The FHSAA’s Open Division concept won’t be in play until the 2026 football season unfolds, but there are some questions and concerns to be answered between now and then.
As approved, the intriguing addition will pull the top eight teams, based on Florida High School Athletic Association rankings, out of their classifications and into a superpower bracket.
If that system were on for this year, the one Orlando area team invited would be DeLand, a team that is undefeated this year but has never won a football state title.
Here’s who would make the elite eight, with their win-loss record and classification:
1. DeLand (10-0) 7A
2. Cardinal Mooney (9-1) 2A
3. Vero Beach (10-0) 7A
4. Buchholz (9-1) 6A
5. Northwestern (9-0) 3A
6. Mandarin (9-1) 6A
7. Carrolwood (9-0) 1A
8. Bolles (9-1 (2A)
That omits the two South Florida powerhouses that are ranked 1-2 by MaxPreps, St. Thomas Aquinas (9-1) and Chaminade-Madonna (7-2), along with Miami Central (8-1), Lakeland (8-2) and Armwood (10-0). All of those teams are multi-time state champions.
Clearly, the FHSAA needs to overhaul its ranking formula. Executive director Craig Damon has promised that he and his staff will do just that, with input from member schools on what factors should be prioritized.
Edgewater (10-0), ranked No. 1 in 5A, is No. 12 in the FHSAA rankings but No. 8 in the pure MaxPreps version — which is widely regarded as more accurate.
FHSAA board approves 7-class football plan with a twist for independents
Pass happy
Tohopekaliga (6-5) senior quarterback tossed 5 touchdown passes in a 41-30 bowl game win against Kissimmee Gateway (5-6) to finish with 138 scoring throws in a five-year varsity career. That ranks second all-time in Florida behind Tucker Israel, who had 162 TD passes for Lake Nona (2010-14).
The common thread: both of those QBs operated in a pass-happy offensive scheme orchestrated by head coach Anthony Paradiso.
Tampa Jesuit (9-1) senior Will Griffin has 134 TD passes going into a Friday playoff game. He started his six-year varsity career as a seventh grader at Northside Christian of St. Petersburg.
Lake Mary (7-3) senior quarterback Noah Grubbs has 126 TD throws in four seasons, going into the Rams’ Friday 7A playoff game at home vs. Hagerty (6-4).
More football
This is Week 1 of the FHSAA’s five-week football playoffs, and Oviedo will be the first Orlando area team to play.
The Lions (8-2) travel to Gainesville to play a Thursday night 6A Region 1 quarterfinal against the top seed in the region, Buchholz (9-1). The Bobcats share Citizens Field with Eastside (8-2), which plays its 3A playoff game Friday against South Sumter (6-4).
Ed White (8-2) of Jacksonville scored 537 regular-season points to break a state record of 529 set by Apopka’s 2013 state runner-up team. The Commanders, who qualified for the 4A playoffs, had losses to Merritt Island 52-49 and Oakleaf 45-41.
Apopka totaled 752 points, counting its five playoff games, and that still stands as a state record.
Windermere soph Rylee Erisman puts on show with U.S. mark in FHSAA swim final
Swimming
Windermere High’s girls swim team tuned up for a FHSAA 4A state championship attempt with a runaway win in the Region 2 meet at Orlando’s Rosen Aquatic Center. The Wolverines won 11 of the 12 swim events, with reigning state swimmer of the year Rylee Erisman and Brynn Lavigueur both winning all four of their races.
Lizzy Johnson, Lilliana Krstolic and Aidyn Reese added to Windermere’s 497 point total – each recording three first-place finishes.
The Wolverines go to Ocala’s Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training (FAST) for Friday’s state meet and will again be chasing Sarasota Riverview, which has won four consecutive big-school 4A titles. Windermere placed second in 2023 and 2024.
Windermere coach Kyle Casias said Riverview is again the favorite, but added this:
“I think we’re going to give them a run. It’s going to take all of our best performances. Riverview is really loaded.”
It helps that Lavigueur, who won two state meet races for Riverview last season, now swims for Windermere as a senior. Casias said she switched her club affiliation to train with Windermere-based Lakers Swimming and then joined the WHS team.
Lake Minneola topped Windermere for the boys 4A-1 title.
Winter Park’s boys won the 4A Region 1 team title. Oviedo placed third. That girls title went to Creekside of St. Johns County, followed by Oviedo and Lake Brantley.
Montverde Academy’s boys and girls placed second behind the state’s dominant swim program, Bolles of Jacksonville, in the 1A state meet.
Boys XC
Hagerty had three of the top four finishers to beat rival Oviedo 27-30 for first place in the 4A District 2 meet in Port Orange. Oviedo’s Noah Mott won the race in 16:48.1 and was followed by the Huskies trio of Ricardo Hernandez (16:58.8), Marek Pezzoli and Wesley Lizon.
East Ridge sophomore Axel Sallault crossed the line first with a 15:47.0 time to lead the Knights to the team title in 4A-3.
Montverde Academy’s Will Moss ran 15:56.7 as the boys 2A-4 winner.
Regional meets are Thursday, Friday and Saturday — leading into the FHSAA finals in Tallahassee on Nov. 22.
Girls XC
Annabella Tomasic cruised to her fifth victory in as many races with a 17:35.0 time to lead her Bishop Moore team to first place in 3A District 4.
Rachel Judy of The Master’s Academy won the 1A-4 girls race with a 19:33.7 time.
East Ridge’s girls joined its boys for a sweep in 4A-3.
Hagerty’s girls won the 4A-2 title for a sweep with the boys. Lake Mary’s Camryn Barrett ran 19:36.8 for the individual title.
Mount Dora, led by sophomore Cecelia Lear (19:39.8), won 2A-3.
Boys soccer
Freedom (2-0), which dealt 7A state champ Lake Nona (3-1) its only loss in a 17-1-4 season last year, beat the Lions again last Friday by a 3-0 score. The Patriots opened with a 2-1 win over Oviedo.
Ocoee (2-0-1) and Boone (2-0-1) played to a 0-0 tie on a cold Tuesday night.
Bishop Moore is 4-0 and has allowed just one goal. The Hornets play at Lake Highland Prep (3-0) Thursday night.
Winter Park opened with 7-0 wins against St. Cloud and Lake Howell.
Girls soccer
Oviedo (4-0) has outscored foes 20-1 going into a Thursday match at Seabreeze (3-0), which hasn’t allowed a goal.
Lake Mary (4-0) scored another quality win with a 7-4 Saturday victory against perennial power St. Thomas Aquinas. The Rams play at Winter Park (2-0) on Thursday night.
The First Academy (2-0) shellacked Circle Christian 8-1 and Winter Springs 9-1 to start its season.
Timber Creek (3-0) played Lake Nona to a 0-0 tie and won with a 4-3 penalty kick tiebreaker. The Wolves also blanked Merritt Island 2-0.
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
