns and Isaiah Reyes tallied seven tackles and two sacks in a 38-3 win at Colonial (1-2). Next: Oct. 16 vs. Orlando University (0-3).

9. (10) Ocoee (2-1): Sophomore QB Dylan Wade rushed for 3 TDs and junior RB Charles Pierre Jr. added two more on the ground Monday in a 43-22 win vs. Evans (0-1). Next: Friday at Celebration (0-2).

10. (11). Wekiva (1-1): Last week’s game vs. No. 2 Edgewater (1-1) was canceled. Next: Friday at No. 5 Dr. Phillips (2-1).

11 (9). Lake Minneola (1-1): Hawks defense recorded three sacks, one forced fumble and two turnover-on-downs in a 25-13 loss vs. No. 4 Seminole (3-0). Next: Friday at Clermont East Ridge (1-1).

12 (13). Winter Park (2-1): Senior RB Ayron Rodriguez rushed for two touchdowns and Braydon Black returned an interception for a score in a 44-3 win vs. Hagerty (1-2). Next: Friday at Lake Nona (2-1).

13 (14). Bishop Moore (2-1): Hornets prevailed 35-14 at Kissimmee Tohopekaliga (0-2) for Matt Hedrick’s 150th win as head coach in 19 seasons at the school. Next: Friday vs. Harmony (0-2).

14 (16). Boone (2-1): Braves racked up 521 yards of offense, including 308 yards and four touchdowns on the ground during a 48-37 win vs. Clermont East Ridge (1-1). Next: Friday vs. Gateway (0-2).

15 (NR). West Orange (1-1): Jaden Floyd, Jamari Jones and Matthew McDoom intercepted passes and the Warriors scored twice on defense in a 34-7 win at then-No. 12 Lake Mary (2-1). Next: Friday vs. Windermere High (0-2).

16 (NR). St. Cloud (2-0): Senior QB Garhett King accounted for four total touchdowns and the Bulldogs forced two turnovers in a 43-0 win at Gateway (0-2). Next: Friday vs. No. 7 Osceola (2-0).

Next in line: Orange City University (2-1), Lake Mary (2-1), Oviedo (3-0), Lake Brantley (1-2).

This article was published first on OrlandoSentinel.com. Reporter J.C. Carnahan can be reached by email at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com

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