By Rod Gipson
MaxPreps.com
For the second straight week, the top six spots in the MaxPreps Tampa Bay Top 10 poll remain unchanged. And, obviously while that is because those teams keep winning in impressive fashion, one thing is assured - it will change.
As the second half of the season kicks off this week, district play begins, rivalry games take place and postseason positioning begins in earnest.
In the coming weeks alone, No. 1 Seffner Armwood hosts No. 2 Tampa Hillsborough in a Class 4A, District 11 meeting which will decide the district champ and No. 4 Tampa Plant faces a still dangerous Tampa Jefferson team in a contest to determine supremacy in 4A-10.
Also, No. 3 Largo and No. 5 St. Petersburg Northeast still have a November meeting circled on their calendars. That game is far from the minds right now of the Northeast players, who have to contend with No. 7 Boca Ciega this week.
And nothing is certain yet for No. 6 New Port Richey Ridgewood, which still must tangle with district up-and-comers Tarpon Springs and perennial playoff participant Land O'Lakes.
This week's Max Preps Tampa Bay Top 10
1. SEFFNER ARMWOOD (5-0) - Armwood shook off a pesky Tampa Jefferson team 26-9, knocking the slumping Dragons out of the poll. Up next, district play against 4-1 Tampa Bay Tech.
2. TAMPA HILLSBOROUGH (4-0) - The Terriers made a statement with a 35-0 trouncing of Riverview. Hillsborough is gaining steam for its October games against No. 4 Plant and No. 1 Armwood. Tampa Freedom is next, however.
3. LARGO (4-0) - The Packers needed two overtimes to get past No. 9 Dunedin 37-31. Largo will have an easier time this week at Pinellas Park.
4. TAMPA PLANT (3-1) - The defending Class 4A state champs haven't lost a game since opening night and open district play this week against 0-5 Tampa Blake.
5. ST. PETERSBURG NORTHEAST (4-0) - The Vikings and rival No. 7 Gulfport Boca Ciega square off in a neighborhood district scrape with the winner getting a head start on the 4A-9 title.
6. NEW PORT RICHEY RIDGEWOOD (4-0) - After a 330-yard, six-touchdown performance last week, Ridgewood running back Byronell Arline topped that with 340 yards and seven scores in a 49-34 win against New Port Richey Gulf. The Rams are at New Port Richey River Ridge Friday.
7. GULFPORT BOCA CIEGA (4-0) - The Pirates had a routine 26-0 win against St. Petersburg in preparation for its showdown with No. 5 Northeast.
8. TAMPA MIDDLETON (3-2) - After a tough district loss to No. 2 Hillsborough, the Tigers took out their frustrations in a 40-0 romp against Tampa Blake in front of 8,500 at Raymond James Stadium in the Heritage Classic.
9. DUNEDIN (3-2) - The double-overtime loss to Largo hurts but doesn't affect the Falcons pursuit of the Class 5A-9 district crown. Dunedin is at Clearwater this week.
10. TAMPA GAITHER (3-2) - The Cowboys are back on the poll after a 35-14 win against Tampa Jesuit. After a 0-2 start, Gaither has won three in a row in impressive fashion. District play starts this week against a tough Trinity Mitchell team.
HONORABLE MENTION: Tampa Jefferson, Tampa Chamberlain, Lithia Newsome, Land O'Lakes, Tarpon Springs, Tampa Bay Tech.