Ascenders looking to erase bitter taste of season-ending loss to St. Frances Academy in 2021.
The high school football season in Florida kicks off with a full slate of games scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 25-27. Loaded with talent after a 9-1 season in 2021,
IMG Academy (Bradenton) headlines our look at this year's contenders in the preseason MaxPreps Top 25.
As he enters his first season as head coach with the Ascenders, Billy Miller will roll out a roster full of FBS talent highlighted by elite prospects Samuel M'Pemba (6-3, 240, DE, Sr., 37 FBS offers), Francis Mauigoa (6-5, 330, OL, Sr., committed to Miami), Carnell Tate (6-2, 185, WR, Sr., Ohio State), Jayden Wayne (6-5, 245, DE, Sr., Miami) and Riley Williams (6-6, 240, Sr., TE, Miami).
Taking the No. 2 spot is
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale), which carries a 13-game winning streak into the opener after claiming the Class 7A state title with a 42-14 triumph over
Tampa Bay Tech (Tampa) last fall. The championship was the third straight for the Raiders, who have gone 37-2 over the past three seasons.
IMG Academy also climbed into Zack Poff's expanded preseason national Top 100 at No. 4 while Aquinas was No. 5.
Chaminade-Madonna (No. 13),
Miami Central (No. 15),
Jesuit (No. 17),
American Heritage (No. 20) and
Lakeland (No. 23) all earned a spot in the top 25.
Read on for a complete look at Florida's preseason top 25 for 2022.
St. Thomas Aquinas takes the field for last year's Class 7A state championship game. The Raiders have played for a title 16 times in 22 seasons during the 2000s.
Photo: Laura Martin
2.
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale), 14-1, Class 7A state champions
3.
Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood), 12-1, Class 3A state champions
4.
Central (Miami), 12-2, Class 5A state champions
5.
Jesuit (Tampa), 15-0, Class 6A state champions
6.
American Heritage (Plantation), 6-4
7.
Lakeland, 9-2
8.
Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale), 11-2, Class 4A state champions
9.
Venice, 14-1, Class 8A state champions
10.
Northwestern (Miami), 10-4
11.
Tampa Bay Tech (Tampa), 14-1
12.
Columbus (Miami), 9-4
13.
Edgewater (Orlando), 10-2
14.
Pine Forest (Pensacola), 12-2
15.
Jones (Orlando), 11-3
16.
Gulliver Prep (Miami), 8-2
17.
Buchholz (Gainesville), 12-2
18.
Seminole (Sanford), 11-2
19.
Apopka, 12-3
20.
Berkeley Prep (Tampa), 12-1
21.
Palmetto (Miami), 9-3
22.
Homestead, 10-2
23.
Treasure Coast (Port St. Lucie), 10-2
24.
Madison County (Madison), 11-3, Class 1A state champions
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